Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend

Lizzie Huxley Jones

Knights Of (ISBN 9781913311421)
Vivi cover was illustrated by Harry Woodgate

When you read Vivi Conway (and let’s make this clear from the beginning – you must read Vivi Conway, it is stupendous) there are several things that may strike you. It could be the fact that Vivi and her gang have the most incredible heart-racing adventures. It might be that the writing is so lively and engaging that it pulls you in completely and makes you feel instantly a part of Vivi’s world. It may be that this is undoubtedly one of the most inclusive books you have ever read. It would probably be that you fall in love with Gelert the protective ghost hound who speaks in a Welsh dialect that would make Lesley Parr proud, mun.

I was particularly enamoured by a couple of things: firstly, the constant inspiration of Welsh mythology cannot be underplayed here. I mean we’re single-mindedly here for authentic welsh contexts and it feels like Lizzie has pulled out all the stops to do the Wales Tourist Board proud. The book is completely teeming with legends, folk-tales, Arthurian and mabinogion-inspired references. It is excellently done – I love the part where Gelert describes his own demise whilst standing next to his own grave (macabre but extremely moving!); or where Nimuë the Lady of the Lake recounts the story of Pwyll and Rhiannon. Elsewhere, the inspiration is more subtle and the tales have been twisted, diluted or reshaped (just as they have been over centuries).

Secondly, there is great humour here. Real laugh-out loud stuff. Observational comedy and warm-hearted funnies that made me beam as I read. These kids are going through some wild episodes but their sense of humour is maintained throughout. My supposition is that there is a bit of author Lizzie Huxley-Jones in Vivi and that they had a ball writing the story; their warm personality certainly shines through the writing. By the end of the book, not only are you desperate for more, but you feel like you actually want to be in the company of these misfits, and by association, get to know Lizzie Huxley-Jones better. (We promise to try and get them to do a Q and A soon!)

However Vivi Conway floats your boat, one thing is sure; it is a completely joyous book that I will happily recommend to everyone for the rest of my life. The Sword of Legend is full of the most excellent fun.

At the start of the story, Vivi Conway is moving to London. But the night before she leaves, she hears a voice calling her to the lake. It is here that she is given Excalibur and a quest to contain Arawn, the King of the Underworld. She can’t do this alone, and finding her tribe is a central theme to the story – both for real-world Vivi as she settles into her new school in London, and for fantasy-world Vivi as she seeks out the other ‘calonnau’ who are charged with defending the mortal world.

What follows is a story full of magic, myth and monsters that will (mildly) terrify and thrill readers of all ages. There are missing children, seized by the horrifying spider-like Coraniaid who seem to have taken the job of the Tylwyth Teg in kidnapping youngsters and holding them captive in the Unlands (that space between our world and Annwn). As Vivi and her friends Dara, Stevie and Chia learn to tame and hone their magical powers ‘on the job’ the adventure to rescue the missing children takes in the Science Museum, the British Library and the Crystal Palace dinosaurs. It really is an education!

For a fantasy story full of the supernatural it’s also intensely real. Autistic Vivi was bullied in her previous school and is extremely wary of other kids – particularly as she’s now in a new city and feels she cannot give herself up to friendship due to previous experiences. Readers will enjoy following Vivi as she works these things out, opens up, conquers fear and becomes more content with her place in the world. She is battling supernatural demons by day but also inside her head. The parallel nature of Vivi in the human world and Vivi in the Unlands works phenomenally well.

An authentically Welsh, fun fantasy, expertly written with joy woven through every page. A story that encourages everyone to be themselves and to assure growing youngsters that they will find their place. Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend is essential for every home, library and school; this is a special one I’m going to be recommending to a lot of people. Thanks Lizzie Huxley-Jones for writing.


Blog Tour Content

https://twitter.com/littlehux/status/1661746825328742402

Lizzie Huxley- Jones recently tweeted about their research in the British Library. We thought it may be fun to pull out some of the myths and legends that have inspired Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend and highlight some retellings for children. Hope you enjoy…

Gelert

Gelert is a ghost dog in Vivi’s adventure and a faithful guardian to the children. This is the wiry hound Gelert of legend, and in one very moving scene he transports Vivi to Beddgelert and recounts his story right next to his grave. Try holding the tears in when you get to that part. A really lovely retelling of Gelert for children is the Cerys Matthews version but it also appears in the ‘Tales from Wales’ collection.

