Something Red

Finished November 10
Something Red by Douglas Nicholas

This first novel by the award-winning poet Nicholas is set in medieval times and follows the journey of young Hob, a boy just becoming a man as he travel through northern England with his Irish mistress Molly (Maeve), her granddaughter Nemain, and the man Jack. As the story begins they are travelling through a mountain pass, one protected by the warrior monks of a monastery set in the pass, as winter approaches. They feel the presence of something evil, and are glad to reach the protection of the monastery.
As they continue their trip, visiting an inn, and travelling along with a group of pilgrims, they find the evil follows them and Maeve must call on all her skills to defeat it. They encounter many travellers, as well as old friends as they travel. Besides the pilgrims, other travellers include a group of masons, men escorting a number of horses to a castle, and an old woman from foreign lands with her retinue.
Hob is learning a lot, about the nature of evil, about the ways of magic, and men and women, and about himself. Nemain is also growing into her skills and he finds her both changed and familiar to him during this time. As they take shelter in a well-protected castle from a vicious winter storm, they find that the evil has also taken shelter and they must draw on all resources to face it.
This is a story of coming of age, of magic, of good and evil and of destiny.
An enchanting tale of a vanished world.