Thoroughly Modern Myth-Making

Can anything new be said about the story of King Arthur?  If you read 'Bliss and Blunder' by Victoria Gosling, the answer is surely 'yes'. 

A Walk in the Dark

'Help the Witch' by Tom Cox (Unbound, 2018)

As some of you may remember, I really enjoyed Tom Cox's '21st Century Yokel' about this time last year.  His next adventure was in short fiction, so, as a short story fan, I couldn't wait to try his folk horror collection 'Help the Witch'.

'Help the Witch' is a collection of ten tense tales which put the nature back into the supernatural.  A village's dark past haunts a new resident in the story 'Help the Witch', while a covertly sinister waterway permeates 'The Pool'.  Spirits walk in unlikely places in 'Speed Awareness' and 'Just Good Friends' and morality tales are modernised and subverted for comic effect in 'Folk Tales for the Twenty-Third Century'.  This is a collection that draws readers' attentions to the murky shadows that are inevitably cast even on bright, sunny days in the countryside.  You can't have one without the other, after all.  You may not notice them as you picnic and play, but they're always there.  And they may be out to get you...

Living Legends

'The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London' by Christopher Skaife

I've been in a bit of a flap over the past few months.  Three books that I, really, really, REALLY wanted to read were all due to come out in the same week in October and I was finding it hard to sit still until I got my hands on them.  Fortunately, October arrived and I've purchased and read the first of the tempting trio, 'The Ravenmaster' by Christopher Skaife.

'The Ravenmaster' by
Christopher Skaife
(4th Estate, 2018)

In 'The Ravenmaster', Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife lifts the trapdoor on life with the Tower of London's most famous residents: the ravens.  Legend has it that if the birds leave, then the kingdom and the Tower will fall.  It's the job of Skaife and his team to make sure that the current cohort of seven birds are so happy and healthy that they never do.  Unfortunately, at times the ravens themselves can have other ideas...  'The Ravenmaster' shines a spotlight on these extraordinary birds, interweaving details of their characters, habits and relationships with broader tales of their cultural significance, the history of their home and the practicalities of life with Britain's most famous birds.

Love Struck

'The Gods of Love' by Nicola Mostyn

I laughed when I saw the tag 'Bridget Jones meets Neil Gaiman' on the cover of 'The Gods of Love' by Nicola Mostyn, but it left me intrigued enough to borrow it when it appeared on the shelves of my local library.  I'm so glad that I did.

Frida is a cynical divorce lawyer, independent, self-assured and, above all, great at her job.  When the world's top tech company, NeoStar, invites her for a job interview, she sees it as the biggest opportunity of her career.  But the day before the appointment, a stranger, Dan, bursts into her office, warning of a prophecy and insisting that she should stay away from NeoStar at all costs.  Frida dismisses the bizarre visitor, unnerved but no less determined to go ahead with the meeting.  When things don't turn out anything like she expected, however, she finds herself slipping into an alternative reality of terrifying gods, parallel dimensions and a conflict dormant for 3000 years.  As the end of the world approaches, does Frida have what it takes to save us all?

Bred of Devon

I've always had a fondness for those books of local legends that you find in Tourist Information Centres across the UK. One of the best areas for such stories has to be the West Country, so during a recent trip I read 'Devonshire Folk Tales' by professional storyteller Michael Dacre.

'Devonshire Folk Tales' is a joyful romp through stories of yore from one of the country's most

'Devonshire Folk Tales'
by Michael Dacre
(History Press, 2010)

beautiful and boisterous counties.  From the giant origins of these lands to encounters with fairies good and bad, to the nefarious activities of wicked rogues and ghastly encounters with ghosts and ghouls, not to mention much mischief of a truly devilish sort, this short book covers a lot of ground without leaving the confines of this enchanting county.

The worry with reading a book like this is that it's possible to get swept up in it and begin to wonder what kind of superstitious back water you're going to find yourself paddling around in.  Fortunately, Dacre's tone remains mischievous throughout, managing to thrill rather than chill the reader.  No sleepless nights here, thank you!

The variety of topics is excellent, as is the passion with which the stories are told.  Dacre clearly loves both folk tales and the county that inspired them, not to mention the people that tell/told them.  Such hand-me-down myths and legends are a dialect all their own and should be treasured as much as any regional accent or words.  Through this book, Dacre preserves and shares not just the voices of generations long gone, but more recent enthusiasts and it's hard not to be swept up in the sense of community and fun that comes with such storytelling.

I would recommend 'Devonshire Folk Tales' for anyone who wants a locally themed book to dip into during their visit to the county.  It gives a glimpse beyond the stereotypical cream teas and buckets and spades to the character of an area that is so much more than a tourist trap.

Now, what next...

Boxing Clever

Last month, the lovely people at Waterstones made a bit of a boo-boo and sent me two books through their Read and Review system just a couple of days apart.  One was 'The Devil in the Marshalsea', the other 'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman.  On the one hand, I was delighted to have two new interesting books to read.  On the other, I knew that I'd never get through both of them in the requested time frame.  So, with humble apologies, here are my thoughts on 'Bird Box'.  Sorry they're late.

'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman
(HarperVoyager 2013)

Malorie hasn't looked outside in over four years.  Human society has disintegrated as an unnamed and unknown horror has swept across the globe, bringing instant madness to anyone who sees it.  Before long, even the most ardent sceptics have boarded up their windows and locked themselves away.  Now, years later, Malorie is trapped in a house with two small children, Girl and Boy, remembering the past and nervously waiting for the right moment to escape.  But escape into what?

This is a fantastic book.  I really wish I could say something cleverer or more entertaining about it, but this really sums it up.  'Bird Box' is the first book I've read in a long time that I've found impossible to put down - a definite case of 'just one more page before bed'.  From the beginning, I was gripped by the story, intrigued and unnerved by the frightening reality our world had warped into.  The build to the terrifying climax is expertly paced, but the journey is not one for the faint hearted.

Although I thought this was a great read, it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.  It's very dark and violent, claustrophobic and horrifying, with key themes of madness, suicide and being trapped by circumstances beyond the characters' control.  In a way, it's very, very stressful, but it's also got a number of glimmers of hope.  Readers are kept guessing right to the very end, however, and it's not until then we know for sure whether this is a tale of survival or disaster.  Even then, after everything that's gone before, it's hard to believe that everything will be entirely OK.

Overall, if you enjoy science fiction/horror along the lines of 'I Am Legend' or 'The Year of the Flood', you will probably enjoy (if that's the right word!) this book too.  I look forward to seeing more from this author.