Ceridwen

Vivi meets Dara at the lake – like Vivi, Dara has been gifted a magical power associated with a figure from mythology. Ceridwen is that mythical legend – a sorceress who had a magical cauldron. The story of how she brewed a potion to give her own hideous son great wisdom, but instead the potion inadvertently spilled on a servant boy, is told brilliantly by Jenny Nimmo in ‘Gwion and the Witch’, illustrated by Jac Jones.

The Lady of the Lake / Excalibur

Also known as Nimuë (or Viviane in some tales), the Lady of the Lake is the Arthurian story of the enchantress who, amongst other things, gives Arthur the Excalibur sword. Vivi and Nimuë are partnered souls and the discovery of Excalibur in Llyn Arian is the start of Vivi’s adventure. This is a story told many times in many ways. I’ve chosen three books which were all nominated for the Tir na nOg Award in their day.

Afanc

The Afanc is a lake monster from Welsh mythology – an enormous supernatural beast sometimes described as resembling a crocodile, and often a scaly beaver – take your pick! Chapter 1 of Vivi gets us off to an uber-exciting start as Vivi has to wrestle with the Afanc in the lake. There is an afanc pool near Betws-y-Coed and the Showell Styles book provides a guided walk. The Claire Fayers collection recounts the legend of how the afanc was removed to a more remote lake away from the town, and the Dark is Rising sequence features the afanc in the final book.

Coraniaid

The Coraniaid feature in the Mabinogion tale of Lludd and Llefelys. They are one of three plagues that descended on Britain during the reign of King Lludd – an undefined creature or people who were characterised by a remarkable sense of hearing – which meant that the land fell silent because no-one could take any action against them. In Vivi’s story the creatures take on an arachnid form and they learn about the Coraniaid plague from a pamphlet in the British Library. ‘The Three Plagues of Britain’ is recounted in Gwyn Jones’ Stories from Wales, while Zillah Bethell retells the story (wherein “even the fool daren’t tell his jokes”) in The Mab. In ‘Island of the Mighty’ Haydn Middleton’s version features tiny folk called the Corannies who were water-tamers (there’s another link to Vivi there, but I think we’ve given away enough spoilers!)

Rhiannon

The third calon to be discovered in the story of Vivi Conway is that of Rhiannon – a character from the Mabinogion (though probably better known through the Fleetwood Mac song). Rhiannon is the intelligent, beautiful horse goddess. She features in the first branch of the Mabinogi, but also the third. Aside from The Mab, mentioned above, here are two other versions of the Mabinogion.


Thanks very much to Lizzie, Knights Of and Team ED for inviting us to be part of the blog tour and for sharing an early proof copy of Vivi.

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones is out 1 June 2023. Grab a copy from your local independent bookshop, or buy direct from Round Table. Follow Lizzie on Twitter, find out more about them here, and check out all the posts on the Vivi Conway blog tour…

#TheMab

Earlier this week, a crowdfunding campaign was launched to finance a new version of The Mabinogion for young people. These are the earliest prose stories of Britain and have been hugely influential on storytelling across Europe. With contributions from 11 acclaimed Welsh writers for children, the new book promises to be an epic retelling for a new generation. Each tale will be written in English then translated into Welsh by Bethan Gwanas and will feature glorious illustrations from the incredible Max Low.

The book is being put together and edited by Children’s Laureate Wales, Eloise Williams and Matt Brown who will also contribute a story each. Matt posted this video to explain more about The Mab.

The book, which is not yet a reality, is seeking publication through Unbound, a crowdfunding publisher. Readers choose a reward – everything from a signed copy of the book to author virtual visits – pledge their money, and wait for the project to be 100% funded.

At Family Bookworms we are giving this project our full support and backing and would encourage you all to visit the unbound website to donate if you can. As one of our worms says:

“The Mabinogion is part of our cultural heritage and to have these amazing contemporary authors, representative of the very best in children’s writing from Wales, is a real coup. It promises to be an essential and important volume for a new generation.” 

Simon Fisher, Family Bookworms

Eloise Williams, Children’s Laureate Wales and author of 4 novels set in Wales, told us, “As far as we know, there isn’t another collection like it! We have so many amazing people working on the project and we are so excited to bring the stories to everyone.”

