Warriors of Alavna

I loved this book. When I started reading this story, I immediately picked up on the poor writing and characterization. However, fifty pages into the novel, I forgot about all that and really got interested. I was captivated right up till the end when Reality came back with a hard thump. I was soooooo disapointed at the ending. I want to find out what happens when Ursula gets home, but the author left me dangling off the cliff by a pinky. I rushed to get the sequel, and experienced the same intense excitement at the story. Once again, though, the end let me down, harder than before. What kind of author leaves one of her characters dying on their way back to their world? I was really mad.

Be warned, this brilliant and thrilling novel is VERY violent. If you have the kind of child who finds gore distressing, they could be in for a few nightmares. But let's hope not, for this time-travel tale into a parallel past, in which the Romans (or Ravens) are the baddies and the wild Cetlic Combrogii the goodies is fantastically vivid and exciting.NM Browne's two teenaged heroes could not be more different, but you come to care passionately about them. Dan is super-cool - great at sports, clever, popular. Ursula is a hulking, overweight 6ft sulker whom nobody at school likes. When they're transported back in time, however, both find themselves with strange powers. Dan turns Berserker, capable of killing ten men in so many seconds (Browne describes this marvellously, so that you feel his fierce joy, then his terrified remorse.) Ursula can do magic. But first, they are captured by the Combrogii, whose princess/Druidess has brought them "through the Veil" to help a dying tribe. They have to train, fight, survive and change out of all recognition - and even then, only the legend of the lost legion of the Ninth (which Rosemary Sutcliffe also used for her best-selling novel)can save them.Three people in my family, ranging from my husband to my 9 year old daughter have been absolutely hooked by the fusion of real Celtic/Roman in Britain history, myth of Macsen and Browne's insight into the way modern teenagers think and feel. The contrast between the twenty-first century and pre-Christian Britain made very funny, but it's the passionate conviction that thrills. There's also a sequel, Warriors Of Camlann, which is also excellent, using the myth of King Arthur.