Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Ash Spear
    Unavailable
    The Ash Spear
    Unavailable
    The Ash Spear
    Ebook400 pages6 hours

    The Ash Spear

    By G. R. Grove

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “Elidyr Mwynfawr, King of Aeron, was a weak, greedy fool, and like many another such fool, he died of his folly. But because he was a King, in his dying he cost many better men their lives as well, and this was the way of it: for I, Gwernin Kyuarwyd, was there, and saw much of it myself, and the tale that I tell you is true…” In 6th century Wales, the ash spear – pren onn – was a symbol of warfare and of manhood, but it also stood for awen, the poetic inspiration of the bards. As war comes to North Wales, bardic apprentice Gwernin must master all three of its meanings in order to keep himself and his friends alive. From otherworldly dangers to rich rewards in the fire-lit halls of kings, from bloody battle and grueling labor to tender romance, The Ash Spear follows him in the thrilling conclusion of this first trilogy in the Storyteller series.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLulu.com
    Release dateJan 8, 2015
    ISBN9781312815933
    Unavailable
    The Ash Spear

    Read more from G. R. Grove

    Related to The Ash Spear

    Related ebooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      False Impressions

      Feb 1, 2020

      False Impressions
      10 min read

    • Article

      Five Poems

      May 1, 2019

      “My arm is so brown and so beautiful,” is a thought I haveas I’m about to turn off the lamp and go to sleep.I look at it a moment in the soft glow, and see it, briefly,as though it belonged to someone else. A reddishkind of brown, like a toasted almo

      7 min read

    • Article

      Climbing Mount Cameroon

      Nov 18, 2019

      In 1895 Mary Kingsley became the first woman to climb Mount Cameroon. Her apparel was unlikely: long black trailing skirt, tight waist, high collar, a small fur cap, lace-up shoes and a parasol. In every respect she was unusual. With no formal school

      4 min read

    • Article

      Ghost Girl, Banana

      Aug 21, 2023

      By the time I was 25, there were only two things I remembered about Mumma. The first was that she smelled of watermelons, the second was that we were happy. We’d taken our father’s name of course, but a name is only half a story. The other half exist

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Thin Place

      Nov 16, 2020

      We looked out of the window at the torrential rain. We’d booked tickets for the Castle’s Halloween event. The Castle was famous for being haunted by the ghost of its last court jester and made the most of this reputation every October, hosting a fair

      6 min read

    • Article

      Tessa Castro

      Oct 20, 2021

      IN COMPETITION No 272, you were invited to write a poem called The Umbrella. The subject brought out such weird imaginings in many competitors that ordinary death seemed mundane. Katie Mallett warned against ‘Hemlocks, brollies to close down / All hu

      2 min read

    • Article

      Queen Of Salt

      Feb 6, 2020

      Queen Of Salt
      10 min read

    • Article

      Only a Fragrance

      Sep 1, 2022

      Only a Fragrance
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Selkie Moon

      Dec 3, 2020

      The Selkie Moon
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Thirty Names of Night

      Oct 30, 2020

      The Thirty Names of Night
      13 min read

    • Article

      A Close Encounter With A Lion

      May 25, 2023

      My Dear Baker Mrs Oswell and myself thoroughly enjoyed our stay with you and your charming wife in June. It was a true pleasure for us both to renew old times and friendship. We trust that your trip to India will be a pleasant one, and the ship you a

      6 min read

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      NED the KNOCK-KNEED KNIGHT

      May 1, 2023

      NED the KNOCK-KNEED KNIGHT
      5 min read

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      What The Magpie Says

      Oct 16, 2022

      What The Magpie Says
      8 min read

    • Article

      On The Road…

      May 27, 2021

      I met Jürgen whilst we were both emptying our respective toilet cassettes at a site in Spain. When female fellow campers walk nearby during this ritual, I often feel uncomfortable but, when walking to the toilet block with our evening’s after-dinner

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Day-gone-wrong In Granada

      Nov 12, 2020

      No one was going to tussle with the nun, and neither should I. That was all I understood. My self-taught holiday Spanish hadn’t prepared me for the rapid-fire conversation of the Andalusian housewives. A Spanish waiting room, I realised, doesn’t oper

      2 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Berber Vodka

      Sep 10, 2021

      Berber Vodka
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Island

      Jun 4, 2018

      The Island
      8 min read

    • Article

      Tomorrows

      Mar 15, 2022

      The night, as most nights, was like a dream. At ten, once I’d fed the dog the last scraps off the stove. Once I’d cursed the cat for scratching up my mama’s antique furniture, then welcomed him back into my arms. Once I’d slicked my hair into a ponyt

