American author John C Wright (whose blog is on my blogroll) has penned a remarkable series of YA fiction, which just happens to incorporate a slew of very old west European mythology. The mythology is that of malevolent elves, which are neither the superhumans of Tolkien nor the pathetic fairies of the 19th century (drinking dewdrops from acorn cups and living in toadstools). He introduces them as powerful magicians, exploiters of man and mortal enemies of Christendom, and given their proclivities in these stories, I can see why our ancestors were terrified of them, and how Christianity acted to calm those fears.
The Swan Knight Saga is a great introduction to the Perilous Realm of legend (including its taxonomy), the Arthurian cycle and the principles of Chivalry, which (mostly!) tamed the bloody urges of the barbarians that swamped Rome and turned them into Gentlemen.
Gilberic Parzival Moth is a strange and lonely boy who has grown up without a father, raised by a single mother who moves from town to town in fear of something she will not name. His only friends are animals, with whom he has always been able to speak. But when he awakens one night at the Thirteenth Hour, and sees for the first time the cruel reality of the secret rule of Elf over Man, he begins to learn about his true heritage, the heritage of Twilight.
And when his mother finally tells him the terrible truth of her past, he must choose whether to continue running with her in fear, or learning how to fight against ancient powers that are ageless, soulless, and ultimately damned. SWAN KNIGHT'S SON is the first book of THE GREEN KNIGHT'S SQUIRE, the first volume of MOTH & COBWEB, an astonishing 5-book series about magical worlds of Day, Night, and Twilight by John C. Wright.
The first book in the series is on Amazon, here.
But, as they say in the shouty ads, That's Not All!
The series is also being turned into a web comic by Arkhaven Comics. JCW has heartily approved of the illustrations, and there is no higher accolade.
Read and enjoy!
