The Green Man's Heir

Green Man #1

by Juliet E. McKenna, Will Huggins (Narrator)

A hundred years ago, a man with a secret could travel a few hundred miles and give himself a new name and life story. No one would be any the wiser, as long as he didn’t give anyone a reason to start asking questions. These days, that’s not so easy, with everyone on social media, and CCTV on every street corner. So Daniel Mackmain keeps his head down and keeps himself to himself.

But now a girl has been murdered and the Derbyshire police are taking a closer look at a loner who travels from place to place, picking up work as he goes. Worse, Dan realises the murder involves the hidden world he was born into. When no one else can see the truth, who will see justice done?

A modern fantasy rooted in the ancient myths and folklore of the British Isles.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Audiobook, Folklore, Magic

13 pages, Audiobook

First published March 17, 2018

About the author

Juliet E McKenna is a British fantasy author living in the Cotswolds, UK. Loving history, myth and other worlds since she first learned to read, she has written fifteen epic fantasy novels so far. Her debut, The Thief’s Gamble, began The Tales of Einarinn in 1999, followed by The Aldabreshin Compass sequence, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, and The Hadrumal Crisis trilogy. The Green Man’s Heir was her first modern fantasy inspired by British folklore in 2018. The Green Man’s Quarry in 2023 was the sixth title in this ongoing series and won the BSFA Award for Best Novel. The seventh book, in 2024, is The Green Man’s War.

Her 2023 novel The Cleaving is a female-centred retelling of the story of King Arthur, while her shorter fiction includes forays into dark fantasy, steampunk and science fiction. She promotes SF&Fantasy by reviewing, by blogging on book trade issues, attending conventions and teaching creative writing. She has served as a judge for the James White Award, the Aeon Award, the Arthur C Clarke Award and the World Fantasy Awards. In 2015 she received the British Fantasy Society’s Karl Edward Wagner Award. As J M Alvey, she has written historical murder mysteries set in ancient Greece.

Who’s to say what will come next?

Learn more about all of this at julietemckenna.com and on Twitter @JulietEMcKenna

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

So far up my street it could be my house. An English-set contemporary fantasy (rural, as opposed to urban) in which a dryad's son encounters all sorts of creatures from myth including a wodewose (massively creepy) and a proper Lambton type wyrm. Gorgeous feel, very readable, and fantastic use of myth in a grimy modern setting. The plot kind of falls into two halves which I wished had been a bit more integrated in the book, but which definitely sets up a sense of a serial and adventures to come so yay. More please!

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I really liked the folkloric aspects of this, the tale of Daniel, the dryad's son. There are references to the Green Man, Boggarts, Black Shuck and all manner of other folkish beasties. The writing is decent but sometimes drifted too far into the mundane for me. There is a 'cosy' feel about Mckenna's style, though. The depiction of the English rural North was spot-on, I felt very at home. The story felt kind of segmented for me, like Daniel had a 'main quest' and had to deal with 'side quests' as the story progressed (I'd expected the story lines to somehow tie together more), so it might have read better with more cohesion. Still, a good bit of escapism.

[Allison Hurd]

Super rapey, and also repetitive and oddly false in its characterizations.

[Gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I enjoyed the first half of the book: a criminal investigation story within the folks of the British rural myths. The main character is half mythical himself by birth and thus is in the unique position to see and interact with both worlds. This leads to an entertaining whodunnit story in the woods.

The second half isn't bad either - but the connection of both halfs doesn't work properly. It was like building up to something in the first, solving it in half and then starting a new one. That's not the supsense arc I want to read in a mystery thriller. I guess both as single novellas would have worked better for my taste in story composition.

But I like the worldbuilding and enjoy the British rural myths very much, so I'm definitely on to the next in the series.

[imyril is not really here any more · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-reading supernatural crime turned quest story with an authenticity to its depiction of rural communities that I appreciated. It’s lovely to see a distinctly rural fantasy rather than another wisecracking urban fantasy. That said, it's weirdly mundane at times for a story about a dryad’s son facing down mythical monsters - which isn't necessarily a bad thing (although your mileage may vary); I found it unexpectedly grounding.

