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twstdtink's review against another edition
5.0
The story of Epona, the Celtic Horse Goddess. Another great favorite from my youth. This story so impacted me, I believed I could talk to horses if only I tried hard enough :). The book was at one time so rare, I kept my copy locked in a trunk. Fortunately for you, it's been rereleased.
thewickedbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Violence, Slavery, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Stalking, Abortion, Blood, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, and Ableism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Self harm, Confinement, Alcohol, War, Violence, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Drug use
kurt's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredible! The Horse Goddess is beautiful, magical, and historical. I've been waiting to read this series for so long, and I have almost all of Morgan Llywelyn's books in her Celtic World series, but I have been unable to find this first one. Being that I have finally found it, I was eager to dive right in (coincidentally setting aside all the other books I am reading concurrently, mind you lol). This is my first ever reading of Morgan Llywelyn, and I am extremely impressed. Her words are so beautiful, her characters are flawed and real, and her ability to create a feeling of Celtic ambiance is truly heart-warming. She really pulled me in, and I had the feeling of being somewhere familiar although I've never been there. I really have to put it out there, and I have reservations about saying what I am about to say, but personally, I think Morgan Llywelyn captures the historical elements of her chosen topics on a grander scale than Bernard Cornwell (I'm so sorry Mr. Cornwell!!).
If you enjoy the Celtic way and love history, this book is definitely for you. This is a must read, and I will absolutely be reading the rest of this series!
By the way, all while during reading this, I had the band Eluveitie's song "Epona" in my head the entire time. Check it out.
If you enjoy the Celtic way and love history, this book is definitely for you. This is a must read, and I will absolutely be reading the rest of this series!
By the way, all while during reading this, I had the band Eluveitie's song "Epona" in my head the entire time. Check it out.
zena_ryder's review against another edition
3.0
I started this book with high expectations for some good historical fiction. With any historical fiction there’s always the question of how to handle the characters’ religious/magical beliefs. In the best books I’ve read, the author is able to immerse the reader in the characters’ religion, enabling us to see and understand why they believed what they did, while nevertheless leaving open alternative hypotheses that explain the various illusions they are subject to, and so on. (I have read books by Lucia St Clair and Pauline Gedge that manage this excellently.) Initially, I was expecting the same from this book. However, it soon became apparent that this fiction accepts that Kelti magic is real. In my disappointment, I resisted that premise for a while, but once I just accepted it — and accepted that this wouldn’t be the greatest historical fiction — I enjoyed the book more.
The best thing about the book is the character of Epona, who escapes her Kelti village (in the Alps) to take her own path in life. She wants to avoid being forced to become a drui, which is similar to a priest. She experiences the shock of moving from one culture to another, but she adapts and learns new, valuable skills. She pushes herself, she stands up for herself, but also comes to realize that nobody is ever 100% free from all constraints. There’s no such thing as “pure” freedom. How much freedom is enough freedom? That’s one of the questions that is in the background of the whole book. She eventually returns to her old village with her new found skills and, in a way, ends up doing what she didn’t want to do at the beginning of the book, the very thing she was running away from — and she becomes a drui. But she’s doing it much more on her own terms. I like the love story in the book too. :)
I looked up about the Scythian society afterwards, and this book is disappointingly inaccurate in its portrayal of how women were treated. As fiction, I understand it made for a better story for Epona to escape a relatively egalitarian society and find herself in a society that was extremely repressive of women. But I’m disappointed whenever historical fiction makes up hugely important things like that. (On the contrary, apparently Scythian society was famous for having female warriors who fought alongside the men.) Other things about Scythian society are accurately portrayed in the book — they were nomads who lived north of the Black Sea and were fierce warriors, who venerated horses, and used bows and arrows from horseback; they tended to plunder unrelated tribes, and they liked tattoos.
The best thing about the book is the character of Epona, who escapes her Kelti village (in the Alps) to take her own path in life. She wants to avoid being forced to become a drui, which is similar to a priest. She experiences the shock of moving from one culture to another, but she adapts and learns new, valuable skills. She pushes herself, she stands up for herself, but also comes to realize that nobody is ever 100% free from all constraints. There’s no such thing as “pure” freedom. How much freedom is enough freedom? That’s one of the questions that is in the background of the whole book. She eventually returns to her old village with her new found skills and, in a way, ends up doing what she didn’t want to do at the beginning of the book, the very thing she was running away from — and she becomes a drui. But she’s doing it much more on her own terms. I like the love story in the book too. :)
I looked up about the Scythian society afterwards, and this book is disappointingly inaccurate in its portrayal of how women were treated. As fiction, I understand it made for a better story for Epona to escape a relatively egalitarian society and find herself in a society that was extremely repressive of women. But I’m disappointed whenever historical fiction makes up hugely important things like that. (On the contrary, apparently Scythian society was famous for having female warriors who fought alongside the men.) Other things about Scythian society are accurately portrayed in the book — they were nomads who lived north of the Black Sea and were fierce warriors, who venerated horses, and used bows and arrows from horseback; they tended to plunder unrelated tribes, and they liked tattoos.
kassi_kennedy's review against another edition
4.0
An intriguing tale filled with myth and archetype and a strong female lead.
lini002's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
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