Customer Reviews

Irish Magic

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book will not appeal to everyone and is reviewed in the context of the intended audience. It is a collection of four novelettes by master storytellers. The first story, "Galway Bay" by Morgan Llywelan, is a change of pace for readers familiar with her full length historical novels. It is set in modern times, and concerns a part-Irish woman on vacation in Galway, Ireland, who encounters the underlying realities of Irish folklore and discovers romance in an unexpected place. The second story, "The Harpers's Daughter" by Barbara Samuel, is set in ancient Ireland and concerns Deirdre, destined to be the bride of a king, but she loves another. Expressed in Deirdre's thoughts (about other women in the king's court), "One of them, one day, would have the warrior who'd snared her heart, while she would lie with the fat, old king. It wasn't fair." Deirdre is cursed with extraordinary beauty that creates uncontrolled lust in the minds of any men who see her. Can she find a refuge with the man she loves, and will magic protect them? The third and fourth stories deal with connections to the spirit world in an ancient Irish setting. The third, "The Trysting Hour" by Susan Wiggs, is about a spirit that can assume a mortal man's shape, and who desires a woman meant to be a king's wife. Can he win her hand while he prevents the king from consumating the marriage? And is she really an ordinary mortal woman? The fourth, "Rarer than a White Crow" by Roberta Gellis, has a man placed under a spell by a shape-changing witch with her own agenda (which can only be guessed at). People are at an interface between the spirit world and the mortal world. Angus must win the hand of Caer and love her til the end of her days in order to be free from the spell, but that is easier said than done. Can they thwart the real agenda of the witch? The book contains explicit sex and violence. It is an excellent set of stories for those interested in this type of fantasy romance.

I originally purchased this book in a sales bin at Barnes and Nobles and I have to say once I started it, it was a fight to put it down, even to eat. The first story, Galaway Bay, was so touching to me I cried all night. The other stories were written with talent and grace. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants emotion from a book.

This book started out so well, but it fizzled fast. The scenery of Ireland shined, which is the ONLY reason this story deserved 1 star, but the girl, Eileen Costello, who was vacationing there, had little personality and it was hard to get to know her because the author gave us no physical description, no hair or eye color, etc, only a slightly tempermental New Yorker whose ex-boyfriend turned out to be married.
Eileen's love interest in Ireland is called "Mrs. Daly's son."

*He has no name.*

And it was never made clear what it was Mrs. Daly's son saw in Eileen to make her 'the one.' He didn't know anything about her!
When we first meet Mrs. Daly's son at the restaurant, he made a wonderful impression and it seemed the story would be great, but after that initial encounter, Eileen doesn't see him again until the end of the book. And I do mean the end. The very last sentence, to be exact.

Wonderful stories of magic, romance, and irish lore. If you like to curl up at night with a short story, this is a great book for you. I was delighted with this book and with Irish Magic II.

when you're in the mood for some short whistful escapist romantic stories in a celtic setting, pick up this one. good for a rainy sunday afternoon.

when i first ordered this book it had no preview so i didn't know what i was getting, but it turned out to be a great book and i ended up getting part two later. thanks.

I found it difficult reading. I have read 28 of Susan Wiggs books and this I like the least. Of course it contains other authors other than Wiggs. I think her story was the best of the four. It contains a lot of Irish words, which I had to try to pronounce, which took away from the smoothness of the read.

Haven't read yet. Just collecting book series to have something to read this winter.

Other than the initial introduction of Eileen's love interest, there was nothing even remotely interesting about this story. The entire book was about Eileen and the other characters - the professor, the couple who owned the inn, the shop owner, and the restaurant owner, but only twice, I believe, with her love interest, which consisted of a few words between them and that was it. It was just stupid.