Lulu, $19.97, ISBN 978-0-557-06070-2
Historical Fiction, 2009
The Ash Spear continues the tale of the Welsh bard Gwernin Kyuarwyd as he continues his apprenticeship under the guidance of the great bard Talhaearn Tad Awen. This time around, Gwernin’s travels will see him getting into all kinds of scrapes involving political intrigues, foolish kings, and, of course, a dash of romance.
This book is similar in many ways to the previous two books in this series, boasting the same lyrical writing and carefully wrought atmospheric imagery. If you enjoy the previous books, you could very well enjoy this one. Similarly, if you can’t get into Ms Grove’s writing style in the previous books, you may have a hard time getting into this one too. Still, I feel that The Ash Spear is actually the most accessible of the three books out so far, because it has more action-oriented scenes and less oblique pagan imagery, so there is a good chance that the reader who doesn’t enjoy the previous two books may still enjoy this one.
I don’t have much to say about this book that isn’t a repeat of what I’ve said in the reviews of the previous books. The Ash Spear is a solid, enjoyable, and lyrical book that brings me back to Ms Grove’s interpretation of Wales and surrounding lands in ancient time. This review may be short, therefore, but be assured that my enjoyment of this book is far from truncated.
