" Faulkner," the teller of the tale in Mr. Vivian's
story, City of Wonder, is completely mistaken when he sets down in his final notes the sentence, "I have told such a tale as has never been told." On tfie contrary, not only can the reader remember many former wonder stories, but Mr. M. P. Shiel provides a complete refutation of this idea in his new novel, Children of the Wind. Allowing for the fact that City of • Where the Blue Begins; By Cbtistoyher Motley. London; Heinemann. L.5s. net' Wonder lies in a hidden island off the coast of Asia, while 111r. Shiel lays his scene in undiscovered Africa, the stories move on very similar lines. Both deal with a mysterious kingdom cut off from the outer world and both possess a certain measure of civilization of their own. The success of this kind of novel depends on the skill with which the author can develop complete imaginary systems of government and of manners and customs. The atmosphere of both books is, indeed, in some measure what we expect from their different settings. For instance, Mr. Shiers Africans are black, ruled over bra white queen, and though savage in most respects are deeply skilled in the arts of war. The inhabitants of the Asian City of Wonder, on the other hand, are little darker than Southern Europeans and live under a sort of exaggera- tion of the feudal system. Both books are full of exciting adventures, but neither succeeds in making its original thesis entirely convincing.
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