Mini-Review: Always Forever by Mark Chadbourn

Always Forever is the final book in the Age of Misrule trilogy by Mark Chadbourn (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon), tells the story of f a Faerie apocalypse where the modern world is invaded by the magic and magical creatures of Faerie and other similar worlds. It’s set in Britain and I really enjoyed the first two books in the series World’s End (my review, Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon) and Darkest Hour (my review, Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon).

 

The trilogy follows 5 people who are destined to have the power to save humanity from both the Tuatha de Danaan and undeniable evil of the Fomorii and their gods. Their reluctant leader is Church (Jack Churchill) as they struggle to overcome death and despair with the lost of their world as they knew it and the events of Darkest Hour.

 

I’ve enjoyed this series primarily because it’s both a different sort of apocalypse and the infusion of Celtic myth into the modern world. The way Chadbourn writes the series makes it read sort of like a travel guide of ancient sites of power throughout Britain. I must admit that this really appealed to me as it almost became a sort of bucket list for my next trip to the British Isles (I’ve visited some of these sites, but certainly not all). As such, I often would have my British atlas open as I read. Seeing this fantasized version of how history, myth and legend combine at these historic/pre-historic sites is fascinating, and probably the thing I enjoyed most about the series.

 

The personal struggles of the 5 ‘Brothers and Sisters of Dragons’ bring an authenticity to events as each person has strengths, weaknesses, and flaws in their character. The contrast of humanity and all its flaws presented against the evil of the Fomorii and lack of humanity of the Tuatha de Danaan brings an interesting depth to much of what happens through the series. The result is a different way to look at the Celtic fantasy that comes in and out of fashion – it’s not romanticized though sticks to typical fantasy format. This balance works quite well and always keeps things interesting.

 

In retrospect, the end of the series seems obvious and appropriate. It was one that I think I would have figured out had I tried. But the truth is that I would simply dive in and enjoy the writing so much that I never bothered to – and I suppose that little bit says more about the series than just about anything else I can say.

 

Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Have you ever daydreamed about what it would be like to have cool magical powers and become a hot immortal forever in their 20s? That is exactly what Kevin Hearne does with his debut novel, Hounded, the first in The Iron Druid Chronicles (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound). The result is a fun, wild ride as an ancient Druid battles gods, witches, and other supernatural nasties in the deserts of Arizona.

Atticus O’Sullivan is a 2,000-year old druid living a quite life running an occult bookstore/tea shop in Tempe, Arizona. His day-to-day companion is his Irish wolfhound familiar and he occasionally socializes with the Tempe pack of werewolves, a vampire lawyer, ancient Celtic gods, and the local coven of witches. Atticus has been the keeper of an ancient, magic sword for a long time and an angry Celtic god of love wants it very badly – badly enough to finally confront Atticus directly. Given the choice of running (again) or finally confronting his nemesis, Atticus chooses to stand his ground and face the consequences.

As I indicated in my introduction, Hounded is full of some major wish-fulfillment. Atticus is essentially immortal, forever young at 21-years old, has cool magical powers, a witty tongue full of geek-references, can talk to his dog, and has sex with beautiful goddesses. Hearne has essentially admitted as much as he reveals on John Scalzi’s The Big Idea that “Hounded was spawned from an episode of Defiant Drunk Nerd Syndrome”.  However, through that revelation you can sense Hearne’s often self-deprecating humor that keeps Hounded from taking itself too seriously.

Wish fulfillment in books can be flat out awful – especially since it often comes out in some form of sexual fantasy. With Hounded, Hearne actually makes the wish fulfillment fun. Hearne spins a good yarn as he gives himself lots of material to use in his imagined world where the modern world is basically as we know it, only myths and legends tend to be true, with gods and goddesses and all other manner of the supernatural actually existing. Don’t think on it too hard as all the impossibilities and inconsistencies will trip you up – keep it at the surface. And on the surface, Hounded is a very entertaining, fast read – the proverbial page-turner – and full of humor and clever homage.

