jacey | Booklog 50/2019: Juliet E McKenna: The Green Man's Foe

This is a follow up to Ms McKenna's fabulous 'The Green Man's Heir' which came out last year. Daniel Mackmain works with wood, which isn't surprising since his mother is a dryad. His half dryad blood lets him see into a world that most people don't know is there, a world of British folklore, myth and legend. He's lived the life of a loner for years, moving on from one building site to another, but in the first book he found somewhere he could call home, for a while at least, and a friend who knows about his world. But once again he's on his own as he's asked to take a temporary contract overseeing a refurbishment project, an old hall with an occult problem. Separated from his friends and family by a lousy phone reception and a hundred miles, Dan has to figure it out on his own and learn to rely on locals who don't seem particularly friendly at first.

This is contemporary fantasy in a rural setting. The pace is measured, the worldbuilding rich and detailed. Ms McKenna certainly knows her folklore. Dan has to work out what exactly is wrong, before he can begin to solve the problem. It's a slow build leading to a gripping and satisfactory resolution. Highly recommended.

I had this as an advance reading copy from the publisher, Wizard's Tower Press.