*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Green Man’s Challenge – Book 4 of The Green Man series by Juliet E. McKenna #Brainfluffbookreview #TheGreenMansChallengebookreview

I’m a huge fan of this series. I’ve always enjoyed McKenna’s writing – see my reviews of Dangerous Waters – Book 1 of the Hadrumal Crisis, Darkening Skies – Book 2 of the Hadrumal Crisis, Irons in the Fire – Book 1 of the Lescari Revolution, Blood in the Water – Book 2 of the Lescari Revolution, Banners in the Wind – Book 3 of the Lescari Revolution. But I think The Green Man series is something really special – see my reviews of The Green Man’s Heir, The Green Man’s Foe and The Green Man’s Silence.

BLURB: A while back, Daniel Mackmain’s life took an unexpected turn. Now the Green Man expects him to resolve clashes between those dwelling unseen in wild places and the ordinary people who have no idea what’s out there. Dan’s father is human and his mother’s a dryad, so he sees what’s happening in both these worlds.

Once upon a time, giants walked this land. So says everyone from Geoffrey of Monmouth to William Blake. This ancient threat is stirring in the Wiltshire twilight, up on the chalk downs. Can Dan meet this new challenge when he can only find half-forgotten fairy tales to guide him? Will the other local supernatural inhabitants see him – or the giant – as friend or foe?

A modern fantasy rooted in the ancient myths and folklore of the British Isles.

REVIEW: I often omit the final strapline of blurbs that describe the book as frankly, a lot of them aren’t particularly helpful. But this time around – that final line exactly describes this series of books, which is why they are so very special. We’re up to our necks in a rich, varied folklore in Britain, with all sorts of stories about faery creatures. And many of these have disappeared because oral traditions waned as regions have become more accessible and people move around more. But in this instalment of Dan’s adventures, McKenna has brilliantly utilised the likes of the giant figures cut into chalk hillsides and some of the numerous folk stories around hares to add to her intriguing Brit rural fantasy tale.

I really like Dan – his somewhat blokey persona rings true. He’s rough around the edges, but his heart’s in the right place and I also enjoy his growing relationship with Fin. If you like fantasy stories, yet have got a bit fed up with a continual diet of werewolves and vampires, then give this series a spin. You can pick up this book without having read the previous ones and quickly get into the groove of the story. However, in order to fully appreciate the full awesomeness of McKenna’s world, I’d advise that you first go back to the first book – The Green Man’s Heir.

Any niggles? Well, I for one didn’t feel the extra story at the back was necessary and frankly, I wish I hadn’t read it. The shift in viewpoint was jarring and I felt the explanation of what happened within the main narrative was sufficient. But it certainly isn’t a dealbreaker – and surely it’s better to have too much information than too little. I very much hope that there are more books featuring Dan and this wonderful, layered world embedded within old British folklore, as there simply isn’t anything else quite like it. Very highly recommended.
9/10