Book Review Alan Garner THE Moon of Gomrath

FANTASY BOOK REVIEW – ALAN GARNER – THE MOON OF GOMRATH 1963 Armada Press.

The story takes up where the preceding adventure, The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen ended. This action packed children’s adventure set on the real locations of Alderley Edge in Cheshire tells us what Colin & Susan did next.

Frustrated that their friend, the wizard Cadellin (Merlin in all but name), and his allies have virtually abandoned interest in them, the children try to find them all in the familiar haunts, cave entrances, etc, but they seem to have vanished.

In fact, Cadellin has cut off communication with the youngsters for their own safety, given that even more powerful, much older, supernatural entities are rampaging through the Edge now. Unfortunately, Susan’s protective amulet, and their persistence in trying to find their old allies draw attention on the children anyway. They find themselves targeted by soldiers and servants of two powerful armies, dwarfs, elves, Viking like warriors, talking animals and more besides, imperil them.

Susan, rashly temporarily separated from her amulet, gets a ride on a friendly looking cute pony that turns into a malevolent demonic entity and takes her to a watery Hell-dimension. Returning home possessed, Cadellin rescues her but she gains visions of a group of Star Goddesses, with indications that she is one herself.

Learning that the evil forces are being lead by The Morrigan, the witch queen defeated and banished by Cadellin in Weirdstone, the children find themselves embroiled in a spectacular battle against her, a part of the eternal Wild Hunt played out by various powerful entities across all of time. (A major European myth cycle event)  As the epic never-ending hunt goes away, trapping The Morrigan in its wake, after Susan briefly intervenes with her star-goddess sisters, the magical forces dissipate away leaving the children again in a magic-free World, at which point the story ends with incredible abruptness.

Very action packed, with a swirl of characters gleamed from World mythology. Celtic, Roman & Norse myths are all here, and it’s a thrilling, sometimes genuinely scary read, even for adults, let down only by the slamming on of the brakes abruptness of the story virtually as the last spear of the battle is thrown.

Wikipedia link to the life and work of Alan Garner – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Garner

Arthur Chappell