Title: The Pale Thin Man: The Legend of a Shadow with Ears
Author: R.M. Dalton
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media
ASIN: B0C96F5ZVX
Pages: 267
Genre: Dramas & Plays
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers

Read Book Review

Throughout history, one of the biggest running themes which plays out in any society is the haves and have-nots. Those who are able to live with any sort of wealth or privilege often get the more glamorous storylines or historical moments, as seen with figures like Marie Antoinette, but those who live in poverty or even the middle class are often forgotten or glanced over in the footnotes of history. Rarely are people of “lower class” able to have their stories told so that people can see the sacrifices they have made in their own lives.

In author R.M. Dalton’s The Pale Thin Man: The Legend of a Shadow with Ears, the author shares the story of a young man working his way through medical school and steeped into darkness. Sharing the stories of the people he crosses paths with during this time, the author shares a deeper look into the characters which have populated past books in the author’s growing fairytale series. Filled with romance, characters that represent light and darkness, and powerful and intimate scenes which bring this world to life even more, readers won’t be able to put down this book as the characters help shine a light on The Pale Thin Man.

The author does a wonderful job of creating a thought-provoking and captivating world which captures the Victorian-era style of speaking and aesthetic of the fictional world the author has brought to life. The imagery the author utilized was so powerful that you could feel the scenes coming to life, from the hard life of the Cabbie and his family, as well as the strength of the love and bond between his children Spike and Barbara, to the nefarious mind and actions of Mr. Williams. The tension and world-building which went into developing this narrative was strongly felt, and allowed this reader to get lost in the almost fantasy-driven writing style the author adopted for this story.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy fairytales and fantasy mixed with historical fiction style writing, especially those that adopt a more Dickensian style and storytelling voice. That was what stood out the most, as the world the book inhabited belonged to the same fairytale world the author had built up in previous books, but the harsh and drabber world these characters inhabited in this story felt more like the stories of Charles Dickens and the themes of the inhumanity of child labor, the struggles of the working class, and the harsh reality of poverty in the face of other’s wealth and glamour.  All combined it made this story feel so important and yet so engaging all at the same time.

Memorable, engaging, and thrilling in its approach, author R.M. Dalton’s The Pale Thin Man: The Legend of a Shadow with Ears is a must-read novel that will capture the rich history and aesthetic of the Victorian era while telling a wholly original story that evokes the heart of a classic Charles Dickens tale. The twists and turns in the narrative and the way the characters fit into the original stories told before will keep readers invested in the author’s world.