While for whatever reason it was the series title, The Iron Druid Chronicles, that lead me to read back cover blurb (I suppose I like druids), it was the setting that really made me pick up the book. It’s set in Tempe and the surrounding environs of south-central Arizona. I lived in the Tempe area for 10 years and went to graduate school at Arizona State University, so I was happy to see an urban fantasy set there. I know the area well and have spent many an hour drinking and eating and drinking at Rula Bula, an Irish Pub that makes an appearance a couple of times in the book. Folks who live in the likes of New York or London are probably used to books set in places they visit regularly. I am not, so it was very nice and refreshing to read a book set in ‘my backyard’ that is described well enough for me to fondly reminisce.

Hounded is a quick and entertaining urban fantasy set in Tempe, Arizona. It’s full of Celtic lore, but in a world where all the old pantheons are real and magical beings seem to pop up everywhere. I enjoyed it very much for what it is and I really look forward to reading more from Hearne – and the good news is that I won’t have to wait long with Hexed (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) coming on June 7^th and Hammered (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) on July 5^th. 7.5/10

Review: Eyes Like Leaves by Charles de Lint

Often after years have passed and an author has gained their degree of fame, notoriety, and respect, their earlier work is pushed aside to gather dust by their later, more iconic work. And sometimes some of that early work never gets published in the first place. Eyes Like Leaves by Charles de Lint (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) was completed in 1980 and de Lint’s fourth book – it was never published when his editor bluntly pointed out that if Eyes Like Leaves was published de Lint would forever be branded as a second-world fantasy writer. de Lint had already developed a love for his trademark brand of contemporary fantasy, so he decided that his next book needed to reflect that love and Eyes Like Leaves was shelved indefinitely – incidentally, Yarrow (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) was the book that ended up being published in its place.

Eyes Like Leaves tells the story of dueling Gods – the summer god versus the winter god – through human pawns. The world is directly analogous to the British Islands, with a distinctive Celtic feel complete with Viking raiders and the displaced and nearly extinct Pict-ish peoples and elves. Tarn is the young wizard, Puretongue the wizened mentor, and Carrie the one with the potential to save the world. Creatures of the Winterlord stalk the land, magic is fading from the world, and the Summerlord the underdog.

Eyes Like Leaves feels both old and new – in many ways it is yet another Tolkien-spawn that so populated the fantasy of its day. Yet it also feels more real – the gods flawed and even the good guys are cruel. The people are truly human – they are not fantasies, but actual people caught up in what we would consider fantasy. And while the Celtic and Norse influences dominate, in typical de Lint fashion, it’s combined with Native American-style shape-shifting.

The almost poetic and reverent writing that I so love about de Lint is only hinted at in this early work – things feel raw and unpolished compared to his later writing. de Lint intentionally resisted the temptation to revise and update this manuscript – he felt it was important to honor and remain true to his nearly 30-year younger self, a man in an entirely different place in his life with a different message to send. The younger generation in Eyes Like Leaves gets pounded on by the gods – definitely the tale of a younger man who feels the world is out to get him.

In all honestly, the whole of the book simply feels unremarkable. The story is good, if a bit familiar. The characters are worth following, though a bit cliché. The world and its magic are both clever and tired. This is far from de Lint’s best work. But none of that matters all that much.

The greatest value of Eyes Like Leaves is probably in its story – not the story within the pages, but the story of the pages themselves and how they came to be. It’s a glimpse backwards in time, the view of a great writer before he was great. This story will be packaged a high-quality limited edition that Subterranean Press has become known for – by book lovers for book lovers. de Lint’s books are hugely popular at Subterranean, so this one will likely sell-out early and become something of a collector’s item. If you are so inclined, it’s unlikely the words of this review have influenced you one bit, but if you are the fence, hopefully I provided a nudge one way or another. 6.5/10

Review: Darkest Hour by Mark Chadbourn

Darkest Hour by Mark Chadbourn (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) is the second book of the Age of Misrule Trilogy. In this trilogy, Chadbourn shows us a world where magic returns, along with all the nasty, indifferent beasts of legend. The modern world fails, the evil Formorii seek to destroy humanity, the Tuatha de Danaan stand apart, and the five human Brothers and Sisters of Dragons fight desperately for the sake of humanity.

