Magic Reversed

Celtic Bestiary Tales: Book 1

By: Kenneth McIntosh

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The Hero's Journey (previously published as The Ravenous Dead ) Finn has your ordinary sort of adolescent problems: he's angry at the world; he lusts after an unreachable girl; he doubts that life has any real meaning. And oh—he's besieged by the undead Cauldron Spawn, the ancient Celtic version of zombies.

But really, his adventures aren't so very different from our own. Like most of us, he swings back and forth between arrogance and self-doubt, but as he battles the walking dead and their Dark Lord, he learns he is called (as we all are) to be something more than he ever thought he could be. He realizes that our friends aren't always who we expect them to be, and even the most unlikely people are put in our lives to teach us something. And finally, he understands that a true hero's faith and courage sometimes comes down to simply putting one foot in front of the other—and the most hopeless battles are won when we're willing to give ourselves away.

This is a multilayered story: a young adult fantasy based on Celtic mythology—including the Sidhe, the magic island of Avalon, and Merlin himself—that, like all the best fantasy, is filled with deeper meaning and symbolism. With his companions—a snooty but courageous Saxon girl, a plump Irish nun with a knack for battle, a tattooed Pictish warrior, and a loyal dog—Finn leaves his familiar world, descends into darkness, and faces death. Ultimately, Finn's story, like all hero stories, is one of sacrifice, hope, and redemption.

Kenneth McIntosh, the author of Water from an Ancient Well: Celtic Spirituality for Modern Life combines his knowledge of Celtic mythology and history with his deep and inclusive spirituality. He's created a story that's full of adventure, humor, and inspiration (and a smidgeon of romance). Magic Reversed delivers a vivid account of seventh-century Britain ravaged by—ghouls! Intelligent, fluent storytelling...rich with details of Celtic culture and the common life of the Angles, this mythic fantasy creatively informs and robustly entertains."
—A. A Attanasio, Nebula-nominated author of Radix and The Dragon and the Unicorn.