Full review publishd in the September issue of the magazine Paranormal Underground: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/magazine/28658

The Coelbren Alphabet, by John Michael Greer, is one of those books you will devour in no time. I just finished reading it and realized that it took me less than a week to be done with it, which is a strange thing coming from a book that includes history, biographies, metaphors and many different kinds of information to work with.

Whew! Quite a work! I love languages, but this one was a pretty intense read. I kept feeling like I needed more background into what I was reading! Still it was interesting to read and lent quite a bit of insight into past writings. I really hadn't given to much thought to anyone trying to pass their own works off as someone else's, but it makes sense. I guess we can only hope more lost books and manuscripts appear in the future! Great book for anyone interested.

Greer shows us that Iolo Morganwg was not a mere forger but breathed new life into Welsh tradition, and offers us a full manual for employing the symbolic world of the Coelbren alphabet, which he has newly rediscovered. A thrilling literary adventure that makes me want to hear the songs of the ancient bards!

If you’re interested in history, European history, dialects, or just never want to stop learning then this is a must buy; particularly as John Michael Greer’s writing is not the normal textbook language where you feel like this could easily replace your Ambien to knock you for a good night’s sleep. His talent from writing over forty books and being an award winning author is evident in his strong writing style, sentence structure and all that boring stuff people who give out awards care about.

What I as a reader and someone whose background in the Irish culture care about is the accuracy and sound of the knowledge he’s trying to impart on a new generation who doesn’t have the familiarity with this long dormant language. On that aspect I can happily attest that his extreme attention to detail and the plethora of research he plowed through has proven his time well spent.

Greer makes you want to know about the people who once used Coelbren the way I’m using these letters. How did it evolve, why was it used, what it sounded like and so forth. He provides examples for you to try out how the letters sound which adds this sense of logic and understanding to the work. As you dive through the letter’s images, meanings and symbolism you get a sense of the type of people who used it; you’re able to be transported back to a long ago age when communication still meant something as an art form and not a right to be fought over.

I loved the section on meditation because too often people think it is the sole property of the Eastern cultures but others adapted it as well for philosophical and theological reasons. Greer even provides some instructions on how to do it properly in order to achieve more positive results.

Hopefully by the time you are done reading his incredibly breathtaking study you will have gained a greater appreciation for the people, the history, and Welsh the culture.