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A review by bgg616
The Magus of Hay by Phil Rickman
3.0
I like this series about the Rev. Merrily Watkins, who works for the church as a sort of "exorcist" though she has never actually had to expel demons. The story is set on the border of England and Wales, in and around the town of Hay-on-Wye. A current description in Wikipedia describes it as a town of 20 bookstores. In the past, there were likely many more and it became a mecca for book lovers. In this novel, Hay is in decline, with bookstores being replaced by nail bars, and boutiques.
This part of the Welsh/English border is thought to be a place of special powers by those who believe in "that kind of thing" including pagans, Christians, and hippies etc. There are compelling descriptions of the places that hold power including three small chapels/churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Part of the plot is the existence of secret Nazi groups who engaged in practices involving magical powers connected to dark forces.
This long novel rambles in parts with a wide cast of characters, both appealing and unappealing. By the end when two murders are solved, and the cases of the disappearance of two young women, decades before, I had lost track of some of the details. This was a 3 and a half star read for me. The details about Hay and the border area were the most interesting aspect of the book. I didn't realize Hay-on-Wye was in decline (this book was published in 2013), but will do more reading up on it.
This part of the Welsh/English border is thought to be a place of special powers by those who believe in "that kind of thing" including pagans, Christians, and hippies etc. There are compelling descriptions of the places that hold power including three small chapels/churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Part of the plot is the existence of secret Nazi groups who engaged in practices involving magical powers connected to dark forces.
This long novel rambles in parts with a wide cast of characters, both appealing and unappealing. By the end when two murders are solved, and the cases of the disappearance of two young women, decades before, I had lost track of some of the details. This was a 3 and a half star read for me. The details about Hay and the border area were the most interesting aspect of the book. I didn't realize Hay-on-Wye was in decline (this book was published in 2013), but will do more reading up on it.