The Dark Age (series)

Novel trilogy by Mark Chadbourn
the Mark Chadbourn novels

The Dark Age is a trilogy by Mark Chadbourn set around the beginning of the third millennium. While the previous series was a clear fantasy story, this has strings of gothic horror and existentialism woven into it. The three books are:

The Devil in Green (2002)
The Queen of Sinister (2004)
The Hounds of Avalon (2005)

Although not a direct sequel to The Age of Misrule, it is a continuation of the world established by the end of this trilogy, the events of which are referred to as the Fall. It is followed by the Kingdom of the Serpent. At first the books appear to be standalone novels, however ultimately they weave together to form one larger story, as sub plots and themes coalesce in the final book, and only by reading that can you see how it all holds together. They do not need to be read in order of publication, although The Hounds of Avalon does bring together the characters from the other two and is set after the events of The Queen of Sinister and The Devil in Green. This trilogy fits into a much bigger jigsaw, a sprawling story that covers two thousand years of history, multiple mythologies and two worlds, through The Age of Misrule and the Kingdom of the Serpent again, the stories stand separately but a greater perception comes from reading all. The Devil in Green has been described as "a sumptuous feast of fairytale, magic, dark gothic horror and romance." All through his books Chadbourn buries archetypes, specifically those of Jung, to get across his ideas and tap into the subconscious. He has the Hero, The Great Mother The Wise old man The Trickster and the Child subtly underpinning his characters. But he makes sure his characters are real and flawed. His heroes are not stereotypical high born achievers but ordinary individuals from normal or hard backgrounds. When interviewed about this series he has said:

I've studied and read about archetypes for years. Jung believed they were elemental forces that we tapped into and we could control them, or maybe they controlled us. In a way, they are the elemental spirits and spiritual beliefs some religions have at their core. Stories force you to look at what is really important in life what it is to be a human being in the modern world. To consider, on a very basic level, the differences between good and evil and the reasons why human values are important. To consider why you're doing what you're doing, to look at the subtext of life, to consider life as a story and rather than just see the surface, to look at the meaning beneath. I've kept this in mind throughout all my books|Mark Chadbourn

The trilogy is set in Britain and the Otherworld or Far Lands. Technology is failing and magic has returned along with armies of mythical creatures, and Faerie folk from the Otherworld. Everyday people face the hardships of living in a world with little law and order, poor communications and a Government that is struggling to maintain power. Travelling is fraught with danger of attack from creatures and monsters from the Otherworld. Within the cities gang rule is taking place and it is never safe to venture out after dark. Mark Chadbourn uses the gods of Celtic mythology referred to as the Tuatha Dé Danann within his books and the idea that Ley lines and ancient sites such as Stone Henge are connections to, and areas of, the Earth's energy which he calls the Blue Fire. The ancient sites act as gateways to the Otherworld. He draws on the theories of Brane cosmology to create a multiverse, where time in one dimension moves at a different rate from another; one hour in our world could be days or weeks in another.

General themes of the trilogy are the core issues of our own Dark Ages faith, plague/illness, war/politics. The books strip away the trappings of modern society to see how we would cope against the great challenges of life without our support network. The books look at the fallibility of human nature, and at what can happen when different beliefs clash. They also question the wisdom of those who seek power attaining it. The idea of an Afterlife is also included.