A review by neurodivengeance
The Chestnut Soldier by John Keating, Jenny Nimmo

3.0

I feel sad that the trilogy is over! Reading these makes me feel conflicted, I love the legends and the use of dates (Gwyn's birthday is on Samhain!! And I'm p sure Nain's is on the Summer Solstice, it's so PERF). But when I'm reading them I also feel ... scared? Haunted? These words don't quite fit but I don't know which words do. Maybe it makes me feel like a child. There's so often a scary man being monstrous ... a scary Welsh man being monstrous - so maybe I find it a bit triggering? But not in a way that negates me enjoying it, or getting good stuff out of it. But it means that I am giving this a three even though it was an important book for me and my inner children, because the rating scale is of 'enjoyment' - 'I liked it' rather than 'I really liked it.' I can't say I *liked* it. I loved bits, some bits made me feel expansive and joyful. Other bits made me want to fold myself as small as possible.