Hi everyone! January may be as dreary as ever, but I hope you are still doing all right. I have been on the lookout for this book for a while and finally managed to find a copy in Barnes and Noble’s. It seems like a lot of the books I want aren’t available in mainstream book stores. I have to turn to Amazon and I’d really rather not contribute to Amazon any more. I don’t about the rest of you, but I am looking into buying books from alternative places. If you have any online book retailers that deliver relatively quickly, I (and I’m sure others) would love to know. I did preorder Hellbent, the sequel to Ninth House, and will review that one in the near future. Now, let’s discuss Birds of Paradise.

Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Some depictions of racism, Some graphic descriptions of death, Loss/Grief

Adam, the first man, has been wandering the Earth for centuries up on centuries. He is tired and just biding him time with random jobs, among other distractions. He has seemingly found peace until another former resident of Eden, Rook, sends him on an investigation to find his brother, Magpie. When Adam finds Magpie, he also finds out that remnants of Eden are turning up all over the world and Magpie asks for help recreating the Garden. Thrilled at the thought of rebuilding his beloved home, Adam is thrilled at the opportunity. As he journeys across America and the British Isles, he, with the help of other animals, must work quickly to gather the last pieces of Eden before they fall into the wrong hands.

I honestly couldn’t think of what this book reminded me of until I found a blurb comparing it to American Gods, and that is when I realized why I enjoyed this book so much. Birds of Paradise has a surreal, dreamlike plot with plenty of poignant moments. Oliver K. Langmead introduces interesting philosophical quandaries throughout Adam’s journey. If you are a little concerned about whether this book is religious or not, it is not necessarily religious nor does it preach any particular message. Langmead focuses on an important, but often forgotten, figures in Biblical lore in a way that draws you and doesn’t let you go. I loved how wild this book was, while still having a well – structured narrative. This is a book made me wish I had some book club I could talk about this to. What I’m really trying to say is: absolutely give this book a read. It is unique, thoughtful, and profound in all the best ways.