By SHELAGH BRALEY STARR
RELATED ☘️ staff
Two women of Ireland’s ancient supernatural tribes emerge as equal, opposite forces in the historical fantasy novel, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men.
Right away, the title of this book makes a connection to the famous 1904 collection of Irish mythological sagas by Lady Gregory, Gods and Fighting Men—the foundation upon which any Irish epic retelling has been built.
So right away, we know author Shauna Lawless knows her business.
Gormflaith (pronounced GORM-la), one of only two surviving Fomorians, has been widowed by the king of Dublin, and now has only one goal: to see her son become king before he is killed. She obscures the fire-magic she possesses and hopes no one notices she does not age naturally, so she can continue to pull the strings of power in the shadows.
Fódla (pronounced FOE-la), a descendant of the rival tribe Tuatha Dé Danann, is a healer grieving the loss of her daughter. She is called to rescue her pregnant sister who has broken a sacred rule: Descendants must not lie with mortals. Fódla negotiates on her sister’s behalf— Fódla will care for the child, and her sister will not lose her immortality, but she will be banished. In exchange for this mercy, Fódla must agree to go spy on King Brian Boru and the mortals on the Descendants’ behalf. She fears mortals but loves her sister, so she goes.
In Dublin, Gormflaith sees her son Sitric installed as king, and now it is upon him to keep his seat by any means. Meanwhile, peace has been made as King Sechnall of Meath and King Brian Boru agree to share the High Kingship. This doesn’t sit well with the Fomorians, who crave the power of the high seat and actively plot to dismantle the peace treaty to that end. Both Sechnall and Boru are riding north to punish Dublin for maiming the king of Leinster, and the tensions grow as each realizes there’s more at hand than what lies on the surface.
How the two women position themselves—Gormflaith with her fierce autonomy and pride; Fódla, her gentle authenticity—runs like a river under a terrain pocked with political negotiations and strategic marriages, at turns delicate and highly charged. The decisions they must make leave everything of importance to them hanging in the balance. For Fódla, it’s use her power and risk being discovered or someone dies. For Gormflaith, it’s scheme and plot to stay in power or risk the loss of everything she has.
The stakes continue to rise, the undercurrent of being discovered and punished always palpable. With vastly different motivations, these two women are headed for an epic confrontation. This story effectively weaves Ireland’s mythological beings into a complex history of invasions that visitors to the land tour and touch every day. Lawless’ take gives us deep-rooted historical details on one of Ireland’s most well-known wars while giving us characters we love—and love to hate.
This novel was shortlisted for Best Debut at the British Fantasy Awards. With two more books to conclude the Gael Song trilogy, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is one story Lady Gregory herself might call epic.
Shelagh Braley Starr is the editor of RELATED ☘️ magazine. She has been writing for newspapers and magazines for decades and is now working on an Irish historical fantasy novel of her own. You can reach her at shelagh@byancestry.com
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, the first selection for Brigid’s Library Book Club, can be purchased from Bloomsbury at a 20 percent discount using the code LAWLESS20.
Want to meet the author?
Shauna Lawless will be joining Brigid’s Library staff and club members for multiple chats over the course of the month to talk about her book, host some giveaways, and answer questions. To stay updated, please join the book club at BrigidsLibrary.com, join the Facebook group for updates and other fun.
Curious to learn more before you meet the author? You can find Shauna’s entire Gael Song catalog on Bloomsbury: CLICK HERE
And while you’re there, don’t hesitate to jump right into the next era! Preorder the first in the next series, Daughter of the Otherworld, using code OTHERWORLD30 for an even more generous discount, 30 percent off, from Bloomsbury.
Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781803282640
Pages: 464
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
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