(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

On a forested island off the coast of Istanbul stands Portmantle, a gated refuge for beleaguered artists. There, a curious assembly of painters, architects, writers and musicians strive to restore their faded talents. Elspeth 'Knell' Conroy is a celebrated painter who has lost faith in her ability and fled the dizzying art scene of 1960s London. On the island, she spends her nights locked in her blacked-out studio, testing a strange new pigment for her elusive masterpiece.
But when a disaffected teenager named Fullerton arrives at the refuge, he disrupts its established routines. He is plagued by a recurring nightmare that steers him into danger, and Knell is left to pick apart the chilling mystery. Where did the boy come from, what is 'The Ecliptic', and how does it relate to their abandoned lives in England?

*2.5 stars*

I have to say that this book really didn't work for - I can see the attraction to it but that first 125 pages or so...what a challenge. Lots of big ideas and intelligent thought but it just seemed to weigh the story down, rather than improve it. The last 100 pages or so brought the book together but, for me, it was too late to save it.


Paul
ARH