Dragonsong

Dragonsong is a complex and a most praiseworthy novel (though, in truth, it is far more than being a mere novel) set very firmly in the fantasy genre.

It tells the story of Rebekah, a daughter of the wizard Merlin.

Rebekah is heartbroken, driven utterly insane by the murder of her one true love, Vidar.

With her soul tormented with a desire for revenge, she seeks out the Prince of Demons and she pleads with him to turn her into a dragon so that she may seek out her revenge against those she blames for the death of Vidar.

Unfortunately she has been tricked into believing that her father Merlin was responsible for the murder and she targets Merlin for her retribution.

But who has abused Rebekah so, by arranging this stratagem, this evil subterfuge? It is Oberon, the Elvish Captain-King. This was all done out of the twisted, jealousy of Oberon, due to his unrequited love for Rebekah.

But for all his machinations, scheming and clever plotting, he was utterly blinded to the terrible devastation and misery that his foolish actions would bring down upon the world of Gaia.

In order for Merlin to correct the great evil that Oberon has wrought upon the world of Gaia, Merlin must traverse the barrier of time itself, travelling back to locate a warrior of pure heart, Lady Attie.

With Michael, the seer of Albion to assist her, they must visit the very gates of Hell to obtain the sleep stone. For only this will persuade the dragon to fall into a slumber.

But this is not without risk. For if they fail to return the sleep stone to its rightful place at the mouth of Hell in time, then the demon army will awake and destroy Gaia and all its inhabitants.

Gaia's future and her destiny rely on Time to save it. But will the Asgardian gods be able to find a solution to stop this?

The book is a unique creation as it is, apparently, "an Arthurian Epic Fantasy in a formerly unknown meter and rhyme structure, with nothing comparable attempted since Tolkien abandoned The Fall of Arthur in 1934."

The book is published by Matador at £8.99 and can be purchased at the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop, which you will find over toward the right hand side of this review. Or click  on http://goo.gl/GjK2SB instead.