Swim the Moon

Rating:
Summary: A touch of magic
Review: I've heard those multi-volume fantasy epics are described by publishers as "extended fantasy products." It's a sign that fantasy these days is dominated more by marketers than by storytellers. So when a new and fresh approach comes along that defies genre, that grounds itself in a reality that we know and yet takes us to another world in our imagination, it can only be a good thing. Paul Brandon has offered us that new and fresh approach, and I for one am delighted.

Swim the Moon is the story of Richard Brennan, a man struggling to find new meaning in a life that was stripped of it after the death of his wife. He finds it in remote northern Scotland, in a place so wild and rugged that it may as well be a fantasy otherworld.

Brandon's strength is his ability to create a sense of place through his prose. Sometimes aching passages of description enhance the reader's sense of Richard's isolation. There is no "big twist" at the end. I'm unconvinced that Brandon ever intended to create one. What we see as we accompany Richard on his emotional journey is the way our lives become entangled with fantasy until we can't extricate ourselves. There is a sense of timelessness about this story, of myth and magic. Richard's choice is inescapable but the haunting resolution of the novel is that, in the end, he doesn't want to escape it.

Make no mistake. Not much happens in this book. If you are looking for a racy plot of epic adventure, look to those extended fantasy products at your local Borders. This one is for the romantics and the dreamers...

Rating:
Summary: Swim the Moon - haunting and inspiring
Review: Paul Brandon is one of those writers that I can immediately find a kindred spirit with. His descriptions of scenery are breathtaking, and he reveals the subtle nuances of human emotions and actions with intensity and vitality. A great read, from an accomplished writer with a bright future. There aren't a lot of books that I would buy (being of Scottish descent I tend to borrow them from the library!), however this is one that I intend to add to my collection.

Rating:
Summary: A rare treat
Review: Six years ago Richard Brennan fled Scotland following the death of his wife because he could not cope with the memories and his subsequent grief. Now, he takes an all day and night flight home from Australia to attend his father's funeral. Ironically, his father, an architect, drowned just like Richard's spouse did.

To escape his latest sorrow that his current residence reminds him of with every nook and cranny, and his bewilderment about fate, Richard plays his fiddle in gigs in the nearby pubs. Still feeling alone, he wonders if he finally is losing his mind when Ailish appears ecstatically dancing and singing under the seaside moonlight. Richard joins her music with his fiddle, but soon loses his heart and soul to this siren of the sea.

SWIM THE MOON is a beautiful fantasy that provides imagery rarely seen in a novel whether it is Ailish or Richard's music, or the Northern Scottish coast. Richard is a haunting individual tormented by his love-hate for the sea that holds the mysteries of his family and his new love Ailish. Though some of the dialogue seems stilted, perhaps because the story line is so beautifully written, Paul Brandon's debut tale is a throwback to the bards of yore when poetry painted landscapes of the soul.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Take a Swim
Review: The good news about Paul Brandon’s debut novel Swim the Moon is that the author seems to have found his voice. And the better news is that it’s a voice worth listening to. Many authors take half a dozen novels to find their voice â€" a style that they are obviously comfortable with.

Brandon seems to have hit upon a lyrical style that suits him well right from the start. The style also works well for the story, especially considering the amount of exposition it contains. He mixes sentences that get straight to the point with long, lingering fragments that are almost poetic. He has a wonderful sense of place â€" describing the Scottish coastline in marvellous detail. It's easy to get lost in his exquisite description - feeling the cold and tasting the salt of the sea.

Richard is a wonderfully well-rounded main character. He is likeable but possessed of enough foibles to keep him pleasantly human.

The novel isn’t without some problems. The pacing is flat in a few places and some of the dialogue was forced. Most disappointingly, the ending feels rushed. But in a good way. I would have liked it more if Brandon had devoted at least twice the number of pages to wrapping the story up than what he did.

It’s not a new and inventive story, so people looking for high adventure and a dozen plot twists a minute, beware. But it never purports to be that.

Swim the Moon is a beautifully told story about love and sense-of-self. It is a pleasure to read.

Rating:
Summary: Good Story
Review: The idea of the story is very well though of. There is a lot of depth to the character's and their history that proves the author's ability to write. This book also includes very good scenery descriptions that make you feel like you are in Scotland with the characters. The reason why I rated this book so low is because..well..not much HAPPENS. It wasn;t one of those books with an intruiging plot so that you just can't set it down. I would pick it up every once and a while just to see if it would get better, and it didn't really pick up till more than half way through the book. I good read, but nothing that you can;t miss out on

Rating:
Summary: Good Story
Review: The idea of the story is very well though of. There is a lot of depth to the character's and their history that proves the author's ability to write. This book also includes very good scenery descriptions that make you feel like you are in Scotland with the characters. The reason why I rated this book so low is because..well..not much HAPPENS. It wasn;t one of those books with an intruiging plot so that you just can't set it down. I would pick it up every once and a while just to see if it would get better, and it didn't really pick up till more than half way through the book. I good read, but nothing that you can;t miss out on

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful writing
Review: This is a puzzle: although this book was beautifully written, and makes me want to go Scotland, something didn't click for me. The premise is great, the characters are fine...maybe it is a bit overwritten, with too much description and not enough really happening. Maybe a bit too much "naval-gazing"... I think a strong edit would have helped a lot. But I can see that this is a book where this opinion could well be a minority. This new author seems to have great potential and I'll definitely read his next book.

Rating:
Summary: Myth in the Modern World
Review: This was a very compelling read for me. First off, I'll say what I did find disconcerting: his use of descriptive adjectives that were, well, just the wrong word! I don't know how that could've been deliberate or gone unnoticed by his editor either. I found it annoying to say the least. I decided to overlook it and just read the tale. SO glad I did, it has a lot to recommend it. It takes you right on down the road of inevitability, and just like the protagonist, Richard, you go willingly, yet somehow never believing this is where it will end.
The book just kept building along those lines, but yes, quietly, like the life he was living. Others who've reviewed this have said not much happens, but... it does, quietly, like a mist descending, page by page we are drawn further along that road.
I would say it is a real treat for the Celtophile especially, for the seamless way he weaves the myth into the crevices of the modern mind, where so much floats below the surface!
In spite of my few annoyances, I'd say this is a stunning debut novel. I liked the ending a lot, by the way, only wish it had been a bit more extended, though perhaps it was best left to our own imaginations.