Reviews with content warning for Child death - The Children of Gods and Fighting Men

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The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless

5 reviews

ayoung720's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A really fun book which mixes history and fantasy beautifully, I think Lawless does a really good job blending the two genres into a very coherent story. My only slight nit-pick would be that the cast of characters is huge for a ~400 page book, sometimes making it hard to keep track of everyone, but overall it was a very solid read. Can't wait to get book 2 soon!

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indyjg's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This stunning first novel of the Gael Song series is a brilliant, gripping historical fantasy that I could barely put down. From the first pages, you’re immediately thrown into a fantastical 10th-century Ireland where feuding magical clans are vying for power in a changing political and religious landscape. Tales of magic, betrayal and warring kings are told from the dual perspectives of Gormflaith, an ambitious and machiavellian Queen who, while vying for power, is also trying to keep her identity as one of the few remaining Fomorians, powerful wielders of fire-magic a secret. On the other side of the coin, we’re introduced to Fódla, a healer belonging to the Tuatha Dé Danann, another race of immortal magic users forbidden from interacting with mortals but have increasingly been drawn into mortal conflicts.

These two rival groups are sworn enemies, determined to destroy each other. Lawless beautifully describes the political manoeuvring and intrigue between the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé Danann and the changing religious landscape between the Norse and Christian communities at the time. However, my favourite aspect of this book is how morality is woven throughout the story; there are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ factions, merely morally grey characters with compelling and nuanced perspectives. I also thoroughly enjoyed how both Gormflaith and Fódla were fleshed-out, captivating and strong female characters. They were given due time to understand and relate to their motivations while still being morally grey, so many books fall short of this. Lawless’s prose read like a Madeline Miller or Natalie Haynes book, and needless to say, I am keenly anticipating the sequel, so Children of Gods and Fighting Men gets five stars from me!

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