After reading the description I couldn’t let this one pass me by, and overall, I’m glad I didn’t. With fantastical elements, Tomorrow is filled with unexpectedly poignant moments, aided by Dibben’s obvious skill as a writer.

Granted, I did feel the main plot took a while to reach the apex, and does go how one would expect. However, the little moments and the journey getting there are well worth the admission.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph

If I had to think of one word for this book I think I'd have to opt for odd. It tells the story of a dogs search for his master (although companion might be more apt ). Not so odd you may think but the dog and his missing master are both immortal and the search continues over many years. It's told from the perspectaive of the dog, who at the stage of the search we join him on is over 200 years old. His jorney takes us through points in history such as London Frost Fair, the court of King Charles I, The Battle of Waterloo and the War if Spanish sucession ,  and locations as such as Versailles, the golden age of Amsterdam & 19th century Venice.


I found this quite hard to get into and it wasn't really until a certain event in the novel that I realised how much I had engaged with this novel. What I found especially affecting was the the dogs narration, and how they understand us but humans don't have the same understanding. Occasionally I forgot it was a dog telling the story so a sentence about dried poop or sniffing bums really made me double take!

It's definitely a slow burner, and whilst I could not describe it as a page turner it was an enjoyable read.

This is an absolutely lovely story of a dog who has been searching for his lost master for over a 100 years. This book explores much of European history of the last 100 years as seen from the dog's point of view. . He is a wonderful character and I thoroughly enjoyed being in his world.

Tomorrow is a loyal dog. His master has disappeared and Tomorrow decides to go to find him but there is a catch. Tomorrow is not an ordinary dog. Born in Denmark his master chose to use him for an experiment in immortality using an extract he made from persian ingredients. Both his master and Tomorrow became impervious to harm and over the centuries they travelled the learned courts of Europe, from James 1st to the Versailles of Louis XIV. However when his master fails to cure a wounded soldier they pair find themselves on the run from an implacable enemy. Separated in Venice, Tomorrow tracks his master to the fields of Belgium and the Battle of Waterloo.
An unusual concept both in plot and also the choice of narrator, this story works extremely well. Starting as a picaresque jaunt through Denmark and London the loyal Tomorrow and his master meet danger and friends. Having lost his master in Venice, Tomorrow's story becomes a little Disney-like in its anthropomorphism around his friendship with other dogs. The menace of the enemy is ominous but again, in a twist, the theme of love and loyalty is reinforced. This is a gentle tale and possible not as intellectual as its concept may suggest.

Lovely story about the bicentenary dog!

Tomorrow was a dog which had a journey of many lifetimes. He and his owner were at the beach collecting oysters. Tomorrow’s master was the physician.

They travelled across some European cities from Persia before living and working for King James I’s cousin in Denmark in the 17th Century. Five years later they reached London. The King asked Tomorrow’s master about chemistry and he explained about science.

A creepy lone figure with a black cloak watched Tomorrow and his master at the Embankment. His name was Vilder, who came from Rhineland. He was an old associate of the dog’s owner. Vilder asked him to return to Opalheim and he refused.

Two hundred years later, Tomorrow still searched for his master who was missing. He hoped that he was still alive. He had to go through the battlefields, and the courts of the monarchs before Vilder found him.

What a good race against time in this lovely story!

Caesar 13

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Brilliant book, well worth a read. When I first got it I was not sure if this book was for me but a few pages in and I was hooked!

I am sorry but i cannot get on with this book. Narrated by a dog and moving time and place without any real sense of a storyline. I don't know who compared it to "the night circus" but honestly they are two entirely different species in my mind. I have tried but i am afraid i won't be finishing it

Historical novels I love! Historical novels written from the viewpoint of a dog that encompasses two centuries - well that was a first, and one I have to admit I was uncertain about. The tale of Tomorrow and his wait/search for his master Valentyne, is skillfully told and because the reader sees Europe through the eyes of a dog (and his dog companion) it puts a different perspective on the novel. I found the book to be captivating and in a way, whimsical. I recommend it.

