Customer Reviews

Shadow of Gulls

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The first book in the double-book series of Lugh the Harper is quite wonderful. The detail the author offers is remarkable. The story is a fantasy in some respects, but it is also realistic. It's a story of love and vengeance, honour and cowardice, treachery and bravery quite like none I've read before. If you would like to know what this very distant past was like in the island of Ireland, you will certainly get a good idea by reading this book.he incidents and battles that occurred are remembered from legend and they are very carefully and completely described by this very talented author. Because the story is told in the first person by the narrator, who is Lugh, it gives a really personal slant to these events, and we as readers become directly involved. Luckily I have the sequel The Crow Goddess waiting for me to read right away. I truly want to find out what happens after the famous battle of Erin and Ulster in the second century AD.

The Shadow of Gulls is Patricia Finney's first book, written while she was still a teenager. As such it is an amazing achievement. She has managed to blend celtic mythology and with realistic characters to produce a book superior to most in its genre. The plot centers arround Lugh Mac Romain, a harper and warrior in 1st century Ireland. Lugh is unwittingly made King of Connaught but escapes the inevitable ritual death by being lamed in battle after fleeing Connaught. However he earns the implacable hatred of Maeve Queen of Connaught and her persuit of him drives the plot of this book and its sequel ( Crow Goddess). Only bettered by its sequel, together they make a superb read.

An historical novel with more in common with fantasy than is usual, though mercifully free of the more annoying cliches and assumptions of that genre. Patricia Finney creates a realistic feeling Ireland at the time of the Roman Empire and weaves her story around Irish myth and legend to stunning effect.
One hesitates to mention her age at the time of the writing of the novel (she was 17) as one does not wish to add a novelty value to what is a unique and exciting novel that will stay with you. The sequel "The Crow Goddess" where the protagonist, Lugh MacRomain, travels to Roman occupied Britain is, if anything, better. Buy both immediatley.

The Tain Bo Culainge (Cattle raid of Cooley) often simply called the Tain, is the greatest story of the Cycle of the Red Branch Knights, a noble cycle of poems from ancient Ireland. It told the tales of the Celtic knights and their brave battles with human foe and with non- humans as well. This book is the tale of the Tain told from an interesting point of view, a potential mate of Maeve of Connaught who cannot be corn king because he crashes his sportscar (or the local version anyway - his chariot). It is a good rendition of the story and well worth a read. If you don't think you like ancient irish mythology, then forget all the above - all you need to know is that it's a brilliant and exciting story. You will want to read the sequel afterwards -the crow goddess.