Reviews

Bird, Blood, Snow by Cynan Jones

drsldn's review

4.0

A contemporary re-telling of one of the stories from the Mabinogion. I purchased beacuse of the cover design, but thoroughly enjoyed the writing, too.

berlinbibliophile's review

4.0

Stabbing someone in the eye may be okay in medieval times, but it's not okay now. And so this modern retelling of Peredur's story from the Mabinogion shows the reader what happens when modern reality is applied to the events of the story - Peredur is not herioc, he is violent and mentally ill, and does no good either to himself or for others. Cynan Jones' book does incredibly well in portraying the disconnect between chivalric codes and modern life, and his words are carefully chosen for maximum impact. I definitely recommend this one to any Arthurian enthusiast.

christynhoover's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have not read The Mabinogion so am not familiar with the particular story from which this book is adapted. Maybe I shouldn't have skipped that step!

bigmac_beth20's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

laurenbdavis's review

5.0

I'm a fan of Jones' work, and admire what he did with this difficult tale. Peredur is perhaps the least accessible of Mabinogion tales and doesn't, as Jones admits, stand up to the tale of Percival, its twin-tale, if you will. But, my, the threads Jones plies here. What a complex web of forms. I'm not generally a fan of work that is more meta, more about form than character and plot but I make an exception for this work. He's a lovely writer (although be warned, there is much violence and gore here) and has clearly thought a great deal about how to approach this challenging text. It's a gift to the reader.

If you're not familiar with the Peredur tale, before your read the book you might wish to read the afterward, where the original version of the myth is told, and Jones' comments concerning his approach.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended.

kazgriki's review

3.0

A jagged, violent tale in style and content, this contemporary take on Peredur's story from The Mabinogion shocks, intrigues and saddens in equal measure.

sarahgb's review

2.0

I was hoping to enjoy this more! I found it to be very disturbing, a child with a violent streak, assaulting and murdering people, even those trying to help. I know it's a modern interpretation and I've read more violent books, but this seemed very cold and calculating. The following is the blurb from the publishers Seren

"“No matter how you build them, the world will come crashing against your fences.”

Hoping to give him a better start, Peredur’s mother takes him from the estates in hope he won’t suffer the same fate as his father and brothers, allof whom are dead, jailed or missing.

But the world won’t be held at bay, when local kids cycle into his life he heads after them, accompanied by the notion of finding Arthur – an absent, imaginary guardian.

Used to making up his own worlds, he’s something of a joke. Until he seriously maims one of the older kids. And that’s when the trouble starts.

The original ‘Peredur’ fights for recognition in King Arthur’s court, defending maidens, defeating giants, overcoming witches. Cynan Jones turns the tale into a modern Quixotian romp."

You can also read an interview with the author http://americymru.net/profiles/blogs/peredur-immune-to-mildness-an-interview-with-cynan-jones?xg_source=shorten_twitter#.UPKwv3wgGSP