Of Water and Dragons [Paperback]

Kelley Heckart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 2005

They were destined to meet, but were they destined to be together? Though her heart wanted something different, Nemu knew what had to be done. There was much more at stake than her own suffering or the life of one man. The encroaching Romans threatened many innocent lives. Watching the dark storm clouds gather over the mountains, she thought how odd it was that nature often reflected ones feelings. Would the sun ever appear for her again? She saw herself as a tree battered by the wind and sleet, her heart a frozen knot of roots being ripped out by the damaging winds. There was nothing she could do to escape. She would have to stay strong and hope the storm would lose its strength, leaving her heart intact and Ambiorix safe. Of Water and Dragons takes place on the mystical island of Britannia from the dark enchanted lochs of Scotland to the grand bathhouses of Roman Britain. The battle of Mons Graupius in AD 84 is one of the most profound battles in history when the Romans, though greatly outnumbered, defeat the Celtic tribes of ancient Scotland and furthered the expansion of the Roman Empire. Here, in this untamed land the Romans call Caledonia, lives Nemu (Nay-Moo), a half-human, half-water faery woman. Soon after the battle ends, she finds a wounded Roman soldier name Ambiorix. Despite her distrust of humans, she takes him in and heals his wounds. Though they are from different worlds, they are mysteriously drawn to each other, but unforeseen forces keep them apart until their worlds collide in a fury of fire, blood and darkness. Of Water and Dragons weaves together the Roman history and Celtic lore of ancient Britain to create an unforgettable story of love and sacrifice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an appealing amalgam of magic, erotica, military history, and romance that will leave readers breathless in its wake." -- Reviewed by Ellen Tanner Marsh, NYT best-selling author

"...compelling verbiage & tightly-wrought plot grab from page one with tenacious intensity evocative of early classics of fantasy fiction." -- Reviewed by Ellen Tanner Marsh, NYT best-selling author

"...heavy Arthurian overtones...plot does not play out like legends...makes for surprising ending, laying groundwork for future novels." -- Reviewed by PaganNews.com

"Real Celtic lore and Roman history combined adds synergy to the exciting, soul-stirring story about separation, conflict, love and sacrifice." -- Recommended & Reviewed in The Mindquest Review, by Lightword Publishing

"an appealing amalgam of magic, erotica, military history, and romance that will leave readers breathless in its wake." -- Ellen Tanner Marsh, NYT best-selling author

"compelling verbiage...tightly-wrought plot grab from page one with a tenacious intensity evocative of early classics of fantasy fiction..." -- Ellen Tanner Marsh, NYT best-selling author

From the Author

This story started out as a short story set in a mythical land. When I turned it into a novel, I decided to change the setting to ancient Britain. I tried to stick to actual history in writing this story. The problem is there isn’t a lot of documented evidence from that time period. A lot of it is based on speculation. I did my best and when in doubt, I wrote what I thought could have happened.

The battles referenced in this story are real and there is archaeological evidence of the hillforts, Roman fortresses and stone circles in my story.

The only written history we have of the Celts is from the Romans so I based the actions of my characters on what archaeological evidence there is on these ancient tribes.

I used Roman Legions that were supposed to have been in Britain at that time. The Ninth Legion was written out of Roman history and it is thought that Celtic tribes massacred the Legion and captured their battle standard. This would have been a great embarrassment to Rome so it would make sense that they didn’t want to include it in their historical records. There is another account that the Legion disappeared and then reappeared later in Judea. This fit perfectly into my story.

I saved the best for last, the dragon or the Loch Ness Monster. There is a written account from St. Columba in AD 565 that a monster killed one of his men in the River Ness. There are also 1500-year-old carvings in the Scottish Highlands that resemble a sea monster. When I found this bit of information it gave me all kinds of ideas.

Are faeries real? We may never know, but I will leave it up to you, the reader, to decide what is real or not.

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Kelley

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (April 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419604570
• ISBN-13: 978-1419604577
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,159,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kelley writes Celtic historical romances with fantasy/paranormal elements. Her stories reflect her passion for ancient history, storytelling and the supernatural. She is drawn in particular to the ancient Celts who are shrouded in mystery and associated with the otherworldly realm of the Fae. With her pen and paper, she recreates long ago places filled with fierce warriors, bold women, magic, conflict and romance.
Two of her favorite things are sunrises and men in kilts. She can be found online at www.kelleyheckart.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and tragedy, December 10, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Water and Dragons (Paperback)

Of Water and Dragons is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy. Set in the first century AD, when the expanding Roman empire swallowed up many civilizations and loomed over Celtic tribes of ancient Scotland. In the midst of an untamed land, a half-human, half-water faery woman Nemu encounters a wounded Roman soldier named Ambiorix. Despite her internal misgivings, she shelters him and heals his wounds. They are drawn together despite their roots in drastically different worlds, yet in a land awash with the fires and slaughter of conquest, is there any hope for them to be together? A poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and tragedy.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read, April 21, 2008

By 

Mik McClure "Avid Reader" (Sherman Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Water and Dragons (Paperback)

I might recommend this book for a plane ride or a vacation at the beach. Not too taxing. The characters are sweet and the book is difficult to put down but it is a bit on the amateurish side (almost seemed like a book for teens, although the sex scenes are bit on the lurid side for that!) If you like this subject, there are more finely crafted novels by Juliet Marillier or Jules Watson that are much better written (and there is no dragon!). I think it looks like a good first effort, but I can't really recommend it.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Water and Dragons, June 13, 2005

By 

S. Parker (Lake Elsinore, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Of Water and Dragons (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book and once started I did not put it down till the last page was read.
I have been reading fantasy for 27 years and I feel the author did a wonderful job of creating a interesting and exciting story and the character's are vivid and dynamic so it was easy to step into their world with one's imagination.
I am looking forward to book 2 of the series. Bring it on!