I don't write many older characters. I suppose age - as with most things - is relative in fiction. When I began writing The Watcher's Heir (my will-be-finished-one-day high fantasy epic), I was still at school and my hero began the story aged 25, an age I could not imagine ever reaching but an age I thought would still be considered young by many. If I ever manage to finish and edit that story, I'll be extending his - and a few others' - age! Having grown older, I've realised the advantages and the benefits of age. Of course, it's a bit of a disappointment that I'm never asked for ID in the shop anymore, or that people assume I'm my younger sisters' mother(!). But, on the whole, the pros have far outweighed the cons. The biggest con in terms of writing, is that it's difficult not to put an old head on young shoulders. Looking through books - both my own and those written by other people - it is clear just how easy it is to slip into the "ol...
This is a fascinating book, blending history and fantasy in a way which makes each seem somehow more believable. Marie Powell uses historical figures and settings to give an expert voice to her work and makes the reader believe that they could be reading an exciting history of Welsh culture rather than simply a work of fiction.
Powell’s descriptive writing is beautiful and evocative, although sometimes I feel a Young Adult audience may have preferred a slightly different descriptive to dialogue ratio.
Overall, a clever mix of fantasy and history to shed new light on a dark period of British history.
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