Mythago Wood is something that's been on my reading least ever since I did a dive into looking at The World Fantasy Awards and their "Best Novel" category. My plan is to eventually read all the winners, at least from the 70s and 80s, and continue with the 90s and onward at a later point in time.

Mythago Wood might have one of the most brilliant premises I've read within fantasy-- the idea that figures, creatures, and even structures from mythology and folklore exist because of a collective conscious or racial memory willing those things into existence... is a phenomenal and exciting one, and Holdstock's research of primeval folklore, culture and history definitely shows. The writing tows the line between lyrical and clear/effective, and can be quite beautiful at times.

My main criticism comes from how there's a stint in the middle of the story that's pretty uneventful, but also how it ties into the book's treatment of its sole female character. It's not that she's written by a clearly male voice (it's there, but not nearly as 'erotically' charged as some authors of fantasy can get) but rather that her place in the novel isn't much more than a goal for our protagonist. I don't quite believe the romance between the two, and with that being one of the driving motivations for the story's progression, it's a fairly major thread keeping me from absolutely loving this.

Because with that all said, everything else is fantastic. The imagery is very evocative and atmospheric, and it uses traditional fantasy tropes in a way that doesn't feel derivative or stale. The action is riveting, the dialogue is very good, the relationship between Steven, Christian, their Father (and what they all become) is excellently handled... I'll definitely give other entries in the series a shot at some point, because of how strong the book's ideas are.