Nice to be retired but sometimes, when at the tail end of my monthly budget, one can be forced into austerity measures in an attempt to make one's money last until the next infusion of funds. A good book can help these few days be more bearable. I can fall into a nice routine of sleep, read, eat, nap, read, swim, read, eat, read, sleep, over the course of 4 days and nights, and stay entertained and busy.
I am lucky because fabulous follow up to The Children of Gods and Fighting Men came in at the right moment. The setting is Ireland in the year 1000 AD. In a mixture of Historical Fiction laced with Fantasy elements, Shauna Lawless| continues the story of Gromflaith and Fodla, who are the main POVs who narrate the tale. Both hide their magical abilities, while trying to fit in a world where magic is fading and seen as a danger. While Fodla wants to heal people and Gromflaith only wants to rule people.
The book has a great pace to it, and the story flows in an easy manner. Most of the characters from The Children of Gods and Fighting Men return, so the learning curve for keeping the characters straight in your mind is easier. I did a short Wiki of Ancient Ireland 1000 AD to get a feel of the era. The Fantasy elements are straight out of Irish Mythologies, as the long arc plot is the Fomorians versus the Tuatha De Danann, both considered supernatural beings in the mythological writings.
Time flew by while I was reading this lovely book. Always a good sign how much I was engaged with the characters, the worldbuilding, and plot. Did not want to stop reading and was one of the first things each day i got back to. One of the best books I have read in 2023.
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