kbuchanan's review
5.0
As always, Mackay Brown's writing is just stunning. Rich and atmospheric, with here an approach to time that fascinates and mystifies in equal measure. One of the stories here states that Time "walks the islands in a coat of green," and it does seem that Time itself works as a character in these narratives. From the tiniest minutiae of everyday life, one is suddenly tossed into the whirlwind of mythic time, ages spinning by in seconds give a glimpse of a much larger tapestry on a loom of ever-weaving years. The rugged magic of the Orkneys abounds in each one of these tales. This collection is just gobsmackingly good.
itsneverbecky's review
4.0
The overarching thread that weaves through this collection is of the passage of time. The prose is lyrical, at times it felt as monumental as the Orkneyinga Saga. A great book for winter.
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