Powerful and Magical - A Tale of Canine Love and Devotion:
"Tomorrow" by Damian Dibben is an ambitious and challenging novel.
The book opens with a prologue set on the shores of Denmark in 1602 with Master and Dog and then moves forward to England five years later, to the Court of King James I. The story is narrated through the eyes of a Dog, who we later find out is called "Tomorrow". The narration proved a little confusing at times for me. His Master is an Alchemist, blessed (or cursed), with magical powers, one of them being the ability to conjure immortality. Which both Master and Dog are to possess. We learn that Tomorrow's Master, Valentyne, has a nemesis, Vilder, who is not a nice man. Tomorrow senses the feelings of his Master rather than guesses for himself. Anyway that's the background.
The novel starts in proper fashion in the Venice of 1815 and Tomorrow has found a doggy companion, in the form of Sporco, a mischievous and scrawny dog, by then the Dog who followed his Master's orders and waited for him have become separated. Tomorrow's search for his master begins. All memorable events in the novel are seen through Tomorrow's eyes and senses. This is a novel with a difference which is a magical tale of love and devotion. Tomorrow traverses Europe's historical Battlefields and Courts with diminishing fortune in the search. They are reunited towards the end and Valentyne sees off Vilder who gets his just deserts.
Totally different and a reading challenge this is an ambitious novel which is for readers who like novels with events portrayed through an animal's eye's rather than a human's. William Horwood's Mole Series sprung to my mind, although I have to admit that Dibben sometimes lost me in the narrative, which Horwood never did. Nonetheless a novel worth reading because it is just so totally different: addictive.

I loved this book so much!

It has everything I like, and more - history, a touch of fantasy, beautiful descriptions and a great deal of humanity, which is funny to say when you know the tale is narrated by a dog.

I grew fond of this old and wise dog quite easily (and he's a vegetarian too!) and was thrilled to witness his adventures either to find his master or the ones he had with him in the past.
The historical painting of the centuries through which the characters live is stunning and enthralling, the plot itself is quite original and well though-of and I loved the whole atmosphere of the book - mysterious, almost gothic at times, but usually warm and authentic. (Those are personal feelings, I guess...)

If you like historical fictions, with a touch of fantasy, this book is for you. It reminds me a little of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (more for the historic settings than for the magic) and also a tiny bit of the Night Circus.

I had the pleasure to get a free copy of the book, but I'll be sure to buy myself a copy to have it in my collection!

I received my copy of Tomorrow by Damian Dibben from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of the book was the very first thing that I couldn’t resist. Then I read the synopsis and before I knew it I was one third into the book.

The immortal dog proved to be a great narrator. His account spanning over two centuries has an interesting angle, which is so much more insightful than the human perception. When I was reading flashbacks of his life with his human companion I reached a point at which I asked myself where the plot was and where the story was really going. I thought maybe the plot got lost somewhere between the splendour of different courts, famous people met at various places and muted by the cruelty of wars. At that point my heart got mauled by Tomorrow and Sporco’s bond – two misfits. That also was the moment I realised what a terrific book I was reading – how much more can be observed and learned from a canine perspective about being a human and to what lengths love for friends and family can stretch.

This book is an enjoyable frolic with humour and emotional depth. I think this book is a perfect metaphor for a relationship between humans and animals or any relationships really. What superficially seems as a light-hearted friendship is actually a complex bond of love, forgiveness, mutual understanding and loyalty. This book is so much more than an adventure; it is a story of sacrifice, loss, hope and atonement. The language of the book is very rich and brings the story alive with astonishing detail and sensory descriptions. This book is perfect for those who like a thought-provoking journey with accompaniment of fascinating characters.

A sweet and tender tale about the relationship between a dog and its owner. The story is told from the dog, Tomorrow’s perspective and details the loyalty between the two.

Tomorrow’s owner and he have been alive for hundreds of years after the owner discovered a way of becoming immortal.

This is a beautifully written piece and I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, certainly the best book I have read in 2018. It had me in tears in parts it was so moving and I truly became engrossed in it. Although thankfully the ending was not as sad as I originally anticipated.

I could see this book becoming a feature film such depth that the story had and it would be loved by all. Overall a wonderfully moving well written story, I would highly recommend but grab some tissues as you will need them.

Any story with a dog as the main character is going to attract my attention! When I read about this one I was really excited- an immortal dog searching throughout the ages for his 'person' sounded great. It was but what I wasn't expecting was how this book is so beautifully written . The description of places is mesmerising and the whole book is a real swirl of beauty, grief, love and devotion.

It will be a long time before I forget this one! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this. I wish I could give it more than five stars it's worth it!

I never thought that I would read a book with an animal narrator -I just have and I loved it. How to stop time meets Lady and the Tramp but somehow it works. There is such a richness to the writing that although I started hesitantly, I was very quickly drawn into the tale and totally accepted that a dog and two men could have made themselves immortal. I loved the sweeping panorama of the book, the encounters with writers, poets, statesmen, the descriptions of historical events, the drams. I also loved the relationship between Tomorrow and his canine friend, totally doggy despite the narration. This book is a joy, don't miss out.

Tomorrow

I chose this book because of the unusual premise; it's written from the dog's perspective and as a dog lover, I was intrigued.

