Spider's Web

The Glass Apple #2

by Robert J. Franks

Kidnapped by Blashie, Jason is being taken to Lord Huddour. But before he can be delivered to the waiting sorcerer, he is rescued by a surprising, and even more dangerous, figure. Kylie, Gobswistle and Etain are plunged into battle once again, and the young Changeling must come to terms with her new identity, or more than just she will pay the price. Eigyr brings the scroll before the king. It seems the scroll contains Jason's final visions of the invasion of Kilneuair. But is the scroll from Jason, or is it a ploy of Jason's kidnappers to trick the townsfolk? The struggle for the answer drives a rift between King and Druid, and Myrrdin falls from grace. And the plan for Kilneuair's defence falls into jeopardy. As Alban Eiler draws ever closer, the confrontations between townsfolk and Vikings and between the children of prophecy and Huddour finally arrive. And what has become of the Medb?

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2011

Reviews

[Andy Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first, this book is a direct follow on to The Glass Apple, the first book in this sequence, so it would be a good idea to read that first.
Spider's Web is another wonderful piece of storytelling. It continues the story of Jason, Kylie and Anna trapped in time with their Grandfather, Gobswistle, and the 'kick-ass' fairy, Etain (who, in my opinion is one of the best creations of recent years)
To sum up the situation so far, Jason is missing, Kylie is coming to terms with being a changeling, Gobswistle is as confused as ever and little Anna is in the village of Kilneaur - which is on the verge of being attacked by vikings!
There is an awful lot going on in this book and for some chunks of the story the main characters are not absent and it is left to secondary characters to carry the story along. It is to the Authors great credit that these parts of the story work really well. In fact, this section, set in the village had some of the best scenes, character interactions and OH MY GOD!!! moments that I have read in a long while.
The book finishes neatly and sets up well for Song of the Shamen (August 2012)
A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows on from The Glass Apple. The story continues by following the original group, now divided and continuing in their quest, each with a separate supporting cast of characters. To be honest (and what’s the point of a review if you aren’t?) I found this moving from scene to scene, albeit several chapters apart, a bit disorientating and it took me longer to get into the story. However, as events progress, the characters make their way to a final battle with the dark and evil Huddour and the pace definitely picked up for me. The book is darker than Glass Apple and characters we met there and enjoyed in a humorous way are here shown to have greater depths. There are some touching scenes where the author is not afraid to deal with emotional issues.

Robert Franks has a gift for descriptive writing and can create a scene with great subtlety so that you feel you are there. He also writes a jolly good battle! Hard-core Celtic Mythology fans will be in their element here and it is a feast for lovers of the fantasy genre. A great story and I look forward to the next instalment.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

And BAM!, you're straight back into the story where The Glass Apple left off. Straight back with Jason (Yellowblade), Kylie (Ravenhair), Anna and the rest of them including Gobwhistle, Myrddin, Medb, Aiken and many others.

The Celtic mythology background for these novels just keeps on getting better. Like a rich tapestry, all the characters and the backgrounds are woven together to make a magnificent story. In this book, as you would expect, you learn more about the characters and not just the main ones. Everyone has a story and Robert Franks is a master at telling their story without overloading the reader. The only person whose story hasn't been told yet is Anna's but I think her story is to come in the third book.

This is an explosive story with lots of action, mythology, battles, heroes, Cait Sidhe, magicians, druids.

Love it!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adored this second installment of Robert Franks' Glass Apple series. Probably even better than the first. Highly recommended.