So let’s take a look at the amazing cast of contributors and hear directly about their involvement, their excitement and their motivations…

I am overjoyed to be collaborating on this magical project with a group of writers that are inspirational, artful and delicate in their gathering of words. As a poet, this opportunity opens up the page and offers me space to dreaming, space to unravel, unfold and stretch my ideas – and I’ll be listening to the whispers, to the mutterings of the old tales.

Alex wharton

I am delighted to have been invited to contribute to this project, especially as I have moved to Pembrokeshire where so much of the action of the Mabinogion takes place. The stories are so strange, like something translated with a slightly dodgy Rosetta stone; but what I love about them is the echos they carry of a long lost world where wolves howled on the Welsh hills and the landscape was populated not with humans but with wild species in abundance. Immersing myself in that world with its priorities so very different from our own, is going to be a deep pleasure.

nicola davies

I remember my primary school teacher reading the Mabinogion to us in class. The Owl Service (inspired by the story of Gronw and Blodeuwedd) was one of my favourite books growing up. I rediscovered my love for these tireless tales in adulthood, so much so I gifted my son with the middle name Lleu. I am honoured and excited to work on this project and weave myself even more closely to the legacy of these fascinating stories.

Hanan issa

We dream in myths and they in us. They are a society’s safety valve. All our taboos, our deepest fears and desires are played out through the symbolic language of myth and thereby rendered to some extent harmless.

zillah bethell

I’m relishing the opportunity to work on these historic stories with such a fantastic group of writers. Eloise has been doing wonderful things as Children’s Laureate Wales – so I was delighted when she asked me to be part of this.

darren chetty

My mother used to tell my brothers and I all kinds of stories when we were young, but the stories from the Mabinogion always felt extra special, because we knew they were stories from Wales, our home. To be invited to be part of this wonderful project is honestly a dream come true. I believe it is hugely important to preserve the stories from the past, because they are full of wisdom and magic and adventures that speak to our souls. But to preserve these tales, we need to keep retelling them in ways that ignite the interest of readers today. The talent and passion of the creatives working on this project is going to make this a very special book that I know will be treasured by generations of readers to come.

sophie anderson

I didn’t discover the stories from the Mabinogion until embarrassingly late in life, despite having grown up a stone’s throw from Caerleon, where Arthur holds court in many of the tales. For whatever reason, the Mabinogion just didn’t seem to feature in my cultural landscape at the time. That’s why I’m so happy to be part of this fantastic group of artists that Eloise and Matt have assembled. I can’t wait to help share all the magic and strangeness, the adventure and humour with a new generation of readers across Wales and beyond.

P g bell

This is my copy of The Mab from around 1976, maybe earlier. It’s got Olwen on the cover and it’s so floppy and old (although not as much as me) it’s losing pages. I loved it: Welshness was an important part of my identity growing up in London and this book with its weird weighty words is hardwired into my heart. I always always wanted to write something that used the bones of these stories and this is a brilliant brilliant opportunity.

catherine johnson

I’ve spent the past year immersed in Welsh folklore for my own books, so I’m tremendously excited to be a part of this project. What I love most about these ancient tales are the gaps – events that are never properly explained, threads of stories that are left dangling. It’s like seeing a landscape through mist, and it gives tremendous scope to interpret and reimagine. The stories of the Mabinogi explore everything that’s human, from family and friendship to cruelty and murder. Best of all is the sense that the Otherworld of magic is never far away. I’m looking forward to seeing these stories brought to life in a new way for today’s readers.

claire fayers

These stories are part of our heritage and should be in every classroom and every home. By crowdfunding the book we’re making it part of everyone who helps get it made.

matt brown

The Mab is an amazing new book retelling all 11 stories for young people. They are the oldest British stories and #TheMab will help new generations of children fall in love with them. But we need your help – please visit the Unbound page to pledge your support.

eloise williams

The Mab will feature illustrations by Max Low.

I’m really chuffed to be illustrating this wicked update to the legendary Welsh tales from The Mabinogion.

max low

It’s been a real pleasure to be involved in #TheMab launch. Please head over to Unbound to donate if you can. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the funding target over the coming months.

Thanks to all the authors and illustrator for giving us some exclusive content. While we wait for The Mab, and if you have any money left after donating on Unbound, you can head over to your local bookshop and buy a book by one of the contributors. Here’s our recommendations*:

*Firefly Press will publish Daydreams and Jellybeans by Alex Wharton in Spring 2021.

**Images on this page (the author profiles) were made by EW Graphic Designs and are not to be reproduced without permission.