The Green Man Falls

by Francesca McMahon

What happens when a God grows ill?
He goes in search of a cure.

Cernunnos, Lord of All Wild Things, has lived in joy with his wife, Danu, for centuries in their world. But all of that changed on the day of the Spring Equinox.

The creatures of his world, from the ants in the grass to the birds in the sky, have disappeared. What’s more, Cernunnos himself feels as if he is too. Something is draining him and the land of Ar Dachaidh, and he doesn’t know what.

Will Cernunnos be able to save his creatures and cure himself of this ail? Or will whatever has taken root in the world tear him down too?

Find out in this prequel short story to The Spiral of Life, a young adult fantasy based on the Celtic figures of Irish and Scottish folklore.

37 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2023

About the author

Francesca McMahon was born in Oxford, England, to a Scottish father and an Essex mother. They gained a B.A. in Creative Writing at Edge Hill University and was shortlisted for the university’s Dame Janet Suzman Playwriting Award in 2019. Since graduating, Francesca went onto gain a Masters in the same subject and has continued to work on their writing of fantasy, horror and romance fiction, as well as various tabletop RPGs and screenplays. As a queer person, their work is dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community, and they hope that they will all find a home in their imaginary worlds.

Reviews

[Marie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm super excited for The Spiral of Life, Book 1 for the series this is a prequel for. I've read a few things with Celtic mythology recently and it is so fun to read about lesser-known myths.

Cernunnos & Danu are reborn on the Spring Equinox, but this year something goes wrong. Danu is reborn beautifully, but Cernunnos is stuck in his old, decomposing body and the animals of his realm begin dying as well.

I can't wait to see how The Spiral of Life continues this story, and to see how it ties into the rest of the stories Antoine Bandele is grouping together with his TJ Young and the Orishas series.

[Chante _mightierthanthesword_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Spiral of Life, I wasn't ready to leave this world yet. So when I saw this short story, I was pretty excited. I actually love McMahon's writing! Bhradain was back and as hilarious as ever. The narrator was also really good, but I did prefer the accents the narrator in Spiral of Life used.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this short

I found myself easily absorbed into this short prequel. I am eager to read more on Francesca McMahons work and am excited to see where this story leads

[Luna Gerrits · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont know what it is with all the stories in the old gods world but every single world and every single group of deities and every single story makes me excited to read more. Cannot wait to see what will happen in this world.

Thank you to Antoine Bandele for sending me the audio in exchange for an honest review

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the happy privilege of recording the audio narration for this short story and I cannot WAIT for Fran to dive more into Celtic mythology in their upcoming projects. It's giving adventure! It's giving lore! It's giving DRAMA. Get into it.