Being the second book, too much of a plot summary will spoil events from the first book, World’s End (US, UK, Canada, IndieBound). Having said that, Darkest Hour continues from events in World’s End. A new threat emerges and the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons set out to prevent something very bad from happening. Things don’t go as planned, and the group finds even more desperation and despair than they have seen yet, while their personal relationships continue to erode what little moral remains.

Bad things happen in Darkest Hour. After World’s End, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but Darkest Hour is a truly dark book with an apt title. Hope is fading, yet our decidedly not intrepid band of heroes perceivers and signs of adaptation to the new world of magic appear.

Darkest Hour is clearly the middle-book of a trilogy but doesn’t suffer as a result. Rather than bridging events from book 1 to book 3, Darkest Hour has a complete story-arc with clear beginnings and endings. The wonder I vividly describe in my review of World’s End is still present, and Darkest Hour retains the feel of a wild tour through Britain’s magical sites, but everything is darker, more ominous as hope fades.

In the Age of Misrule, Chadbourn doesn’t fall back on the genre trope of having young, idealistic, and inexperienced people chosen to save the world. Chadbourn’s heroes are older and already well beaten-down by the world. And the five Brothers and Sisters of Dragons don’t immediately become best mates who always doe the right thing. We see realism – sexual tension, jealousy, hatred, apathy, biting insults, selfishness, etc. In Chadbourn’s band of heroes, people get fed up and decide they need to go out and get rip-roaring drunk rather than ‘take one for the team’. And yet these obviously flawed individuals do continue on, doing their best to do what is right – only their best isn’t always enough or even the right move.

The Age of Misrule is proving to be a fantastic read. Adding a bit to what is explored in a fantastic review at rob will review, in the Age of Misrule Chadbourn presents something of the anti-Tolkien fantasy, while embracing many of its standards. Tolkien explores Britain’s mythology by creating a world where magic is leaving, and humanity in all its imperfection is rising. Chadbourn explores Britain’s mythology by taking our world and bringing back the magic, myths and legend – a world where humanity may be on the way out. All at once, humanity looses science, technology, and religion. Chadbourn shows us a world where all humanity has is each other as they fight for survival and they slowly understand what they may have gained through their loss. This is an exploration of humanity – the reality of humanity rather than its ideals, what has been lost through science, technology, and dogmatic religion, and what just might be gained. This is a series that has completely captured me and I can’t wait to see how it finishes in Always Forever (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound). 8.5/10

Related Posts: Review of World’s End, Interview with Mark Chadbourn

Review: World's End by Mark Chadbourn

It turns out that I’m that sort of American who holds a fascination with the old Pagan religions of Europe where the majority of my ancestors came from, and particularly for the Celtic traditions of Britain and Ireland. This has resulted in an affinity for Celtic music (especially from Scotland and Ireland) and a wonderful trip through England, Wales and Scotland that included stops at places like Stonehenge and Avebury. Over time I’ve come to realize that this goes beyond fascination to some sort of deeper connection that the rational, scientific part of my brain cannot explain. I feel an honest emotional connection the ancient land and lore of Britain.

I’m not the sort of guy to go out of my way to explore such a connection, but I do naturally gravitate toward SFF fiction that utilizes Celtic traditions as inspiration. While I’ve found that Arthurian fiction typically does nothing for me, some books such as Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock (review) bring this connection to life. The Age of Misrule book 1, World’s End, by Mark Chadbourn (US, UK, Canada, IndieBound) almost perfectly resonates – actually it may be the book that has had the strongest impact to my Celtic longings of any that I’ve read to date.

Jack, ‘Church’ Churchill aimlessly tolerates life as he mourns the years earlier loss of a special relationship. On an early morning walk through the streets of London he witnesses something that his mind simply can’t handle, leading him and another witness on a quest to figure out exactly what happened while opening them up to the truth that reality as they know it is ending. The old Celtic legends seem to be coming alive – the magic and wonder as well as horrifying beasts from the Otherworld. Church finds himself the leader of a motley band of survivors tied the ancient magic of the land who inherit a quest to find lost talismans of great power in an attempt to save the world as they know it.

