This book is full of adventure and mystery. I thought that Ailleen was a tough heroine. I thought the Ancient Rome setting was very detailed. There were some very violent scenes that made for uncomfortable reading. Still, this novel is perfect for those who love the Valiant series.

Ailenn and the False God by Michael Hyndman
I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I received this book. It was fascinating. I'd been a history major in college, loving ancient and medieval history. I would classify this book as historical fiction, as well as paranormal fantasy.
Ailenn is a druid in what is now Great Britain, during the reign of the infamous leader of the Roman Empire, Caligula. Aillenn has power, strength, intelligence, and the respect of the Celts; she's a fantastic female protagonist. She can communicate with the fickle Fae that live in the world. The book had an interesting view of the gods, goddesses and other supernatural beings of the world and their relationships with the people. All gods, whether Roman, Greek, or Celtic all were denizens of the world, and could and sometimes would cooperate with one another. Among the characters were Caligula and the Romans, with their Germanic and Roman soldiers. There wre Greek and Roman sea captains, but my favorite characters were Ailenn and her maid. The book took place in ancient Britian and Normandy. To me, the book actually seemed kind of realistic, as these ancient peoples would have believed in these deities and other supernatural creatures and their powers in every day life.
I would recommend this book to fans of history and mythology; it made me proud to be a descendent of the Celts!

To be honest, I wasn't sure about Aillenn and the False God at first. The first couple chapters didn't quite grab me but before I knew it I was hooked. This book is a fascinating mixture of historical fiction and the supernatural with a bit of murder mystery and political intrigue for good measure. The protagonist, the druid Aillenn is an interesting character, prized and somewhat feared by her people due to her mystical powers from the Shee. Her journey across the ancient world introduces a wide range of characters that really highlight Aillenn's complexity. (My favorite was the ship captain's wife!)

I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the Celtic way of life against that of Caligula's Rome as described both through social customs and dialogue. As a student of history, this was a neat period to study academically but seeing it brought to life in this book was even better. The prose flows beautifully, particularly in the very descriptive scenes, and the dialogue is clever and brought a smirk to my face on multiple occasions. The scenes where Aillenn and Tangwen discuss what Aillenn is to wear were particularly fascinating because it showed how theatrical but subtle her influence was on all the powerful people around her.

Aillenn and the False God has a bit of something for everyone and I would definitely recommend it to both history and fantasy fans. Murder mystery fans would probably like it as well as the elements of that genre are there with the world being something new to read from the usual detective story.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher HighField, and the author Michael Hyndman for the opportunity to do so.

As I began reading this book, I wasn't sure if we (the book and I) would be a "fit". I don't read too many books in this genre, but found the description intriguing and wanted to read it. As I continued reading, I found myself more and more invested in this story and actually anxious to see how it would end. It had a great plot line, especially with the lead character's interaction with the gods and therefore her ability to puzzle out future events. I enjoy mysteries and this one had lots to offer from that aspect. I was given a complimentary copy of this book for my review and am happy to recommend it to anyone enjoying something different that will hold your attention throughout.