The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

Merrick has led an adventurous life but is now stuck living with his cranky brother at their crumbling country estate struggling with a leg injury. When the East India Company and his friends lure him into taking a trip to Peru to discover and smuggle out cuttings of the plant that produces quinine, he is hard pressed to say no. After they assure him that his leg won't slow them down and they need his expertise the trio travel to South America where they pose as coffee growers, hire a guide and stagger off into the jungle. Merrick and his friend along with a Spanish speaking priest of the highlands who is their guide make their way through a surreal area where automated statues demand tribute, trees explode and their path is lit by glowing pollen. Madness, violence and an unexpected friendship with a doomed priest send Merrick on an unusual journey of mind, spirit and soul.