Dear fantasy fans,
The last two days, I’ve been reading a fun fantasy about Prince Arthur before he was the Arthur we all know. This story also has a strong section of faith and is a clean family book so I’m putting it on my faith blog. Here’s my review of this delightful story by author, L.E. Engler.
Taran’s story; April 3, 2200 BCE Ireland. The last day of classes for the warm season. Planting starts tomorrow. Taran, son of King Tuan is a good farmer. His brother E’lan. Twenty five field hands. Master Sreng is their teacher. Taran’s sisters are Taltiu and Aine’.
Tonight is planting feast. They wear their best tunics. E’lan is 16 and very tall. In line to be the next king. Handsome. Golden hair.
Suddenly they’re under attack. Their city is Finias. The horde are coming, an army of them. Taran ran home with his sister Taltiu.
Finias has an army of over 1000 fighting men. The battle raged for four hours. E’lan is wounded in the battle. He wasn’t wearing armor. He dies.
The Kullucks were the attackers. Huge, misshapen, brutal animals—powers of evil. Senchos the footless is their leader. He escaped.
King Tuan sends for help. He sends for courageous Firbolg to help with the next battle. Taliesin goes with the runners to Firbolg.
Two days later; E’lan’s funeral. E’lan is burned to ashes as with their religious customs. His ashes are placed in the funeral pyre.
Taran is more of a builder and a farmer. Not a leader or warrior. King Tuan gets word from his runner, the Kullucks are only a day away.
Soon the nomadic Firbolg arrive. Five hundred well trained fighting men. Now that Taran is to be the next king, after the death of his older brother E’lan, he and King Tuan and the Firbolg chieftains prepare. Malred, the Firbolg chieftain. Sigrid, chief of the Thistle Clan. They discuss their defense.
The next day, a runner reports the Kullucks are only hours away. Soon they attack the city. Thousands of monsters. Taran hides in in the watch tower. The King’s army’s quickly fall. The city is destroyed. At dusk, the Kullucks retreated to the forest. People fled to the ancient caves.
May 24, 500 A.D. Wales; Prince Arthur is 12. Growing up in Wales with Aunt Morgana. Older cousin Cai. Best friends Gwain. Arthur’s father, King Uther, King of Britons. Arthur’s mother is Igraine. Friends with the Wizard Merlin.
Uther hid Arthur with Morgana where he was safe from Merlin and his mother. Morgana lives with the Sea People. Arthur and his friends train every day with their swords.
Suddenly, Arthur is transported away from Morgana’s seaside compound. He meets a beautiful woman. April 7, 2200 B.C.E. Ireland. The woman’s name is Danu. She’s immortal and magic. Through time, the Greeks called her Gaia, Romans- Terra, People of the Emerald Isle- Danu. She is Earth Mother. She has been on earth since the beginning of time. Put here by God, The Maker, The Great Spirit. They are in the Emerald Isle. Southern Ireland. The Planes. Time travel. She needs Arthur’s help.
The Kullucks are there. Creatures spawned from the Underworld. Led by Senchos the Footless. Danu describes to Arthur the battle that destroyed Finias and killed the king’s son, E’lon. She wants his help. She wants him to help King Tuan. Arthur agrees. He and Danu makes plans.
They cross Senmag, the plane of souls. A resting place for the dead. Danu explains their faith in length as they pass through the plane.
King Tuan is in the dolmen with his son’s ashes. Arthur and Danu reach the King. Arthur asks him about the Kullucks. Tuan explains, “Senchos is half human half Kullucks. Mother was human. He has clawed hands but human feet. Thus the name footless. He’s evil. His mother abandoned him and fled back to her people for her own safety. Soon she went Mad. Then died. Senchos, due to being half human is the only Kullucks with any intelligence. He’s their leader.”
Arthur soon learns about unicorns. The healing powers of their horns. The’re hunted for their horns so they hide. He talks to a girl unicorn. Thought speak! He gets an idea. Trap the evil monsters rather than fight them. The unicorn is willing to act as bait since the Kullucks eat them as food.
He asks King Tuan, “Is there a sage in Finias with magic skills?”
“Master Sreng, our sage who teaches the children is adept in magic arts,” King Tuan replies.
Danu leaves King Tuan and Arthur to their work. She watches from afar.
Tuan and Arthur return to Finias. The city is in ruins. Master Sreng’s home was destroyed. He’s staying in the King’s home. He looks like an old wizard. Long white hair, long white beard. Face cracked with age. Very tall.
Arthur needs Sreng’s magic. Using the unicorn as bait into the plane of souls, baiting the Kullucks into the plane. Then Sreng can send them to another realm. To the UnderWorld. Master Sreng will surround the plane of souls with bronze spears and swords laid end to end, then enchant the ring of bronze. This will hold the Kullucks until the incantation spell sends them to the UnderWorld. King Tuan, Arthur, and Sreng began the plan.
Dis, the demon who rules the UnderWorld. The UnderWorld is an Underground city. Enu visited the UnderWorld and was given a talisman that belonged to Dis. It has magical powers. A wooden, spiral shaft with a demon head. Many magical powers.
Soon, Dis took Enu back to the UnderWorld to the people he met down there as he promised by using the magic talisman.
Taran calls Danu a witch and challenges Arthur. Arthur explains he’s from the future. 3000 years. Danu brought him here to help.
The Kullucks were charging across the planes, led by Senchos the Footless. Thousands of them. They saw the unicorn in the brass ring and followed into the ring. The unicorn galloped out when they were all in the circle.
Master Sreng proclaims, “Enchantus Magicus! Bind this circle. Do not let it break. Magicus enchantus!” The enchantment holds. The Kullucks are trapped. Sreng orders Dis to take the Kullucks back to the UnderWorld, after summoning him.
Dis closed the door to the UnderWorld without taking the Kullucks. He did set them free from the magic ring, but blinded them.
The next day Arthur suggests they build a moat around the city. The King orders the project to begin. The moat only partially works, killing many but the city is still invaded. The people flee to the cellars again.
Next Arthur suggests they build a catapult. Throw flaming bombs made of cloth soaked in oil and lit on fire. The machine is built and they wait.
Arthur explains to Taran that time could snap him back to his own time soon. And about Danu.
Soon, the Kullucks attack.
“Fire!” King Tuan orders. The fire engulfed half the horde of advancing monsters.
Just then a shimmering light engulfed Arthur. He was at Morgans’s compound home.
Dis, the evil demon appeared in flames with the Kullucks. The Leader of the UnderWorld took the Kullucks through the large whole down to the UnderWorld in a blaze of fire and an explosion. All that remained in the field was burning grass.
Everyone assumed the Kullucks had gotten Arthur. That he was dragged into the UnderWorld. Taran knew to keep his friend a secret.
Arthur was back in his world. He too kept his story a secret.
Danu watched over the people of Finias as they rebuilt their city. History left the Emerald Isle behind. And what of Arthur? His story speaks for itself.
The End
There is a section where Arthur and Danu are crossing Senmag, the plane of souls. Danu explains it is a resting place for the dead. Danu explains their faith in length as they pass through the plane. That’s why I decided to put this review on my faith blog.
I also liked the way Taran came into power. His older brother E’lan, who was in line to be king, was killed in battle due to not wearing armor. No conspiracy there.
Dis, the ruler of the UnderWorld, shared many characteristics with bible demons.
The Forgotten Isle by author, L.E. Engler is a delightful story about young Prince Arthur. I enjoyed reading it. It is very clean. Very well written.
My rating: 5 stars
May good fortune guide your path.
J.A. Ireland
JA The Tested 