This is a historical fantasy that you will not want to miss! It is a clever blend of existing history with a magic system that is interesting and pulls you in. The character work that is displayed is top notch, often making me wonder which POV I wanted to focus on more. The action that was present, was bloody and visceral, lending to some heart pounding page turning. The best thing that I can say about this book, is it far exceeded everything that I was expecting!

The strength of the novel was the characters. Each chapter would switch between the two main characters (written in first person for each), but each is a strength in their own setting. Both of them are very powerful female characters and have very different goals. The thing that I wanted more of was the magic system, wanting to know more of what they had done in the past. I am positive that this will be made known in future installments of the series however, and the explanation of the existing parts of the magic is fantastic!

Brilliant writing that will leave you thinking about what just happened and what is to come in all of the right ways. I highly recommend this novel for those with ties to Irish history as well as to those who want a great novel with amazing strong female POVs. This is a novel that will resonate with many different types of readers, leaving a taste that will make them crave for more of this series. I eagerly look forward to where it will go.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!

I'm not completely sure how, but I manged to pick this up without any idea what it was about, not having even read the summary. So, by the time I got through the pronunciation guide i was questioning my life choices and wondering if i had a rare "dnf" on my hands. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when what I had instead was a thoughtful (if terribly bloody) and occasionally magical journey with well drawn characters who will stay with me for some time.

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

This book had its ups and downs, but I overall enjoyed it.

The opening hooked me from the start - two main characters on two sides of a feud that has been ongoing for years. Each woman with her own unique motivation. Each with her own unique character. Gormflaith, a skilled manipulator fighting the political fight for her son's survival. Fódla, a healer, following her people's orders to spy on a king to in turn ensure the safety of her nephew. Sprinkle Irish mythology on top and you had my attention.

The middle lost me a bit, mostly because our two heroines behaved strangely at times, especially Fódla with her fear of swords (she's lived for over a hundred years, would she really be so naive in her behaviour?). The story stayed interesting though and the ending made up for the not-so-perfect middle - I couldn't put the book down before I found out who lived and who died at the end. If the ending wasn't so engaging, this would have been 3 stars for me, but now I will probably read book 2 to at least know where our main characters end up :)

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book with all the plotting from some strong female characters.

Based on some Irish tales of the Fomorian and Tuatha De Dannan with some vikins too I did enjoy this sort of historical fantasy.

I had not read anything by Shauna before this and it was so well written and very easy to keep reading.

I'm curious to see where we go in book two with all the setup for the two factions coming to a head eventually.

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is an epic tale set in first century Ireland. I was excited going in to learn more about this time period with a fun fantasy twist. Unfortunately, this book was middle of the road for me. Mainly, the pacing and the characterization felt uneven. There were parts that I really enjoyed, but then there were also parts that felt like plain exposition just to get to the next section of the story. I didn't get any real depth from the characterization. It felt like they were just doing things without any real feeling behind their actions. There was too much telling how they feel instead of showing it.

This is all clearly a me problem, and not a problem of the book. All that being said, the plot was intriguing, I was interested in Fódla's storyline, and I enjoyed the writing style. I will likely pick up the next book and hope to make more of a connection with the characters.

4.5 rounded up to 5

I loved this book. It had the perfect mixture of history and myth for a fan of historical fantasy like me. I don't know much about Irish mythology so I don't know how true to the myths Lawless was with her characters, but I loved that instead of mythical characters being larger than life and everyone knowing about their power we get two women trying their best not to get noticed for their abilities. I also really enjoyed the political maneuvering and manipulation and how our two main characters are both trying to do what is best for their loved ones but they go about it in completely opposite ways. Speaking of characters, they were a highlight for me in this book. All of the characters were so well realised, even when I didn't like their decisions I understood where they were coming from and it was believable that they would act in that way. The only thing that would have made this story better for me as a reader was if the pacing was just a touch faster and the plot was a little meatier, we spent a fair amount of time with our main characters as they plan and plot without much action taking place, but that criticism is completely related to my preferences and for most readers won't be a negative at all.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I highly recommend this book if you like historical fantasy and are looking for something not in the medieval period. I would also pick this up if you love Irish mythology or strong female characters and court politics and intrigue.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for my honest review*

