Set in the Iron age, The owl of the Durotriges is an engaging story told in the first person from the point of view of each of the main characters. Yassmin Saunders is a history scholar and it shows. The story is clearly well researched and I found it absorbing from the first page. Each of the characters was well drawn and I loved the way the author explored their back stories to explain why they acted the way they did.
It has to be said that my heart sank when I saw that it was written in the present tense. I think that the present tense can be a useful tool in short fiction or to separate different passages in a novel. If used sparingly it can add atmosphere and immediacy. To have a novel written entirely in the present I find hard to read. Had I not been reading it for review, I might not have picked it up off the shelf. That would have been a pity because it is a very enjoyable novel. I am very happy to recommend it.
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