Juliet E. McKenna

Another Kindle book that was 99p, but this time as a promotion. The author tweeted the book was reduced, and since I’d never read anything by her – she mostly writes fantasy, which, er, Wheel of Time reread above aside, I don’t normally read – and The Green Man’s Heir is urban fantasy, which I definitely don’t read… But the plot sounded interesting so I thought it worth a go. And I’m glad I did give it a punt. The narrator is Daniel Mackmain, a jobbing carpenter who happens show more to be the son of a dryad. Which means he is plugged into the mythological world based on landscape. So when a woman is brutally murdered near where Mackmain lives, and a dryad gives him enough to clues so he thinks he might be able to solve the case… The Green Man’s Heir is a mashup of mystery novel and fantasy novel but it works because it’s centred on its hero and not focused on its central crime. The story moves on from the murders and pulls in romance, but it all ends in a place that feels entirely a consequence of what has gone before. This is clearly a book by someone who knows what they’re doing. And if their earlier fantasy series have not made the big time, I hope this one does – there’s a sequel – because it’s good stuff. It may be a bit Mythago Wood meets Midsomer Murders, but it does it well and it certainly does it a great deal better than the last of those two. show less

This is the third book in a series which hadn’t been planned. The first book, The Green Man’s Heir, was, I believe, a one-off, but proved so successful McKenna dug out an old project and rewrote it to provide a sequel, The Green Man’s Foe. Which did equally well. And with good reason. These are fun, well-crafted urban fantasy novels, more Mythago Wood than fang-banger, which is a decided advantage. In this novel, written from scratch as part of the series – and I’m not alone in show more hoping there are more – has narrator Dan Mackmain, son of a dryad, in the Fens, preventing a nasty piece of work from using John Dee’s crystal ball, as used by Edward Kelley, for nefarious – and, it has to be said, petty – purposes, which unfortunately are having an adverse effect on the various folklore creatures of the Fens. So not only do we have local English mythology, and Mackmain’s life as revealed in earlier instalments, but also John Dee and his alchemy. It’s a clever mix, and it works extremely well. I thought this a much better book than the preceding volume, and its combination of modern life, English folklore and Elizabethan occultism worked perfectly. Given The Green Man’s Foe was nominated for awards, then this one deserves to win them. show less

I'm an unashamed fan of Juliet's work mostly because I've met her several times and been thoroughly charmed by her. They are not normally the kind of books I read - multibook spanning fantasy sword and sorcery type affairs. I started reading her work when she came to talk at an event as a first time author and I've been eagerly purchasing them as soon as they're published ever since.
This is the 2nd book in (I'm guessing) a 4 part series set in the same world, but different region as her show more previous series. However each of Juliet's books is a complete story in itself, leaving enough hanging for you to want the next in the series, but being complete enough that you don't finish each book with a disappointed wail as your hero hangs from the proverbial cliff. Northern Storm picks up the story of Kheda a while after the conclussion of Southern Fire. He is now warlord of Chazen, the region ruined by the wild men's invasion in the previous novel. As he tries to rebuild Chazen and remove the taint of wizardry he is set upon by a more iminent problem - a hungry dragon.
As Kheda tells the story you get a very good sense of the warring instincts in him. He wants to protect his new domain, but still has very strong ties to his old domain of Kaish, not wanting to harm his people or his son who is their new lord. Meanwhile he's desperate to purge himself of the dreadful taint of magic on himself and his land, but is continually faced with having to seek out magic to save his land. He's also conflicted in his need to be seen as a good warlord and husband to the last surviving wife of the dead ruler and his desire to be with Rishala, a travelling poet who knows all his secrets and his concerns. Throughout all this he clings to his belief in the power of omens, even if he doesn't always understand what they indicate.
I found this book, like Juliet's others, to be hugely readable, causing several lunch breaks to overrun. The pacing of the book is superb, large chunks of time are skipped between chapters so there is no lingering or descriptions of events that don't need describing. The intersting mix of 1st and 3rd person gives insight into how the characters are thinking without getting bogged down. The cast of supporting characters are very intersting, each with their own reasons for doing what they are doing, whether for themselves, for the general good, or for a combination. Few of the characters are withou ulterior motives and considerable 'flaws' in their character, but you find yourself liking most of them regardless.
Many people have said that Juliet's work is 'fantasy for non-fantasy fans' and I'm inclined to agree. Sword and sorcery has never appealed to me, but I find her work utterly engrossing, with interesting concepts, well-developed characters, engaging plots and superb pacing. My only reservation in recommending her work is that her books all tend to be about 500 pages and come in series so can be a daunting committment. However even though it can take me weeks to read 200 pages, I finished Northern Storm in less than a week as I couldn't put it down. I'd love to see her write some independant novels/short stories and take a shot at another universe, just to see what she comes up with. show less

I finished The Green Man's Foe by Juliet E. McKenna this morning.

This book is a sequel to The Green Man's Heir which I read and enjoyed a few years ago. The books should be read in sequence to gain the full benefit.

These books are set in the present day and deal with English folklore magic. The Green Man of the title is a mythical supernatural character linked to nature, growth and rebirth. As you might expect the stories are about the interactions between the world of humans and the spirits show more of nature who are still present in the modern world. The supernatural beings do not wish to be discovered but they still influence the world of humans, some for good and others for evil. Of course the stories are about the goodies fighting evil.

The main character, Daniel Mackmain, is the son of a human man and a Dryad (tree spirit) mother. He is human but has inherited some of his mother's abilities.

Juliet E. McKenna has put a lot of effort into using authentic English folklore and the supernatural creatures she has in her story are ones that have appeared in English mythology from archaic times.

Her stories are set in rural England and she portrays that world very accurately, both in terms of the human world, and that of the supernatural. She also weaves her story between the real world and the world of spirits in a gentle and convincing fashion. She deals with real societal issues, such as social deprivation and the consequences for teenagers left with feeling there is no hope for the future, and their manipulation by unscrupulous characters.

I would describe these books as gentle folk horror, the type of gentle folk horror found in Paul Cornell's Witches of Lychford stories.

Juliet's descriptions are very evocative. While reading the Green Man's Foe the world of the Cotswolds formed in my mind in a most vivid fashion. The pictures were wonderful and I really felt I was there.

I understand a third Green Man novel, "The Silence of the Green Man", is coming out in August (Corona virus permitting) and I will certainly be ordering a copy. show less