My nameâs Drew Macleod and I can use galdr. Whatâs galdr? Youâd probably call it magic. Iâm growing my skills, with the âhelpâ of Archer. Heâs a grumpy git, but heâs the last remaining daemon, so who else is going to protect Edinburgh from all the bad stuff out there? The angelii? Donât make me laugh. If people in the city knew what was going on out of their sight theyâd wet themselves and the angelii are as powerful as half-drowned kittens. So itâs down to Archer and I to fend off maras, shades, ĂŚlves and all the rest of the nasties out there. Thereâs Garm, but he manifests as a small, scruffy dog, so his help is limited to sarcastic advice. Thank heavens for Alyssum and Traggheim, herbalist and dweorg artisan respectively. And Jamie, the best mate I accidentally dragged into all this with me.
Wyrm-galdr is the second book in the popular parallel realm series. This original and imaginative series allows a quirky cast characters to lead us into a hidden and dangerous world. The contemporary setting and the richness of the characters holds attention in fast-paced and witty writing, full of plot twists and quirky details.
My nameâs Drew Macleod and I can use galdr. Whatâs galdr? Youâd probably call it magic. Iâm growing my skills, with the âhelpâ of Archer. Heâs a grumpy git, but heâs the last remaining daemon, so who else is going to protect Edinburgh from all the bad stuff out there? The angelii? Donât make me laugh. If people in the city knew what was going on out of their sight theyâd wet themselves and the angelii are as powerful as half-drowned kittens. So itâs down to Archer and I to fend off maras, shades, ĂŚlves and all the rest of the nasties out there. Thereâs Garm, but he manifests as a small, scruffy dog, so his help is limited to sarcastic advice. Thank heavens for Alyssum and Traggheim, herbalist and dweorg artisan respectively. And Jamie, the best mate I accidentally dragged into all this with me.
Wyrm-galdr is the second book in the popular parallel realm series. This original and imaginative series allows a quirky cast characters to lead us into a hidden and dangerous world. The contemporary setting and the richness of the characters holds attention in fast-paced and witty writing, full of plot twists and quirky details.
A great-uncle of mine once said something that stuck in my memory. He was a grouchy old scrote, and I only met him twice, but he made an impression when he told me that, during his army service, they used to talk about âhurry up and waitâ. Theyâd get all geared up for action and then nothing would happen. Or else theyâd be in the thick of battle and then suddenly theyâd be pulled back. Hurry up and wait. It was exactly how I felt, listlessly staring out of the window of my old town flat at the grey tenements above Edinburghâs High Street.
The flat was over the shop belonging to the clockmaker and extraordinary galdr-artisan Traggheim. The old dweorg himself lived in the extensive basement, where he felt more comfortable, dweorgs being what in less enlightened times might be called dwarves.
As I stared out at the drab city, my flatmate Jamie came trundling out of his room, his dressing-gown half-open to reveal a chest covered in ginger thatch. He scratched himself and shook his head at my lethargy.
âStill mooching about, Drew?â he asked.
âIâve polished every brass gadget and thingummy in Traggheimâs shop and workshop, and Iâm fed up,â I said. âI want to do something. Something worthwhile, for heavenâs sake.â
âAw, whoâs missing Ashnil then?â he said, poking me in the ribs. In just a few weeks, Iâd tripped into the parallel realm, learned galdr-skills and been through a whirlwind of fights and travels, dragging in Jamie and falling in love on the way. But Ashnil was an angel â an angelus, and weâd agreed to give each other some space whilst we worked out how our relationship might work. Or even if it could.
âYou know I am,â I said. âBut thatâs not the reason Iâm fed up, as you know.â
Jamie was busy putting the kettle on. âYou think too much. Coffee?â
âNo thanks, Iâve had three cups already.â
âThat explains the crankiness, then.â
The crash of the shop door being flung open was followed by the sound of someone stamping up the stairs.
âHave you pissed anyone off recently?â asked Jamie, stirring his cup.
