Review of River Magic by M. A. Phillips, book one of The Rituals of Rock Bay

 

Review of River Magic by M. A. Phillips, book one of The Rituals of Rock Bay (2020) Shadow Spark Publishing

 

First, what I like:

 

I want to say right from the start that I really like this book. It has a kind of ebullience and innocence about it that is really charming. The protagonist, though imperfect, as we all must be, has an integrity that guides her actions, and a passion for life that goes beyond herself and her friends, to the beings, sometimes familiar, sometimes frightening, that dwell in the world around her. It also deals with something I haven’t seen represented much in fiction: The coming of age of a modern Neo-Pagan woman.

 

Lacey Moran has explored Paganism with her friend Lidia since their school days, but she hasn’t really found her spiritual home. When Lidia opens a metaphysical store in their village of Rock Bay (situated along the beautiful Saint Lawrence River – a visit there is now on my bucket list), a group of modern Druids book the space for their Imbolc ritual. This ritual introduces Lacey to the goddess Brigit, and a connection is made immediately. (Hurrah! This is why I decided to read and review this book.)

 

Lacey has also had cryptic dreams of a mermaid in the river. Coming from a family with a talent for premonition, Lacey knows that many of her dreams foreshadow events to come. Do these?

 

Now, I have completely left out the other main theme of this book: the love that Lacey has for her longtime friend, Cian, and her conflicting feelings about becoming romantically involved with him. Cian is a feature of these dreams, making them more concerning to her. What do they mean?

 

Interview with Druid Fiction Writer M. A. Phillips

 

I was just listening to a conversation between two lovely humans. I wanted to share this interview with you because the writer is a devotee of Brigit, as is the main character in her story.

M.A. Phillips is a modern (A.D.F.) druid from the United States. River Magic is her first novel and is also the first in her series, The Rituals of Rock Bay. Megan Black is proprietor of Round the Cauldron, which began as a podcast and has evolved from there. Megan, too, is a devotee of Brigit. So you can imagine my pleasure in listening to the two of them talk.

You can hear their conversation in a variety of places. This link will take you to the trunk from which those links branch off.

Happy listening. Happy reading.