Anthony G Williams
Greybeard
This is a first novel by an author who has had numerous short stories published. The outline of the plot of The Weaving, featuring princes and kings, witches, wizards and shapeshifters, goddesses and an evil demon, all set against a medieval background , sounds very familiar and not all that promising. However, this one is a bit different.
The heroine of the story is the Witch of the Woods, a magically powerful young woman whose pining for romance results in a change to reality, delivering a loving husband to her but also freeing a long-incarcerated demon, in the form of an attractive woman, to begin to rebuild her evil empire. Two plot threads run in parallel; a supernatural one as the various magical powers prepare for the final confrontation, and a more mundane one of rivalries between small kingdoms preparing for war. There are twists, turns and unpredictable developments leading up to the unexpected conclusion.
This story turned out to be more enjoyable than I had anticipated. Gerald Costlow turns a mature and perceptive eye on the proceedings, successfully bringing his interesting characters to life and leavening his writing with a wry and sometimes saucy humour which prompted more than a few smiles.
(An extract from my SFF blog)
The heroine of the story is the Witch of the Woods, a magically powerful young woman whose pining for romance results in a change to reality, delivering a loving husband to her but also freeing a long-incarcerated demon, in the form of an attractive woman, to begin to rebuild her evil empire. Two plot threads run in parallel; a supernatural one as the various magical powers prepare for the final confrontation, and a more mundane one of rivalries between small kingdoms preparing for war. There are twists, turns and unpredictable developments leading up to the unexpected conclusion.
This story turned out to be more enjoyable than I had anticipated. Gerald Costlow turns a mature and perceptive eye on the proceedings, successfully bringing his interesting characters to life and leavening his writing with a wry and sometimes saucy humour which prompted more than a few smiles.
(An extract from my SFF blog)
