The Moon of Gomrath - Review

Author: Alan Garner
ISBN: 9626344709/9789626344705

Why did I choose this book? Because I had listened to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and enjoyed it very much.

What did I like? The pace of the adventure was faster than The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and the same characters gained some depth.

I loved the weaving of celtic and local myth, and folklore into the storyline as well as the concept of old and new magic. I appreciated the way Alan Garner chose to describe occurrences and, more importantly, feelings ascribed to the afterlife or in-between; it was almost beautiful.

What didn't I like? Unfortunately, I was not as enthralled as I was with The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, and I found myself losing attention despite the wonderful narration of Mr Madoc. At certain points, I lost the any concept what was happening and I feel I may need a second listen, when not driving, to better appreciate this sequel.

I never heard an explanation as to how the Morrigan returned. As others have said, it felt more contrived with certain events seeming to happen at precisely the right moment purely to set-off another, and to provide the story with momentum.

So, despite the increase in pace, the further exploration of characters, and the fusion of folklore, myth, and landscape The Moon of Gomrath fell short of the standard set by The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but only because it is the sequel to a fine book.

Rating: 2½/5.

The Mark of a Druid

Rhonda R. Carpenter has managed to pack a lot into "The Mark of a Druid".  It features England, Ireland, the United States, the past, the present, druids, christians, sovereignty, shapeshifting, prophecy, reincarnation, past life regression, hypnosis, murder and drama.

I listened to the book in audio format via the free subscription at iTunes.  The story seems slow to start and jumped quite a bit, from past to present, and between characters but, eventually, I was hooked.  Towards the end, as all the elements started to come together, the pace quickened, but the author was careful to keep you waiting for the ending you knew just had to be.

One quibble I had with the podcast format was the Rhonda R. Carpenter's reading style.  Strange punctuational pauses were distracting as was the apparently inappropriate changes in pitch giving emphasis were it was not warranted.  After a while, I noticed it less and less, with only the occasional inner query arising.   Still, it was worthwhile listening to the audio version on my commute to and from work.

I will purchase a hard copy of "The Mark of a Druid", eventually, to re-read at my leisure. I would imagine it would be a great book to take on holiday as the story is broken down into small segments, as it alternates between the past and present, thus allowing the reader to pick it up and put it down at will.

Rating:  4/5.