      26 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Jack of Knives

      Jun 3, 2021

      WINNER £100 Jennifer is the author of four middle grade children’s novels published by Maverick (writing as Jenny Moore). Her latest book, The Misadventures of Nicholas Nabb, is set during the same period as her winning story and also includes a scen

      6 min read

    • Article

      Raiders From The Sea

      Sep 1, 2023

      CANNY LIFTED HER head from the swirls of gold and red and put down the brush, stretching her frozen fingers. The sun fell through the scriptorium window in warm panels, but the room was still cold, and she’d been at work on the manuscript in front of

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Almond Festival

      May 9, 2023

      The Almond Festival
      6 min read

    • Article

      Cherubs

      Jul 5, 2023

      Cherubs
      10 min read

    • Article

      THE HOUSE with the BLUE DOOR

      May 7, 2020

      THE HOUSE with the BLUE DOOR
      6 min read

    Reviews for The Ash Spear

    4/5

    44 ratings15 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      It took a long time for me to get around to finishing this book. I go through feast and famine stages with my reading, and unfortunately I was having a hard time sitting down to finish. I've had to resort to audiobooks because I don't have much time at home, and that was obviously not an option with this book.This is the third book in a series, and I have not read the others so I'm not sure how this tale fits into the grand scheme, but as a stand alone it still held up. I'm not sure if he is a recurring character but the books main character is Gwernin a Storyteller. He is apprenticed to a renowned bard and is hoping to follow in his footsteps. He grows a lot in this tale, he fights a little, he starts to find his poetic voice, and in the end he finds out more more about himself and his desires than he thought possible. There are elements of his character that I wasn't fond of, mainly his insatiable appetite for women without knowing more about who he was as a man. I don't know if it's his youth, or a permanent character attribute though I expect it's the latter.It's an interesting book, and I'm glad I finally was able to curl up and read it.
    • 4/5
      Finally got around to reading this book. I was slightly confused as I hadn't read the others, but it was an intriguing storyline with great characters. I'll definitely go back and reread after I've picked up the previous titles.
    • 5/5
      The Ash Spear is based in medieval Britain in the 6th century, the Dark Ages, and is the third of the series. The other books are Storyteller and Flight of the Hawk written by G. R. Grove.Gwernin Kyarwyd is an apprentice bard, or storyteller, and this is a story of his journeys and trials. He is telling the story which begins in his seventeenth year and his second year of being an apprentice to become a harper and bard from his teacher Talhaearn Tad Awen. Talhaearn is the pencerdd (head poet) and harper to Cyndrwyn, prince of western Powys in mid-Wales.Gwernim has a love, Rhiannedd, who is "the dark-haired delight of my heart" and she is carrying his child.There are a number of characters in this book that have a close connections and loyalty to each other. Some other characters are Taliesin Ben Beirdd, Ieuan, Ugnach of Caer Sean and Neirin. The names are Welsh and hard to understand at first. I had to go back and read the first chapters to get the names straight. I have not read the other two books and think they may have helped but this can be a stand alone book. I began to pull the pieces together.The book is after the time of King Arthur and Taliesin tells the story of when he was the bard for Arthur and the final battle.One character in the book, Neirin, is going to walk the Dark Path and needs the help of three bards. The Dark Path is a Druidic spiritual rite of passage. It is becoming a true bard. They go to the Island of Mon,The Ash Spear was "the symbol of warfare and manhood but also stood for awen, the poet's inspiration of the bards". I had to find this on researching because somehow I missed the definition in the book.I liked the saying after most chapters" O, my children, is a story for another day" which encourages the reader to keep reading. It was like a bard leaving you waiting.G. R. Grove does an excellent job of descriptions and helps the reader know where the characters are and what they feel. There are emotions, pain, food, drinks, people, daily lives and worry. I really liked this book and look forward to reading her other books. I give it a five star because of the details and leaving me to want to do more research.Go to the authors blog on treGwernin.blogspot.com to see what she is writing.Leona Olson
    • 4/5
      The Ash Spear by G. R. Grove is an entertaining fantasy novel with a lyrical, engaging narrative; it is a spirited book with a strong voice. The book is the third entry in the author’s Storyteller series (Storyteller and Flight of the Hawk being the others). I haven’t read the other books, but I found this novel stands on its own without confusing the reader on what went before. The Ash Spear is set in sixth century Britain and tells of the continuing adventures of the bard-in-training Gwernin as he encounters kings, politics, war and hardship. I was impressed with the setting and background; the author did impeccable research and the history is brought to life with magnificent detail.Written in the first person, the tale is spun with an effective tone, well flavoured in nuance and the right inflections. The narrating character is a genuine portrayal, coming across as a three-dimensional person with flaws. He was at various times amusing, heroic, irritating and unsympathetic, but always interesting. The book also does a nice job in depicting other characters and having them interact as a whole.The Ash Spear does have a few problems, with occasional lapses in grammar and some poorly compiled sentence structure in the beginning of the novel. Also, the author ended the chapters with the same sentence, which I found quite annoying and repetitive. The novel, perhaps, could have benefitted from a shorter length as well; while beautifully written, some of the scenes had expansive descriptive passages which caused the pace to meander a bit.Still, it was an enjoyable novel to read and appealing enough for me to consider reading the rest of the series.
