DNF

Really wanted to like this one based on the premise, but it was a struggle to get to the 33% point and for the first time in a long while I gave up on a book. The premise is certainly intriguing. A 20-some year-old aspiring journalist (Jamie) won a contest to interview a famous and reclusive author (Augustus Fate). Shortly after his arrival at the author’s cottage in Wales, though, Fate drugs Jamie, and he wakes to find himself trapped in Fate’s current work-in-progress, a turgid novel set in late 19th Century Oxford. Also trapped is another person from the real world — a young artist, Rachel, whose body, like Jaime’s, remains in Fate’s cottage (Rachel and Jaime have never met but did interact for a while on an internet forum). At first unaware of their true selves, the two eventually wake up to their appalling situation and eventually are able to flee into another book set in 2010 England. The two apparently continue trying to escape the machinations of Fate by hook-jumping through various genres/time periods.

Normally I’m a fan of metafiction and a huge fan of non-linear structure. But this one just didn’t do it for me for a number of reasons which I won’t belabor. Briefly therefore: The discussions on fate, free will, consciousness, etc. never felt particularly profound/insightful and felt forced/unnatural. I never felt any real connection with the characters, neither of whom were particularly engaging or compelling and never felt fully formed (to be fair, I did only get a bit more than a third of the way through). As for the writing itself, I several times wondered in my notes if it was supposed to be bad because the authors of the meta-novels were bad or if it was just poor writing. The former seemed more generous to the book’s author, but since the Fate was supposed to be a Booker-level author, that didn’t seem to make much sense. And while the surface trappings of the sections of the meta- novels were different, the writing itself didn’t feel that way, as opposed, for instance, to David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas. That was a book I couldn’t help but keep comparing this to, as well as Jasper Fforde’s Eyre Affair series, and unfortunately, The Watermark came off much the poorer in comparison, lacking in my mind Mitchell’s craft and rich characterization and Fforde’s humor and imaginative wealth. As noted, I really had to push myself to get to the stopping point, which was a disappointment based on the premise.

Escaping into a book is usually a metaphorical act. We can return to reality simply by closing the book, safely returning from our fictional journeys in even the most dire of scenarios. When Jaime and Rachel disappear into a book, however, not only can they not return to reality, there’s a real chance that they might not survive the experience. Sam Mills’s The Watermark is a wild ride through historical fiction, science fiction, and literary fiction; it’s a battle of wills between characters and author for control of the narrative.

Augustus Fate is an author (and curmudgeon) whose characters and stories have garnered awards and devoted readers. Jaime is all a-quiver when he wins a contest to interview Fate. Publishing the interview could lead to a career as a writer, something Jaime both covets and dispairs of as he tries to finish his thesis. Augustus, curiously, seems far more interested in Jaime when the young man arrives at his remote home. Augustus is also very insistent that Jaime sample some of the strangely ink-black tea that he’s prepared. By the time Jaime reaches the bottom of the cup, it’s clear that something is seriously wrong with the whole setup and with Fate. Just as Jaime loses consciousness, he sees a young woman asleep on a bed, an IV of black liquid in her arm.

Authors get their ideas from all over: real life, dreams, other things they’ve read, pure imagination. Augustus’s source of inspiration for his characters, it turns out, is to kidnap real people. Jaime wakes to find himself in the Victorian era. He’s a teenager. He’s also crushing on the governess of a girl who lives in the neighborhood. This governess, Rachel, unintentionally calls to Jaime (known now as Thomas Turridge). This story sets the pattern for the rest of the book. Either Jaime or Rachel will come to consciousness believing themselves to be a character in another story, then find their “real” counterpart, and then try to find a way out of the new story and back to reality. Small recurring names or objects clue Rachel or Jaime into the fact that what they’re experiencing is just fiction. The fascinating but deliberately obscure process of book surfing with the tea Fate uses facilitates their journey to the next story.

Some of the stories Jaime and Rachel landed in were more interesting to me than others. I really enjoyed the historical fiction stories they found themselves in. These stories have a bit more plot to them where the literary fiction/science fiction stories tend to bog down in dialogue in which the characters work through their feelings. The parts of the book where Fate (or whoever the author is) starts to manipulate the plot and setting around Rachel and Jaime into acting were absolutely gripping, which made the long passages of dialogue harder for me to endure until the story got interesting again.

