Absolutely superb. Don't read the book copy (it might give too much away), in fact - don't even read these reviews. Just buy the book and dig in. You won't regret it.

A dreamy affair, this book traverses the boundary between reality and the hyper-real with breathtaking skill. The storylines are often unimportant, taking a back seat to the prose, which flows and twists with great dexterity and poetry. This is a strongly visual book that would certainly appeal to readers of all ages. It would be of particular interest to those with a predilection towards fantasy. There is a strong thematic of family bonds throughout, and though no time period is mentioned, the nature of the writing and storytelling (strong family themes, the near absence of any technology) gives me the impression that most of the stories are set in the distant past, which only adds to the otherworldly qualities. I like the title as well because blackness is a strong image created throughout, almost like the book is an anthology of stories from the dark ages.