Outstanding Historical Fiction!Morgan Llywelyn has done a fantastic job in this novel. She does outstanding research and builds a framework that will have you walk away from this book having a very good understanding of the history of Ireland in terms of its small kingdoms constantly warring with...
1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State (Irish Century Novels)
When John Joe's mother falls ill and he is sent away to St Enda's School in Dublin, he is relieved to escape from his bullying father. In the school he falls under the spell of Patrick Pearse, the charismatic headmaster, who teaches him about Irish nationalism and the injustice of British rule in...
On my fourth re-read of this book, I still feel strongly that the third story (reflecting the element of Earth) is the most compelling. In fact, three times in the past I've checked out this book from the library only to re-read the 3rd story in order to give myself strength. There are four sto...
Devo ammetterlo, questa per me è stata una rilettura.Una rilettura molto importante.La dea dei cavalli segnò per la me tredicenne l'inizio della passione per i popoli celtici e la storia antica, per i misteri dei druidi e i romanzi storici.Mi ricordo che l'avevo amato, che avevo pianto leggendolo...
Finn Mac Cool is a man who became a legend, whose life story grew beyond the realm of history and into myth itself. Finn has been described as “the mightiest of all Irish heroes.” He was born as one of the lowest members of ancient Irish society, raised by foster parents and apprenticed to a lo...
I found a first edition hardcover copy of this book at my local used book store for about $3. I was excited to read it having recently finished Helen Hollick's 'Forever Queen' and 'I am the Chosen King' which end with the Battle of Hastings. My lack of love for this novel is at least partially my...
When Ainvar’s grandmother gives her life to save her tribe from starvation, he begins his journey to learn the true meaning of sacrifice. Along with his “soul friend,” the warrior Vercingetorix, Ainvar must find a way to end Caesar’s conquest of Gaul.POSITIVE: Great plot and a fantastic pace. Aft...
I first read about Richard and Aoife in Denee Cody's The Conquered Heart. I loved it! A historical romance that had real characters and a real historic setting? Just what I love the most. I set about researching everything I could about them to see if what I had read was real or not. I didn't fin...
In the 16th century, Granuaile, the Pirate Queen, warrior and leader, was the terror of the North Atlantic and the most feared woman in Ireland. Told partly through letters written to her son Tibbot, this story charts the decline of the Gaelic chieftains and traditions of Ireland.
The Irish Century series is the narrative of the epic struggle of the Irish people for independence through the tumultuous twentieth century. Morgan Llywelyn's magisterial multi-novel chronicle of that story began with 1916, continued in 1921 and 1949 and now continues with 1972. In 1972, Morgan ...
In the early days of the Roman Empire, as the Romans are expanding their rule and the noble Etruscan civilization in Italy is waning, a young Etruscan noblewoman is violated by a renegade supernatural being. Accidentally impregnated, she bears a child who is partly supernatural and grows to manho...
The Irish Century concludes in this climactic novel; Llywelyn’s masterpiece is complete The Irish Century series is the story of the Irish people’s epic struggle for independence through the tumultuous course of the twentieth century. Morgan Llywelyn’s magisterial multi-novel chronicle of that st...
“What is it, Ainvar?” “Nothing.” “I know you too well; you’re absolutely unable to think of nothing. Some can, but not you. Tell me what you’re thinking about.” “You might not like it.” “All the more reason to tell me, then.” She put her little fists on her hips and stood waiting. She would stand...
‘We are racing the light,’ Muiris reminded his crew. ‘If dawn catches us on open water some fisherman is bound to see us.’ A pale glow was visible in the east as they approached a tiny, tree-covered island. It might have been the one where they met Muiris earlier, Tom could not tell. The men rowe...
The summer was drawing to a close. If we meant to take a serious invasion force to Ireland in the year of Our Lord 1170, we must set sail soon. I went to the holding that belonged to Raymond le Gros’ family, to say goodbye to my sister. If all went well in Ireland, in time...
A man—was it Lewis? It must be Lewis—she could not make out his face, everything was blurred—was clasping her in his arms while the world spun dizzyingly around them. If he turned loose she would fall. “Don’t let me fall!” she tried to say, but her traitor lips were numb. They would not shape the...
Her instructor was on the other side of the practice arena, working with another of her students who would be riding in a class later in the day. Suzanne did not have any classes today, but Dancer had to be exercised just the same. Even if it was lashing rain, horses had to be ridden. ...
"Why didn't you bring the Ard Ri home?" the patriarch of a Dalcassian family challenged Donough as he and Teigue were making their way to the top of the hall. "You brought other dead princes with you for their people to bury; surely you could have returned the Ard Ri to us." "He should be entombe...
Sometimes he had to admit to himself what he would admit to no one else – he was getting old. In wet weather his knees and shoulders ached all the time, and there were mornings when it was very hard indeed to get up and face the day. All his life he had thought about so ma...
The Children of Light held all life to be sacred, and the life of Ierne had responded in full measure. The birds whom we fed when the frost and ice of darkseason depleted their food had flown to the farthest reaches of the land, summoning the few Túatha Dé Danann who did not already know about ou...
But if they refuse to destroy them, then we will have no other decision to make but to destroy the IRA ourselves. We will exterminate the IRA!”1 In the second week of December two Sinn Féin leaders, Gerry Adams and Danny Morrison, took part in a phone-in programme broadcast over LBC, a radio stat...
In the distressing aftermath of the raid on Viroconium they worked unflinchingly to pull bodies from the wreckage and help bury the dead. The bloody, battered, the sometimes roasted dead. Mercifully the Saxons had not mutilated anyone, they simply slaughtered those who got in their way. But their...
He might have been born in County Wexford, rather than being separated from the land of his forebears by three generations. To the Irish he was one of their own who went to America and made good, then came home again to share his success with them. In one unimaginable moment they had been robbed ...