Ancient tales of magic and mystery retold by one the UK's finest storytellers
Tree of Leaf and Flame, published by Pont Books, is award-winning storyteller, Daniel Morden's unique take on the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, an intertwining set of tales from the Middle Ages. Mysterious and dreamlike, they link two worlds: the everyday world we all inhabit, and Annwn, a magic Otherworld where nothing is as it seems.
Tales of bold warriors, resourceful wives and scheming spellbinders are sure to cast a spell over the reader just as they do the storyteller himself. And what better way to enjoy these strange and fascinating tales than through the words of a storyteller who earns his living travelling Wales – just as the professional bards and troubadours did all those years ago?
When asked what inspired him to write this book, Daniel Morden's response was "I wanted to write a book I would have enjoyed reading when I was 10. I wanted to make these haunting, thrilling stories available to the young people I meet during my schools visits."
As well as being suitable for children of 9 years and older, Tree of Leaf and Flame also offers an accessible and unique take on the tales of The Mabinogi for adults. The book includes a useful pronunciation guide that uses common English words and syllables to help non-Welsh speakers pronounce names of characters and places.
The striking scraperboard style illustrations by Brett Breckon convey perfectly the double nature of Daniel's tales, that interplay of light and dark and good and evil which characterises the tales from the Mabinogi.
The book is illustrated by Brett Breckon in the striking scraperboard style which attracted such praise in the companion volume Dark Tales from the Woods, published by Pont in 2006.
