Oil and Dust
Let’s talk about Oil and Dust by Jami Farleigh.
Officially it’s a fantasy and coming of age novel set in a semi dystopic landscape. I say “semi” because the world that we know has faded away and a slightly newer one has taken hold. It’s not a worse world but it’s surely in reaction to what came before it. It feels as wide but smaller.
Our main character is a trained artist; he can change the world by drawing it. For you magic system geeks out there, his ability is presented mostly as science. Sure, you can just have a talent for it, but you need to be trained because it’s not simple. In execution, when the ability it presented it feels right. It’s part of the plot, but by far not THE plot.
The characters are all genuine and have a voice. You hear from them. As the novel moves on we gather more and more characters. To make this work through first-person perspective, what we know about the characters happens in front of our main character. There is more discussion about their surroundings and how they’re going to deal with things. Time is given to let scenes breathe. I’ll add that although the novel is over 500 pages, it’s not due to flashback and tons of time on character backstory. Everything feels like it’s happening in front of you.
I’ll add that in a writing world where folks lean toward using multiple point of views to tell more story, Oil and Dust stays firm in a single point of view. Dialogue crisp. Inner thought is a focus. Body language is present, especially since you’re not in everyone’s head, and yes, when you leave the novel you feel like you know these folks.
One element that struck me were the elements of the main character that is literally drawn out. For him to perfect his skill, he needs to see the world accurately and in different ways. In this manner, he’s not just a filter for characters but we get to see the world for what it is, in different aspects. It’s an interesting wrinkle from a development perspective. Also, when things don’t go well, that’s when we experience his insecurities. I feel that in a lot of novels these days, the main character creates the problems they solve and that’s how they grow, and while that eventually plays a role here, it’s not the point.
The point of this novel is to experience the world created. It’s a clinic in what this world could be, and in a way, it’s saying that magic is real if things changed a bit. Sure, the stated journey is for the main character to discover his past, but the path he takes and the time it takes for him to do so, makes it so the reader can see this extraordinary world from a near objective stance. Sure, it’s first-person but it’s an even keeled first person. There’s no deep point of view. The reader makes all the decisions about folks. The main character is just a filter.
Although Oil and Dust is well-written, readers looking for a fun or fast-paced novel that will knock them off their socks will be disappointed. This novel is about looking through perspectives and seeing this world. Many readers will be looking for a different kind of action than is presented. It’s my perspective that fantasy readers love their violence. They love fights that highlight who the hero is or isn’t. Oil and Dust gets exciting but it’s an inner exciting. I read one review that commented on the amount of violence towards the end. That element is here, but I shake me head when I think of warning folks about it.
Lastly, I can’t say enough about the kind of journey being presented. Let me explain it a bit differently. It’s a literary novel and it does what literary novels do. It talks about the world on its own terms. Some might refer to it as “low fantasy”. If you want to deeply visit a new world and meet the people and situations there, this is where you want to be. If you just want a quick fantasy read with a little action to check off the boxes because you need an escape, this might not be for you.
