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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lot more political intrigue than I was expecting, but well written and kept my attention, which stories with a lot of political intrigue tend not to do.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
VERY high fantasy novel with lots of political machinations and intrigue. If that’s your thing I’m sure you’ll enjoy this but the dead time between events left me slogging through this book.
slow-paced
Captivating and gripping. The book expertly weaves the themes of motherhood, intense politicking, cunning schemes, and shocking betrayals. I was thoroughly engrossed in the main conflicts and deeply invested in the journeys of the two remarkable heroines. The final chapter left me eagerly yearning for more.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fódla is largely very passive! she is also a victim of an abusive relationship. tomas needs to be taken out back and [redacted]. gormflaith is a boy mom! she’s locked in a battle with misogyny and enmeshment and she’s not gonna make it. she is also relentlessly ambitious and ruthless and i respect that, even if i wish she would use that ambition and ruthlessness for her own benefit.
fódla and gormflaith’s narrative voices are not distinct. i don’t think this book had a strong beginning/middle/end. i don’t like any of the characters in this book and they do not change meaningfully over the course of the novel, but i did like that this is a historical political drama even if it was lighter on the magic than i wanted.
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was an absolute joy to read from page 1; it is an epic, character driven fantasy that doesn't sacrifice on plot.
Set in 10th century Ireland, and weaving together Irish history and mythology, this follows two female main characters who are not only very different to each other, but are both very different to the type of FMC I am used to seeing in fantasy. I really enjoyed the vibes of the setting and the world (reminiscent of The Last Kingdom to me) and I found both POVs equally refreshing and compelling.
We have Gormflaith, an immortal fire mage known as a Fomorian, who was married to the Viking King of Dublin at the age of 13 by her father. She is incredibly smart, unapologetically ruthless, and would do anything for her son, for whom she has set her eyes on her late husband's throne. We also have Fódla, a healer descended from a race of warriors called the Tuatha Dé Danann who are sworn to kill Fomorians. She is Gormflaith's opposite in many ways; she is kind, gentle and nurturing (although do not mistake this for weakness, she has a quieter, more emotional strength than Gormflaith that is just as present).
These two women may be very different, and members of enemy clans, but they mirror each other in many ways, which was so intriguing to follow. They are both driven by love for family, they are both navigating a patriarchal society in which they have no real power, as well as battling instructions from their own clans which they do not necessarily agree with themselves. For Gormflaith: marry, breed, move on before someone notices you are not aging. For Fódla: spy on the mortals but do not trust them.
The plot of this book was very political and very gripping; I delighted in watching Gormflaith manoeuvre the men around her (to varying levels of success), and I loved getting to know Fódla and her personal history. Watching these women move in men's circles in their own way was so compelling and I can't wait to see how the conflict set up in this book moves forward in the next one.
If I hadn't been buddy reading this at 3 chapters a day, I would have probably read it within a couple of days; it was simply unputdownable.
Set in 10th century Ireland, and weaving together Irish history and mythology, this follows two female main characters who are not only very different to each other, but are both very different to the type of FMC I am used to seeing in fantasy. I really enjoyed the vibes of the setting and the world (reminiscent of The Last Kingdom to me) and I found both POVs equally refreshing and compelling.
We have Gormflaith, an immortal fire mage known as a Fomorian, who was married to the Viking King of Dublin at the age of 13 by her father. She is incredibly smart, unapologetically ruthless, and would do anything for her son, for whom she has set her eyes on her late husband's throne. We also have Fódla, a healer descended from a race of warriors called the Tuatha Dé Danann who are sworn to kill Fomorians. She is Gormflaith's opposite in many ways; she is kind, gentle and nurturing (although do not mistake this for weakness, she has a quieter, more emotional strength than Gormflaith that is just as present).
These two women may be very different, and members of enemy clans, but they mirror each other in many ways, which was so intriguing to follow. They are both driven by love for family, they are both navigating a patriarchal society in which they have no real power, as well as battling instructions from their own clans which they do not necessarily agree with themselves. For Gormflaith: marry, breed, move on before someone notices you are not aging. For Fódla: spy on the mortals but do not trust them.
The plot of this book was very political and very gripping; I delighted in watching Gormflaith manoeuvre the men around her (to varying levels of success), and I loved getting to know Fódla and her personal history. Watching these women move in men's circles in their own way was so compelling and I can't wait to see how the conflict set up in this book moves forward in the next one.
If I hadn't been buddy reading this at 3 chapters a day, I would have probably read it within a couple of days; it was simply unputdownable.
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I never thought a book would take me in so quickly, but then I picked this up in a shop one day and decided to give it a go. It piqued my interest solely because it was an Irish mythology mixed historical story that was actually written by an Irish author — I’m so used to being disappointed when finding out an author just simply “loves Ireland” and “adores Celtic mythology” that I was excited to go home and begin reading this series.
To say I was instantly blown away is such an understatement. The way Lawless has sewn the mythology of the Tuatha Dé Danaan and the Fomorians into the history of Ireland, particularly upon the invasion of the vikings and Brian Boru’s rise to power, is done so seamlessly that I didn’t even skip a beat when reading into the historical events that happen in the narrative.
As I have mentioned in previous reviews where this kind of storytelling occurs, I love that the narrative jumps between Fódla and Gormflaith’s points of view as the timeline progresses. Both of these characters are very different yet so similar, and seeing their paths ultimately reach closer and closer to one another until they are in each other’s presence was so satisfying and the tension for this was done so well. Both of these women are so three-dimensional and believable, with Gormflaith being so utterly complex that I had to keep reminding myself what her intentions were and why she worked so hard for what she wanted.
I think that it’s a no brainer that I will immediately jump to the next instalment in the Gael Song series. I’m desperate to know what happens next and see how the politics in the world progress. I’m also shocked to learn that this was Lawless’ debut novel; it is such an elegant retelling of Ireland’s own tales and legends that as I was reading I just assumed this was her dipping her toes into Irish historical fiction. Needless to say I plan on reading her entire catalog and keeping up to date with anything new she creates.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Grief
Moderate: Sexual violence