Celtic Warriors and Talisman

Talisman by Tam DeRudder Jackson is a mix of romance, mystery, and fantasy. It gives a new energy to Celtic Mythology in modern literature and revives favorite fantastical characters like Morrigan (our antagonist who delivers warriors and their talismans to the other world).

Alyssa, the protagonist, is a studious college student lacking any wild streak while she spends much of her time working on her thesis that of course has to do with Celtic mythology. She reminds me of the song Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson (though I highly doubt she listens to this sort of music) as well as Bella Swan from the Twilight saga. She is painted as an immensely stubborn individual who would rather do things herself than rely on a man for help. She believes herself to be mundane and boring because of past relationships as well as because of the beauty of her best friend, Ceri. These are common tropes in novels, but Tam DeRudder Jackson uses them as a plot tool to decrease the likelihood of Alyssa believing she is possibly a part of the magical world that is revealed to her the stunningly handsome Rowan. Alyssa is thrown into a fantastical world that appears to be straight from her thesis work. She tries to reason with the mythical warriors that disguise themselves as common everyday men who work for a security business, but of course it is a bit of a shock. Like Bella in Twilight trying to come to terms with the fact that vampires and werewolves exist, Alyssa must accept the existence of Druids, Celtic warriors, and goddesses.

Like Bella Swan, Alyssa learns that sometimes she does need assistance. The world is larger than she is. The realization that she can’t overcome everything on her own gives her a new power that could easily be overlooked. Vulnerability is a strength that many characters in today’s literature do not possess as it is often looked at as a weakness. Strength comes in the ability to trust which is something Alyssa is forced to do when a stranger moves into her home (without any input from her) and she has to believe that he and her family can teach her the tools she needs to save her life (as well as Rowan’s).

Tam DeRudder Jackson does a wonderful job of recreating our world as home to the magical. The play of the goddesses, who really treat modern humans as mice in their maze, is entertaining for the reader, but terrifying for the characters. The trio of goddesses are humorous villains, but also deadly. I enjoyed the use of strong female characters.

The author uses strong description to paint the world in which Alyssa and Rowan exist. The reader can picture the beautiful tapestries hanging in modern homes and the dainty bookmarks held in Rowan’s large calloused hands. When she writes of Alyssa’s home it as though the reader is stepping inside the pages. When Rowan looks around Alyssa’s home so does the reader. We see the “three small, but stunning, glass sculptures, one on the coffee table in front of the love seat and one each on the end tables bracketing the love seat…one [is] of the warrior goddess Epona riding her horse” (Tam DeRudder Jackson, Talisman). The detail in the prologue is enough to capture the reader’s attention and pull them in to continue reading. The description allows the reader to imagine the scene that is before Alyssa’s ancestors; “The earth and sky converged in one horizonless hue of red-grass, shields, swords, bodies, sky, sun-all red. Blood red.” (Tam DeRudder Jackson, Talisman).

This isn’t a typical love story of course. The characters have many things to overcome before they are able to grow fully comfortable and build a home together. It is a cross between Romeo and Juliet and Twilight. It is clear that the two are destined to be together, but there are forces working to tear them apart. These forces keep not only the characters on their toes, but the reader as well.

Personally, my favorite character is Ceri. She is a strong female character and best friend to the protagonist. From the very beginning she is a bit of a mystery. It is easy to tell that she has a role in the story as more than best friend, but it is hard to tell what exactly that role is (though of course while reading I had guesses and hopes for her). She acts as a haven and a mental break for Alyssa when she needs to take time away from working on her thesis and is present when Alyssa meets her warrior, Rowan. To learn more about Ceri and the other characters in this novel you’ll have to read it!

If you want to know more about Alyssa and how she learns to use her newfound vulnerability and the powers she possesses you’ll have to read Talisman. You can find it here.

Tam DeRudder Jackson lives in Wyoming with her husband where she enjoys literature (writing and reading it) as well as skiing. She was once an award winning classroom teacher, but chose to chase her dream as a novelist. Also, she is currently working on the sequel to Talisman.