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albryan13's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
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
datakitten's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
effyapples's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
laelyn's review against another edition
5.0
I was initially intrigued by the description of this book because I rarely ever see fantasy books based on Irish mythology, despite it being such a rich world to dive in and build upon. Because I love Ireland and its myths and am also interested in Irish history especially during and around the Viking Age I just HAD to read this. Obviously it was written for me, personally, and I thank Shauna Lawless for that.
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is simply amazing. The world is beautiful and much of it reads more like historical fiction, but the added bonus of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Formorians just provides that special extra to make this one memorable. The fantastical aspects are never the biggest focus of the book, but they add to it in a beautiful and intriguing way.
The writing is stunning and drew me in from the very first page. I generally had a hard time putting this story down. The pacing is perfect, the plot exciting but still taking its time to allow us, as readers, to explore this world and get to know the characters. There ist political intrigue, there is history in the making, there are personal tragedies and grand scale wars. It's simply an expertedly crafted novel.
I absolutely adored the characters in it, too. The book focuses primarily on two very different women: Gormflaith, a Formorian and the widow of the king of Dublin, and Fódla, one of the Descendants, the last remaining link to the Tuatha dé Danann. Both of them have magic, which they use rarely but is still important for their characters, and both have very different goals in life. Fódla is my favourite, I absolute adore her inherently gentle nature and growing love for humans, while Gormflaith is a colder, less likeable but absolutely fascinating character. Both their points of view are written in first person, giving us an insight into their very souls. Both of their stories are exciting in different ways, and I couldn't wait for them to finally meet - especially because their kinds, Formorians and Descendants, are not the bestest of friends.
So do I have any criticism at all? Honestly - no. I was a bit taken aback sometimes by Gormflaith's thoughts on and treatment of other women, especially because she herself laments a woman's place often enough and demands betterment for herself, yet doesn't care for other women at all. But this is her as a character, and I do hope there will be more development in the future - so far, Fódla has more character development as a whole.
Lawless is an amazing new voice in the genre, and as I happen to really love historical fiction with perfectly weaved in fantastical aspects I will definitely read more of her. I cannot wait to see how this particular story unfolds. 5 stars.
Many many thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this amazing arc!
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is simply amazing. The world is beautiful and much of it reads more like historical fiction, but the added bonus of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Formorians just provides that special extra to make this one memorable. The fantastical aspects are never the biggest focus of the book, but they add to it in a beautiful and intriguing way.
The writing is stunning and drew me in from the very first page. I generally had a hard time putting this story down. The pacing is perfect, the plot exciting but still taking its time to allow us, as readers, to explore this world and get to know the characters. There ist political intrigue, there is history in the making, there are personal tragedies and grand scale wars. It's simply an expertedly crafted novel.
I absolutely adored the characters in it, too. The book focuses primarily on two very different women: Gormflaith, a Formorian and the widow of the king of Dublin, and Fódla, one of the Descendants, the last remaining link to the Tuatha dé Danann. Both of them have magic, which they use rarely but is still important for their characters, and both have very different goals in life. Fódla is my favourite, I absolute adore her inherently gentle nature and growing love for humans, while Gormflaith is a colder, less likeable but absolutely fascinating character. Both their points of view are written in first person, giving us an insight into their very souls. Both of their stories are exciting in different ways, and I couldn't wait for them to finally meet - especially because their kinds, Formorians and Descendants, are not the bestest of friends.
So do I have any criticism at all? Honestly - no. I was a bit taken aback sometimes by Gormflaith's thoughts on and treatment of other women, especially because she herself laments a woman's place often enough and demands betterment for herself, yet doesn't care for other women at all. But this is her as a character, and I do hope there will be more development in the future - so far, Fódla has more character development as a whole.
Lawless is an amazing new voice in the genre, and as I happen to really love historical fiction with perfectly weaved in fantastical aspects I will definitely read more of her. I cannot wait to see how this particular story unfolds. 5 stars.
