I am rewriting my reviews to improve the intelligibility, since the originals were scribbles to myself. Barbara says it all about the novels in this series. I am pleased that I can see another review, as a Goodreads tech (rogue, of course) has blocked my seeing other science fiction reviews for the last year. 🤔
The commenter ID's on my reviews, except for Powers of the Earth have also been masked, again by a (rogue, of course) Goodreads tech. 🤔 I was able to close my pages to comments and remove all but one lurker. Goodreads will not allow me to remove a Dr Susan Hamilton (Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?). 🤔 She posted nothing over the 2 years after her friend request and has not responded to my four requests that she unfriend me. 🤔 I am just not that interesting, as my siblings will gleefully verify. 😀
If you should complain or query an oddity, it is sent to the same (rogue, of course) Goodreads tech who does not respond. 🤔
Write one brutally negative review of a "sorry salute to the January 6, 2021 hero" and suddenly to at least one (rogue, of course) Goodreads tech, my being a communist is suddenly become a bad thing. Oh, well. 😊
If curious, see my review of "Waking Magic" a bad attempt at fantasy or Powers of the Earth (a sorry salute to the January 6, 2021 hero) and the comments from a Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
To Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!
The writer has created a solid universe around the Celtic pantheon, involving clearly delineated magic and a separation of the interests of the various factions. There are quite s few and the alliances are apt to change as circumstances do.
The different interests are vital elements of the plot in every book across the series and the magical interactions are logical and consistent throughout the series. The personal history of the major characters unfold as and when they need to, so that there is an ongoing mystery surrounding certain key figures.
There are characters associated with deities outside the Celtic pantheon and they are introduced carefully. The interplay between different magic users regardless of association are always handled carefully in the series. I have not seen it done better in any fantasy series. There is a logic that flows through the series that is easy to appreciate and hard to describe. The writer has done serious research and I feel confident that the portrayals of various Powers and deities are mythologically accurate.
I watched a New Zealand program "The Almighty Johnsons" that handled a clash between two pantheons this well but can not think of another. It is awesome by the way and if interested in urban fantasy, I feel that you will almost certainly enjoy it. Robert Heinlein wrote a novel "Job" that included several sets of deities and also landed a series of well placed shots at Christianity. That was also very well done.
The world building is excellent. The books are well plotted and there are series arcs enough to keep you wondering "What is next ?". The characters are excellent in description and the personalities are surprising. There are no p!ace holders in this series.
The plotting will spoil you. Weaker fantasies will not compare well. There are a number of urban fantasies that I thought were wonderful but the only new ones that come to mind are Jim Butcher's "Dresden" and Rachel Aaron's "DFZ"/"Heartstriker" series both of which she set in the same universe.
World building is awesome. Character work is awesome. Plotting is awesome. Prose is awesome. Descriptive skill is awesome.
It is a satisfying series. Kidding. 😃 I love the Druid books. Each book reads well as a standalone but for the full experience, I recommend starting at book one.
I wish the current science fiction was as good as this urban fantasy series but the low end US print is dismal. I rely on Netflix and other streaming services for my science fiction, though their fantasy can be sketchy. For science fiction the streaming services deliver better written stories than the low end books. Netflix film includes the bonus of a large multinational selection.
I began searching for science fiction on YouTube about 2 years ago. I found science fiction and other special interest channels but most importantly, I came across the book channels. They are a wide variety covering all aspects of the bookish experience. The reader communities that they foster are readers of many tastes and interests but all are enamored of all things bookish. It is the complete opposite to whatever Goodreads are. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have listed several below.
I also was introduced to the dedicated educational video sites through advertisements on YouTube. I used Curiosity Stream/Nebula first at a cost of about $15 USD for a yearly subscription and think that all of them are worth a look.
As for Goodreads, please protect yourself and treat it as a potentially hostile site, just to be safe. Minimize information on your profile, beware of Goodreads messaging (exchange emails) and remove the lurkers on your friend list. 🙂
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Cunk, Overly Sarcastic Productions, The Snake Charmer, Abbie Emmons, Crecganford, Thersites the Historian, Joe Blogs, Book Furnace, Hikma History, Wizards and Warriors, Vampire Lore, Boat Time.
Some of my favorite channels are.
Chugging Along, Some More News, Double Down News, Tara Mooknee, Munecat, DUST, Novara Media, Tulia, Sort of Interesting, Second Thought, Cruising Alba, The Juice Media, Tom Nicholas, Sarah Z, Zoe Baker, The Narrowboat Chef, The Armchair Historian, Sabine Hossenfelder, Karolina Zebrowska, Celtica, Lady of the Library, Books and Lala, Merphy Napier, 2Cellos, Katie Colson, Dead Good Books, We're in Hell, Three Arrows, Patrick is a Navajo, Chris Animations, Jenny Nicholson, The Shades of Orange, The Narrowboat Pirate, Natasha's Adventures, Cari can Read, Elliot Brooks, Quinn's Ideas, WION, Cruising the Cut, Ship Happens, Euronews, Alize, Alicia Cappelle, Jessica Gagnon, France 24, DW News, Mythic Concepts, Spacedock, The Gravel Institute, Cruising Alba, Northern Narrowboaters, Camper Vibe, What Vivi did next, The Templin Institute, The Royal Institution, Tulia, Neringa Rekaslute, Dan Davis History, Nikolay Kutuzov, Celtica, Mythology and Fiction Explained, Practical Engineering, Hello Future Me, Prime of Midlife, Abbie Emmons, Books with Emily Fox, Epimetheus, Trek culture, Maggie May Fish, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Make Better Media, Swell Entertainment, Nikolay Kutuzov, Lilly's expat life, Weir on the move, With Olivia, Between the Wars, The Great War, World War Two, 2 Steps from Hell, Kathy's Flog in France, Reading Wryly, Lily Alexander, Lady knight the Brave, A Cup of Nicole, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Book Odyssey, Media Death Cult, Renegade Cut, Max Joseph, Austin McConnell, Philosophy Tube, Ryan Chapman, History of the Universe, Emmie, A Life of Lit, IzzzYzzz, Daniel Rubin, Physics Girl, Tibees, Kelly loves Physics and History, UA Courage, Mythic Concepts, The Mindful Narrowboat.
I wish you a sunny morning, a gorgeous afternoon, a smashing evening, a splendid night and may we all keep learning.
Censorship is criminal. Self-Censorship is tragic.
Adolph Hitler