Alyssum burst through the door. Youâd think a herbalist would be a gentle soul, but Alyssum in full fury is something to behold, and itâs definitely not something you want to be on the receiving end of. Jamie and I exchanged nervous glances.
Alyssum stood with legs apart, hands on her hips and eyes flashing with anger. Her frizzy hair was loosely tied back, and her upturned nose was shiny, always a danger sign.
âWhat the hell is going on in this town?â she demanded, glaring at me. âAnd what are you going to do about it?â
âErr, Iâm sorry, Alyssum, but Iâve no idea what youâre talking about.â
âBloody typical! Those wretched angelii are rampaging about the city, doing whatever they like and harassing innocent citizens whilst you and the blasted daemon do nothing about it. Whatâs the point in having people with galdr-skills if you donât bloody use them?â
I took my life in my hands and interrupted the flow. âOK, Alyssum, I get youâre annoyed, but you need to take a breath and tell us whatâs wrong and what Archerâs done this time. Or not done.â Archer was our daemon friend â powerful, unpredictable and often downright awkward.
With perfect timing, Jamie slid a cup of coffee in front of her, and she reluctantly perched on the edge of a shabby armchair.
The door creaked, and Traggheim peered around it tentatively. âAh, I thought I heard your voice, Alyssum,â said the dweorg, peering over his dusty spectacles. âItâs charming to see you. How are you?â
I intervened quickly. âWeâre finding that out, Traggheim.â
âCoffee?â asked Jamie mischievously, knowing that Traggheim considered coffee-drinking to be an odd modern habit, to be treated with extreme suspicion.
âThank-you, no,â he replied, trying to disguise a grimace.
During this exchange, Alyssum had been simmering and now returned to the boil. âA bloody witchâs mark! A hag-mark!â she burst out. âTheyâve put a hag-mark on my shop door!â
âCheeky bastards,â said Jamie, stirring his coffee vigorously.
âYouâre sure the angelii did this?â I asked.
âWho else would do it? Theyâve been full of themselves since the carnifex locked up Obadiah. Theyâve been spinning it as their saving the day, rather than you. You know that, donât you?â
I did, but didnât want to re-open that particular can of worms.
âAhh. Hmm,â said Traggheim. âWould it be fair to say that Archer has not approached this matter with the level of vigour and seriousness you hoped for, Alyssum?â
âHe laughed,â said Alyssum, thumping the chair arm in frustration, and scowled as a small cloud of dust arose. âDonât you two ever clean this place?â
âDrewâs getting very good at polishing brass,â said Jamie unhelpfully. âCan someone explain what a hag-mark is?â
Alyssum looked at Jamie appraisingly and, not for the first time, I thought it was high time the two of them got together.
âSuperstitious people,â spat Alyssum, âused to put witchâs marks or hag-marks on doorways and fireplaces to prevent witches from entering their homes. And now those imbeciles have scored one into the frame of my door.â
âBut if itâs just superstition, whatâs the drama?â asked Jamie. He hastily held up his hands to Alyssum. âI know, I know itâd bad manners and bloody annoying, but does it really do any harm?â
âItâs not the mark itself thatâs the problem. Itâs what it symbolises.â I looked at Traggheim for confirmation, and he slowly nodded.
âJust so, Drew. The mark itself is meaningless superstition. But for the angelii to have put one there is a sign of their increased confidence. Iâm surprised Archer was so flippant about it. It could easily be taken as a declaration of war.â
âIâll declare war on them myself when Iâve finished repainting that door,â declared Alyssum. She frowned at Jamie. âShouldnât you be getting ready for your first day by now?â
âLots of time,â said Jamie, looking slightly hunted.
âNo, you havenât,â she said. âBecause when youâre ready, youâre to come to my shop, so I can check you over.â
The look on Jamieâs face was so much like a small boy caught out that I had to stifle a laugh, but Alyssumâs basilisk stare quickly silenced it.
âIâve got things to be doing,â said Alyssum. âIâve no time to sit about, like some. But hear this.â She glared at each of us in turn. âI want something done about the angelii.â With that, she marched out, and a moment later, we heard the shop door bang.
