[Kaki]

I've been looking for this book for a while, and all my usual sources are turning up dry. If someone can help, I'd be VERY
happy.

The book is not "Fantasy" genre per se, but was more of the cross-over-surrealist-horror variety. I pulled it from the new
books section at the Boston Public Library a year or two ago, so it's not very old. The basic plot as best I can remember it (and
I'm pretty hazy... Plus, I've been dreaming about it, so some of this may be from subsconscious and not the book at all!):

Set in France, pre-revolution. Most of the story takes place at the country castle/estate of a duke. This family of dukes has a unique quirk and it is that every duke is obsessed with his
"collection." These have been of everything imaginable and the main character goes through the much of the book examining the
collections, some of which contain magical artifacts. The current(?) duke has an aviary and is obsessed with birds.
Someone (I think the duchess) turns into a pheasant at some point.

A tunnel/secret passage is eventually discovered and down there they find bones and various nasty torture devices, I think I also recall journals. The back story turns out to be that the first duke was obsessed with kidnapping small children and doing
various nasty things to them. His faithful nurse helped him in his nasty collection. Somehow this is all linked to fairy tales
of witches stealing children.

Also, it turns out that one of the characters is the ghost of the first victim. I believe there were elements of time stopping (the estate was frozen in time while the rest of France moved on) and a quest (possibly for a magic bird). But these bits may be misremembered. The only plot line I KNOW is actual and not the
product of my own frenzied imagination is the collections of the dukes and the horror/child killing bit.

Any help is VASTLY appreciated. This one is driving me nuts.

-Kaki

[Cadfael]

Kaki... I think I know the book you refering to... but I cannot remember... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif, however... can you confirm this...

a) The book begins with a soilder in the trenches of World War One, who is drawn to a tree in the middle of the mud blasted earth?

b) He later finds himself in a well tended garden, in which he finds a bird in a cage, who tell him to "flee"?

Maybe if I am right, this will help other member to remember...

[Kaki]

Nope, that's not the one, but I DO know what that one is. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif You're talking about the first book in the Otherland series by Tad Williams, it's called something like City of Golden Light. The final book just came out this year. The series started out wonderfully, very intense and different, but I was very disappointed in the way it ended. It was a bit of a let-down after such a huge build up.

[Cadfael]

DAMN DAMN!!! Once again DennizM, the font of all knowledge (IHOO) puts his foot well and truly in his mouth. If you read some of my other post, you will realise I REALLY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT!!!!!! Otherland is one of my favourite series...

... it is just that after reading so many books, the stories just run together after a while

[Kaki]

That's exactly what happens to me. I think I average 6 books a week, so it is understandable, but still annoying.

I did manage (with the help of a yahoo group) to solve my mystery. It's _The Porcelain Dove_ by Delia Sherman.