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A review by laelyn
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless
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!