Perkunas Press, 2013
Paperback from Amazon, e-book
from Amazon and the publisher
Perkunas Press, 2013
Paperback from Amazon, e-book
from Amazon and the publisherAuthor and avid foxhunter Karen Myers continues the adventures of huntsman George Talbot Traherne of Virginia, who found himself inexplicably pulled into a realm of fae and immortals in her first novel, To Carry the Horn: The Hounds of Annwn.
Her second and third novels, The Ways of Winter and King of the May plunge George deeper into the lives of the fascinating characters who inhabit this mysterious otherworld, where it is not always clear who is friend and who is foe. George discovers that he is related to the rulers of this ancient domain, which seems to have once paralleled that of humans. But he possesses godlike powers that not even the wisest of the fae with their magic and their charms fully understand.
Throughout all three novels, Myers weaves the myth of the Great Hunt and the Hounds of Annwn, which belong to the antlered god, Cernunnos. The hounds, which hunt stag and man, were bestowed by Cernunnos upon George’s kinsman, Gwyn ap Nudd, the Prince of Annwn, and are the secret to the prince’s power. Without the hounds, Gwyn loses all. George discovers magical skills of his own as he struggles to keep his hounds safe so that the Great Hunt on Nos Galan Gaeaf, or All Hallows’ Eve, can take place.
Myers’ novels spin the story of power struggles between Gwyn ap Nudd and those who would steal his title and lands. George faces terrible tribulations and a brush with death as he battles with an evil prince to rescue his friends in The Ways of Winter. The story continues in King of the May as his wife, the artist Angharad, is held hostage, and he and his young whipper-in, Rhian, try to outsmart sorcerers who kidnap them.
The author has thoughtfully provided lists of names so the reader can keep track of who’s who. She has skillfully populated her fantasy series with a variety of intriguing characters, many of whom are inspired by figures from Celtic mythology. Others, such as the beings Myers calls “elementals,” spring from her fertile imagination. Elementals are basically rocks, and one—Seething Magma, or Mag, for short—is so delightful and clever that she belies the expression, “dumb as a box of rocks.”
Myers has created a fascinating world of characters, human and otherwise, whose personalities leave the reader wanting to know more about their lives and what’s next in this saga. She tantalizes readers with a peek at her next novel in the series. Bound in the Blood promises to take George, Angharad, and the other occupants of Annwn on more adventures as the huntsman uncovers the secrets of his past.
Posted August 6, 2013