By the time I finished The Watermark, I had realized that this book was more philosophical than I was expecting. I can’t fault the book for not being what I wanted. My complaints about the pacing are meant to be a heads-up to other readers, so that they won’t race through the book to find out if Jaime and Rachel escape. The ideas that come up in The Watermark—samskaras, the nature of reality and whether or not we can know if what we experience is real, Fate/fate and self-determination, love, parents, whether or not authors should let characters “do what they want”—shouldn’t be rushed. I think readers who like to contemplate the relationship between author, character, story, and reader will find a lot of food for thought here.

The Watermark is an adventurous, emotional novel about Jaime and Rachel as they travel through different books and try to find their way home.
Where to begin.... there were many things I liked about this, and unfortunately many I disliked. I loved the whole idea. It's very creative and packed out well, if not a little repetitive at a certain point. I do wish that there was more variety in the settings and genres that Jaime and Rachel found themselves in. I really enjoyed the section set in Russia, as it was so different from the previous.
Another thing I deeply enjoyed is the portrayal of the relationship between the two characters. When I saw the book classified as romance I had my doubts about it as I don't usually read much romance. I often find the relationships going too smoothly to be realistic. I really liked how the author wrote Jaime and Rachel's relationship and think it was very well done. Especially to see them in different ages across the stories.

One thing that I disliked, or rather, that left me confused, is Fate's motivation. He states that he is writing the book and wants Jaime to just live out the story, but then what is the reason for Jaime even being there? I also wish the booksurfing was somewhat explained more.
For me, the book got repetitive quick, and it felt like it dragged on for longer than it should have. It did have some wonderful moments that i thoroughly enjoyed.

lengthy and sprawling work with many very distinct sections. in each, the characters are the same, or they are similar. almost murakami-esque, but missing something. 3.5 stars, tysm for the arc.

My thanks to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for an advanced copy of this novel that mixes genres, ideas, philosophies even other novels in a tale about romance, creativity, traps, and of course the love of literature.

Books to me are an escape, always have been. The problem that comes from escaping into a good book is that when the book is over one has to deal with a reality that seems created by a mad narrator. I can understand aliens in books far better than I can understand people willing to give up their rights for cheap eggs. Books have a beginning and an end. Real life keeps going, until it doesn't, and few it seems get the ending they deserve. After reading this book though, I wonder know if when characters in stories start doing things that seem odd, if it is really the writer's fault. Or are the characters trying to free themselves from a prison of text and plotted narraives. The Watermark by Sam Mills is a story about writing, books, love, tea expectations and Great Expectations, Bleak Houses, Russia, philosophy and a whole lot more.

Jamie is sure that he is life is about to change. For some reason, luck, the gods, whatever Jamie has been chosen to interview the reclusive author Augustus Fate, an author known for his fanatical fandom, and lack of a Booker Prize. Jamie is not sure why, but he will take it, as life is not what he wants it to be, and someone he cares about has gone missing, a woman Rachel he meet on a suicide forum, though both were there for research reasons. Jamie arrives at Fate's house, has a sip of tea and suddenly finds himself dazed and confused. His last thought is of a young woman lying on a bed in Victorian garb, a person he realizes might be his missing Rachel, when all fades away. Jamie finds himself in a Victorian world, having a crush on an older nanny by the name of Rachel who is cursed to hear a voice that narrates her life and actions. Augustus Fate has drugged both of them and placed them in his novel, a novel that he is having a hard time writing and hopes by observing them, he can finish it. The two try and find their way back to the real world, passing through books set in Russia, Manchester, and the future, remembering things, forgetting much, as time passes in the real world, and an author starts to get angry as his story doesn't not come together.