The US is generally rootless. The ground we walk on simply doesn’t have the long-time habitation of places like Europe. If I dig down in my yard, I’ll only find dirt and rock – maybe some sign of Native Americans, but those generally have limited longevity and it isn’t something of ‘my’ people (though I do have a splash Native American ancestry). In places like Britain, the works of ancestors are under every foot and all around to see in every day life. A 13th century abbey next to a modern building, old Roman walls visible in central London, the castle on the hill, standing stones, or even the simple rock wall that has divided a field for countless generations. These things are a novelty to me, yet presumably are largely taken for granted by those who see them every day. In World’s End, Chadbourn uses this largely dormant connection to prehistory and lore and literally brings it to life. Rather than and idealized land of plenty, the world that Chadbourn brings back is one of nightmares acting as a mirror turned on our modern sensibilities while questioning the human condition.

Chadbourn takes the reader on a wild ride through lands where modern Britain connects with the ancient past. While it’s both a tour and nightmare come to life, the quest engaged becomes equally internal. The five modern saviors under Church’s reluctant leadership with a mysterious hippie guide are a far cry from an expected group of champions. Each person is haunted by their past and fundamentally flawed. The quest becomes internalized for each as they face their past and wrestle with the present. This powerful struggle for each adds an extra dimension to Chadbourn’s story, however, this aspect in inconsistently addressed with the six people at the center of the book. Some are well presented while others lack adequate screen time and development.

Originally published in 1999 in the UK, World’s End by Mark Chadbourn begins the Age of Misrule trilogy and a series of books that follow. Simply put: it completely blew me away. I was sucked into the fascinating tale of Celtic magic in conflict the modern world, where evil seeks the end of the world, where ‘good’ may be little better, and those charged with saving us all have their own problems to deal with. Highly recommended. 8.5/10

Related Post: Interview with Mark Chadbourn

The Dragon and the Unicorn by A.A. Attanasio

I still don’t quite understand how or why I read the entire book. The Dragon and the Unicorn begins with a ‘Prelude’ that is about 50 pages of incoherent rambling about life, the universe and everything – it was utterly painful to read. Then we get to the actual story part of the book – which turns out to be just another version of Arthurian myth.

A majority of the story follows Merlinus (Merlin) who searches for, finds, and raises Uther Pendragon to be King of the Britons in the age after Rome has left the land and invasions by the Angles, Saxons, and other tribes begin. The story is pretty standard with Ygrane, Queen of the Celts eventually marrying Uther to ultimately give birth to Arthur – this is not the story of Arthur, but his parents (I assume there is a sequel but don’t care to look it up).

Generally speaking this book is just painful – it attempts to be philosophically universal in the origins of the universe, earth, and religion. This is something that should appeal to me, but it just never works, coming across as New Age crap rather than anything meaningful. A few places in the book become compelling to read and that magical Celtic feel is achieved, but these are exceptions rather than the norm. In the end, I didn’t care for a single character in this book and it took an extreme exercise in will to reach the end of the book.

I can only recommend The Dragon and the Unicorn to the most hard core fans of Arthurian myth; everyone else should give it a wide birth. 4/10.

The Riddle of the Wren by Charles de Lint

The Riddle of the Wren is the third de Lint novel I have read – the first two being Forests of the Heart and The Little Country. De Lint seems to have two ‘styles’ of writing that are better defined by when he wrote rather than what he wrote. His earlier books, such as The Little Country and The Riddle of the Wren (which I believe is his first book), are stand alone and not quite as well written as his later work. Much of his later work are part of a loose ‘series’ centered in the fictional city of Newberry. While these novels are stand-alone, they are set in the same place and have some overlapping characters and places (possibly events as well, but I don’t know since I’ve only read one of the Newberry books). Anyway, on to the review…

The Riddle of the Wren is a difficult book to summarize. The setting is best described as earth-like, or perhaps more specifically, pre-industrial England/Scotland-like. Much of the inspiration is from Celtic myths centered in the British Isles, and a majority of the book is set in other, parallel worlds after typical Faerie myths.