This book is set in Ireland in the 10th century and is based on Irish mythology/folklore and it was really good! We followed two perspectives, Gormflaith and Fodla, who are different types of magic users that keep themselves hidden from the general population and from each other. Gormflaith has married a king and is very deep into the politics of the region after that king dies and she tries to make his son king of Dublin, whereas Fodla is a healer and keeps herself more low profile, but has been tasked by her leader to infiltrate the inner circle of King Brian Boru, a historical renowned king of Ireland. The historical stuff felt very well done, and these two main characters and their supporting cast were interesting, particularly Gormflaith's. Gormflaith has to use all her political wiles as well as her previous relationships and potentiality for a new marriage in order to manipulate as many people as she can into helping her son become the uncontested king of Dublin. She's kinda like a magical, competent Cersei and I loved following this character., even if she is difficult to root for.

It was kinda fun to imagine this series as a pseudo-sequel to the Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, just because they take place like a century later and Uhtred the Bold (the person Cornwell is an ancestor of, who gave him the idea to do his Uhtred) makes a small appearance in this book. TLK being my favorite historical fiction series, the similar vibes from Children of Gods was a welcome one for me. It's not a very action heavy book, as it primarily follows the political maneuvering of the kings of Ireland through Gormflaith and Fodla's interactions, with the secondary plot thread of the magical groups trying to stay hidden from each other, but the ending is really awesome and has some good battles scenes. The magic is sparely handled in this book, almost nonexistent, but it feels like it will be used much more in the following books.

On a personal level, this is the first book I've read with dual first person perspectives, and I never really got used to it, which detracted from my enjoyment. While the chapters are named with each POV character, I just had a hard time fully orientating myself as to whose perspective I was in because I'm used to first person POVs being all one character. The writing of each character felt the same to me, so maybe with more differentiation it would have been easier. This was particularly an issue if I had to stop reading in the middle of a chapter, when I picked up the book I would struggle to remember who I was reading about until context clues came in. Other people may not have this issue.

I also thought Fodla was just kindof annoying. Her character is very passive and basically does what other people tell her for most of the book, and when she does have opinions and her own agency, it's just so emotion based that I was constantly frustrated with her (this is probably intentional, but it made her hard for me to care about). She also hated mortal men to a degree I found frustrating. She is very old, several hundred years I think, and while she has obviously been heavily propagandized by her leader, she has presumably interacted with men occasionally and seems likely to have developed some form of nuance or insight about them. But every time a man does anything, she thinks "MEN CAN'T BE TRUSTED" or when a man is nice she's like "He's nice now, BUT EVENTUALLY HE'LL DO BAD THINGS" and it was somewhat exhausting. So I definitely preferred Gormflaith's perspective, even if I think the storyline happening in Fodla's chapters is also very interesting.

My final negative for this book is that it uses the word Viking incorrectly, which I hate with my whole heart. It's probably an intentional choice for readership, but the rest of the historical stuff seems so good, to casually call everyone Vikings all the time and say things like "That's the VIking way" just takes me out of the story and perpetuates a phraseology that I wish people would stop doing, so for that I had to take off a full point. Sorry, I'm pedantic, it can't be helped.

But with that said, I really enjoyed reading this book and the above problems are gripes. I would recommend this to anybody who likes historical fiction, especially for people who like the Viking Age but want some more female representation at the center, this is absolutely going to be a hit.

8/10

Fun and violent, everyone knows that everyone dies, but not everyone lives. Great characters keep the story interesting until the end.

Shauna Lawless ha escrito una novela con mucho más énfasis en la parte histórica que en la fantástica, que aunque existe es bastante irrelevante en el desarrollo de la narración.


The Children of Gods and Fighting Men está situada en la Edad Media en el final del primer milenio y mezcla historia con mitología irlandesa. Como soy lega en ambas materias, no puedo juzgar si es fidedigno o no, pero sí que puedo decir que resulta totalmente verosímil la secuencia de pactos, traiciones y batallas que de forma convulsa fue forjando el país.

La narración tiene dos puntos de vista muy diferentes, pero ambos protagonizados por mujeres que no son humanas. De un lado tenemos a Gormflaith, joven viuda del rey de Dublín que no dudará en maniobrar para que su hijo acabe en el trono. Además, es una Fomorian, una raza inmortal que puede controlar el fuego, pero de la que apenas quedan supervivientes ya que hay otra raza de inmortales, los Tuatha Dé Danann que ha jurado acabar con ellos.

