Review: A Gathering of Twine

A Gathering of Twine (The Spirals of Danu) by Martin Adil-Smith is an epic fantasy about Freeman, a writer who tells a most dangerous tale.

Shadowy Mystery Men Trail Freeman

The elderly Freeman hurries to a meeting with his book publisher. He totes a briefcase stuffed with incriminating papers concerning his next story. Three shadowy mystery men trail him, people who want to keep the truth from reaching Freeman’s considerable following.

The author makes his meeting, and at his publisher Danielle’s urging, Freeman makes a most startling claim. His simple statement mocks the existence of a creator and the societal underpinnings of all we hold dear. Does Freeman have proof? Hoo boy, does he ever.

A Gathering of Twine unfolds as if picking apart a snarled ball of yarn–or more accurately, a tangle of barbed wire. The story has many threads, and they unwind Freeman’s tale starting with text from ancient stone tablets that reference modern-day conventions. Next are firsthand accounts of people mixed up with supernatural events, and sprinkled within are biblical and other holy book references.

Even the Children Drank the Poisoned Fruit Drink

Adil-Smith finishes the story with a fascinating explanation of the Jonestown incident with the unsettling tape-recorded confession of a Jim Jones follower. Their faith started with convincing visions of heaven. But after peeling away the magical veneer, underneath was the hell described eons ago in Freeman’s ancient stone tablets. Drinking the poison-laced purple fruit drink was truly the lesser of the Jonestown’s evils.

Fantasy fans that enjoy well-told twisty yarns would like being tangled up in A Gathering of Twine. Be warned, there are chilly ruined lives in this story, and the delicious devils are so convincing. They will have Gentle Reader reaching for that purple drink in no time.

A Gathering of Twine on Amazon US