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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Although The Children of the Gods and Fighting Men was not a perfect read, I reckon it was a pretty strong debut. With a riveting blend of Irish mythology and history, Shauna Lawless seamlessly weaved a compact story full of politics, betrayals and merciless scheming.
⚔️ Plot ⚔️
The Children of the Gods and Fighting Men essentially follows the war between the Tuatha Dé Danann (an ancient race of warriors) and the Fomorians (an "immortal" race with fire magic) in medieval Ireland during a time of tumultous upheaval where the Vikings and Irish were fighting for land and power, and the pagans were at odds with the fervent rise of Christianity.
⚔️ Characters ⚔️
This book was full of compelling characters. Gormflaith, the Fomorian Queen, and Fódla, a Tuatha Dé Danann healer, were strong female characters. I enjoyed seeing how cut-throat and ambitious Gormflaith was, and found that Fódla served as a good juxtaposition with her tenderheartedness. I also really enjoyed seeing them grow and learn about the humans around them. The patriarchy and the misogyny served as real obstacles for them, so it was interesting to see how they navigated that in different ways (and not in an unbelievably anachronistic way either).
Although I didn't necessarily connect with either of the FMCs, my enjoyment wasn't dampened because I really loved some of the side characters. I think what makes the story so compelling is that we're constantly introduced to new characters that all have different motivations. As many have pointed out, this isn't a "good versus bad" story, it's more grey than that. There are selfish desires and noble wills at hand, and plenty of characters that aren't afraid to double-cross one another.
⚔️ Writing ⚔️
The writing and prose was good - simple, succinct, and clear. But in saying that, I found the beginning to be a little confusing at times, and the exposition through dialogue a little unrealistic. Luckily, this didn't last long. For my own personal enjoyment, I do prefer a more descriptive writing style though... I like to know details about a character's appearance and what the setting looks like, and unfortunately this book was a bit lacking in this area. So if you're like me, be forewarned.
⚔️ Other thoughts ⚔️
But to end on a positive note, I do want to say that I loved the authors note at the end where Lawless explains the creative license she took and even lists out resources for curious readers. I don't know much about Irish history or mythology, so I will definitely be checking those out.
Overall, I enjoyed this one and have already downloaded the next book, The Words of Kings and Prophets from Libby. This book isn't going to be for everyone though - it's very heavy on the history and politics, and light on the action, but if you're looking for a good blend of historical fiction and fantasy, The Children of the Gods and Fighting Men is definitely worth checking out.
Rating: 3.5/5
⚔️ Plot ⚔️
The Children of the Gods and Fighting Men essentially follows the war between the Tuatha Dé Danann (an ancient race of warriors) and the Fomorians (an "immortal" race with fire magic) in medieval Ireland during a time of tumultous upheaval where the Vikings and Irish were fighting for land and power, and the pagans were at odds with the fervent rise of Christianity.
⚔️ Characters ⚔️
This book was full of compelling characters. Gormflaith, the Fomorian Queen, and Fódla, a Tuatha Dé Danann healer, were strong female characters. I enjoyed seeing how cut-throat and ambitious Gormflaith was, and found that Fódla served as a good juxtaposition with her tenderheartedness. I also really enjoyed seeing them grow and learn about the humans around them. The patriarchy and the misogyny served as real obstacles for them, so it was interesting to see how they navigated that in different ways (and not in an unbelievably anachronistic way either).
Although I didn't necessarily connect with either of the FMCs, my enjoyment wasn't dampened because I really loved some of the side characters. I think what makes the story so compelling is that we're constantly introduced to new characters that all have different motivations. As many have pointed out, this isn't a "good versus bad" story, it's more grey than that. There are selfish desires and noble wills at hand, and plenty of characters that aren't afraid to double-cross one another.
⚔️ Writing ⚔️
The writing and prose was good - simple, succinct, and clear. But in saying that, I found the beginning to be a little confusing at times, and the exposition through dialogue a little unrealistic. Luckily, this didn't last long. For my own personal enjoyment, I do prefer a more descriptive writing style though... I like to know details about a character's appearance and what the setting looks like, and unfortunately this book was a bit lacking in this area. So if you're like me, be forewarned.
⚔️ Other thoughts ⚔️
But to end on a positive note, I do want to say that I loved the authors note at the end where Lawless explains the creative license she took and even lists out resources for curious readers. I don't know much about Irish history or mythology, so I will definitely be checking those out.
Overall, I enjoyed this one and have already downloaded the next book, The Words of Kings and Prophets from Libby. This book isn't going to be for everyone though - it's very heavy on the history and politics, and light on the action, but if you're looking for a good blend of historical fiction and fantasy, The Children of the Gods and Fighting Men is definitely worth checking out.
Rating: 3.5/5
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
10% DNF
I can't get past the anachronistic language and idioms and behavior of the characters. Nor does it feel like any of the characters have actual personalities and motivations beyond greed and xenophobia.