The protagonist of the book is 17-year old Mindy, living with her father who runs the local inn. Her mother died when she was very young, the father is abusive, and society is unkind (an understatement) to women in general. Mindy is plagued by dark dreams, that are more real than they seem. To not give anything away, I’ll just say that she leaves on an adventure that crosses the boundaries of the world and brings her into contact with a few companions, we see her grow, we meet good and evil and see some overlap of the two.

While the story is unique and I haven’t read anything quite like it, the parallels to Tolkien are rather glaring. De Lint and Tolkien are both inspired by Celtic myth, so it is difficult to know how intentional it was versus being similar due to the same source material. But, there is a ‘Gandalf’ character and an ‘elvish language’ along side of some other similar creatures.

Parallels aside, The Riddle of the Wren is a very enjoyable novel with a story that is not quite like anything else I have read. The quality of writing is good, but nowhere near as good as de Lint’s later novels. In short, I recommend the book and encourage everyone (especially people interested in celtic music) to read a novel by de Lint. On my rating 10-scale where 10 is an unsurpassed novel (I’m not sure I’ve ever read a 10), and 5 is a take-it-or-leave-it novel that I probably wouldn’t reread, and anything less than 5 is not something I’d likely recommend, The Riddle of the Wren rates a 6-6.5. In comparison, it is approximately the same as I rated The Little Country, while Forests of the Heart is more like 7.5 or even 8.

Related reviews: The Little Country

The Little Country by Charles de Lint

Sometime in early 2005 I had the luck of picking up a Charles de Lint novel at used bookstore when an unexpected layover happened. The book was Forests of the Heart, and it was really excellent, so de Lint went on the list of authors to keep a watch out for. At a more recent trip to a used bookstore, I scored a few old deLint novels and threw them on the Stack (yes, capitalizing the Stack is necessary due to its size and strange dominance over much of my life). Last year as I waited for an anticipated book to arrive in the mail I needed a book to read, and grabbed The Little Country.

The Little Country is set in Cornwall, England in modern times (it was written in the early nineties, so a couple references in the book may seem dated, but this has no impact on the story). Within the novel is another story (classic play within a play sort of thing) that is set around 1900, but the exact timing isn't clear or really important.

The central character is Janey Little - a moderately popular musician, in her circles, who specializes in older Celtic style music. She is a realistic character with plenty of flaws, and very likeable. An old book, with much mystery about it is discovered in the attic, and the story is off. This book has been long desired by a secret society with ambitions to take over the world (yes that is it, but it's not nearly as cheesy as it sounds). The book is special, even magical and the center of many problems about to be faced by Janey, her grandfather, best friend, and fresh off the boat, former lover. Yep, there is a traditional love story buried in here, but those who don't go for romances will still enjoy the story.

The story within the story follows another female central character, and is altogether more fantastical in nature, but still grounded in a world where magic has moved on. There are witches, smalls, and faeries. In the end you know the stories are going to come together, and they do - though both could really stand on their own with deLint's skill at telling a captivating story.

In the end, I enjoyed The Little Country quite a bit. I suppose it would be 6-7 on my 10-point scale where 5 is a neutral, take-it or leave-it novel and 10 is unsurpassed. It wasn't quite as good as Forests of the Heart, but I will probably read it again one day. I continue to be amazed and entertained by de Lint's ability to take old tales, myths, and legends and relate them to the modern world and human nature. Another plus is his ability to create real, believable characters and his skill at writing realistic and likeable women. All the de Lint novels I have read feature female characters at the center. And finally, music lovers should love deLint as music plays a key role in his writings and form the backbone of his stories. Any music lover will appreciate it, but anyone with a like or love of traditional style Celtic music absolutely must read de Lint.

Related reviews: The Riddle of the Wren