However, I got a little tired of the (for me) awkward oversexing, however earthily appropriate. I also found the structure weirdly felt like two novellas had been bashed together into one volume and makes this a rare instance of ‘I wish it had been shorter’ (or longer, I suppose, as two novels; but it didn’t work for me as a one-two punch).

Still: would recommend; will read the sequel (may get grumpy if it doesn’t feature Eleanor); but it’s fine rather than my new favourite thing.

Full review

[kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read showing a glimpse of English folklore and a narrative voice that took me a while to get used to - but eventually I enjoyed Dan's POV. However, I prefer my crime mysteries, supernatural or not, to drop hints along the way so that I can attempt to piece the puzzle on my own - sudden reveals and unforeshadowed plot twists are not fun.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juliet McKenna's The Green Man's Heir is a British contemporary (somewhat cozy) fantasy tale filled with English folklore and mythology.
A solid read with an engaging murder mystery at the start, but it feels as though the author was told to combine two novellas, and the abrupt change halfway through the book didn't really work for me.

[Gawelleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’était bien !! Différent de ce que j’ai pu lire en urban fantasy jusqu’ici. Pas de vampires, de loup ... mais une mythologie britannique !!
Un one shot que pour une fois j’aimerais bien voir devenir une série

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

And she has absolutely nailed it. This is a complete and utter joy. I loved the character of Daniel, part-dryad, who is desperate to meet up with others in his situation and when he finally tracks down someone who can help – it doesn’t end well… He is a sympathetic protagonist with a few chips on his shoulder – not surprising given his heritage and how it has caused him problems. He is tall, well-built and innately attracts women. While that might sound like dream attributes, in reality it has caused him a lot of problems with annoyed boyfriends and brought unwelcome attention from the police, when such incidents turn into brawls.

I love the setting of a country district – McKenna has got the social faultlines running through modern England spot on. While the beautiful setting, juxtaposed with the grim threat reaching back into history and now posing a possibility of creating havoc all over again, works beautifully. This one grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go until I put it down in the wee small hours, drained and slightly giddy.

The book hangover I’ve had since has been painful, because despite reading perfectly enjoyable, well written adventures, they haven’t been this world, with these characters. I want them back. I want more. And I’m hoping, fervently, that McKenna has plans to make this a series, because I’m already addicted.

Recommended for fans of urban fantasy and murder stories with a very cool paranormal twist.
10/10

[Mahayana Dugast · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rural fantasy full of old myths and folklore, set in the British Isles. I enjoyed it.

[Cameron Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rural fantasy (as opposed to urban fantasy) was the genre I didn't know I needed. Green Man's Heir is extremely well-written, well-researched, and scratches that itch yearning for dark forests, eyeing shadows warily and the shudder of a lonely howl of some unknown beast. The dark streets of a supernaturally-afflicted big city are all well and good, but this delving into English folklore is a different beast. The book delves into old myths and folklore of the wildwood, dryads, naiads, black shucks and boggarts and other monsters - what a wonderful change away from vampires and werewolves and their ilk.

McKenna's writing and description really bring the rural setting to life, from the small town and farms to the lonely roads and deep forest.

A dryad's son gets drawn into a murder mystery perpetrated by something dark and twisted dwelling in the deep woods...yep, that setup sold me on this book, and after reading this I will be picking up the rest in the series.

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا]

This looks really good! How haven't I seen this book anywhere before!?

[Alan Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well-written book, which shows the author's writing talent, and also demonstrates the thoroughness of her research and her understanding of the ways of Old England - and the monsters in English folklore.
But first - her knowledge of the old craft skills, once becoming rare, but now showing some resurgence. Our protagonist (and narrator - this book is written in 'first person') is a woody - he does basic carpentry on building sites, he does rather better quality carpentry for country shops, but most important, he turns and he carves, and he feels very much 'at home' in the woods. Maybe that is part of the reason this book appealed so much to me - I felt I had so much in common with him!
Sadly, I can't claim his other attribute - as a half-blood, descended from a human father and dryad mother, he can see the creatures that share our world, normally invisible to us, unless they wish to interact with us - the dryads, naiads, woses and boggarts . . . and some others, and the Green Man Himself.
His story takes us through his interactions with these various creatures, some of whom are simple representations of evil in one form or another, but mostly are more complex characters, with their own agendas and their own priorities.