In essence, it's part fantasy and part fact. An historical romp through the ages with exceptional period detail and a real feel for the events. It's more like a series of connected short stories. It's very well written and there's a narrative thread that binds them together and very much driven by character and events rather than plot. It certainly explores friendship and the ties between humans and canines in an imaginative and very different way. I love the cover.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Dogs are the most amazing animal and they have a particular way of looking at you as if they’re staring into the depths of your soul. Reading ‘Tomorrow’ by Damian Dibben has pretty much cemented this belief for me and if you have any affection towards dogs I’d recommend you grab hold of a copy of this book.

It’s historical fiction with a twist. The narrator is a dog known by his master, Valentyne, as Champion (though we’re never entirely sure that this is his name). Valentyne has discovered the key to eternal life and has given it to Champion so they can travel together. Such a power doesn’t come without attention of the wrong kind, however, and Champion finds himself separated from his master. He then sets off on an epic journey which spans countries and over two centuries in the hope of finding Valentyne.

This is a beautifully written book. The friendship Champion has with a stray street dog is especially poignant and perfectly articulates the feelings of abandonment they had when their owner left without them. Dogs are famously loyal and Champion displays that trait not only towards his master but his traveling companion and the relationship between the two felt as real as any I’ve read between two humans. The descriptive writing is excellent too. I had a real feeling of being close to the ground while reading this book and the author emphasises how important smell is to Champion without it ever becoming repetitive.

This is such an enjoyable and absorbing read. I don’t normally read historical fiction which goes back as far as 1600 but I’m glad a made the exception here. A truly original premise that was beautifully executed.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Tomorrow is an unusual book as the story is written through the eyes of a dog, who along with his master and one other man is immortal. The historical descriptions are beautifully written. Unfortunately, the plot relies on the historical description without much plot.

An extraordinary story about a dog's unending devotion to his owner. Though this is a historical fiction story, mostly telling of wars and various royalty through the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries, it is more about the endurance of love and friendship against the odds.

A wonderfully touching, dog lover's delight.

This is a tricky book for me to review. On the one hand, it made me cry. I wasn’t expecting it. It came out of nowhere. Perhaps it was hormone related. Whatever - I was moved to the point of tears.

That was only one part though. Overall, this isn’t a sad book. It’s a tale, a fantasy. And I imagine the vast majority will be put off given its written from a dog’s point of view. A dog with human level consciousness. Who sometimes it seems, has opposable thumbs... Theres also eternal life because of a stone, or a liquid... It matters little, the details of how it works are kinda skipped over.

It was enjoyable enough, but I was never super eager to get back to book. It felt like a short story that had been stretched a bit thin at times.

That sad, I liked the authors style. I’d read more by this author. I cried for goodness sakes! I loved the scenes in Venice. And it goes without saying, I loved Sporco!

There are two things which make the narrator of Tomorrow one of the most unusual I have ever encountered. One is that he is over two hundred years old. The other is that he is a dog. We all know how loyal dogs can be, but this dog takes his loyalty to exceptional levels. Having been separated from his master, the chemist Valentyne, in 1688, our narrator has spent two centuries sitting patiently outside the church in Venice where they parted.

“If we lose one another,” Valentyne had told him, “wait for me on the steps. Just here, by the door.” The dog has no doubt that he and Valentyne will be reunited one day and so he sits obediently by the door and waits. Then, one day in 1815, he catches a glimpse of Vilder, a man whose path has crossed many times with Valentyne’s…and he sets off in pursuit, sure that this is the clue which will lead him to his master.

Tomorrow is a book that raises questions immediately. What has happened to Valentyne? How have he and his dog lived for so many years? Who is Vilder and what is his connection with Valentyne? All of these questions are answered eventually, as the story moves backwards and forwards in time, alternating between the dog’s search for his master in 19th century Venice and his memories of their early days travelling Europe together.

Their adventures take them from 17th century London to the court of Versailles and the battlefield of Waterloo and along the way they meet kings and queens, famous poets and musicians and great military leaders. Valentyne falls in love and the dog forms some special relationships too – with Sporco, a puppy he finds abandoned in Venice, and with a female dog called Blaise. However, this is where they discover that living forever is not much fun when it means having to watch your loved ones grow old and die.

I do like the idea of writing from the point of view of a canine narrator and I can appreciate both the opportunities this must give an author and also the restrictions. The dog in Tomorrow is a real dog, despite his apparent immortality – he is not a magical, talking dog and although he listens and reports on the human conversations around him he cannot take part himself. On the other hand, he is so intelligent and his internal thought processes and logic feel so human that there were times when I could almost forget that he was a dog. I’m not sure that I found all of this entirely successful, but it was certainly imaginative and different.