    • 4/5
      A marked step up in quality from the 1st book (I skipped the 2nd entirely, though may go back and read it someday). Eminently readable as a standalone book. Gwernin is our still young hero, and apprentice bard. Having apparently spent last summer out on raids in the North, he is back home with his girl, and continuing his lessons. The plot remains very similar to that in the 1st book, where he tours around some of the settlements singing songs and telling stories for the various chieftens. Although the brushes with the supernatural still appear, they are more restrained and clearly marked in the story. The balance between gwernin's life experience sand tlaes/songs he tells is much improved, although the actual songs have been unnecessarily included - without music or score the impact is lost. What this book manages that the frist failed to do, is tell a cohesieve tale. This gives the story - even though still broken up by the annoying "tale for another day" ending of every chapter - better pacing and balance. It does flag a little bit in the middle, but not so much as to become boring. Gwernin still seems to live an idyllic life, without fear of disease or hunger, replete with easy women and warm clothes - but such is the lot of fantasy heros, even if historical evidence would suggest this was extremely rare.One added bonus is that the short section of caving was well described, portraying an accurate feel of being underground. Overal this is much better book than the first in the series, and probably good enough to induce me to read the later works.
    • 4/5
      I was lucky enough to receive the trilogy of books called Storyteller, Flight of the Hawk and Ash Spear. If you enjoy Jack White novels you will enjoy this trilogy. Set back in the mythical times of dragons and warriors and the main character who is a storyteller. We follow him as he learns from his master Talhaearn and competes in front of royalty against others to become a master. He starts out in Storyteller telling the story about King Arthur’s Raid on Hell.In the second novel, Flight of the Hawk, the young storyteller moves on to more adventures as he does in the Ash Spear. I was going to provide more information but quite frankly I don’t want to give anything away. I really enjoyed all three novels. They flowed from one to the other nicely and the best part, or I should say one of the best because there were many, is that at the end of the novel is a pronunciation guide for all of the rather difficult Welsh words as well as a wonderful postscript by the author that I almost wished was at the beginning of the novels as the pronunciation pages should have been as well. Some people may be put off by all the weird names and such but I promise if you stick with it the trilogy is well worth it.
    • 4/5
      Intially, I felt a little lost as not having read the first two books in the Storyteller Series, but as the story went on I became engrossed in the charactors and the setting. I love the time frame and the cultural references used. I will have to find the first two books and read them now.
    • 5/5
      As I finished G. R. Grove's The Ash Spear I found myself wishing for more. I want to know what adventures come next for The Storyteller, Gwernin. I find Gwernin's telling of his adventures as an interesting way to look at the history of this period of the British Isles and particularly Wales. This being the time of traditions and history being handled by the bards of the time it is an interesting way to give us a look at what life was like at this time. I found this volume a very good continuation of Gwernin's story that I started in the second of the trilogy, Flight of the Hawk. Though it is the third in the series the books do stand alone well, though I will now have to get the first to see how Gwernin's career as a storyteller started.I feel this gives us an good peek at what life at all levels was like during this period of history. It is a time hidden the mists because we have no real written record of what occurred at this time. We have only the stories and traditions that have been handed down to us. I believe Grove does and excellent job of weaving what is known with the traditions to give all a glimpse of what it would have been like to live at this time. From the position of the local kings down to what life would have been like for a slave of the time. I truly enjoyed reading this volume.My only wish is that some how the story of Gwernin will be continued in the future. I believe he has a lot to tell us as he continues his life as a bard in the early days of Wales and the surrounding area. Gwernin please tell us more. Of course that "is truly a story for another day.
    • 4/5