âA first day?â enquired Traggheim curiously. âAt some manner of employment?â
âAlyssum wants me to âdo something with myself,â so I applied to do a business management traineeship,â said Jamie, in a tone which suggested heâd prefer to poke needles into his eyeballs.
âIf youâre reluctant, why not simply tell Alyssum so?â asked Traggheim.
âI wondered that too,â I said. âIs it because you fancy her, or because youâre scared of her? Or both?â
I ducked as Jamieâs teaspoon sailed past my head. âThatâs what I thought!â
Traggheim deftly caught the teaspoon and laid it on the table. âI believe you might also benefit from worthwhile occupation, Drew. There is a curious trend in galdr activity in Stockbridge, which I feel merits investigation.â
âDoesnât Archer want to deal with it?â I asked. Archer had been cold towards me ever since he had escaped from imprisonment, and the daemon believed that I could have done more to help him escape sooner. Since then, weâd mostly communicated via Traggheim or Alyssum.
âHe told me to âlet the boy play with it,â Iâm afraid.â Traggheimâs cough of embarrassment was lost in a burst of enthusiasm from Jamie.
âThatâs great. I could help you,â he gushed.
âOh no you donât,â I told him. âYouâre not putting me in the frame for giving you an excuse. Youâre going to work, pal oâmine.â
The touchpaper is lit, the firework is burning bright, and Drew Macleod is inextricably entangled in the workings of the beautiful, but dangerous Parallel Realm. He has inherited powerful galdr from his ancestors and bargained for even more of it from the ancient wyrm that lives in his head. Now, he must learn how to wield his power to protect innocent galdr-folc and eliminate the many things that go bump in the night and misuse their magic for evil. However, there is a lot that Drew still doesnât know about the Parallel Realm and the many species that inhabit it.
Drewâs mentor is the gruff, cigar-smoking, whisky-loving daemon Archer, whose relationship with Drew is somewhat strained after the events of the first book, when Drew failed to save him from captivity as early as he could have. But Archer has always been unpredictable and reluctant to show any emotion other than anger and impatience. There, as always, is the feisty herbalist Alyssum, with a temper to match Archerâs, but also with an endlessly kind and compassionate side, tending to people like she tends to her beloved plants. She has a special will-they-wonât-they relationship with Drewâs best friend Jamie, a loyal and easygoing young man who has been entangled in the Parallel Realm despite not having galdr. Not that he minds, especially after having met Alyssum. Working away on the latest gadget to help the team is the dweorg artisan Traggheim, a steadfast and rational presence. And, of course, Garm, the ancient and venerable being living in the body of a Jack Russell Terrier, is never far behind, and is probably offended that the character list didnât feature him first.
Drew seems to have far more trouble with the angelii than trying to figure things out with his kind of girlfriend, Ashnil. After witnessing the unseemly behavior of the leader of the angelii, Jophiel, Ashnil decided to leave her kin and process things for a while. However, beyond some questionable leadership decisions, the angelii have started behaving in a way unbefitting to a species that claims to be pure and wholesome. As Archer directs Drew to start investigating the seemingly random spikes of galdr and the acts of vandalism and bullying committed by the angelii, Drew also has to develop his own galdr and face the painful parts of his past that have helped shape him.
The new installment in the series absolutely stays true to the tone set in the first book, with humorous banter, exploration of folklore and local Edinburgh history. At the same time, the characters gain more depth and layers, and some more serious themes are explored, such as equality among the galdr-folc, discrimination, exploitation and abuse of power. Drew also muses on the moral lines he wants to draw when using his galdr, and the conversation he has with Archer on the topic is very compelling.
Even more quirky characters populate the pages as new species of galdr-folc are revealed. In the authorâs signature style, there is always a twist on the way beings such as witches and vampyrs are perceived in popular culture. Two absolute standouts are The Librarian, as well as the irresistibly hilarious image of the angelii getting business advice on how to run their organization and getting lost in corporate jargon.
Itâs always a delight to spend time in this vividly imagined world and share in the exciting, emotional and occasionally hysterically funny journey through the Parallel Realm.