I can't get past the anachronistic language and idioms and behavior of the characters. Nor does it feel like any of the characters have actual personalities and motivations beyond greed and xenophobia.
Did not like that the changing narration was in first person for each different character.
went down as smooth as a cold brew when i'm sleep-deprived - so compulsivey readable, i was 50% through before i realised it.
character work is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in this one; somehow really satisfying to read them all scheming (even against each other) and sometimes even just plain living.
character work is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in this one; somehow really satisfying to read them all scheming (even against each other) and sometimes even just plain living.
so grateful that I listened to the audiobook for this because otherwise I would have been pronouncing all the names very very incorrectly
- I know it’s super common now to compare anything to game of thrones and I know it’s annoying but like… this does feel like a worthy comparison
- obviously it’s not entirely comparable to asoiaf on every single level - I’m specifically referring to the scramble for power, the different parties vying for power and the fun little political games everyone is playing
- the political intrigue is there right from the beginning and the books starts of surprisingly plot focused - we’re playing the game from page 1, at least from gormlaiths perspective
- I do think that gormflaith kinda had a bit of a stronger pov just in the sense that it starts strong and manages to maintain that momentum - but she’s also just such an interesting character to follow - there are no allusions of goodness with her, she’s in this mostly just for power, yes there’s some other stuff going on too but like she wants her son to be king and that’s her main driver and she’s willing to do anything to put him there
- she’s very Cersei Lannister coded - the almost obsessional love for her child, to the point where I feel like she can’t really see him as his own person and can’t seperate him from the child he used to be and the person she wants him to be which is the cause of alot of the strife in their relationship later on - there’s also just the fact that she’s sooo bitchy and her inner monologue is lowkey hilarious like she’s evil and she doesn’t give a fuck
- she’s unrelentingly devoted to the protection of her child and she’s not a good person but isn’t trying to be - shes a fantastic pov character
- she’s also shown to be pretty smart and capable in her evil scheming - she’s used to getting things play out her way and it’s fun to follow along and watch her move the chess pieces across the board
- i also really liked the other characters on her side of the story - i appreciated the ghost of her relationship with her mother and then her strained relationship with her brother
- the dynamic between her and sitric is so interesting i wanna be in his head so bad
- Olaf is such a legend - I like his push pull dynamic with gormflaith a lot and I just think that’s he’s one of the smartest characters in play rn
- I liked fodlas arc too - I think she’s a really interesting character to follow because it’s clear that her perspective in life is about to come crashing down
- there’s just this honesty and integrity and innocence to her - she was a very stark and interesting contrast to gormflaith lol
- but also murchad???? now that is a man
- so excited for their eventual slowburn friends to lovers romance
- this was just very good and after listening to two Irish audiobooks consecutively my inner monologue has also turned Irish
- I know it’s super common now to compare anything to game of thrones and I know it’s annoying but like… this does feel like a worthy comparison
- obviously it’s not entirely comparable to asoiaf on every single level - I’m specifically referring to the scramble for power, the different parties vying for power and the fun little political games everyone is playing
- the political intrigue is there right from the beginning and the books starts of surprisingly plot focused - we’re playing the game from page 1, at least from gormlaiths perspective
- I do think that gormflaith kinda had a bit of a stronger pov just in the sense that it starts strong and manages to maintain that momentum - but she’s also just such an interesting character to follow - there are no allusions of goodness with her, she’s in this mostly just for power, yes there’s some other stuff going on too but like she wants her son to be king and that’s her main driver and she’s willing to do anything to put him there
- she’s very Cersei Lannister coded - the almost obsessional love for her child, to the point where I feel like she can’t really see him as his own person and can’t seperate him from the child he used to be and the person she wants him to be which is the cause of alot of the strife in their relationship later on - there’s also just the fact that she’s sooo bitchy and her inner monologue is lowkey hilarious like she’s evil and she doesn’t give a fuck
- she’s unrelentingly devoted to the protection of her child and she’s not a good person but isn’t trying to be - shes a fantastic pov character
- she’s also shown to be pretty smart and capable in her evil scheming - she’s used to getting things play out her way and it’s fun to follow along and watch her move the chess pieces across the board
- i also really liked the other characters on her side of the story - i appreciated the ghost of her relationship with her mother and then her strained relationship with her brother
- the dynamic between her and sitric is so interesting i wanna be in his head so bad
- Olaf is such a legend - I like his push pull dynamic with gormflaith a lot and I just think that’s he’s one of the smartest characters in play rn
- I liked fodlas arc too - I think she’s a really interesting character to follow because it’s clear that her perspective in life is about to come crashing down
- there’s just this honesty and integrity and innocence to her - she was a very stark and interesting contrast to gormflaith lol
- but also murchad???? now that is a man
- so excited for their eventual slowburn friends to lovers romance
- this was just very good and after listening to two Irish audiobooks consecutively my inner monologue has also turned Irish