Juliet McKenna has taken some large chunks of English folklore and mythology and woven a fine tale from them, with some nice complex characters. This work certainly deserves at least the four stars I have given it - I wish the system would allow me to enter four-and-a-half!
I shall be reading other work by this author - and I really hope she writes more in this world!

[Pandora Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

très très chouette ! un folklore britannique qui change de l'urban fantasy habituelle, et un héros (loin d'être milliardaire) qui réfléchit avec son cerveau. ça peut très bien se terminer comme ça, mais la possibilité est laissée d'avoir une suite, ce qui serait encore plus chouette ;)

[Carro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel, the main character, is a dryad's son, which gives him very robust health, strong physique, a long life and the ability to see supernatural creatures for what they are - but nothing else. He doesn't have any magical powers. He works as a wood carver and carpenter and makes a reasonable living. The book opens with him on his way home from working on a barn conversion to the nice flat he is renting at a farm and holiday cottage complex. He stops for a walk in a woodland and finds he's walked into a murder investigation with the police searching the woods. He then sees a dryad who lives in and protects the woods - while trying to answer questions from a suspicious policeman.
The first quarter of the book reminded me a bit of a Dick Francis novel (though no horses or racing) - the hero is trying to work out what is going on, while living his life and you get the cozy details of where he lives, people he interacts with, girlfriend and interesting information on what his job is like. The level of fantastical elements increases through the book: dryads, naiads and several creatures I'd never heard of. Well written, convincing, interesting with very good world building. I got really sucked in and spent the evening finishing it rather than what I'd planned to do.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fantasy. It takes place in Great Britain and has boggarts, dryads and other fantasy creatures, but not ones that I've found in many other books. I enjoyed reading about these fantasy creatures. The main character--Daniel Mackmain--is human, but is a dryad's son which means he can see the creatures other people think are just myth.

I thought the author did a great job with her world building and telling a good story set in that world. This was the first book I've read by Ms. McKenna, but I'm going to look for more books written by her. And I hope she writes more books about Daniel and his world.

[FantasyBookNerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that has been languishing at the back of my Kindle for ages, unread and unloved, so I thought this year, I am definitely going to get on with it and get it read.
And I am so glad I did. I don’t know why I did not read it for so long as it has all the components that I love. I mean I adore stories that have British Folklore at its centre, and I particularly love The Green Man, Not only that, the book is set ‘up north’ and in areas that I am quite’s quite in familiar with.
The story itself revolves around Daniel Mackmain, the son of a dryad and a human who moves to Derbyshire for work as he is a carpenter. Whilst he is there, he is drawn into a murder investigation when the body of a young woman is found in some local woodland.
He subsequently comes into contact with another Dryad, who shows him that this is not the first time that this has happened and that the woods have been the home to a number of murders.
He becomes more involved with the case as he discovers that the murders are the work of another supernatural creature. This brings him into contact with all manner of other supernatural being that inhabit the local area.
I loved this book. Juliet McKenna has written a fantasy that mainly takes place in the rural areas around Derbyshire, and this is quite refreshing as usually when we see a modern fantasy story, the setting tends to revolve around an urban setting, but Juliet E. McKenna has gone for a rural location. It’s quite an interesting premise as McKenna does not make it the idyllic setting that you would expect and instead brings to the fore the socio-economic difficulties that are evident in rural communities. In quite a lot of instances, the setting is just as gritty as the sprawling cities that we normally see. We find ourselves in a world of drugs, sex workers and the other difficulties that rural environments experience, such as loss of workforce and failing businesses.
The main character, Daniel Mackmain is an interesting character too. He is quite the working-class hero rather than an upper-class hero and he will plan how he undertakes the tasks that the Green Man gives him rather than rushing headlong into a situation. In addition to that, we also get the difficulties that he experiences on a day-to-day basis such as finding work, or the effect that being involved with the police due to him being a person of interest of the atrocious crimes that have been committed, and subsequently how the rumour mill of a small community can cause difficulty.
Now one quibble that I did have with the book was that it was unexpectedly episodic and felt like two interconnecting novellas rather than one book as there is a denouement to the first part of the story about halfway through and then what seems to be a separate story that links with the first.
However, this was a minor thing and did not spoil my enjoyment of the story at all. I just had a little ‘what’s happening here’ moment.
I really loved the use of British Folklore in the story and seeing all the different types of creatures that McKenna incorporates into the story. This was an absolute delight, as I love the use of folklore in literature, particularly The Green Man who is a source of fascination for me (I even have a Green Man Face at the bottom of my garden which I got from a craft fair in Derbyshire, which is one of the sources of income that Daniel gets his money from).
Juliet E. McKenna’s writing is really good. It did not take me long to be drawn into the story. Her writing style is not overcomplicated which I found to be really effective and subsequently quite easy to read. She is able to write effortlessly about the everyday struggles that Daniel has, but she is also able to write really good action sequences.
As soon as I finished reading this, I wanted to carry on the story and move on to the next book in the series. I think there ae six books so far in this series and I cannot wait to read some more of this story.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Mackmain is walking through the woods when he comes across a murder investigation. The police are wary of him, believing he fits the profile of the suspect, but Daniel is more than that. He is the son of a dryad and in touch with the supernatural. And the murder is clearly the work of something supernatural.

