The Erstwhile

The Erstwhile is a dark historical fantasy novel by multi-disciplinary artist B. Catling that was first published in March of 2017. It is the second in a trilogy of novels focusing on 'the Vorrh,' a massive and magical African forest.
Critical reception.
"The Erstwhile" received generally positive critical reception, garnering coverage from a wide variety of publications.
By contrast, the review at Kirkus calls the book "slow and murky" and criticizes its relentless focus on imagery over plot, characterization, or theme.