Disclaimer: I read a free review copy of this book.
The Falcon Flies Alone is a supernatural science-fiction novel set in Switzerland and Germany during the 1950’s. It follows the fraught tale of Peppa; the recently orphaned daughter of a respected chemist who is a skilled scientist in her own right. When we join her, however, she is far from the halls of Radcliffe where she had expected to be studying. After the death of her father, she was left in the care of her Aunt until she came of age at twenty-one — a situation she couldn’t stand, leading her to flee and hide in the country until her birthday when she could claim her inheritance. Unfortunately, things spiral out of control when she is implicated in a violent and deadly incident in the town, one that unleashes a falcon spirit inside and leaves her questioning her sanity as she flees the authorities.
The story is interesting, deliberately keeping the reader guessing as to whether Peppa has really transformed into a giant raptor, or whether the drug she was tricked into ingesting cause a psychotic break. The novel is well-written, and I enjoyed it, though there were a few elements that held me back (all subjective).
My biggest problem was Peppa. She’s a naïve character who has grown up submersed in science, leading her to interpret the world and events through an almost purely clinical eye. She goes through a great deal in the book, and is undoubtedly the victim, but at the end of the day I just couldn’t bring myself to like her. It’s not always necessary to want to be friends with the protagonist in a novel, but in this case, I struggled a little to care about her future. This is definitely my subjective experience, and I have no doubt others will love her. She just wasn’t the style of character I’m drawn to.
Mathieu has done a lot of research for the book, and it shows. While there are supernatural elements to the story, it focusses on its science-fiction basis, and there is a lot of science to unpack. In places I found it a little heavy handed, but throughout most of the book it flows well. Some people will love the detail provided, others perhaps not so much. You’ll know if you like your stories with a heavy dose of science — I again present this not as a criticism, but as a subjective experience.
The Falcon Flies Alone is the first book in a series, the book nicely closes the primary story arc while opening into the next. The novel is action-packed with rolling twists and turns. Gabrielle Mathieu is strong writer who has delivered an interesting period science-fiction which will be loved by those who connect to the main character.
You can pick up a copy from Amazon here, or read more reviews on Goodreads here.