Morgan Llywelyn

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is historical fiction at its best. The story is based in early 20th century Dublin, leading up to the Easter Rising of 1916. The plot intermingles real historical protagonists like Pádraig Pearse, Tom Clarke, Seán Mac Diarmada, James Connolly, etc. with a small set of fictitious characters to tell a story of patriotism and love set against a backdrop of real events; the history is accurate and the fiction is engaging and plays seamlessly. The author also annotates historical events and quotations and includes a bibliography and a brief bio of the historical characters. Even the dialect is accurate; I had to smile when I read a passage describing a local giving directions; “Go up the road to the first right but don’t take that”; exactly how an Irishman would give directions!

This book provides a highly enjoyable way to learn a little about early 1900’s Irish history, albeit Dublin-centric. Highly recommended!… (mer)

I first read this book over a decade ago. Even though it has been a long time since I was last in sixteenth century Ireland, this book left an impression on me. Grania's bravado, her cunning, and her passion have lingered. Unable to banish them, I finally revisited this book, and I remembered why this book made such a big impact with me.

Llywelyn follows the story of Grania's life. For the most part, it happens in chronological order, starting from near the end of her first marriage to Donal O'Flaherty, but there are some dips into the past, but this only enhances the story and the characters, never disrupting the flow. As any real person is, Grania was a complex figure. Sure, she was intelligent, brave, charismatic, and daring. But she was also brash, vindictive, quick to anger, and unforgiving. A lot of her decisions are made for the good of her people, but she sometimes acts in ways that is detrimental to them. She loves her children, but she has a hard time showing it because they are so different from her yet so similar. She's not always likable or even relatable, but you can't help but love and admire her all the same. She lived in a rough time and was given a tough time of it. She did her best, even if it wasn't the best, but can any of us say that? Grania is human, for all her achievements, and that makes her fascinating to read about.

Overall, Grania just wants to be loved and accepted for who she is, which is all any of us really want. This extends from her father, who holds up her deceased mother as the ideal of womanhood, to her various lovers and husbands. Unfortunately, most of them only see a side of her, and like or hate her accordingly. Only Tigernan, a childhood friend who has stood by her side like a lovesick puppy, supports her almost unconditionally. He yearns for her throughout the book, but he never crosses over into "nice guy" territory, as it's clear he respects Grania and never wants to change her. If anything, he wants her to be the best that she can be. Their relationship is touching and rewarding through all of its iterations, and through it, readers witness Grania's vulnerabilities.

More towards the end, Llywelyn's prose takes on a more nonfiction or biographical tone, as she starts listing dates and summarizing events in the lead up to Grania's encounter with Queen Elizabeth I. This didn't bother me because I felt Grania's personality still shone through, coloring the pages with adventure and danger. There's never a dull moment.

Honestly, this book has everything: romance, high adventure, intrigue, action, daily life, and just a good dose of history. There's something in it for everyone. The only reason I think some people might not like this is because there are many scenes of sex in varying degrees of graphic-ness. That's not some people's cup of tea. Otherwise, it's a book about Ireland and the people who embodied its spirit during one of its most difficult eras. Thanks to them and Llywelyn, that spirit has endured to today.… (mer)

Ainvar, guardián del Bosque Sagrado y jefe druida, guía a los galos en la lucha contra la colonización romana. Su antiguo rival, el príncipe guerrero Vercingetórix, se convierte en su aliado y lidera esta insurrección contra el procónsul romano Julio César, ávido de anexionar la legendaria civilización gala a su imperio. Con él colaboran mercaderes ambiciosos y jefes tribales corruptos. La inicial aparición de pacíficas factorías romanas en la zona pronto se tiñe con batallas sanguinarias, asedios a ciudades, conspiraciones, asesinatos, sacrificios humanos y subastas de prisioneros. La profunda entrega del druida a la causa del pueblo se combina con la devoción por la naturaleza y un fuerte instinto de protección del modelo poligámico. Por sus apasionados brazos pasan tanto princesas como escalvas.… (mer)