      I did not know this was book 3 when I started reading it, so I thought it strange how sparse the references to the prior history of the characters was.This historical fiction book comes across as being well researched and entertaining. The characters feel natural and the setting seems fine. The plot kind of meanders on, which I am somewhat ambivalent about. This means the plot feels like it follows a real person (why it follows just this person instead of somebody else isn't clear to me) but it also means there are short passages where the story doesn't really move anywhere.The author has some minor problems. The narrative is told from the main character's point of view instead of the normal omnipotent storyteller. The author sometimes makes too much of the description, something normal in writing but that doesn't feel natural when you keep in mind who is telling the tale. There were several instances where I thought that this isn't how you tell a story, this is how you write a story.Over all it was a book well worth reading, with some things such as the catch phrase at the end of each chapter "But that, O my children, is a story for another day" is something you either like or get annoyed by the repetition. Other thing such as using especial instead of extra or special made me stop and consider. Something that I don't see as good while in the middle of reading fiction.
    • 4/5
      Shortly after returning to his duties as bard apprentice, Gwernin again takes to the road, part of a war band seeking revenge and security. Gwernin's travels with his friend and bard Neirin are sprinkled with set pieces and anecdotes, an aspect of the series I've loved since the first book. Many such tales feature locations encountered along the trip, including abandoned Roman settlements and forts.In The Ash Spear, two themes helped distinguish this book from the previous two titles: Gwernin's initiation into Druidic wisdom, and his journey through (and time spent) in Saxon lands. Both fit the style of the series, but bring forward ideas and people only hinted at up to now. Grove notes her description of Druidic rites is, necessarily, invented for the most part, due to lack of strong evidence indicating what rites were used. I'm always interested in discussion of the meaning and significance of esoteric tradition, though, and while The Ash Spear builds upon the hints left in the previous books, the two main sections deal primarily with Druidic rite and Gwernin's experience of them. That fits the narrative voice, and while I am not expecting the detailed discussion available in such books as Schwaller de Lubicz's Her-Bak, I look forward to continued expansion of this side of Gwernin's character in future books.Gwernin's journey to Saxon lands were an unexpected and welcome treat. For me, the contrast between the Saxon farmstead in Deira and Gwernin's now-familiar place in Powys served as a parallel universe. There was very much that was similar between the two, remarked upon by Gwernin himself, but enough different that it cast into high relief the world Grove builds when describing mediaeval Wales.Finally, the book's perspective on war and military campaigns is refreshing. Once again, the overarching story is familiar from stories by Lamb and Pyle: a war party complete with infantry and cavalry rides out in defense of a threatened homeland, and there is opportunity for heroism and gallant adventure. For the most part, though, the heroism and adventure belong to others, not Gwernin. He rides in the pack train, and that makes a world of difference. A bit of the glamour rubs off, without it coming across like a lecture or modern moralising. A bit like hearing Hamlet's tale from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ....Like the previous two books, I will re-read The Ash Spear. It retains the strong sense of place and history established in the first books in the series, but is not so much "more of the same" (which would be welcome enough) as it is an extension into areas untouched or hinted at in the preceding stories.
    • 5/5
      Another excellent offering from GR Grove in the Storyteller Series. In the third book, we follow Gwernin as he partially attains his dream of travelling with Taliesin during the summer season. He has left his old master behind, as well as his pregnant love, for the pursuit of knowledge and adventure. As his predecessor and friend Neirin becomes a full bard and walks the Dark Path of the spirit realm, Gwernin must deal with his own adversity in the form of the spoiled son of an associate of Talhaearn and Taliesin. The conflict between the two eventually crests as Gwernin is captured while trying to protect the boy and jeopardizing all of his dreams and promises as well as nearly losing his life.My favorite part of this series is the format in which the author has chosen to present the story. Each of the chapters can stand on it's own as a complete tale, while at the same time being only a step in the larger story. As an unique and I'm sure at times difficult time period to write about, Grove has masterfully created a relatable world in 6th century Wales and characters who are endearing. I'm very pleased to learn that there will be a fourth entry in the Storyteller Series, and look forward to its release.
    • 5/5
      This is a series that has grown on me as I have read it. From the start it has been well researched and well written, with a wonderful sense of place in the narrative that sweeps the reader back in time to sixth century Wales. Maybe not quite as it actually was, because who can say how it was? but as good a re-creation of that historical setting as any I have read. The series follows Gwernin, a young storyteller in the generation after Arthur as he travels across the land, much of the time with Taliesin the bard. In this book the story becomes an adventure filled with dispute and rivalries and many a self contained short tale. It culminates in a thrilling adventure, through which the young storyteller comes of age. Whether that is the end of his tale is not clear, but it wraps things up in a satisfying manner for this book at least.The research is as good as the story here. We are treated to snippets from early medieval