Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Immortal
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 210 Pages
BLURB:
When Teyth was but a child, a cruel prince took over his village, building a great granite tower to rule over the folk. Greedy and capricious, the man will be the bane of Teyth’s existence as an adult, but as a boy, Teyth is too busy escaping his stepfather to worry about his ruler.
Sold into apprenticeship to the local blacksmith, Teyth finds that what was meant as a punishment is actually his salvation. Cairsten, the smith, and Diarmuid, his adopted son, are kind, and the smithy is the prosperous heart of a thriving village. As Teyth grows in the craft of metalwork, he also grows in love for Diarmuid, the gentle, clever young man who introduces him to smithing.
Their prince wants Diarmuid too. As the tyrant inflicts loss upon loss on Teyth and Diarmuid, Teyth’s passion for his craft twists into obsession. By the time Teyth resurfaces from his quest to create immortality, he’s nearly lost the love that makes being human worth the pain. Teyth was born to sculpt his emotion into metal, and Diarmuid was born to lead. Together, can they keep their village safe and sustain the love that will make them immortal?
REVIEW:
When I saw the description of this book in our review list, I grabbed it immediately. It seemed like something I would enjoy. I got more than I bargained for, it is a fantasy, a fairy tale, and a Gaelic folklore tale all in one! And there was maybe even a Green Man thrown in there, from the description given of the being in the woods.
When the evil prince came to their village, many of the town’s menfolk were killed by his soldiers when they fought his seizing power. After the battle, a treaty was agreed upon that said he could rule them as long as his rule was better than war.
Teyth, his very name meaning Silence, has had a hard life. His father was killed during the battle with the prince’s soldiers. His mother has remarried a despicable drunk named Kump who is a total lazy bastard in order to keep their small plot of land. Teyth’s mother works at the prince’s castle and what money she makes supports the family. His stepfather is also a cruel drunk and a child abuser, who has been forcing himself on Teyth for years. Teyth has been taking it because Kump has threated to start on his little brother. But Teyth is now ten, old enough to fight back and tell people what his stepfather is doing, so Kump has been threatening him with being sold to the local blacksmith, Cairsten, who Kump said will also use Teyth for his sexual pleasures. When Kump tries to force him again, Teyth cuts him with the knife under his pillow.
The next morning, Teyth is marched to the local blacksmith and sold into service. Probably the best thing that ever happened to Teyth. It turns out that Cairsten has no intention of abusing Teyth, and he is shocked and horrified with what the boy has been going through. Teyth is welcomed into Cairsten’s home as a son, joining the other young man, Diarmuid who has been with Cairsten for several years. As time goes on, Teyth learns the craft of blacksmithing, but he is drawn more and more to the more delicate pieces. He keeps seeing a pattern, and must recreate it in metal.
Teyth, Cairsten and Diarmuid also come to know the spirit of the woods, which as I mentioned above sounded much like a Green Man. The being is helpful to the three. With the offering of several drops of blood, the being helps them escape soldiers from the evil prince. As the story goes on, Teyth comes to rely on the being more and more. The spirit is also harsh with their enemies, at one point destroying a whole squad of soldiers, and while on a hunt, Kump also is taken.
After Kump is taken, things change at his home and in the end his mother and young brother have to go to live in the castle of the evil prince. What will happen to them? What will happen with Teyth and his obsession with the pattern? And what will happen when Teyth is more and more drawn to Diarmuid? Dark times are ahead for the men, and the village. Can any survive? How does the title tie to the story? (Hint you get that answer in the last two pages 🙂 )
I enjoyed this book. It was well written, well edited and the characters were quite well developed. There are references to child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of the villagers by the prince, but they are off screen, so should not be considered a negative. I enjoyed the ties to the Gaelic legends, and the total acceptance of same sex, bi sex, and straight sex as all being common and everyday. I would recommend this story to anyone who is into a fantasy/fairy tale/historical fiction type book with strong ties to the Gaelic legends.
RATING: 
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