Daughter of Ireland [Mass Market Paperback]

Juilene Osborne-McKnight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

I am the wind which breathes on the water.
I am the swell of the sea.
I am the light of the sun.
I am the point of the battle spear.
I am the God who gives fires to the mind.
Who announces the ages of the moon?
Who speaks to the setting of the sun?
I, only I.

Aislinn ni Sorar, druid priestess of ancient Ireland, is a visionary. Raised according to the ancient ways and seeking to use her gifts to keep the old magic strong, she has the power to part the mists of time and see events that might shape a nation.

But Aislinn’s own past is shrouded in mystery, and her quest to discover that past will bring her pain, as well as true love, and will set in motion a chain of events that will alter both her own future and that of her beloved Ireland.

For there is a new spirit upon the land whose presence heralds a rendering--and a remaking--of this world. His way had been foretold long ago and threatens to change everything. And Aislinn is at the heart of that change.

Will she give up everything that she loves to help her people find the true God, or will she turn to the dark forces that threaten to keep the old ways at any cost?

Daughter of Ireland continues Juilene Osborne-McKnight's exploration of Irish history, combining fine historical research with skillful storytelling. Her focus this time is none other than Cormac mac Art, ancient and venerated King of Ireland, and the path the Irish people follow to find the one true God. Osborne-McKnight has crafted an engaging young heroine who chronicles both Celtic mythology and early pagan/Christian theology through her travels, and re-creates a world whose conflicts over power, religion, and law are as immediate and far-reaching as those same conflicts in our own time.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Osborne-McKnight's love of Irish history shines through this mystical tale of a druid priestess destined to play a significant role in the reign of Cormac mac Art, venerated king of Ireland credited with first introducing Christianity to his island nation. After undertaking a mysterious quest to find and protect an orphaned child, Aislinn ni Sorar joins forces with a courageous young warrior-poet on a mission equally shrouded in secrecy. Together they must battle the dark spirits in order to avenge the past, reclaim the future, and protect their ruler. Skillfully interweaving documented history with Celtic myths and legends, Osborne-McKnight has spun a spellbinding fable of love and loyalty in the land of poets and kings. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"What a lovely book! Not only first-rate storytelling, but a feel for the yearning for mystery and belief that lie at the roots of the soul. I think both Osian and Patrick would be more than pleased with this recreation of their lives and stories."--Diana Gabaldon on I Am of Ireland

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765346427
• ISBN-13: 978-0765346421
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,536,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I Could Be a Druid Priestess, April 20, 2003

By 

Liz Beideman (Bedford, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughter of Ireland (Mass Market Paperback)

While searching through the romance novel section at the Book Store, I came across a book that made me say, "Oooh...". Daughter of Ireland first caught my attention because of the pretty cover (Yes, I'm one of those people who firmly disagrees with the statement, "You can't judge a book by its cover.") Then, I noticed the title had the word "Ireland" in it, which prompted me to read the back cover of the book. After doing so, I just had to buy it. However, was it all I was hoping it to be? Not quite.
Set in about 250 AD, when Cormac Mac Art ruled as high king of Ireland and the country was protected the Fianna, the fierce and legendary army of Ireland led by Fionn Mac Cumhail, the plot of the story is of the intertwining fates of Aislinn ni Sorar and Eoghan Mac Aiden and the forces of darkness that could tear them apart. Aislinn is a druid priestess, loved and well respected throughout all of Eire; Eoghan is a warrior-poet of the Ard-ri (high king) and also a member of the Fianna. Eoghan's father killed Aislinn's father in a battle game when she was but five years old. Her mother took a death-fast, meaning that she was entombed alive with her dead husband and eventually starved to death. However, before she took her death-fast, she sent for Eoghan, who was seventeen at the time, and told him to take Aislinn to the druid Aodhfin the Wise to keep her safe from Banbh, a dark druid who pledged his allegiance to Morigu, the goddess of battle, death, and war. Aodhfin trained Aislinn in the druii ways, then sent her on a journey with only a cryptic chant to guide her: "From the place of darkness will come a child to light your journey. To the place of fire will come a man bearing fire for the body and the mind. Between darkness and light, you are the still point." Aislinn must figure out the meaning behind Aodhfin's riddle in order to become completely safe from the darkness and have true happiness.
Confusing? Maybe a little. The book is wonderful until about three-fourths of the way through, when the story begins to jump ahead six months to five years at a time. To me, it appears as though Juilene Osbourne-McKnight tired of writing and just wanted to end the book quickly.
However, Osborne-McKnight didn't just make up characters and a story off the top of her head. The story is remarkably believable, for it is very evident she did her research on ancient Ireland before writing this book. She used real people as her characters and real events to shape the plot of the book. Her descriptions of druii rituals and observations of their holidays are absolutely splendid. She took the time to conquer the tideous tasks of translating old Gaelic words and phrases into English and finding the pronunciation of nearly every name that appeared in the book. There is even a glossary at the end of the book for reference, as well as the bibliography of books she used for research.
The character descriptions are excellent, right down to the tiniest detail. Osborne-McKnight made it seem as though I had jumped into one of the character's heads; I could almost feel what they were thinking. The physical descriptions were wonderful, too. The way they wore their hair, the druii robes and clothing, the colors each clan wore...positively wonderful. It really made me wish I had been alive at that period in history, for I know I would have loved it.
Do you like historical romance novels? Are you interested in the Old ways and the religion of the Others? Are you enthralled by the constant battle between good and evil, light and dark? If so, then you definitely need to read this book.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could NOT put it down!, April 8, 2003

By 

"angelscutie1013" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughter of Ireland (Mass Market Paperback)

Very vivid plot and description, I FELT as if I was there! For anyone who loves magick, Ireland, Druids, etc you will LOVE this book! I can't wait to find more from the author!

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book, different from the rest, January 2, 2012

By 

fizzle7033 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughter of Ireland (Mass Market Paperback)

I just finished reading this book and I loved it! Ancient Ireland is not a setting which is found in a lot of books and I found the tale very interesting. I really felt like I could picture virtually every aspect of the story while I was reading it.