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" A good traveller has no fixed plans,

and is not intent on arriving "

Lao Tzu

The Druid Isle

June 28th, 2010

Mea Culpa! I’m good at banging on about my own books, but not good at reviewing other books – particularly fiction which I rarely read. I’ve had Ellen Evert Hopman’s ‘The Druid Isle’ on my desk for ages – yearning for its pages to be turned: ‘Please at least just touch me’ they moan! But now Ellen tells me that good reviews have been coming in. Here’s one:

The Druid Isle (Paperback)
This book is the sequel to Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey
and continues to follow the lives of the druid healer Ethne and the warrior
Ruadh years after the first book took place, as well introducing the new
characters of Aife, their foster-daughter who is studying to be a druid, and
Lucius, a young monk with a mysterious past.
The story itself is detailed and well told, with strong
charcterization and a fast paced story. The reader is quickly swept up in
the lives of the four main characters, as well as several minor charcters,
and the ending is very satisfying, answering a question left open from the
earlier book.
Beyond it’s value as a good work of fiction – and it’s worth
recommending just for the story – the book is also a subtle primer on druid
belief and practice. Reading this will help the reader understand Gaelic
culture circa the 3rd century CE and will also help with an understanding of
different druidic principles on a practical level. Unlike a non-fiction book
on the same topic the reader isn’t spoonfed step-by-step instructions and
explanations, instead you see the concepts and practices in action as the
characters live them out. Very reminiscent of the old mythologies.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a good
story, or for anyone who wants to learn more about druidry.