A book that will be hard to describe to others, as there is so much going on, but one I will recommend as much as I can. Again there is a lot. The genre is literary, science fiction, historical, fantasy, romance, Victorian, contemporary. All of these genres Mills is very good at writing in. There are so many ideas here, an author could probably have ten different books, all quite good. The best is that Mills is writing not to show off, but instead offers a grand adventure to readers, one that might remind them why they fell in love with books to begin with. The characters are quite good, no matter the setting. The ideas, so many good ideas. Animal instruments, helicopters crashing into cathedrals, ballon rides, an underground group that travels through books. One of these ideas would be enough. Mills is very good at keeping the story together. This is a book that could have been a challenge, but is very readable, and never did I not know what was happening, The ending fits also, something that a lot of books can't stick, and one that really works. I won't ruin it.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The ideas, the writing. In the afterword Mills talks about the time it took to write this and I can understand. This is a work of love, about reading, creativity, and the love of two people that transcends time, space and books. I can't wait to read more by Sam Mills.

I feel like if the formatting of this wasn't so badly done, it would have been easier to get into. There were words and letters missing, or phrases mixed around. I think if it had been a less complicated story it might have been easier to get over that, but it made me unable to get behind the depth of the story.

I’m so sorry, but like one other reviewer mentioned the Kindle copy of this book is unreadable. Every other paragraph has letters missing making it very difficult to read.

For example, on page 1 alone:
- “where every one of my tips, mostly earnt by fli ting,”
- “the est of the page was blank.”
- “I attempted fi e internships”

This book was slower for me, but beautifully written. It got a little "meta" (as the kids might say) with the layers of story. It wasn't too confusing, but it definitely was a book you couldn't read while you were distracted or trying to accomplish anything else.

The Watermark is a love story forged in liminal space. Jaime and Rachel find themselves in Augustus Fate's latest novel in progress. They must risk it all to return to the real world.

"Their resistance to me was such a thrill. I understood then how much fun the God of the Old Testament must have had, tormenting nations with surreal weather, thunderbolting tragedies at Job. It was the friction between Jaime and I that created the flow of words. I never allowed them to suffer boredom; I tested them to the very depths of their souls."

One can't help but draw comparisons to other media when confronted with a novel concept. The Watermark feels like Inception meets a roles reversed Misery, while brimming with its own unique character. This novel switches settings, points of view, genres and writing style for a dynamic reading experience. Overall the pacing of this novel was excellent. Only the adventure in Russia ever slightly overstayed its welcome.

"Desires create actions. Actions create experience. Experiences leave latent impressions. Samskaras, the Vedas call them. Samskaras drift in our consciousness: the ache of a love affair cut short; the pang of an interview that never led to a job; the hollow left by a lost parent. With each rebirth, the kaleidoscope twists and casts a fresh pattern, shaping new desires, hungers that promise the illusion of happiness. And so we become trapped in incarnation after incarnation."

Mills eagerly shares her expertise and research on a range of topics and settings. From the well crafted story worlds to a myriad of artistic references. Author, artist, book, and classical music mentions contribute to the distinctiveness of the experience. While The Watermark mostly presents itself as a novel, the use of poetry and drawings to represent the story at times, plus the additions of aforementioned references make it feel like a work of mixed media at times.

"An art critic once said to me, ‘A thousand people can paint a tree beautifully, so what makes one particular painting seem that little bit special compared to the masses? It is the consciousness of the artist that makes a painting, the way it hovers in the work like a watermark.’"

Mills doesn't shy away from social commentary in this novel, and skillfully manages to integrate it into the story. Topics that grace these pages include capitalism versus communism, women's suffering under the patriarchy, feminism, religion versus atheism, and AI taking over artistic fields. The way she handles these subjects shows her passion for them.

"‘I’ve always felt life should be something you should enjoy, not just survive,’ I say."

The Watermark could be your next favourite read if you enjoy getting lost in different worlds within one book. A plot that constantly changes with computations of the same flawed, but loveable characters. This novel features an impressively bittersweet ending.

I enjoyed this book. The story is long but Mills has a writing style that kept me engaged for nearly 600 pages and I found that the pacing kept the story developing in a way that I wasn't getting bored as I read. It was solid read and one that I recommend.

