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| Cover art by Matt Griffin |
'The Spiral Path' is the third and final book in Matt Griffin's excellent 'The Ayla Trilogy', an enchanting fantasy adventure that blends Irish myth and legend with the classic hero's journey tale, giving it a unique and modern twist.
After the seemingly victorious battle over the Danann, our heroes return home to modern day Ireland. Hoping to return to normality after their recent epic adventure, Ayla, Finny, Benvy, Sean, as well Lann, Fergus, Taig and Ida, find that things are anything but normal and it's up to Ayla and her friends to save the day and humanity.
Sometimes the conclusion to an enjoyable series can be difficult, and ends up packing in too much in an attempt to try and tie up the many loose ends. But with 'The Spiral Path' there's no such fear here. It's another fantastical read from Matt Griffin. The flow of the story that has coursed through the previous books continues here, without any slack in pace or loss in excitement. The character development of Ayla and her friends has been a real highlight of the series. The characters have their own distinct personalities, and in this final chapter of the trilogy, they may still be the same group of individuals that we first met all the way in book one, but they have grown so much, and matured in some ways, and are now so different but still very relatable. I really enjoyed that aspect of the series.
Matt perfectly captured the creepiness and otherworldly atmosphere as well, once again punctuated by his excellent illustrations that are throughout the book. For all the eeriness and drama of the potential apocalypse, there was also plenty of humour, mostly of the Uncles trying to adapt to modern Ireland, which helped the story breath in between the drama and the foreboding.
'The Spiral Path' was a really enjoyable read that caps the end of 'The Ayla Trilogy' in a satisfying way. The infusion of Irish mythos into the tale worked wonders and added a sense of originality and the fantastic. Definitely recommended. I hope Matt writes more books, as on this evidence, they will go straight into my TBR pile!
After the seemingly victorious battle over the Danann, our heroes return home to modern day Ireland. Hoping to return to normality after their recent epic adventure, Ayla, Finny, Benvy, Sean, as well Lann, Fergus, Taig and Ida, find that things are anything but normal and it's up to Ayla and her friends to save the day and humanity.
Sometimes the conclusion to an enjoyable series can be difficult, and ends up packing in too much in an attempt to try and tie up the many loose ends. But with 'The Spiral Path' there's no such fear here. It's another fantastical read from Matt Griffin. The flow of the story that has coursed through the previous books continues here, without any slack in pace or loss in excitement. The character development of Ayla and her friends has been a real highlight of the series. The characters have their own distinct personalities, and in this final chapter of the trilogy, they may still be the same group of individuals that we first met all the way in book one, but they have grown so much, and matured in some ways, and are now so different but still very relatable. I really enjoyed that aspect of the series.
Matt perfectly captured the creepiness and otherworldly atmosphere as well, once again punctuated by his excellent illustrations that are throughout the book. For all the eeriness and drama of the potential apocalypse, there was also plenty of humour, mostly of the Uncles trying to adapt to modern Ireland, which helped the story breath in between the drama and the foreboding.
'The Spiral Path' was a really enjoyable read that caps the end of 'The Ayla Trilogy' in a satisfying way. The infusion of Irish mythos into the tale worked wonders and added a sense of originality and the fantastic. Definitely recommended. I hope Matt writes more books, as on this evidence, they will go straight into my TBR pile!
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