Too far-fetched for me.

Merlin's Wood is the fourth Mythago book. In this volume we follow Martin, coming back to France, to the edge of Broceliande, the forest of his childhood, for his mother's funeral. Four days later, his foster sister Rebecca arrives back from Australia, after years spent with Aborigenes, following songlines.

As children, Martin and Rebecca were secretly in love. Meeting now as adults, they finally give in to their feelings and a baby, Daniel, is born. When he realizes the infant is deaf, dumb and blind, Martin is devastated. However, the child will slowly recover his senses over the years... to Rebecca's expense. At first unable to remember songs, she will then lose her voice, and her sight, until mother and child disappear in Broceliande and drown in a pool.

Soon Martin realizes it was none other than Merlin and Vivien's undead spirits playing with his wife and son's bodies. The second half of the book is almost entirely dedicated to Merlin telling his tale.

I didn't like this fourth volume much and found it rather boring. To me, the plot was too far-fetched and again lacked the magical, "foresty" atmosphere of the first book. I actually much preferred the two short stories (Earth and Stone, about a man witnessing the creation of Newgrange in Ireland, and The Silvering, about Selkies) appended to the end of the book. John Howe told me Gate of Ivory was better... I hope he's right.

6/10