View source for The Bride That Time Forgot by Paul Magrs

{{infobox1
|title=The Bride That Time Forgot
|sort= Bride That Time Forgot
|author=Paul Magrs
|reviewer=Katie Pullen
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Best friends Brenda and Effie are not getting on at the start of this fifth book in the series.  But Brenda won't give up on her friend and when Effie becomes entangled in the fictional world of Qab thanks to the spooky new book shop, Brenda knows she has to save her friend.  A quirky, if slightly ridiculous tale, filled with vampires, witches, and faraway lands, that is sure to intrigue your imagination.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=432
|publisher=Headline Review
|date=March 2011
|isbn=978-0755359455
|website=http://www.paulmagrs.com/
|cover=0755359453
|aznuk=0755359453
|aznus=0755359453
}}

Christmas is approaching in the seaside town of Whitby and Brenda is busy sprucing up her B&B.  She hasn't seen her best friend, neighbour and investigating partner Effie for a few weeks, since Effie's strange gentleman friend Alucard has reappeared.  Brenda and Effie are the guardians of the gateway to Hell which just happens to be right on their doorstep in Whitby, but since Effie has shut herself away, Brenda has turned to her friend Robert, the owner of the local hotel to help her with her investigations into the ever present strange goings on in the town, involving vampires, monsters and a rather strange car.  

As if that wasn't enough to keep Brenda busy, her friend Henry, a fierce vampire killer soon comes to visit, and Penny, who works with Robert, is keen to involve Brenda in the new book club run by the newly opened bookshop called The Spooky Finger.  Its owner, Marjorie Staynes introduces her book club members to the works of Edwardian novelist Beatrice Mapp whose novels revolve around the fictional world of Qab.  Qab is a world run by warrior women, and soon it is Effie whop finds herself most impacted by this world and before long it is up to Brenda to save her from her fate. 

There's plenty to keep readers interested in this fifth book in the Brenda series of surreal adventures and investigations.  From the first few pages I felt completely drawn into Magrs somewhat subverted and imaginative town of Whitby thanks to the erudite narrative of Brenda which reads rather like something of Alan Bennett's.  Brenda seems to take her rather weird and wonderful life completely in her stride, as I guess for her it is all totally normal to be surrounded by witches, vampires and odd goings on, as she herself has something of a colourful past, some of which is subtly presented as the book progresses.  However, I am pretty sure there is much we don't learn about Brenda as there are probably many aspects of her life which have already been covered in the previous books, so starting at book five is probably not the greatest idea I've ever had and I certainly would recommend starting at the beginning if you like the sound of Brenda's world. 

If you are looking for a sensible book to read then this probably isn't it as this story is bizarre, daft and totally ridiculous, with a good dash of the comical.  There were many times when I thought what have I got myself into with this book, could it get any weirder?  Of course it did and a large dose of suspended disbelief is definitely required for maximum enjoyment, or it may just become a bit much.  Having said that, despite all the weirdness there is a sense of seriousness to the story and I think it was this that kept me going.  Running throughout is the strong theme of friendship between Brenda and Effie, as after all these two have already been through all sorts and their bond, although somewhat severed in this novel is still hanging on in there. 

There is much more to this book than I have given away, particularly involving the world of Qab, and various other asides which add a bit more depth and certainly keep Brenda busy.  It's all good fun though and is sure to appeal to anyone who has enjoyed Frankenstein or the odd vampire novel or two. 

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag. We also have a review of [[The Diary of a Dr Who Addict by Paul Magrs]].

Further Reading Suggestion: If you like the sound of this book you may also enjoy [[Hell's Belles by Paul Magrs]].

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