The mix of fantasy and detective fiction is handled well and there is a sense of adventure running through McKenna's writing with some genuinely creepy scenes.

[Steve Kimmins · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the trickier reviews I’ll write here. I was pleased to have read this book but I did have problems with it.

What did I enjoy? I liked a fantasy with a basis in English Folklore. Dryads, the Green Man, Boggerts, action centred on ancient woodlands. It was interesting to base this in a contemporary English setting. The action in towns were in recognisable market towns, rather quiet but perhaps a bit rowdy of a weekend evening, and social life centred in pubs. It’s a good attempt to integrate ancient mythology with the modern world.

What were the problems for me? I accept these may reflect my own taste but I found the first person narrative a bit awkward, certainly for the first 20% of the book. The narrator knows a lot more about the mystical circles that he’s moving in than the reader so he has to regularly update you on the habits of dryads (for example) or his working or romantic life while the action and conversations are trying to move on. The use of the first person can be rather intrusive on the storyline sometimes and I found that was the case here initially. But I found it was something I could get used to as the story progressed.
I also found that I couldn’t really make any link with the narrator himself. I thought him rather ordinary for someone with an exotic ancestry. He’s brave and resourceful, but especially given your access to his thoughts processes via the first person narrative I was surprised about how routine his worldview was.
There is some explicit sexual activity making this an adult book so many parents may want to consider this before recommending for their children.
In summary, it was a good read, interesting plot, but not entirely to my taste in the way the story was told (the first person narrative issue).

[Astrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really torn.

What I liked:

- the fantasy elements... how clever to take old lore and myths and put them into todays world
- the world building... even though it wasn't extensive, it made sense

What I didn't like:

- I had not emotional connection whatever to the protagonist
- the ending felt extremely rushed and I felt like two novellas had been thrown into one book

All in all I enjoyed the read and would read another book by this author.

[Sas astro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I noticed my favourite author, Charles de Lint, was reading this so thought I would treat myself to a copy. I wasn't disappointed. Why have I never read any Juliet E. McKenna's books before now? This is a really engaging story, it's proper Urban fantasy based on folklore, not a vampire or werewolf in sight. This is an instant favourite, I shall be searching out more of Juliet's books.

[Steven Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juliet McKenna delivers an excellent slice of urban - or, semi-rural - fantasy in this first adventure for modern-day craftsman Daniel Mackmain. Closely linked to the fae world by birth, Daniel finds himself enmeshed in a murder mystery with clues that only he can make sense of, all the while attempting to stay out of the glare of official suspicion. And there's not just one plot to unravel but two - with the solving of the first the second, more subtle, more dangerous, mystery comes into play, and now Daniel must take up arms like the knights of olde...

