Red Branch (Mass Market Paperback)

by Morgan Llywelyn (Author) "THE ATMOSPHERE SURROUNDING the little boy vibrated with tension..." (more)
Key Phrases: Red Branch, Emain Macha, Dun Dalgan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The rich trove of the Red Branch literature, the heroic Irish tales known as the Ulster Cycle, is mined creatively by the author of the bestseller Lion of Ireland . In recreating the life and times of Cuchulain, legendary warrior of the bardic era, Llywelyn works a massive canvas, peopling it with larger-than-life characters, yet shaping them with intimate insights, as she did so effectively in the earlier book on Brian Boru, Erin's first ruler. Chronicling the legendary exploits of Cuchulain, a boy of mysterious, magical parentage, a fosterling of King Conor, Llywelyn conveys the rage and strength that earn him the sobriquet "The Wolfhound of Cullen"Cuchulain. His life's journey is mystical and sensual, filled with curses and blessings as he fulfills the unrelenting destiny of a champion. Whether motivated by the kidnaping of Deirdre, whose beauty destroys men, or by the cattle raid organized by doughty Maeve of Connaught, the ancient Gaels were in constant competition for supremacy. This movement is captured in an epic novel drawn from colorful and treasured legends.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
"Powerful . . . A lusty, poetic and legendary world based on Ireland's mythical warrior-hero Cuchulain." The New York Times Book Review

In a land ruled by war and love and strange enchantments, Cuchulain -- torn between gentleness and violence, haunted by the croakings of a sinister raven -- fights for his honor and his homeland and discovers too late the trap that the gods have set for him in the fatal beauty of Deirdre and the brutal jealousy of King Conor.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (December 30, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080410591X
• ISBN-13: 978-0804105910
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #89,154 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bored, dull life, THEN Read this...., March 8, 1998

By	"tonyclark" (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews

I have not read a book yet that Morgan Llywelyn has not done an outstanding job on, but when it comes to a real bardic piece of literature combined with the legends of the past, Red Branch excels. I have read the stories in other places, such as The Story of the Irish Race by Seumas MacManus, and passed over them as just another piece of literature. When I read the Red Branch it was transformed into a vibrant, living, pulsating story that wrenched emotion after emotion from the core of your being. It took Setanta, as a boy, and gave his passage into manhood a glorious path, that only when young would you feel so invulnerable, all for the sake of a short but long rembered life. Written for her son, I think she far exceeded anything she has done to date, in his honor.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another GREAT book by Llywelyn!!, May 15, 2001

By	Aquaria.Info "Aquaria.Info - Aquarium Fish On... (Aquaria.Info) - See all my reviews

You walk across a lonely glen in Ulster. In the middle stands a solitary stone jutting magnificantly into the air. What stories this stone must have if only it could tell them!

Morgan Llywelyn has told the stories of this stone and what it has seen. She takes you back over 2000 years to Ireland of ancient times. A time when when people were able to harness the spirits and powers of nature.

Llwelyn tells the story of a young boy in Ireland destined to become the Champion of Ulster, Cuchulain the Hound of Ulster. Cuchulain is blessed/cursed with extraordinary warrior skills and defends Ulster with all his heart.

The story brings you back to a time when being a warrior was to be noble, and power was vested in those that could win battles and bring home the spoils. We see the interaction between Connor Mac Nessa and his Connaught rival, Maeve. Years of rivalry between these two provinces result in fierce battles where the Hound proves his worth.

Take a step back into time with this incredible book. You won't be able to set it down once you begin!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What can I say?, January 31, 1999

By	Adam Kinney([e-mail]) (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) - See all my reviews

My goodness, I am at a loss for words. I read the reviews before mine, and they all felt the same as me; great book! It has everything, and it was written perfectly. Congratulations Morgan Llywelyn!