Radiant Brow: The Epic of Taliesin
‘Radiant Brow is a novel rooted in Celtic myth and the turbulent history of Dark Age Britain – the story of a man who is bard, shaman and spiritual warrior. A foundling, abandoned at birth and fostered by the royal clan of Gwynedd, Taliesin lives to become the greatest bard of his time, one whose name is still revered today. But he pays a price for power, for his fierce dedication to the goddess Ceridwen and to the land of his ancestors. Whilst he fights the Anglo-Saxon enemy, and for unity amongst his people, he also fights a battle within, and faces conflict between love and loyalty. As the Britons lose ground and are torn apart by tribal rivalry, Taliesin’s own life reaches a crisis, and he must make an ultimate decision.’
The official blurb sums this book up nicely, what it does not convey is the journey into Dark Age Britain the reader travels through. Taliesin was a real person, but the reality about him is an enigma. This novel weaves his dreams and desires, his fears and hopes, all bound up with the frailties, emotions and general life that everyone enjoys and endures.
It might not be a story for those who like the magic and fantasy that often surrounds this era and character, for it is more ‘earthy’ than that, this is the story of the real person as he might have been. The descriptions bring the era to life – slip into the past and sit in the mead hall, and listen to the Bard telling his tales. I dare you to not feel the warmth of the hearth-fire smoke, hear the mice rustling through the floor rushes and smell the aroma of the men sitting next to you.
