Plot
In his novel The Encanto: LA Fog Part 1, Arthur Swan gives us an extremely fascinating and uniquely imagined plot. “An ancient Mayan artifact, smuggled into Los Angeles, unexpectedly alters three lives in bizarre ways.” The plot unfolds as it follows the three characters and the journey is a great mix of horror, mystery, humor, and suspense. Swan has an extremely well-developed story here and it is a plot with real depth and strength.
Characters
This is where Arthur Swan really shines. His character development is shockingly phenomenal. The way he not only builds his characters, but how he breathes life into them is impressive. Whether main, supporting, or one-off characters, each is wonderfully developed and wonderfully important.
Gray Wilson, his wife Claire, and Ashley York, are the three characters affected by the Mayan artifact. Even before their lives spiral into chaos, their struggles feel real. The weight they feel is tangible. Gray’s life-sucking boredom at his job feels overwhelming, Claire’s insomnia is exhausting, and Ashley’s quest for fame and relevance feels all to familiar.
Writing
This is a very twisted and entwined plot. Following multiple story lines through multiple experiences that could be seen as didactic in nature, then throw in that this is only the first of a promised series is not an easy mountain to climb, but Swan deserves full credit for climbing it. The writing is very strong and truly leaves an impact as it forces readers to be as self-aware and introspective as the characters must be. Swan’s skill blurs the lines of reality within and outside the novel to make reading this book a truly immersive experience.
Critique
As strong as the plot(s) in this novel are, it was a little confusing in the weaving from plot to plot. The plots individually are very clear and well done, but sometimes it was a little hard to grasp as the plots switched and moved within each other. This left some lose ends in the book, but knowing that this is only the first, I look forward to seeing those ends tied up nicely in the future stories.
Eulogy
The Encanto is a fantastic book. Arthur Swan sets up a very intriguing, exciting and terrifying story to kick off the LA Fog Series. Thank you for sending me the book! I am looking forward to the future novels and urge you to grab your own copy and dive into the world of Mayan curses and life-twisting horror.
