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brooke_city's review
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Picked this up on a whim. Teetering between 3.5 and 4.
Came for the political intrigue. For those who care more about the scheming, and less about battles, this is for us.
Gormflaith is a City Girl. Drugging, pimping, manipulating -- she uses anyone to get what she wants. Including her own son. She pretends everything is for him, but really is the glorification of herself. If women were allowed to inherit and rule, she wouldn't need him. The things she does are so despicable, you really wanna hate her. But... she got a point. Fuck the patriarchy! Burn it all down!
I fear she will get screwed by her brother in the end bc he's playing the really long game. I don't think he's as incompetent as he appears.
Fódla. Oh dear, Fódla. Stand UP, my good sis. Where Gormflaith has too much confidence, Fódla doesn't have an ounce. Tomas has basically broken her through fear mongering and emotional abuse. Once out from under his thumb, she thrives. Of course, Prince M falls for her, and he doesn't care what she looks like. I don't care how cliche it is, I'm rooting for them! Can't wait for Tomas to see someone who actually appreciates her, and a mortal, no less.
I'm invested enough to continue the series.
Came for the political intrigue. For those who care more about the scheming, and less about battles, this is for us.
I fear she will get screwed by her brother in the end bc he's playing the really long game. I don't think he's as incompetent as he appears.
Fódla. Oh dear, Fódla. Stand UP, my good sis. Where Gormflaith has too much confidence, Fódla doesn't have an ounce. Tomas has basically broken her through fear mongering and emotional abuse. Once out from under his thumb, she thrives. Of course, Prince M falls for her, and he doesn't care what she looks like. I don't care how cliche it is, I'm rooting for them! Can't wait for Tomas to see someone who actually appreciates her, and a mortal, no less.
I'm invested enough to continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Torture and Injury/Injury detail
dogearedbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Misogyny, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Slavery
Moderate: Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Suicide
szuum's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, and Death
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide and Slavery
indyjg's review against another edition
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicide, Sexism, and Slavery
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child death
valpuri's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, War, Murder, Ableism, Abandonment, Animal death, Sexual content, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, and Suicide
Minor: Incest and Gaslighting
bettysbookishworld's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Murder, Violence, Grief, War, and Misogyny
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Sexism, and Slavery
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
kamreadsandrecs's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you’ve ever read A Song of Ice and Fire, or watched Game of Thrones, then this might interest you. It’s not as sprawling as ASoIaF, but that’s mostly because it’s recounting a story within a historical (ish?) framework, and within a narrower span of time, with fewer characters (well, fewer compared to ASoIaF; there’s still quite a few of them in here). I say “ish” on the history because it’s based on the Irish sagas, which are an interesting mix of history and legend - which plays well with the inclusion of the equally legendary Fomorians and Tuatha Dé Danann in this novel. A part of me thinks that the inclusion of those legendary figures might not have been necessary at all, given how interesting the story is on its own. But I’m sure there’s a reason they were included in the first place - this is, after all, the first book in a series, so there are other books that will likely show how that aspect fits in.
What I liked most about this novel, though, is that it is a story about women, and specifically about mothers. These themes are clearest in Gormflaith’s storyline - both for good and for ill. Between her and Fódla I think Gormflaith’s the most layered, but that’s mostly because of the situation she finds herself in throughout the novel. Fódla’s interesting too, don’t get me wrong, but in terms of characterization I think it’s clear that Gormflaith got the lion’s share of that in this book. Still: that’s not to say Fódla’s a bad character; as I said, this is just the first book in the series, so I’m willing to bet that things will get interesting for her in the subsequent books.
So: definitely a good book to read if you’re interested in Ireland’s legends and history, and/or are looking for a fantasy novel that’s along the lines of ASoIaF but aren’t too keen on how those books handle the portrayal of women. This book (and maybe this series) is pretty gritty and objectionable things still happen to people, but at least it’s not as egregious as in some other fantasy novels out there.
What I liked most about this novel, though, is that it is a story about women, and specifically about mothers. These themes are clearest in Gormflaith’s storyline - both for good and for ill. Between her and Fódla I think Gormflaith’s the most layered, but that’s mostly because of the situation she finds herself in throughout the novel. Fódla’s interesting too, don’t get me wrong, but in terms of characterization I think it’s clear that Gormflaith got the lion’s share of that in this book. Still: that’s not to say Fódla’s a bad character; as I said, this is just the first book in the series, so I’m willing to bet that things will get interesting for her in the subsequent books.
So: definitely a good book to read if you’re interested in Ireland’s legends and history, and/or are looking for a fantasy novel that’s along the lines of ASoIaF but aren’t too keen on how those books handle the portrayal of women. This book (and maybe this series) is pretty gritty and objectionable things still happen to people, but at least it’s not as egregious as in some other fantasy novels out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Suicide and Slavery
underage marriages
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