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Morrigan
Abel Whittaker is sick of his life as a preacher's kid. Between a father who values appearances more than integrity and a religion of rules, he's desperate for freedom. So when the new girl in town suggests they run away together, he jumps at the chance.
There's just one problem. She's the Celtic goddess of war.
Now Abel and Morrigan are on the run from bloodthirsty gnomes, vampires, and headless horsemen. Not to mention Morrigan's angry adoptive mother, who wants her daughter back and Abel dead. Not exactly the road trip Abel had in mind. And maybe not one he'll survive…
Fans of Rick Riordan and Neil Gaiman will love this tale of Celtic gods and monsters in modern day South Carolina, featuring memorable characters, a breakneck pace, and possibly a dead talking fish. Don't miss this epic, magical adventure!
There's just one problem. She's the Celtic goddess of war.
Now Abel and Morrigan are on the run from bloodthirsty gnomes, vampires, and headless horsemen. Not to mention Morrigan's angry adoptive mother, who wants her daughter back and Abel dead. Not exactly the road trip Abel had in mind. And maybe not one he'll survive…
Fans of Rick Riordan and Neil Gaiman will love this tale of Celtic gods and monsters in modern day South Carolina, featuring memorable characters, a breakneck pace, and possibly a dead talking fish. Don't miss this epic, magical adventure!
242 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2021
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Mark King
1 book6 followersAward-winning author Jonathan King has been writing about the fantastic and the impossible since he was seven years old. His favorite thing to do is take our mundane world, drop some weirdness into the mix, and see what happens. Jonathan lives in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife and two cat children.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 1, 2021
This book was so good! I loved every second! I was caught off guard more than a few times by some hilarious lines and found myself frequently laughing out loud. And the ending was lovely and heartfelt and perfect. There were just the right amounts of fun, danger, and love - this was truly a memorable read!
April 8, 2021
I love this novel so much! King's writing style is so engrossing and immersive that I absolutely did not want to set the book down. I didn't expect to relate to the main character, Abel, as much as I did, yet the tale is one of growth and self discovery that to some degree we can all probably relate to. Abel is really an allegory for so many people's experiences of trying to establish who we are outside of our social programming, and his quest to discover exactly what his faith means to him spiritually and how it fits into his life is a struggle I know I related to strongly. This is one of those rare novels that hit me over the head with emotion while simultaneously assuaging some of the growing pains that have left long lasting bruises. I cannot recommend this book enough; this is truly a wonderful story of discovery and healing that I wish I'd had access to as a young adult because as much of an impact as it made on me in my 30s, I can only imagine how much it would have helped me with my own self discovery on the road to where I am today!
April 11, 2021
What a wonderful adventure! Jonathan King has a real talent for writing exciting fight sequences. King uses Celtic folklore creatively to create space for an awkward pastor’s son to be the hero fighting ancient evils. I also appreciate how tactfully he navigates the weighty themes of faith and self-discovery.
This nice quick read has helped me to get “back on the horse” with my personal reading goals.
This nice quick read has helped me to get “back on the horse” with my personal reading goals.
April 9, 2021
The blurb on the back of Morrigan states, “Fans of Rick Riordan and Neil Gaiman will love this tale of Celtic gods and monsters in modern day South Carolina.” Based on the blurb (and the few chapters I had read when Morrigan was first being written years ago), I was ready for a Percy Jackson-esque adventure, complete with gods and myths. After reading Morrigan, I believe that King could have written the Percy Jackson series. However, I don’t think Riordan could have written Morrigan.
King takes his own background as a pastor’s kid in a Southern Baptist church and intertwines it beautifully with Celtic mythology. I have read this genre of book before, but I have not read a book like this. King is unique both in the background knowledge/interests he draws from and in the style of writing he uses. Further, I can’t remember ever reading a book with a protagonist quite like Abel. (I mean, has any other YA fantasy hero won Bible Drill awards?)
I appreciate that King is able to add elements of the South (particularly the Southern Baptist church) in ways that don’t come across as clunky, and even in ways that people outside the region might not even hone in on. (Abel’s family always eating at the meat ‘n three after church? Classic!)
A fear of mine when I began reading Morrigan was that it would turn out like some of the YA books typically marketed only to Christian readers: overly cheesy in the way Christianity and faith is portrayed, with a writing style and voice that doesn’t seem to fit the age of the characters. However, King’s writing does not fit this description. In terms of the characters’ voices, we see Abel sounding for all the world like the sheltered pastor’s kid, using phrases like “holy crap!” and writing letters to God signed “Abel out”; but we also see monsters and gods alike saying, “bitch” and “shit.” As for the portrayal of Christianity, the cheesiness comes only within the context of Abel’s father, and the four areas I noticed that could have been cheesy (Abel’s use of Scripture, the letters to God, mentions of sex, and the afterlife) were not. This was not the result of luck—each potential pitfall was navigated smoothly by King. (I’m thinking here specifically of Morrigan’s framing of the use of Scripture as a weapon as the use of “holy words,” as well as the addition of the Salmon of Knowledge in the liminal space before the afterlife.)
Overall, I think Morrigan is a fantastic debut novel for King, and I look forward to reading whatever comes next.
King takes his own background as a pastor’s kid in a Southern Baptist church and intertwines it beautifully with Celtic mythology. I have read this genre of book before, but I have not read a book like this. King is unique both in the background knowledge/interests he draws from and in the style of writing he uses. Further, I can’t remember ever reading a book with a protagonist quite like Abel. (I mean, has any other YA fantasy hero won Bible Drill awards?)
I appreciate that King is able to add elements of the South (particularly the Southern Baptist church) in ways that don’t come across as clunky, and even in ways that people outside the region might not even hone in on. (Abel’s family always eating at the meat ‘n three after church? Classic!)
A fear of mine when I began reading Morrigan was that it would turn out like some of the YA books typically marketed only to Christian readers: overly cheesy in the way Christianity and faith is portrayed, with a writing style and voice that doesn’t seem to fit the age of the characters. However, King’s writing does not fit this description. In terms of the characters’ voices, we see Abel sounding for all the world like the sheltered pastor’s kid, using phrases like “holy crap!” and writing letters to God signed “Abel out”; but we also see monsters and gods alike saying, “bitch” and “shit.” As for the portrayal of Christianity, the cheesiness comes only within the context of Abel’s father, and the four areas I noticed that could have been cheesy (Abel’s use of Scripture, the letters to God, mentions of sex, and the afterlife) were not. This was not the result of luck—each potential pitfall was navigated smoothly by King. (I’m thinking here specifically of Morrigan’s framing of the use of Scripture as a weapon as the use of “holy words,” as well as the addition of the Salmon of Knowledge in the liminal space before the afterlife.)
Overall, I think Morrigan is a fantastic debut novel for King, and I look forward to reading whatever comes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
This is the 1st book I've read written by Jonathan King; I will definitely be reading more of his books.
Morrigan is new to town and Abel is sick of his fathers ways so she suggests they run away together; now they are being chased by vampires and headless horsemen.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
Morrigan is new to town and Abel is sick of his fathers ways so she suggests they run away together; now they are being chased by vampires and headless horsemen.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
July 26, 2024
This was a delightful surprise. A boy who's only ever known his father's brand of Christianity learns about the very real existence of gods and other beings from Irish folklore. A fun adventure that will appeal to people who liked Supernatural for the actual monster-hunting.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews