BOOK BLURB:
At the heart of Ryhope Wood, Steven and the mythago Guiwenneth live in the ruins of a Roman villa close to a haunted fortress from the Iron Age, from which Guiwenneth's myth arose. She is comfortable here, almost tied to the place, and Steven has long since abandoned all thought of returning to his own world. They have animals, protection and crops. They also have two children, a combination of human and mythago. Jack is like his father, an active boy keen to know all about the outer world'; Yssobel takes after her mother, even to her long auburn hair. But this idyll cannot last. The hunters who protected Guiwenneth as a child have come to warn her she is in danger. Yssobel is dreaming increasingly of her Uncle Christian, Steven's brother, who disappeared into Lavondyss, and Jack wants to see 'the outer world' more than anything. Events are about to overtake them.
REVIEW:
If there is one thing that can be said about authors it’s that the older they get from their original release the more mature a tale is presented. What makes Holdstock (who incidentally has a very Jeremy Irons look) such essential reading is the way in which he is beautifully blended British myth with his own style of storytelling. Whilst its been a few years since his original Mythago Woods novel was released you can tell from the way that it ended there was always more to follow but that he was saving it for a time he thought that he could present something special for the reader. That is exactly what happens within this offering.
Wonderfully creative, we return to the original protagonist for a brief stint to take up his theme through his children with the Mythago Huntress, Guiwenneth as they come to terms with their heritage and seek to find their own place within the world. It’s ideal fantasy fare and whilst some would argue to read it on its own I underwent a full Holdstock series reread just to check that my expectations would be met. A cracking offering from the author and I suspect a tale that will get nominated for a good few awards. Great stuff Robert.
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