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Albion Imperilled
Albion Imperilled is a compelling new fantasy fiction concerning four children who stumble upon the threshold to a magical domain - Narnia with a difference! The opening chapters are set in the present day and the “children” are all now fully-grown and middle-aged. As a “fairy-tale for grownups” the book may be read on two levels, either as an imaginative fantasy or as a satirical commentary on contemporary Britain with all its social and political tensions, and can be enjoyed equally by adults or older children. Curiously old-fashioned and deliciously politically incorrect, the action shifts between Britain in the 1950s where the children are at boarding school and the year 2000. Their entry to the enchanted forest of Albion is effected by magical portals (mainly trees, which are central to the story) and key threshold sites. This is fantasy fiction at its best – a thrilling adventure story with well-rounded characters and plenty of nail-biting suspense involving midnight flights in a winged chariot, abductions and espionage, secret tunnels, and ancient tree magic: Dwelling within the forest itself is an ancient elemental magic, which comes to the fore one night of the year when the trees are able to move of their own accord known as the Festival of the Trees or arboreal awakening and invoke the mighty power of the forest…
- GenresFantasy
330 pages, ebook
First published January 31, 2013
About the author
Ruth Thomas
2 books3 followersLibrarian note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Having survived a peripatetic childhood, in 2001 I relocated to a remote island where I lived onsite in a static caravan for two years at the complete mercy of the elements, whilst restoring a derelict roofless cottage in the middle of a peat bog. Living on the edge of poverty concentrates the mind wonderfully, and I was able to focus my efforts on writing. Afraid you won't find me on Twitter - I don't tweet, blog or post on Facebook, as I prefer to spend my time more productively i.e. getting on with the business of writing.
By choice I am not listed with the big online retailers such as Amazon, Kobo etc. as I wish to retain my independence as an author. It's something I feel strongly about.
So if you wish to purchase my eBooks you can download "We Wove A Web in Childhood" from www.bronte-fiction.com and "Albion Imperilled" from www.newfantasyfiction-books.com and also read sample excerpts from both books.
Having survived a peripatetic childhood, in 2001 I relocated to a remote island where I lived onsite in a static caravan for two years at the complete mercy of the elements, whilst restoring a derelict roofless cottage in the middle of a peat bog. Living on the edge of poverty concentrates the mind wonderfully, and I was able to focus my efforts on writing. Afraid you won't find me on Twitter - I don't tweet, blog or post on Facebook, as I prefer to spend my time more productively i.e. getting on with the business of writing.
By choice I am not listed with the big online retailers such as Amazon, Kobo etc. as I wish to retain my independence as an author. It's something I feel strongly about.
So if you wish to purchase my eBooks you can download "We Wove A Web in Childhood" from www.bronte-fiction.com and "Albion Imperilled" from www.newfantasyfiction-books.com and also read sample excerpts from both books.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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June 21, 2013I tried to get through the sample, but was put off by the way punctuation vanished at the sight of a quote mark:
“I don’t like it either” said Pragmaticus “But it could be a lot worse. Could you imagine what it would be like if the Queen had installed the Goblin Chief here? Our lives would be a living hell”
---
“I once had a younger brother” remarked Nicholas “I tried drowning him in the bath when I was five, but, alas, my mother’s untimely appearance..”
It's impossible to recommend too strongly that the book be proofed for punctuation.
(Since the only available samples are on the author's website, I also recommend changing the green background to white and increasing the space between the lines to improve legibility. Heartbreaking to lose sales because of web design.)
“I don’t like it either” said Pragmaticus “But it could be a lot worse. Could you imagine what it would be like if the Queen had installed the Goblin Chief here? Our lives would be a living hell”
---
“I once had a younger brother” remarked Nicholas “I tried drowning him in the bath when I was five, but, alas, my mother’s untimely appearance..”
It's impossible to recommend too strongly that the book be proofed for punctuation.
(Since the only available samples are on the author's website, I also recommend changing the green background to white and increasing the space between the lines to improve legibility. Heartbreaking to lose sales because of web design.)
March 1, 2019
An original take on the Narnia books, Albion being the sort of parallel make-believe realm we’d all like to escape into. On the surface a fantasy, but so much more than that. I approached this as an adult reader, athough the blurb says it can be enjoyed by children over 12, and it will undoubtedly appeal to Harry Potter fans due to the magical sequences. However much of the irony and wry wit is likely to be missed by younger readers. The satirical undertones make it essential reading for anyone interested in what’s going on in Britain. This book probably merits some kind of discussion group, as it’s provocative and challenging. A solid book club candidate.
March 17, 2017
Probably the best fantasy fiction I've read in 20 years. I like the fact that it's written for adults as well as older children, and also that it's rooted in the real world. It is intelligently written with a satirical twist and I identified with the wry sense of humour. A real one-off.
March 21, 2014
If I were to reduce this review to one word, it would be "disappointing." The comparison to Narnia doesn't go any farther than an alternate world where animals speak with English accents. Otherwise, it's not a book I would recommend, for three reasons. First, I found this book on a list of Christian Fantasy titles. It is not. There is no allegorical theme, and the characters don't follow Christian principles except by accident (they support their son going to live with his girlfriend, for example). There is also quite a bit of profanity, including an F-bomb.
Second, while I agree with a lot of the social and political commentary, it feels forced and out of place. The book feels like part fairy tale and part soapbox vent.
Third, it's not very well-written. A few quick examples: the shifts to and from Albion are at times unclear; I had to go back and re-read several transitions. Most of the modern events are largely superfluous. The animal names (Freddy Falcon, Boris Beaver, Wendel Weasel) might be cute in a book for beginning readers, but seem juvenile in a adult-oriented book. The deeper magic is not explained, and is invoked at the end as deus ex machina.
So where Narnia is delightful, wholesome, and tightly written, this effort is not. I almost never write negative reviews, but would have appreciated seeing one like this before I spent my money.
Second, while I agree with a lot of the social and political commentary, it feels forced and out of place. The book feels like part fairy tale and part soapbox vent.
Third, it's not very well-written. A few quick examples: the shifts to and from Albion are at times unclear; I had to go back and re-read several transitions. Most of the modern events are largely superfluous. The animal names (Freddy Falcon, Boris Beaver, Wendel Weasel) might be cute in a book for beginning readers, but seem juvenile in a adult-oriented book. The deeper magic is not explained, and is invoked at the end as deus ex machina.
So where Narnia is delightful, wholesome, and tightly written, this effort is not. I almost never write negative reviews, but would have appreciated seeing one like this before I spent my money.
March 27, 2015
A potent mix of the mundane and the magical, this book exercised a curious fascination on me for days after I’d read it. Unusual and challenging.
January 14, 2015
Pretty damned good.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews