Avilion - Softcover

Holdstock, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 2207261794 ISBN 13: 9782207261798

Publisher: DENOEL, 2012

Synopsis

The triumphant return to the world of MYTHAGO WOOD, one of the greatest fantasy novels of the twentieth century

At the heart of Ryhope Wood, Steven and the mythago Guiwenneth live in the ruins of a Roman villa close to a haunted fortress from the Iron Age, from which Guiwenneth's myth arose. She is comfortable here, almost tied to the place, and Steven has long since abandoned all thought of returning to his own world. They have animals, protection and crops.

They also have two children, a combination of human and mythago. Jack is like his father, an active boy keen to know all about `the outer world'; Yssobel takes after her mother, even to her long auburn hair.

But this idyll cannot last. The hunters who protected Guiwenneth as a child have come to warn her she is in danger. Yssobel is dreaming increasingly of her Uncle Christian, Steven's brother, who disappeared into Lavondyss, and Jack wants to see 'the outer world' more than anything. Events are about to overtake them.

About this title

Review:

"An enthralling reworking of myth and a haunting vision of love and loss unmatched in contemporary fantasy." (Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN)

Much of Avilion's power lies in the way it's told. The prose is simple, vivid, urgent quality from rhythm and sound and the cumulative effect of short sentences. It's also sprinkled with phrases that resonate in the imagination like bard song, whose imagery is rooted in woodland. With its emphasis on endings, renewal and the inexorable power of story, this a fitting intensive revisiting of the world and themes of Mythago Wood. (Nic Clarke SFX)

"The plot is as rich and inventive as ever (the wealth of possibilities contained in this primeval, haunted woodland seems inexhaustible), but the tone is lighter, with a wider range. There's even space for a few jokes, and many surprises. This is a wonderful, grown-up fantasy about growing up and moving on, and going home." (Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES)

"Avilion is quintessentially British fantasy, and a compelling and beautiful read. Like the wood, it is dark and dense and every detail counts; it is a mark of Holdstock's quality that in the hands if any lesser writer this novel would have been twice as long." (David V Barrett FORTEAN TIMES)

Book Description:

The triumphant return to the world of MYTHAGO WOOD, one of the greatest fantasy novels of the twentieth century.

About this edition

• Publisher: DENOEL
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 2207261794
• ISBN 13: 9782207261798
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448