Many many thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this amazing arc!
jakelewis_23_'s review against another edition
4.0
This book was FANTASTIC! Its definitely a 4.5/4.75 rating for me but I cant colour the star in like that! I’ve always loved Viking tales but had never read one set in Ireland and then throw in magic and races that are in a bitter war while living among humans!
The characters were great, loved having a POV from each side of the struggle to give balance, Gormflaith was someone who I loved to hate but was always so so interesting and Fódla was my favourite, was always rooting for her and just wanted her to win through her struggles.
I can’t wait for book 2 and I really hope lots of people find and read this book.
The characters were great, loved having a POV from each side of the struggle to give balance, Gormflaith was someone who I loved to hate but was always so so interesting and Fódla was my favourite, was always rooting for her and just wanted her to win through her struggles.
I can’t wait for book 2 and I really hope lots of people find and read this book.
wooseoks's review against another edition
5.0
I read the description of this book and instantly knew that it was written for me specifically. It took some getting used to switching between the two main POVs. I typically don’t like multi-POV stories because there’s always one POV I don’t care about and have to slug through. That wasn’t the case here, and I enjoyed both stories a lot. It was interesting to see very similar motivations and driving forces (love of family) behind two very, very different characters. It was pretty slow with mostly political maneuvering, with some action at the end and a bit of action peppered throughout, which is what I enjoy most.
adrianacheerios's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
narratricenessa's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Shauna Lawless' debut novel The Children of Gods and Fighting Men was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. Presented as a "new historical fantasy series that intertwines Irish mythology with real-life history" it sounded like a much-needed breath of fresh air in a market that is (in my opinion) oversaturated with historical fiction inspired by English medieval history, Arthurian legends and Greek mythology. FYI I have nothing against books inspired by the aforementioned things, but sometimes you just crave something new.
As much as I was excited about reading The Children of Gods and Fighting Men I was also nervous about it. I'm not familiar with Irish mythology and my knowledge of Irish history (medieval or otherwise) is scarce. I was worried that my lack of knowledge would make reading difficult, that I would miss layers of meaning or significant information that someone more familiar with Irish mythology and history wouldn't. However, my worries were unfounded, and reading The Children of Gods and Fighting Men as a part of the Fantasy Fellowship December Book Club was an absolute delight.
The story of Children of Gods and Fighting Men is captivating and compels you to read almost without pausing. At the same time experiencing the events through Gormflaith's and Fódla's eyes gave the story a more intimate feel, highlighting the characters and their development. The characters are vivid, intelligent and well-written. However, none of the characters are perfect, all are flawed in some way; they overreach and make mistakes. Simultaneously they feel very medieval (in a way that their motivations and drive are sometimes not easy to grasp for the modern reader) and yet are very relatable.
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is a fantastic and captivating read! The political manoeuvring and frequent reminders of how connected Ireland was to Europe by trade, religion and politics gave the story a grand and epic feel. At the same time seeing the story unfold through the eyes of two women brings an unexpected intimacy and depth.
As much as I was excited about reading The Children of Gods and Fighting Men I was also nervous about it. I'm not familiar with Irish mythology and my knowledge of Irish history (medieval or otherwise) is scarce. I was worried that my lack of knowledge would make reading difficult, that I would miss layers of meaning or significant information that someone more familiar with Irish mythology and history wouldn't. However, my worries were unfounded, and reading The Children of Gods and Fighting Men as a part of the Fantasy Fellowship December Book Club was an absolute delight.
The story of Children of Gods and Fighting Men is captivating and compels you to read almost without pausing. At the same time experiencing the events through Gormflaith's and Fódla's eyes gave the story a more intimate feel, highlighting the characters and their development. The characters are vivid, intelligent and well-written. However, none of the characters are perfect, all are flawed in some way; they overreach and make mistakes. Simultaneously they feel very medieval (in a way that their motivations and drive are sometimes not easy to grasp for the modern reader) and yet are very relatable.
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is a fantastic and captivating read! The political manoeuvring and frequent reminders of how connected Ireland was to Europe by trade, religion and politics gave the story a grand and epic feel. At the same time seeing the story unfold through the eyes of two women brings an unexpected intimacy and depth.