Celtika

This is the first volume of the Merlin Codex series, written by Robert Holdstock, winner of the World Fantasy Award for Mythago Wood and the BSFA Award for Lavondyss. Greek and Celtic myths intermingle in this exciting and imaginative adventure which ranges through time and place unknown. For 20 years Jason has mourned his sons, murdered by their mother Medea, and now age and despair have unmanned him. Aboard his enchanted ship Argo he sets out to find a safe place of burial. Seven centuries later Merlin is returning from the underworld to a frozen northland that he visited many generations ago. The enchanter is young and immortal but braves the icy elements, choosing to husband his spells as using them can age his mortal body. A remembered voice draws Merlin to the Screaming Lake, a place of strong magic where the water is full of corpses and powerful spirits. Under the thick ice he rediscovers the Argo and magically raises her and Jason from the frozen depths. The hero and the magician are old friends, and Merlin tells Jason that his sons are alive, spirited away by Medea. So another heroic quest begins on a renewed Argo. Merlin meets old loves and new descendants and users of the underworld path among the newly recruited Argonauts. Together they encounter shamans, magicians and warriors who worship an amazing variety of deities and with this diverse crew the journey begins. The meddling of Gods and Goddesses ensures a chaotic existence for all the adventurers in their battles to achieve their different goals. Rich in detail and characterization, this novel is complex and rewarding. Heroes and myths from many cultures and ages converge in a most satisfying and exciting adventure with more to come. (Kirkus UK)