Adrian Tchaiskovsky does it again with another winning novella (seriously, how does he publish so much good stuff?). I consider Tchaikovsky to be one of the masters of the novella format, and while To Put Away Childish Things doesn't quite reach the heights of Elder Race or Ogres, it is still a compelling and entertaining read in a relatively small package.

And Put Away Childish Things follows Henry (or, if you would rather, Felix), a pretty unhappy and down on his luck B-list celebrity. In many ways he is more famous for being the grandson of a fantasy author famous for her middle grade portal fantasies (think the Narnia books) from the 1950s and 1960s. When Henry goes on a documentary reality series that explores that past of famous people, he gets wrapped up in realms of magic, secret organizations, and a dying fantasy world.

And Put Away Childish Things falls into the modern interest in interrogating the entire middle grade portal fantasy genres, but with its own Tchaikovsky spin here. While Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series focuses on the darker elements of childhood desires and Lev Grossman's Magicians trilogy focuses on the tragedy of aging out of our favorite childhood worlds, Tchaikovsky explores generational trauma, science, the definition of family and the lengths people will go to save the ones they love.

Tchaikovsky injects much of his famous wit and humor into this novella. He cleverly skewers the tropes of the middle grade portal fantasy novella, with particularly targeted barbs at Narnia itself. What I enjoyed most about the humor of this book is that it was obvious the pokes and jabs were coming from a place of affection. It was clear that portal fantasies are something Tchaikovsky has a deep nostalgia for, and this is both his take down and love letter to the genre (I particularly enjoyed that all of these other portal fantasies exist in this novella, so that the Earth characters can comment on them!). I am already ready for a re-read because I know I missed so many little jokes and Narnia-easter eggs that Tchaikovsky left along the way. Seriously, this book is funny if it is your type of humor; I laughed out loud at the climatic battle towards the end of the book.

Because this is a novella, the plot moves a really nice pace. I never felt like there were moments that were dragged out nor did I feel that the plot raced ahead without me totally on board. Many novellas I read struggle to avoid not enough plot or too much plot, but And Put Away Childish Things sails through its approximately 200 pages. I don't know how Tchaiksovsky was able to inject so much history to the fictional world of Underhill and Harry's past in such a short amount of time, but he nails it. The depth to the characters and their histories also set up some really solid plot twists that kept me flipping the pages. My only recommendation would be to jot down some notes about the family tree, since the names come hard and fast!

This novella is also filled with a bunch of fun characters, particularly the zany creations from the fictional land of Underhill. They all start out as your stereotypical fantasy archetypes - the helpful yet mysterious faun, the evil giant spider, etc. - whose connections to other major fantasy works are evident. Some of the characters are legitimately terrifying; don't tell me that you read this book without at least getting a little creeped out by Gombles the Clown. However, the real star of the show is the main character Harry, and your level of enjoyment of the novella might depend on how much you require the main character to be completely likable. Particularly at the beginning of the novella Harry is pretty easy to dislike. He's selfish, he's whiny, and he's entitled. By the end, he shows remarkable growth in realistic ways as the novella progresses.

I think where the novella falls just short of Tchaikovsky's greatest works is the relatively shallowness of this novella. As I mentioned earlier, it is funny and clever, but the deep themes of trauma, depression, and perspective we got from Elder Race or the commentary of classism from Ogres isn't present here. I had a really great evening with this novella, but I don't think it is going to stick with me as long as some of Tchaikovsky's greatest works. Again, this is not to suggest in any way this is a bad novella, but it fails to reach that level of sticking with me required for a solid five star review.

The other thing that didn't really work for me was Tchaikovsky's inclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic (although it is never officially named in the novella). It was clear that Tchaikovsky was working through his own feelings of the government's response to the pandemic, but the thematic line he tries to draw between what Henry sees in the real world and what he is seeing in Underhill (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers) never really comes together. I think the inclusion of the pandemic was just one plotline too many for the novella format; to really make that work this would have to have been a full novel.

Concluding Thoughts: Tchaiksovsky's contribution to the adult-portal fantasy subgenre is another treat for fantasy fans. While not as good as some of his previous novellas, this is a fun and fast read with surprising levels of horror, sadness, and thematic heft. Come for the quirky fantasy world and hijinks, stay for the examination of the purpose (both good and bad) of family.

I’m always interested in stories where a fantasy book is discovered to be real. This book shows that the happy world we see in books isn’t always happy. Sometimes it’s dark and twisted, decaying from neglect. This book won’t be for everybody, but for me it hit all the right places for a quick dark fantasy.

Note: arc provided in exchange for honest review

As a huge fan of this author it pains me to admit that I wasn't a fan of this book. I loved the premise, but the execution was at times confusing and I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters. One of the things I most love about Adrian Tchaikovsky's books is the beautiful use of language that he employs, but even that was mostly missing, although the vivid imagery I also love is present. I wanted to love this book so very, very much. But I just didn't.

As this is a novella it is unlikely that we will purchase it for the library but I will heartily recommend it towards anyone who loves fantasy.
The idea of a wardrobe to another land (no not that one) leading to a childhood fantasy is something we all played at as children. I loved the notion that all of these portals came from somewhere and led to a world constructed by someone else.
This led to a very dark fantasy of a realm left to ruin and gave me 80s puppet movies gone wrong vibes. Like the Gelfling and Skeksis from Dark Crystal started to decay- proper nightmarish stuff.
As always there were a number of words I had to look up (Mr Tchaikovsky has a way of forcing me to increase my vocab) but none of it detracted from his fantastic storytelling.
I did feel the ending was a little bittersweet and despondent for my final book of 2022 so sadly it didn't score higher. But I am always here for Mr Tchaikovsky's multi-layered and talented worldbuilding.

Thank you NetGalley and Solaris for the ARC! Things aren't going well for Felix "Harry" Bodie. His acting career never quite took off; he's constantly asked about his grandmother's famous fantasy book series, and the secret truth of his grandmother's stories and their lineage has been abruptly revealed to the world. Turns out the great grandmother who inspired the work was placed in an insane asylum, but was there more to her stories than lunacy? Harry starts being pursued by some strange people, and stranger still, he starts seeing a being that looks like a character from his grandmother's books. Is Harry losing his mind or is truth stranger than fiction? This is a strange, quick read that should appeal to adult fans of portal fiction like the Chronicles of Narnia.

I truly don't know how Adrian Tchaikovsky is able to put out SO MANY books a year and have them all be so good. This strange, dark take on Narnia and alternate worlds and wicked witches is not only as brilliantly imaginative as all his books, it is also very funny.

Harry's only interest in his Grandmothers children's fantasy novels are dwindling royalties. The books of Underhill are very C S Lewis in style and concept but no way as popular. There are certainly fans though, people who believe Underhill is real, and that Harry is the heir to the kingdom and they are willing to kill prove their case. Harry's life has fallen apart lately, and television gigs are drying up, but but becoming the sacrifice to open up the fantasy world is not something he wants to do.
A fun, light portal fantasy with lots of digs at the 'home for tea' children's fantasies of the past.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

This is a curious novel, not quite horror and not quite humor, but fully fantasy. If your famous grandmother wrote a book (very much like Narnia, but not exactly) and you found out one day it was all true, kind of, how would you react? So is the plight of our hero in And Put Away Childish Things. Not only is the world real, but it is fast crumbling and he is needed to fix things. What he discovers is a shadow of the world he read about, never able to fulfill its destiny because of reasons he discovers.
I loved the general thrust of this book, and as a Narnia reader in childhood, the homages were nicely done, but without having read them, I'm not sure the frame of reference would have worked as well. The novel feels a bit rushed at points, and the "excerpts" from the original book don't quite fit for me as a reader. Others may feel different.

This one wan't a bad idea and from past reading, i know the boy can write, but it felt a little flat for me.

Imagine your favorite childhood fantasy series was based on a real place and you were the rightful heir to its throne. Also imagine that this place was in trouble and you had no idea how to rescue it. That's the dilemma Harry Bodie, children's tv host, finds himself in as he is confronted by mythical creatures and contends with other humans who want to use him as a conduit to fairyland, which is, by the way, very much not Narnia. Darkly funny and suspenseful, "And Put Away Childish Things" is engaging and entertaining.

Well this is not my favorite Tchaikovsky book I have read. I actually found myself spending more time being confused then enjoying the overall story.

The idea is interesting, I think the overall execution was not the greatest. I actually really loved the idea of a magical place that inspired a middle grade book series being real. (Narnia if it was real basically) The only difference is the magical place is actually dying and decaying. All the moments that involved the magical place of Underhill where the most interesting but it unfortunately didn't save the story for me, especially when I got towards the end. The end got to this point where a lot of what was being discussed just wasn't making any sense in my head. To be honest I'm not really sure I fully understand what exactly happened at the end and how it was figured out.

I didn't care for Harry at all, there was just something about him that left him being completely unlikable through the whole story, and if that was goal then hey it was achieved. If I felt anything for any character it was Timon the faun, but it's' nothing lasting.

There was also a fair amount of words I had to look up the definitions too because I have never in my life come across them before, so that ruined the reading experience a lot for me. Granted I was on my kindle and was able to look up each word as I came across them but that just ruins the immersion when reading. It's fine if its once or twice but towards the end it just felt like it was constantly happening. I don't like to think myself a stupid person but the end definitely made me feel stupid because I just couldn't grasp what was being told, so that really ruined this for me.

I also could have done without the references to our own real world, it just felt cringy and I hated it.

For this is not one of his better works, but hey they can't all be winners.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

Sometimes a wardrobe is just a wardrobe. Sometimes books are just books. But sometimes they aren't.

Harry Bodie's life has turned into a joke. His actinga nd media career is in shambles, and he consoles himself with alcohol. But, for bizarre reasons, weird types are trying to get hold of him.

Harry's grandmother has written beloved children's books set in the sunny world of Underhill. For Harry, it's just a sporadic source of income through royalties. For some, however, Underhill is serious business.

ARC through NetGalley

Its inhabitants, for example, are deadly serious about it. And not happy with their current state. The world of Underhill looks nothing like the one in Grandma's books - it's decaying and everything there, including the fantastic creatures, is coming apart. Will Harry's presence be enough to restore it to its glorious blooming state?

In And Put Away Childish Things, Tchaikovsky deconstructs middle-grade stories and makes things nightmarish. Harry is a disillusioned Kid's TV presenter unable to start serious acting. He has no agency or charisma, and that makes his reaction to all the craziness even more compelling. He simply can't understand what did he do to earn this clusterfuck.

Underhill and its creatures were created for the bold child to have adventures there but the child never came. Everything there decayed, including dreams and hopes of Underhill's citizens. I don't want to spoil too much, but there's a Faun, a giant spider able to travel between worlds, giant clown, and more.

The writing is clear, concise, and to the point. I appreciate it.

And Put Away Childish Things is a fine example of Adrian Tchaikovsky's writing skills and versatility. It combines middle-grade tropes, horror, humor, and excellent twists. It's impressive how much he packed in around 200 pages.

There's not much finer than an Adrian Tchaikovsky novel, and this title is unsurpassingly adorable. That trademark subtle humour, which sneaks up on little cat paws so that I often found myself chuckling aloud even before my conscious mind caught the point, the character depths and revelations and [applause] the character evolution; other characters coming to terms with their "lives" [you'll understand the quotation marks as you read the story]; and Mr. Tchaikovsky's presentation of the travails of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Especially touching was the delicate uncovering of government flailing in the face of rampant biology and the helplessness of law enforcement, social services, government, medicine, to address the issues of quarantine and social distance and prevention and cure.

But AND PUT AWAY CHILDISH THINGS doesn't stop at that. Not just the story of a failing actor turned feckless (and helpless Hero, this story is about recovering childhood, memory, lineage; about thought and creation, and the persistence of selfish evil. Definitely a rereader and rereader is this special story.