Seven Lions

I’m happy to announce that Seven Lions will begin posting reviews of small publisher and print-on-demand books (Fiction and non-fiction).  At some point, I’ll comment on this whole setup, typical of Web 2.0, where someone who isn’t a “professional” book reviewer gets to take apart the work of writers and get inordinate amounts of attention without the necessary credentials to do so.  But, without further ado, I’ll begin the first review, a piece of historical fiction titled Sons of Avalon: Merlin’s Prophecy, written by Dee Marie.

Sons of Avalon

Set in the former Roman province of Britannia, Sons of Avalon is a colorful reconstruction of the early life of Merlin and the struggle of the Britons to establish their own nation.  The story focuses almost exclusively on young, dynamic men thrust into positions of power during the upheaval and chaos caused by the Saxon invaders.  Though war and strategy dominate the attention of the characters, it’s more a tale of individual struggle within the morass of shifting loyalties and political intrigue.  The reader is introduced to Merlin the boy, discovered as a babe in lightning struck oak tree, who reveals the gift of prophecy when confronted by the corrupt High King.  It follows his sudden transformation into young adulthood, much to the surprise of his foster brother, and his struggles as self-proclaimed protector of Britain alongside the brothers Amrosius Aurelius and Uther Pendragon (Future father of King Arthur).

Marie deftly presents the character of Merlin as a contradictory mix of young man–sometimes childlike–and prophetic wizard.  The characters surrounding him are young and often naive, with shifting conceptions of themselves and their role in a chaotic, war-stricken land.  Throughout the novel are compelling descriptions of Druidic rites and practices that reveal what must have been serious research to understand the culture and landscape of Britain during this period, though I would have liked to see more of the Roman influence that I assumed undergirded early British society (My own knowledge of Roman Britain is lacking, and a province at the edge of the empire was likely to be just as Marie has described it: a hybridized mixture of Roman and Celtic heritage with the former much less influential than the latter).  The novel does have a high medieval tone to it, but the battles and warfare are pleasantly small scale and personal, and the novel does not lose its focus on the characters for the sake of scenes of martial glory.

The dialogue can, at times, be a bit too colloquial and modern, breaking the illusion of the period piece, and there are moments when the reader is left uncertain about the weight of meaning to be applied to one action or speech due to Marie’s desire to draw out the suspense of the character’s Machiavellian plans.  Her description of Londinium (Modern-day London) is marvelous in its treatment of Late Imperial Roman decay, as are her descriptions of the geography of Britain, especially its sacred spaces such as Stonehenge.   The story is at its best when it is more mythical, dealing with the Faerie and Avalon, and especially memorable are the scenes, such as the sacrifice of a dead king’s horse, that remind us of the role of pagan practices in establishing magisterial authority.  The more commonplace elements are still compelling and well-told, though occasionally the expository dialogue stumbles.  The youthfulness of these young men, who seem almost to be playing at kings and generals, comes across throughout.  Marie shows us that this time in Britain was not a period of intricate bureaucracy or professional armies, but of amateur kings who needed to prove cajole their subordinates into duty.

Overall, Sons of Avalon is a fine novel, particularly appealing to readers interested in the British Isles, Druids and the Arthurian legends.  The author creates a distinct and believable world, mixing fantasy with history to make it her own.

Vist the Sons of Avalon Site