The Dark Thorn

by Shawn Speakman

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: The Annwn Cycle (Novel 1)

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Beneath the streets of Seattle, a long-forgotten war is about to be renewed....Richard McAllister, a spiritually destitute homeless man and Knight of the Yn Saith, protects one of seven portals linking his world to that of Annwn, where the fey Tuatha de Dannan of antiquity have been relegated by a long-running religious war.Unknown to Richard though, powerful forces are aligning against him and all he stands to keep safe. In the wilds of a discarded world, Philip Plantagenet, son of Henry II, moves to claim a birthright nine centuries in the making, one that drives him to eliminate the Tuatha de Dannan--at any cost to both worlds. In the halls of Vatican City, Cardinal Vicar Cormac Pell O'Connor schemes to control the Heliwr--the Unfettered Knight--one who possesses the great power known as the Dark Thorn.The three men are on a collision course with history--and their futures.For in the wilds of Annwn, death comes as easily as magic.Haunted by a past he can't forget and a knightly responsibility he can't shun, Richard is drawn into levels of machination--and two worlds--far darker than any he has prepared for.… (more)

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I liked it. It was interesting, and involved the Fey, which is a theme I really love reading about. I'm not usually a fan of real world/fantasy crossovers that link our world with another. That being said, Terry Brooks' [b:Faerie Tale|43919|Faerie Tale|Raymond E. Feist|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333533404s/43919.jpg|1285020]remains one of my all time favourites.

Shawn Speakman's story kept me coming back, the characters were interesting...I'll definitely look for his next book when it comes out. (

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Zehava42 | Jan 23, 2024 |

The Dark Thorn is an urban fantasy story with a profound basis in Arthurian legend, Celtic mythology, and the Catholic church. While I had a few quibbles, it's a fine start to what I hope will be a series of the Yn Saith knights.
Richard McAllister is the knight guarding the Seattle portal to the land of Annwn, where the fairie world was forced by humans centuries ago. A wide variety of characters, both Seelie and Unseelie, live there. Philip Plantagenet, son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine is also there, sent by his father in a Crusade to conquer the land. However, he now has plans for further conquests aided by a vast army of halfbreeds and Templar knights. Bran is a young homeless man who crosses paths with Richard and accompanies him to Annwn to meet with the forces opposing Philip. Meanwhile, the Vatican is also making moves, wanting to keep Annwn secret from the rest of the world.
Mr. Speakman does a fine job interweaving Arthurian and Celtic tales, and I very much enjoyed those book sections. His history wasn't quite as successful; I'd argue that Henry II had a tempestuous relationship with the Church and only gave Crusader vows as reparation for the murder of Thomas Becket. And a son, Philip, comes from one doubtful source and probably died young if he existed. These are quibbles; this is a fantasy, after all.
Also, I wouldn't say I liked the character of Deidre. She seemed too modern for a woman in a fantasy/medieval-ish world, and the love triangle didn't work for me.
As I said previously, I'd like to see the series continued. Annwn is an exciting world, and I could see revisiting it. (

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N.W.Moors | Sep 17, 2023 |

The Dark Thorn is a nice blend of our gritty contemporary world and one just out of sight, where magic and mystical creatures meet in narrow alleys and dark basements. The story not only meshes action and magic into our contemporary setting, but it also has a religious angle that adds one more layer of depth into a book that is hard to put down once it's opened. The plot is well paced, and the characters well developed. There's also a fine balance between the character's interactions that makes the reader believe in them. If you're looking for a book that contains a bit of magic and legend, but still fits into today's world then The Dark Thorn is probably what you are looking for. (

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bretjordan | Feb 6, 2013 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Shawn Speakman	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Charpentier, Russ	Maps	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Lockwood, Todd	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
McGhee, Rachelle Longe	Designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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The Dark Thorn

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The Dark Thorn

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Epigraph

"Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven." -- John Milton, Paradise Lost

"We each owe a death, there are no exceptions." -- Stephen King, The Green Mile

Dedication

For Terry and Judine Brooks, Who Believed

For Richard and Kathy Speakman, Who Loved

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Beneath the streets of Seattle, a long-forgotten war is about to be renewed....Richard McAllister, a spiritually destitute homeless man and Knight of the Yn Saith, protects one of seven portals linking his world to that of Annwn, where the fey Tuatha de Dannan of antiquity have been relegated by a long-running religious war.Unknown to Richard though, powerful forces are aligning against him and all he stands to keep safe. In the wilds of a discarded world, Philip Plantagenet, son of Henry II, moves to claim a birthright nine centuries in the making, one that drives him to eliminate the Tuatha de Dannan--at any cost to both worlds. In the halls of Vatican City, Cardinal Vicar Cormac Pell O'Connor schemes to control the Heliwr--the Unfettered Knight--one who possesses the great power known as the Dark Thorn.The three men are on a collision course with history--and their futures.For in the wilds of Annwn, death comes as easily as magic.Haunted by a past he can't forget and a knightly responsibility he can't shun, Richard is drawn into levels of machination--and two worlds--far darker than any he has prepared for.

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Beneath the streets of Seattle, a long-forgotten war is about to be renewed…

Richard McAllister, a spiritually destitute homeless man and Knight of the Yn Saith, protects one of seven portals linking his world to that of Annwn, where the fey Tuatha de Dannan of antiquity have been relegated by a long-running religious war.

Unknown to Richard though, powerful forces are aligning against him and all he stands to keep safe. In the wilds of a discarded world, Philip Plantagenet, son of Henry II, moves to claim a birthright nine centuries in the making, one that drives him to eliminate the Tuatha de Dannan—at any cost to both worlds.

In the halls of Vatican City, Cardinal Vicar Cormac Pell O’Connor schemes to control the Heliwr—the Unfettered Knight—one who possesses the great power known as the Dark Thorn.

The three men are on a collision course with history—and their futures.

For in the wilds of Annwn, death comes as easily as magic.

Haunted by a past he can’t forget and a knightly responsibility he can’t shun, Richard is drawn into levels of machinations—and two worlds—far darker than any he has prepared for.

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