Review: The Druid - A Thrilling Dark-Ages Adventure Story
Written by: Steven A. McKay
Published by: Self Published
Historical Setting: Dark Age Britain
Recommended reading age: Adult
The key to any long-running book series is a protagonist that readers want to follow on their adventures. Lots of their adventures. Sounds obvious, I know, but you’d be surprised how many books with aspirations for sequels, threequels, and centennials forget to have a decent central character to hang their imagined franchise around. Fortunately, with ‘The Druid’, writer Steven A. Mckay gets it right. Warrior Druid Bellicus is an absolute treat of a character.
Humongous in size, brave at heart, and mysterious in spirit, Bellicus is a heroic lead that proves a compelling companion to accompany throughout The Druid’s pacey run-time. Accompanied by his loyal war dogs Cai and Eolas, Bellicus is a Jack Reacher for the Dark Ages, capable and dangerous. He’ll certainly need all his formidable skills as his first quest proves a deadly one.
The young princess Catia has been kidnapped and it’s up to Bellicus to not only rescue her but also discover why she was taken in the first place. It’s a relatively short and simple tale but that certainly isn’t a criticism. Indeed, thanks to its economy, this is a taut and thrilling read. There’s no excess narrative fat here. This adventure is lean, and mean and will keep you keen to continue page-turning until the rip-roaring finale. Sure, you’ll see the plot twists coming from a mile off but that doesn’t make their ultimate reveal any less satisfying.
What truly sets The Druid apart from its historical fiction counterparts however, is the setting of the Dark Ages. The scant written sources available from the era gives Steven A. Mckay plenty of creative room to fill in the blanks. He does so with aplomb. The dirty dense, and – appropriately - dark world he creates is utterly believable. From dilapidated halls, to forgotten villages and moonlit woods, each location visited is packed with rich, textured detail. This is a living and breathing world, one that proves a delight to explore alongside Bellicus.
A huge thank you to Steven A. McKay for providing us with a review copy of 'The Druid'.
To purchase the book head on over to Steven's website by clicking here.