writings, and allusions to others. The Gododdin feature in this story (and I note that the author and I share a book containing that poetry, among others), and there are also allusions to Anglo Saxon literary tradition and just a snippet of Old English. All this adds wonderfully to that sense of place I mentioned.The author's historical note makes clear on one area where the story departs deliberately from the more commonly accepted view of the 6th Century bardic tradition - but again, as the notes say, the literary tradition is nevertheless not always supported by the archeological evidence. They don't call this the dark ages for nothing! So for the purposes of a good work of fiction, no one would quibble with the digression I think.So this book was an enjoyable read. It may be hard going for anyone unfamiliar with Welsh names and pronounciation, but that all adds to the flavour of the book. Anyone enjoying historical novels or celtic themes should enjoy this variation on the coming of age theme.
    • 3/5
      This is a well written book about Britain in the time of kings and bards. It is full of knowledge about the bardic life and the many cattle wars fought between minor kings, as well as slavery and farm life. I truly enjoyed reading this book. The only drawback was the last line of every chapter - it definitely took away from the story and really broke the flow.
    • 5/5
      This book tells the story of one summer in the life of Gwernin, an apprentice bard, who travels with Taliesin around various kingdoms of 6th century Britain. Gwernin's adventures have something for pretty much any type of reader of historical fiction. For those who like adventure and the thrill of the battle, Gwernin gets involved in troubles between the rival kingdoms. For those who are interested in spirituality, Gwernin's friend Neirin walks the 'dark path' to become a true bard and Gwernin begins his own spiritual journey later in the book. For those who like romance, there is Gwernin's newly maturing relationship with his sweetheart Rhianneth and for those who enjoy poetry there are the songs that the bards sing during their journey. This is the third in the Storyteller series, and there are often references to events of previous summers, which I assume are taken from the previous two novels. They don't get in the way however and I don't think that reading this will dull my enjoyment of the first two books when I go back to read them (with the exception of having the secure knowledge that certain characters will survive to make it to the next book!). I on't feel I really lost out in starting with the third book.I found it took a little while to get into the story – partly as I spent most of the first chapter flicking between the main story and the pronunciation guide/glossary in the back to try and get the hang of the Welsh names and words. While it was really useful to have this, it is written in some kind of ‘proper’ phonetics rather than ‘stupid person’ phonetics that I understand, so I was still mystified about a few pronunciations…After I had my head around that the story started to flow as Gwernin and his companions set out for Ynys Môn where Neirin would walk the ‘dark path’. This part of the story is not ‘realistic’, involving as it does characters taking part in each other’s dreams, but this fits into the rest of the story so well it was very easy to suspend my disbelief. Gwernin believed in what was happening and so did I and I never felt the book was crossing the line from historical fiction into fantasy, merely showing the reader that there wasn’t really such a line for our characters and this sort of ritual was a part of life (at least for bards anyway!).After this episode Gwernin never really stops, moving from adventure to adventure at a very fast pace. This kept my interest very well - I found I was really looking forward to the chance to read more each day. The only downside was that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for poor Rhianneth worrying at home!I also really enjoyed the poetry in this book, both in the poems and songs that Gwernin and friends perform for their numerous hosts and in the narration itself. Gwernin’s poetic voice comes through even when talking about the loss of his ‘trews’. It is at its best when he is describing his surroundings and the author uses this to create some beautiful images, for example the sea ‘silver-shining as a salmon in the sunlight’ was one of my favourites.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys either historical fiction or mythology (it fits well into both) and a poetic and yet so easy to read writing style. I’ll definitely be adding the two other books in the series to my wishlist (and any future ones, I hope there will be more as things are not entirely resolved at the end)
    • 5/5
      This is not a book I would normally have chosen, and at the beginning I worried about the very Welshness of it, the names in particular. I need not have worried. Once I had got used to the names, and seperated Talhaearn from Taliesin the story took over. It is the story of a trainee Bard in 6th century Wales, soon after the Romans had left, and reminded me strongly of Homer. The storyteller moving from court to court telling stories of the heroes in battle, and singing songs. It is the third part of a series but stands well on it's own. I haven't read the earlier ones, and had no problem following it. There is some element of the mystical, which would have put me off, but it is extremely well done. The only slight criticism I would have, and it is minor, is the time scale. The whole story takes place in less than the nine months necessary for a pregnancy, but the feeling is of much longer. It took me until the end to realise just what is meant by an ash spear! I leave that to the reader!