The Druid's Tune by O.R. Melling

The Druid's Tune is by the author of the somewhat well-known series called The Chronicles of Faerie (which are a superb read, aged late elementary school/ early high school, but is really fun for all ages).

This story features a young brother and sister, Jimmy and Rosemary, who are sent to live with their aunt and uncle in Ireland for the summer. While neither are too pleased to be sent away from their friends on their break from school, they decide to try to make the best of what seems to surely be a boring couple of weeks on a farm in some small Irish backwater town. When they arrive they find a very kind and friendly aunt and uncle awaiting the pair at the farm, as well as a strange farm hand hired by their uncle. They sneak out one night, see this farm hand walking toward the small lake near their uncle's property, and decide to follow him. The man begins singing and the two children are knocked unconscious. As it happens, that man was a druid, and by his power they've been transported back in time or between universes to the infamous Queen Maeve's army as she and her men are undertaking The Cattle Raid of Cooley. Along with this figure, Jimmy and Rosemary also meet up with the hero Cúchulainn, the hound of Ulster. Through various bouts of time/ space travel these two bear witness to one of the most well-known epics in Irish folklore, and do their part to help out where they can.

This book was a great read, not only because the character's and plot had some substance, but because it is one of those books that will get kids interested in history and folklore. This story is taken right out of Celtic mythology, The Cattle Raid of Cooley or the Tain Bo Cuailnge is one of the national epic myths in the Irish tradition. If you are unfamiliar, it is on the same scale as The Odyssey or The Aeneid; Cúchulainn would be like an Achilles, the guy Brad Pitt played in Troy. Irish epics aren't as well known as Grecian/ Roman/ English epics, but are just as good, and books like this one will inspire young people, and old people, to look up some of those old stories and educate themselves about times past and people gone.

Aside from inspiring some self-educating, the book was actually a decent read. I was a little bit worried when I figured out that they were going to relive this tale because I didn't want the author to ride on the coattails of the epic and just have some modern-day kids there to put in some wise crack remarks to keep the audience semi interested. Thankfully Melling is a talented author and our protagonists can stand on their own two feet. We actually learn little more than the basics about the myth itself because the author is too busy developing characters and relationships to fill the reader in on a presumably missing literature lesson. Rosemary and Jimmy are both good characters. Gutsy and head-strong, but full of heart. The only issue I'd have is how little trouble the pair had in adjusting to life in the bronze age. The druid is also an interesting character as he seems to be trying to find himself, or enlightenment, for the entire story.

Melling has a talent for inspiring an interest in Celtic myth and legend, in all of her books, not just this one. I suggest you try to read as many as you can get a hold of.

http://www.ormelling.com/index.html

Dragon Force

I loved this game growing up. It's an amazing strategy game with just enough of a story line to not make it all about telling soldiers where to go. It's not very plot based at all which is great, you can really do whatever you want, but there is enough structure to give the player an objective.

There are 8 characters in total, each is a monarch and a master of one of the different types of soldiers you can use in the game. The objective is to pick one of the characters and conquer the whole world. You have a limited number of troops and you have to decide where you will send them, and what kind of soldiers you will send where. Each class has an opposing class that they have an advantage over, and one that has an advantage over them. When you choose a character to send into battle you have to take into consideration how their class will fare against your opponent.

When you first play the game you can only choose 6 of the 8 characters, but after you beat the game once you can unlock the other two characters to select them. Each monarch is different and so every time you play you'll have different strengths and weaknesses which will probably keep you entertained for a good while. Even after beating the game with all 8 characters, I sometimes went back to replay it, it's really that good. You can change your strategy every time you play too... it's a really versatile game.

As a player you do not actually fight with any of your characters. You just play the role of an overseeing general. You tell who to go where and give the commands in battle, but you never actually bloody your own hands. It's more of a thinking game then a first person combat game.

It's amazing and I recommend you try getting your hands on it, or playing it at least once if you can.