The only thing this book has in common with the first two books is that it features anthropomorphic animals but it contains none of the whimsy or sweetness of ...Willows and if you’re one of those people who can’t help but well up when you hear Bright Eyes then this book will have you reaching for the cheap whiskey and razorblades.

Duncton Wood is the first novel by English author William Horwood. It is the first of a six-volume fantasy series of the same name. And there were parts of it that were beautiful: Cairn and Rebecca's story; the loving descriptions of Duncton Wood, which is near where the author lives; the first journey through the Chamber of Roots. There were parts that were horrible, horrible: Rune, Rebecca's litter, Mandrake's birth, the marsh, Skeat, the plague. Descriptions that awed with their imagination, power,and ability to paint the picture in the mind: The Ancient System and the Chamber of Dark Sound, and particularly Siabod--part of it may have been our very effective central air conditioning, but Siabod was truly chilling and I saw and felt its unforgiving heights very vividly. Religion of Evil: The Word in the first trilogy, and the Newborns in the second. Basically, any religion other than the Stone is one of these. Messianic Archetype: Beechen, although his teachings lend themselves more towards Buddhism than Christianity.Such is the nature of this story and the animals that live in Duncton Wood are definitely involved. As they deal with all sorts of contenders around them they do what they can to try and survive. They may have their differences but they try to do what they can to try and make it through by relying on the mole system.

This story is set in the countryside of England and will take you on a wild ride of enchantment. Follow this story into a world both mysterious and dark where the moles live. There is always a war that is going on between evil and good, and only the light or the dark can win. It’s not all bad, though. It is a genuinely powerful fantasy epic and it’s very well written (although Horwood could do with showing a bit more often and telling a bit less, particularly when it comes to character traits). The world building in particular is very good.But the source of the evil that spreads through Duncton lies not only in Mandrake but in the growing disinterest in the rites and traditions that surround the now deserted standing Stone that was once the heart of the system itself. Duncton Wood is a novel by William Horwood about moles that live in the English countryside - specifically, the fictional Duncton Wood in Oxfordshire. The moles revere and worship monoliths and standing stones, and, as such, many mole communities are founded around them. Though his characterisation of the daily and emotional life of the moles of Moledom is undoubtedly masterful (and remains so throughout the series), in Duncton wood the overall social structures and traditions that make up the society feel far less well emphasized and drawn than in later books. This is particularly of note since political power play by the manipulative Rune, and the decline of religious ritual are two major themes of the novel, yet neither feels as real here as later in the series. We are told for instance that the Duncton council of Elders did "business" at their meetings, but not of what nature that business is, or really what the elders did at all. I often get the impression in Duncton wood that the so called "tyrannical rule" of Rebecca's father Mandrake and certain other evil characters wasn't so much a rule as simply said moles going around beating up those who disagreed with them.

The tunnels of the moles create a perfect metaphor for this winding long winded text. Moles wander in and out of the plot, characters shift personality with no reason other than, literally, magic.

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Villainous Crush: Rune has a rather creepy obsession with young Rebecca. And it's implied that he still lusts after her when they both have reached old age. The writing is a pleasure to read and the author is not afraid to face the 'realities' of life for a small country mammal like a mole, with beloved characters being killed off with little emotion but a great deal of effectiveness. If certain elements of the ending seem a little contrived and designed more to provide a false sense of completeness than anything else, well I can forgive the author those small mis-steps.

Heroic BSoD: Rebbecca briefly falls into one in the first book after Mandrake kills her first newborn litter. The answer lies, as it turns out, and, as is so often the case, in thinking outside the square; inspired and inventive thinking. The Union space has been converted into a dark, forbidding place – with flashes of greenery and the dappled, general sense of a wood splendidly evoked by simple cloths and hanging material. The lighting is exceptional, creating darkness of the complete kind, as well as darkness of the more subtle kind. From the very out, there is a clear sense of “other” established, and as proceedings continue, the style of playing and presentation draws deeply on notions of druidic and pagan rituals. He has also written two novels on a stand alone basis that combine the lives of eagles and humans. These include “The Stonor Eagles” novel along with “Callandish”, as well as a duology (Wolves of Time). He wrote a fictional novel in 1987 titled Skallagrigg that was adapted into a film by the BBC in 1994. It is a story about trust, love, disability, and more. The cast of 16 is exceptional and, with only one slight reservation, superbly and convincingly portrays the Duncton Wood moles. There are some outstanding turns.The worship of the Stone colours every little part of this book, which Horwood declares in his notes at the end is an allegory - probably for pagan worship. I understand that this only increases in the future books of the series, which disappoints me, because I found it a little too preachy. Yet, in spite of my complaints, I repeat, this isn't a bad book. It's okay, if a little too slow in parts. It's just that it felt that with more confident handling and sharper editing, it could have been so much better. I think the main issue is that the characters just don't grasp you, which is odd in such a long book. It felt like the book had ended three times and you find yourself thinking 'huh... Well that wasn't that great' and then it just seems to keep going. So much so that I'll be honest, by the second half I was resenting how drawn out it was and I was just hoping the moles would die already so the book would end.