McKenna's writing has always been a delight. Watching her bring life to a semi-fictitious locale somewhere to the southwest of my own home of Sheffield has a magic of its own. Daniel is a bit of a lad, a bit of a fool, but as the tale progresses he becomes an engaging narrator, increasingly aware of his own limits and the dangers he has landed in. The supporting characters, both magical and human, are vividly drawn, not just foils for Daniel to outwit. McKenna's logic and research are also impeccable as ever, laying the groundwork for a greater suspension of disbelief. By the time Daniel stands on the ramparts, staring at his foe, the reader has already forgotten that such creatures really don't exist.

Kudos as well goes to Wizards Tower Press, for bringing this book to life - a Big Story from a Small Press.

Now, if only I could see this on the BBC... commissioning editors, take note...

[A.L. Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this via a twitter rec and it's glorious. The MC is the son of a dryad and a human. He can see supernatural creatures but is not one himself...dryad's sons are long lived and heal easily, but only their daughters are actual dryads.  Our hero, Dan, is an itinerant carpenter, vaguely searching for other men like him--he wants to learn how they cope with living in a modern age of computer ID and registration when they don't age as swiftly as humans. He has dreams that he interprets as messages from the Green Man, guiding him here and there across the country. In Derbyshire, he stumbles onto a murder that turns out to have a supernatural element and becomes involved with a local estate that has a dragon problem. This is a first in series and I'm about to begin the second. It's lovely writing...rooted in the countryside and in English myth with likeable, rich characters that kept me turning the pages. Highly recommend.

[Shaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

The British folklore and mythology in this is excellent and at times properly creepy and I like the rural setting. The plot is very much in two rather disjointed parts which threw me off a bit and I think I would have preferred if it were a bit more cohesive. But I still thought the mystery and story lines absorbing and I certainly want to see more of this setting and its creatures.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this mythical/fantasy book set in England, and centering around Daniel, a dryad's son. The author writes well, and has clearly done a lot of research into old myths and folklore of Britain, and she translates that into an exciting novel somewhere between a murder mystery and a folklore legend.

Daughters of a dryad and a human male become dryads also; but sons remain mortal, though they have some of the dryad blood and are a bit stronger, faster, taller, and better healing than normal. They can also see other mythical creatures, so when Daniel moves from Scotland to England for work and happens to meet a dryad, she's as surprised as he is. And she asks a favour from him, which soon leads to him meeting a naiad also, the titular Green Man, more dryads, and various other less friendly creatures of legend. Meanwhile Daniel is trying not to get fired from his carpentry job, trying to avoid being kicked out of the flat he's renting despite strange naiads turning up looking for him, and trying to convince the police that all the odd goings-on around the village are NOT his fault, despite the fact that he can't seem to stay away from them. And oh yes, all while trying not to worry his parents too much - especially since his mother the dryad has figured out how to tap into mobile phone conversations, and has given him dire warnings about ever trusting naiads, but when a naiad is the only source of information left ...

The book was very readable and equally hard to put down and I finished it in two sittings. If you enjoy folklore of the British isles crossed with a modern fantasy setting, you'll likely enjoy this very much!

[Sadie Slater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, urban fantasy in a rural setting. The novel started off looking like it was going to be a supernatural police procedural, with the hero (the son of a dryad and a human man, and therefore possessed of some supernatural abilities and able to see and speak to fey creatures) stumbling into a crime scene and trying to bring the killer to justice while avoiding the police's suspicions, but wrapped that storyline up about halfway through; it felt a bit like two linked novellas rather than one novel. I definitely enjoyed it, though, and will read the rest of the series.

[Martin Owton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable book. Well-characterised and paced with a deep understanding of English folklore. The story is told through the point of view of Dan, a dryad-human halfblood, who is nicely developed and totally believable. The existence of dryads and other creatures of legend in modern society seems equally believable. Highly recommended.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal Book!

I picked this up after reading a recommendation from one of my favourite fantasy authors, Charles de Lint. I figured if he loved it, it had to be good. It wasn't quite what I thought I expected but it was a truly phenomenal read.

[Ruth Dryden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Good mix of characters and mythology.
The main characters were believable and interesting and the storyline held my interest.
Hope there are more books in this series!

[Sally S · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an awesome book this was! The premise was so original, the characters were engaging and the plot rattled along so well that I didn't want to put it down. I'm just disappointed it's not the start of a series, I need more!