The Mythago Cycle, Volume 1 by Robert Holdstock

Now, after his death, his sons have taken up his work. The mystery of Ryhope Wood, Britain's last fragment of primeval forest, consumed George Huxley's entire long life. I have not done these books justice at all, they defy description, but if you’re feeling game, I recommend you give it a go.About the Book 'Encounter myth and terror in the forest deeps in Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood-a classic fantasy novel in The Mythago Cycle now available in a Tor Essentials edition, with a new introduction by Terry Windling. And like all good collective consciousness – it needs constant input. It’s based on the ideas of symbolism and how myth and archetypes exist in the collective consciousness – it gets really fricking trippy, because everyone who enters this forest has their personally meaningful archetypes come to life.

I can’t even really describe the story or the plot but it was intense.

In the vein of many great British absurdist, bizarre novels, this series is right out there. If you want mind-bending fantasy that reads like the author was on acid, this is it. 1 and 2: Some of the weirdest writing I’ve ever read…. It gets weird, but I'm sure I'll recover, and read it again, and again, and again. The story gets a bit side-tracked for a while but then it comes back together and it's interesting in itself for thinking about how myths change. Lavondyss - the characterisation of Tallis was very interesting, particularly in the first half. The tension and creep factor of being in the forest was well maintained even if for most of the beginning was spent working out what the earth was going on. Mythago Wood - loved it (and the ending worked far better for me), it's tragic in the sense of the reader has a much better idea of what is going on than the characters and well. I think it helps if you have a strong interest in myth-making and older styles of writing. It was written in an older style with plenty of goosebump moments. An interesting view of the idea of 'what would happen if myths/legends came to life?'.

I found the exploration of myth-making, culture and history to be complete fascinating.

wha? I'm going to have to re-read it when I'm feeling less all over the place about it - I was just so intensely involved in reading it that to have that ending really did my head in. Five stars! Five stars all round! Except possibly for the ending of Lavondyss, that got all kinds of weird.

The Mythago Cycle, Volume 1 by Robert Holdstock