| Reader Reviews |
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| By Brynneth Colvin for The Druid Network Picking up the threads from where The Apple and the Thorn left off, Melnyk explores the fate of the marshes as the threat of Rome increases. There are tales within tales, delving further into the realms of history and myth. Some of the stories had familiar elements, others less so. At first I thought I wouldn't get on with what appeared to be a frame around a collection of short stories, but as I read I realised there was a lot more going on here, and that the relationship between tales and frame is an important one. It hangs together very well indeed, resulting in a layered story, full of nuance and magic. This is a tale about the relationships between stories and landscape, stories and ancestors. It is about the tales we tell to each other, and the way sharing stories, and having stories in common, forms bonds and connections. There are a number of different voices in this book, and they come through well. Melnyk shifts between the realms of more real, historical seeming people, and the landscape of myth in some very effective ways. Added to this, he has a lyrical writing style, giving the work flow and vitality. I loved the Marsh Tales, and very much recommend them. |
| What I can only call the pervasive mood of the book is really strong in your writing - far more so than most other novels. It feels like reading history, full of sounds, smells, and tastes . . . did you intend to have such a pungent atmosphere? It certainly adds to the tale, drags you in and stays with you. -- Cat, United Kingdom |
| The best kind of book is one you're sad to leave when the last page is turned. This was my experience of Marsh Tales and Other Wonders - I didn't want it to end! The book is far more than a collection of stories; it is at its heart one remarkable tale of the enduring presence of the sacred in a world that sometimes welcomes it and sometimes fears it (and sometimes both at once). Each story comes to life through vivid descriptions of the forests, marshes, and mountains that are as much characters in the story as the people themselves are. There is such loving attention to detail in this book, from bits of history to the names of plants to the time it takes wounds and hearts to heal. Perhaps it is that, as the storytellers part ways, the book doesn't really end - the reader is now the one who possesses the stories and can pass them on to others. I loved every word in this book, and will love reading it again and again. -- Jennifer, United States |
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| "Great Writing - Sensitive gentle stories weaving myth and histories together in style." Wayne Avanson, UK |