B J Burton

This story, begun with Dartmoor...the Saving, has grown progressively darker.  What a stonking tale it is.

Myrddin's War

Amazon.com Myrddin's War

My review -

Myrddin’s War follows directly from B J Burton’s first book, Dartmoor…the Saving, and it features the same characters, with some additions. The word most reviewers used about Dartmoor was ‘charming’ and that charm is still there in abundance, with the little ‘Dini’ and the new character, Ranger Bob’s wonderful boy Arthur. This story, however, is much darker and grimmer in tone. Myrddin begins to tell the world where our selfish habits are leading but is he too late to effect a change? There are some really awful new characters here, motivated by greed and lust for power and watching the struggle between the two sides has been an anxious and nail-biting read. The story is a powerful one and will not be read by anyone who remains unaffected by it. 

B J Burton has created a strong modern myth with these two books. I enjoy his easy (but not simple) writing style and his obvious knowledge and love of the Celtic mythology of Britain. I also find myself very much in agreement with the style of living his characters advocate in the books. Whether you are ecologically minded or not though, you can’t help but be drawn in to this wonderful tale of people with conflicting beliefs and lifestyles. I shall be thinking about this for a long time. It’s an excellent story.

B J Burton

BJ has written an epic story here, about the little people who dwell in secret on Dartmoor - and what happens to them when they meet a Ranger.  It's full of charm, wonderful characters ... and portents of things to come!

Dartmoor...The Saving

Amazon.com Dartmoor...The Saving

My review - 

This is a charming story which capitalises on our persistent mythologies of races of little people; fairies, pixies, leprechauns, ‘the lordly ones who dwell in the hills, in the hollow hills’. The Dini are the remnant of a cursed British tribe, the Votadini, who have dwindled in stature and potency. There have been no baby Dini born for 18 years. The Dini live in secrecy on Dartmoor, scratching a hard life, moving at night, hiding in damp, abandoned mines in the day. One day, Ranger Bob finds that there are more little creatures on the moor than rabbits.

This book is suitable for older children upwards (way upwards!) and weaves Celtic myth and legend into a modern concern for the environment. If you read this book, you’ll meet Merlin of the Arthurian legends, and find with him the great sword of power. There are heart-stopping moments when the Dini, or Gododdin, as they should really be known, are in danger of discovery or death, but the Prince of Wales is asked to help. Can he come to the rescue? You need to read this to find out! There’s a lovely ending to the story but it’s not a conclusion to the whole tale. Fortunately, there’s another book in the series which I shall have to hunt down. I wish we’d had this book when I was a youngster. Still, I’ve made up for it now!