This is not a story to be read, it is a story to be plunged into, with the help of an Ordnance Survey map, a copy of Collected Kipling and a large glass of scrumpy. Wonderfully convoluted and quotable. I particularly liked the sly digs at various points (Loki with a public-school accent? indeed!), and Dudley has Sound Views on horticulture, runes and rat terriers. I am also going to have to revisit the family trees which are fascinating.

A delight. In fact a whole box of them.