Neverwhere was Neil Gaiman’s first solo novel (having previously collaborated with Terry Pratchett on Good Omens), but it’s really more of a novelization than a novel. By that I mean the story was created for a BBC TV series and then Gaiman wrote the novelization of the series. Having never seen the TV show, I can’t comment on which one is better or whether the novel captured the essence of the show. But it is a terrific urban fantasy novel. So, let’s check out what Neverwhere is.

Richard Mayhew is a fairly recent transplant to London, but he’s doing well. he has a job that’s better than he hoped for and a fiancee who’s well above him (though she thinks he can be more successful with a little more work). But when he runs across an injured street urchin(Door), his life pretty much goes to hell. His fiancee tells him to leave the urchin alone and then dumps him when he insists on making sure Door is OK. Richard takes Door home and she asks him to find the Marquis de Carabas who can help her escape. Richard is confronted in his apartment by a pair of assassins (Vandemar and Croup) who threaten him to give up Door. When the Marquis finally gets there, he and Door disappear, leaving Richard alone and confused. The next day, Richard finds himself invisible to people and finds his job and apartment given to other people, despite his protestations.

Richard finds himself in the underground London, which is wholly separate from normal London. The landmarks and life are much different and the two worlds rarely mix. Richard is then forced to follow along with Door on her journey to find out when her father was killed and who is behind it. They are joined on their quest by the Marquis and a bodyguard legend known only as Hunter. Together they go around on a quest to find the answers, avoid Vandemar and Croup and possibly save the world.

The characters are strong as Richard finds himself immensely more helpful than even he thought was possibly and we understand where everyone is coming from. The mismatched pair of assassins, Vandemar and Croup, form a wonderful comic-relief (scary comic-relief) duo that helps move the story along and provide a sense of real danger to our heroes. The Marquis comes across as in it for himself and you’re never quite sure whose side he is on. Door is the true hero of the book. She knows what she needs to accomplish and sets out to do exactly that. The plot itself isn’t that complicated, it’s a simple quest in a location that is just off from the real world. Never having been in London, I couldn’t tell you how well the underground London matches up against the real world, but it seems fairly well set up. All in all, it’s a fun book. Recommended.