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Skorn #2
Shadows of the Trees
A fantasy tale of adventure and romance set in an age so early in the history of Skorn, that to the characters of Perian’s Journey it is mythological, ancient beyond reckoning.
Here the Immortals walk the world, learning of the love, loss and pain that mortals must bear.
Here the Immortals walk the world, learning of the love, loss and pain that mortals must bear.
360 pages, Paperback
Published November 26, 2015
1 person is currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Sue Bridgwater
13 books49 followersSUE BRIDGWATER was born in Plymouth in 1948 and after 20 years in Hackney, East London has now retired home to Devon. She has generally earned her living as a librarian, and has been writing seriously since the early 1980s.
Sue read English at Bedford College, London, graduating in 1970. Her M. Phil. in Children’s Fantasy Fiction was done externally during her children’s pre-school years, and was awarded in 1984. She was a Tutor in Literature and Creative Writing from 1982-96 for the Workers’ Educational Association (London District) and the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, University of London (now a part of Birkbeck College, University of London). Sue has completed a Birkbeck College Certificate in Creative Writing, September 2002-June 2004, developing fiction techniques and skills. Her main interest is in Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is currently working on the third novel in the Skorn sequence and on non-fiction in the field of Mythopoeic studies.
SKORN – THE BOOKS;
Perian's Journey
This is a short epic romance from the Third Age of Skorn, following the life of a man from childhood to death, how he "worked and loved and lived," how he achieved greatness, how his journey through life was long and hard, but good. It was first published in hardback in 1989 by Julia Macrae. Sue and co-author Alistair McGechie are delighted that the 2nd (paperback and eBook) edition is now available, from Eluth Publishing, 2014.
Shadows of the Trees
This longer mythological novel is set in the Second Age of Skorn and tells the story of two Immortals, a brother and sister who lose their powers and come to terms with mortality. Another jointly written work by Sue and Alistair, this is now available from Eluth Publishing 2015
The Dry Well
was published in 2017 and is a sequel to Shadows of the Trees. It is set in IssKor, a desert land in the south of Skorn, where a cruel and oppressive priesthood hides the secret of the dry well and the silent god from the people. In addition to these, Sue and Alistair (individually and together) have outlines for a number of other works to be developed. These relate to different periods in the history and mythology of Skorn and take a number of forms.
Sue read English at Bedford College, London, graduating in 1970. Her M. Phil. in Children’s Fantasy Fiction was done externally during her children’s pre-school years, and was awarded in 1984. She was a Tutor in Literature and Creative Writing from 1982-96 for the Workers’ Educational Association (London District) and the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, University of London (now a part of Birkbeck College, University of London). Sue has completed a Birkbeck College Certificate in Creative Writing, September 2002-June 2004, developing fiction techniques and skills. Her main interest is in Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is currently working on the third novel in the Skorn sequence and on non-fiction in the field of Mythopoeic studies.
SKORN – THE BOOKS;
Perian's Journey
This is a short epic romance from the Third Age of Skorn, following the life of a man from childhood to death, how he "worked and loved and lived," how he achieved greatness, how his journey through life was long and hard, but good. It was first published in hardback in 1989 by Julia Macrae. Sue and co-author Alistair McGechie are delighted that the 2nd (paperback and eBook) edition is now available, from Eluth Publishing, 2014.
Shadows of the Trees
This longer mythological novel is set in the Second Age of Skorn and tells the story of two Immortals, a brother and sister who lose their powers and come to terms with mortality. Another jointly written work by Sue and Alistair, this is now available from Eluth Publishing 2015
The Dry Well
was published in 2017 and is a sequel to Shadows of the Trees. It is set in IssKor, a desert land in the south of Skorn, where a cruel and oppressive priesthood hides the secret of the dry well and the silent god from the people. In addition to these, Sue and Alistair (individually and together) have outlines for a number of other works to be developed. These relate to different periods in the history and mythology of Skorn and take a number of forms.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 24, 2015
I enjoyed this gentle and searching fantasy set in an earlier time when, as with the Fianna in Ireland, an immortal woman travels to a mortal shore, meets a man, brings him home and changes destiny. (In Finn's day, his son Oisin went to Tir na nOg with Niamh where he never aged, but on touching the soil of Erin again after many years he became an old man.)
The tale focuses on Drewin and Saranna, the children of Iranor the Immortal and her sadly mortal lover. As demigods, the children have to choose their course, but the choice is inadvertently made and they are banished (similar to the fall from Eden) to make their way in an unfamiliar and unforgiving world. Separated, they don't know if the other is alive or if they will ever meet again. Drewin travels and learns, while Saranna as a girl in sparse communities has few options open to her and works her way up to run households. I could not imagine her leaving her own child behind, but demigods would be different to the rest of us.
We also meet Kor-Sen, a boy who learns to ask questions such as why doesn't he have a father, and why can't girls be taught to read. He later goes on to be well educated, but I thought he might have done more about seeing to it that girls could read. With a shrewd mind and occasionally finding himself among simple people, the much-travelling Kor-Sen applies himself to learning how to prosper, and finding a woman to suit him. He came across to me as self-interested which may be a product of his early life. We also meet other interesting characters.
If you're tired of the same old heroic quests, or ever more complex magical power systems, this book Shadows Of The Trees is a refreshing change. Those who enjoy the sword and sorcery variety however will find it a slower read. The language is beautiful and the woven tale contains well-researched details about life in fishing villages, desert towns and other lands. Settings move frequently to bring us to undersea glades and towns, mountain goatherding huts, city perimeters and eerie tunnels, among others. Read and enjoy.
The tale focuses on Drewin and Saranna, the children of Iranor the Immortal and her sadly mortal lover. As demigods, the children have to choose their course, but the choice is inadvertently made and they are banished (similar to the fall from Eden) to make their way in an unfamiliar and unforgiving world. Separated, they don't know if the other is alive or if they will ever meet again. Drewin travels and learns, while Saranna as a girl in sparse communities has few options open to her and works her way up to run households. I could not imagine her leaving her own child behind, but demigods would be different to the rest of us.
We also meet Kor-Sen, a boy who learns to ask questions such as why doesn't he have a father, and why can't girls be taught to read. He later goes on to be well educated, but I thought he might have done more about seeing to it that girls could read. With a shrewd mind and occasionally finding himself among simple people, the much-travelling Kor-Sen applies himself to learning how to prosper, and finding a woman to suit him. He came across to me as self-interested which may be a product of his early life. We also meet other interesting characters.
If you're tired of the same old heroic quests, or ever more complex magical power systems, this book Shadows Of The Trees is a refreshing change. Those who enjoy the sword and sorcery variety however will find it a slower read. The language is beautiful and the woven tale contains well-researched details about life in fishing villages, desert towns and other lands. Settings move frequently to bring us to undersea glades and towns, mountain goatherding huts, city perimeters and eerie tunnels, among others. Read and enjoy.
December 4, 2021
Rereading Shadows of the Trees has been a mixed experience. I still think we made a good story, but am disappointed by the proofreading, which was my own responsibility. Unlike Perian's Journey, Shadows was self-published from the start. Perian was first published by Julia Macrae books and so when I came to create its second, paperback, edition I had a perfect text to work with. Moving on now to reread The Dry Well, sequel to Shadows. Fingers crossed 🤞 for fewer typos.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews