Tales of Avalon (formerly Marsh Tales)

Picking up 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.