I am sorry, I’m not continuing with this book. The copy I have received has letters missing, as in “fi e” instead of fire? Fine? “Flims” instead of flimsy, and things like that.
There’s one every few paragraphs, and it’s irritating. I am sorry, but trying to figure out what’s the missing letter takes out all of the pleasure of reading., so I could not continue with it.
The copy is also not resizeable, which means that I need to zoom by hand every single page. Not unusual in review copies, but adds to tue nuisance too.

The Watermark by Sam Mills is a speculative fiction epic that explores the topics of fate vs free will, fact vs fiction, and reality vs imagination.

The Watermark is about two people, Jaime and Rachel who find themselves trapped in a series of stories written by the strange reclusive author Augustus Fate who has locked them inside his working novel. In each story, Jaime and Rachel experience a different time and version of Manchester/England without realizing at first that they are in a fictional universe. In each story, Jaime and Rachel experience a different version of their relationship experiencing the highs and lows of their romance, whilst navigating the illusory nature of it all.

This story has visionary fiction elements as there are metaphysical concepts that are explored. Augustus FATE, the author behind the time traveling experience, asks the question, is fate is the designer of our lives, or is it free will that determines our journey? When Jaime and Rachel discover that it is Fate's memories and emotions that have been written into the story to create their fictional reality, they are able to escape and liberate themselves from its pages...or so it appears to be. A watermark is in itself a metaphor used to describe fate, that invisible design that can only be seen in the proper light. Sleeping in reality and waking in fantasy, is something Jaime and Rachel must grapple with as they navigate the world of metafiction. There is also much to ponder about the art of writing, and how much of what we read are just alternate versions of authors realities.

The Watermark, like its plot, is a story within a story, one that I found philosophically and metaphysically satisfying. Its rich storytelling and complex ideas asked many questions and made me think and ponder the mysteries of life.

Awakening and imaginative, The Watermark by Sam Mills is a must read.

Great concept— the ability to live within a book— and a book within a book— and a book within that book! Some of the specifics weren’t all that clear (were these books all real— even those within the first book?), and I thought the ending fell a bit flat and left so much important stuff off-page, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

The Watermark has an interesting premise, and I enjoyed jumping between various books/settings. I also appreciated the fact that Jaime and Rachel inhibited different bodies across the stories, whether it be a child, an elderly parent, or a wolf. The way that the characters grappled with their "true" self versus their "fictional" selves was a highlight, and raises questions about our sense of self, our agency, and what makes reality real. Similarly, I enjoyed how Jaime and Rachel's relationship evolved due to the connections they formed as other characters in the stories, before regaining their awareness of the situation.

However, I struggled with certain aspects of the book. One area that fell a little flat was the character of Fate. I wanted more development of his character, and, while there were some chapters in his POV and some sections at the end that fleshed him out more, it didn't feel like enough to color in the sketch that Mills introduced at the beginning of the novel.

Additionally, certain events at the end were skipped over and then summarized after the fact, rather than having them play out in real time, which left me wanting more. I had been intrigued to see what happened in the resolution, so it didn't feel as satisfying to read a recap.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Really interesting premise…. The story flits between different times and are they characters in books or something else… enjoyed the mind stretching…. Didn’t quite get into the 2 main characters enough. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

"Art has always thrived on biography - it exists in every piece like a watermark" -The Watermark In the case of this book, Rachel and James biography exists literally inside books. Augustus Fate has kidnapped and imprisoned them inside his book to add depth of character to his literary masterpiece. Now they must remember who they really are and escape. Told through alternating points of view, their stories change from Victorian England, to a utopian Manchester, a Russian winter and an futuristic England, they must find each other again and again. A wonderful exploration of the truth about who we really are in our core, the stories we tell about our selves.

This was a really good book! I love this genre of sci-fi, and I love the invisible string theory. The author did a good job with the tying everything together in this book. The book had really good pacing and really good writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Sam Mills does a fantastic job in writing this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the historical element to this book. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed how they worked in this story. I was invested in what was happening with the plot and was glad it worked overall. I enjoyed the idea of Fate and how it was used in this story.

The Watermark by Sam Mills is such a gem of a book! I rated this masterpiece 6 stars actually. The rating only was available for 5 stars but no, it's actually 6 stars from me.