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#Post#: 77--------------------------------------------------
Review: Duncton Wood series by William Horwood
By: Althulas Date: January 20, 2018, 8:17 am
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Duncton Wood is in my opinion one of the best and most under
read fantasy series in the world. Mostly because all the
characters are moles. Yes moles, as in those wonderful creatures
that leave little dirt mountains on your lawns. Although
anthropomorphized and given their own history and a written form
of communication as well as social order. The moles of Duncton
wood are still moles and as such have no clothes, technology or
weapons and are very moleish.
Duncton Wood is a true epic fantasy series in the most classic
way. It is set in the fictional Duncton Wood in Great Britain
where the moles of Duncton are under the rule of the rather evil
Mandrake and Rune who are actively squishing the old traditions,
namely those surrounding the Duncton Stone; the center of their
religion.
Then comes the hero, a young mole named Bracken who leaves
Duncton Wood and all that is safe to find himself and a way to
win his fight against the evil of Rune and Mandrake while
winning the paw of his love, Rebecca, Mandrakes daughter.
The second and third books follow Rebecca’s and Bracken’s son
Tryfan during a religious war with another order of moles. These
are in a way more action packed then the first in the series
(which was originally a stand alone novel then years later
Horwood wrote two more out of no-where) some think they are not
as good as the original Duncton Wood novel but I think they are
different rather than worse of bad.
It is a new story with new characters and a new struggle. It has
all one could hope for in a battle filled fantasy, great
battles, blood, lightning and a showdown at the end with two
unlikely heros who save the day.
This series has a great depth of detail and grandness like that
found in such epics as Sword of Truth and Recluse. William
Horwood has created a world that is filled with those events
that while familiar are renewed from the point of view that they
are being told from. Classic arc's brought back to life with the
one simple change - the race of the characters.
I read this series when I was in my early teens and it really
struck me as one of those amazing fantasy series where the
writing itself was part of the story, like with David Eddings,
J.R.R Tolkien or even Terry Pratchett. Half the enjoyment is the
language used. The way it flows and how the world is shaped but
just the most simple of things like a adjective here instead of
there.
And I am happy to say that it has held up. It has stood the test
of time and childhood memories. The tale is just as thrilling
and Bracken just as heroic as the first time I read them. His
son is still a little and odd and I still love them and enjoy
them as one of those series that I turn to too reread now and
again just like a comfy old pair of jeans.
The series consists of three novels -
[list]
[li]Duncton Wood (1980)
HTML https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/878307.Duncton_Wood[/li]
[li]Duncton Quest (1988)
HTML https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/878309.Duncton_Quest[/li]
[li]Duncton Found
HTML https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/581186.Duncton_Found
(1989)
HTML https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/581186.Duncton_Found
[/li]
[/list]It was followed a few years later by the Book of Silence
a follow on trilogy set far into the future of the moles of
Duncton Wood. (I have not read it having just learned of it’s
existence! But I will be as soon as I find copies)
The trilogy consists of -
[list]
[li]Duncton Tales (1991)
HTML https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/581164.Duncton_Tales[/li]
[li]Duncton Rising (1992)
HTML https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/581166.Duncton_Rising[/li]
[li]Duncton Stone (1993)
HTML https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/581185.Duncton_Stone[/li]
[/list]
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