The Chalice

Another solid book from Phil Rickman. His novels are always so infused with the Welsh border, I always feel like I am right there when I'm reading his stuff. Very entertaining--a great read.

This book is set in the town of Glastonbury which is the legendary site of the Holy Grail.As a resultof this fame the village attracts a lot of New Age Hippies in search of Meaning and Purpose in their lives. Caught between "Respectable Society " and this Alternative Hippy World is Diane Ffitch who also seeks answers. Strange things begin to happen andone wondersif this is a result of the the vibrations from Glastonbury or something more sinister?Once again Mr. Rickman has proved he is the Master Of The Supernatural Thriller. This book will leave you with lots of chills and goosebumps which is what any good Horror novel is supposed to do although many writers fail to achieeve this end. RICKMAN ROCKS!!!!

I've read the five mysteries in Phil Rickman's Anglican priest/exorcist Merrily Watkins series and have been working my way through his earlier horror novels. "The Chalice" subtitled "A Glastonbury ghost story" is one of them, and is a sort of sequel to his 'Crybbe' novels--something I've noticed about this author is that when he develops a good character, he doesn't waste him or her on just one book. Joe Powys, Crybbe's occult author and his three-legged dog, Arnold play important roles in "The Chalice."Rickman's characters are so appealing that I got really, really angry when he pretended to kill off one of my favorites. His good guys are always laid-back, slightly cynical in spite of the supernatural fireworks going off around them, and they are unremittingly kind to animals and lost souls. They keep plugging away on the side of the angels, in spite of the most horrific punishment, and Rickman doesn't let them escape from evil by trotting into a church or waving a cross.His bad guys are sadistic jerks, usually with a whole busload of power from beyond the grave. And speaking of buses, if a long black spray-painted vehicle with a rusty grill shows up in your vicinity, run like hell. Forget the Black Chalice. It was the Black Bus that frightened me the most in this story.The author weaves his legend of the Chalice from two separate strands: the legend of the Holy Grail that was brought by Joseph of Arimathea to the mystic Isle of Avalon (Glastonbury); and the Celtic tradition of a cup that was sacred to the gods of the underworld, or the Land Beneath the Waves.It's Christians - 10, Celts - 0 in this novel, although Rickman is kinder to pagans in his other stories. And come to think of it, the professed Christians (the ones who actually go to church) don't fare too well here, either. They are represented by a scatty, New Age bishop who is trying to reconcile his Church with the pagans, and a farmer who turns to Jesus when the Black Bus terrorizes his lower forty. The only really likeable Christian was hanged, drawn and quartered during the reign of Henry VIII, although he too has a role to play, along with the chalice that captured his last drops of blood.Glastonbury becomes a spiritual battlefield of Christians versus pagans, land-owners versus 'travellers,' old established hippies versus New Age mystics, a handful of animal rights activists to mix things up with everyone, and of course Good versus Evil. Rickman juggles his multiple themes in such a way that you'll want to keep on reading and rooting for the good guys. At least a few of them remain standing by novel's end.

Diane Ffitch is being called back to the Glastonbury Tor. She sees it in visions, in objects transforming in front of her eyes into the Tor. The pull is strong enough that she quits her job, leaves her fiancé and tags along with a group of New Agers heading for Glastonbury -- but with a sense of dread.Joe Powys, an occult author, is having strange experiences of his own. Books are throwing themselves from a bookshelf, with one in particular seeming to be at the center: "A Glastonbury Romance." Reluctantly, he travles to Glastonbury on the pretext of writing a book but soon finds out that dark forces are stirring in the town. He hears the tales of a dark chalice -- an anti-Holy Grail -- and begins to wonder just what role Diane has to play in this.Another fine work from Phil Rickman. The characters are all interesting and well-developed. Plus, he gives enough background information on the people and the area's history that I was enthralled with the story. A definite page-turner.

Although this isn't quite as good as Midwinter of the Spirit, still Phil Rickman doesn't disappoint with his tasteful suspense and his exquisite prose. I am exceptionally pleased to see that these books are now offered in the United Sates. BOUT TIME!