La otra narradora de la historia es Fódla, precisamente de los Tuatha Dé Danann, una sanadora que vive junto a su pueblo aislada de los mortales pero que ha de adentrarse como espía en los reinos irlandeses a petición de su rey.

El libro se basa mucho en el conflicto entre la vieja religión vikinga y el catolicismo, que ha llegado para quedarse. Lo que hace especial The Children of Gods and Fighting Men es el punto de vista femenino que ha decidido utilizar la autora para referir los hechos. A pesar de sus poderes, ni Gormflaith ni Fódla son libres de actuar como deseen, siempre deben supeditarse a lo que se espera de las mujeres, todavía más cuando deben ocultar su magia. El machismo y patriarcado de la sociedad es una constante, utilizando a las mujeres como moneda de cambio en el siguiente pacto para conseguir algo más de terreno. En este sentido, la novela es un campo plagado de intrigas y traiciones, de enfrentamientos y pactos, en un desequilibrio constante de poderes.

Me hubiera gustado que la existencia de la magia hubiera tenido algo más de preponderancia en la historia y quizá veamos algo más de eso en las futuras entregas, pero en este primer volumen nos encontramos ante una novela histórica al uso con levísimos toques de fantasía.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for giving me a review copy of this book.
A brilliant debut that expertly blends real history, mythology and magic. I was super excited to pick this up as I don't get nearly enough historical fantasy in my life and the cover is gorgeous. TCoGaFM takes place in 10th century Ireland and follows two main POV characters; Gormflaith, an Irish princess and one of the last Fomorians (unusually long-lived magic wielders) and Fódla, a healer and part of the Tuatha De Danann.
Side note: the pronunciation guide was very much appreciated.
The two factions have been sworn enemies for centuries. The Tuatha De Danann hide away from the mortal world in their mysterious hidden fortress believing they have wiped out the last of the Fomorians.
The prose is excellent and the characters very well written. Gormflaith gives me serious Cersei Lannister vibes. Her goal is to manoeuvre her son into the position of King of Dublin and will stop at nothing to achieve it.
This is a great read for anyone interested in Irish and Viking mythology but also if you're like me and don't know a thing about either, it's still really easy to follow what's going on. It's chock full of political intrigue and memorable characters. Perfect for fans of A Song of Ice and Fire.

Fantastic debut. I adored the setting and the gorgeous world that the author has created. I really enjoyed this once I was able to sit during and read it. This was amazing and unlike anything I had read before. I need book 2 very soon.

The first in a exciting new fantasy series, Shauna weaves together Irish mythology with real life historical events into a beautiful tale that will capture your heart.

981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son - and herself -but Ireland is a dangerous place.

She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race with fire-magic. This is a dangerous secret for there are other immortals in this world who are sworn to kill them.

Fodla is one of the Tuatha De Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. Soon she finds her self on a mission to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High king of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war - a war she is desperate to stop. However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and keeping her identity secret.

Oh boy - this story was a page turner from the start. The prose and world building was stunning, with a magical and whimsical feeling that intertwined with the harsh and brutal life of the people living in that time. The history of the Irish people and the Vikings was cleverly done. And the only thing I wanted more of was the mythology it’s self!

Fodla was without a doubt my favourite character. Her desire to find the truth and do the best by her family was gripping and her character went from strength to strength the longer she was with the mortal men.

Ultimately a tale of two fierce women who want the best for their loved ones, this book is perfect for fans of historical fiction woven with fantasy and mythology. I’m so excited to see what book 2 brings!

Huge thank you to Head of Zeus for having me on the book tour and sending a copy my way for an honest review ❤️

It took me a while to "settle in" to this book, as I became familiar with the uncommon names, but I enjoyed the combination of Irish Mythology and Irish History. It made for a captivating, interesting read. Once I got about half way through the book, it was difficult for me to put down. I look forward to seeing a continuation of this story line.

The best historical fiction authors make you feel both a. So immersed in the time period that you have to take a moment when you finish to reengage in the modern world. b. Forever afterwards you have to double check what is historical fact and what was fiction because it is woven within the historical narrative so seamlessly.

Shauna Lawless is absolutely one of these authors.

Gormflaith and Fódla are two women trying to survive and triumph in 10th century Ireland, that one of them is Fomorian and one a descendant of the Tuatha Dé Danann is secondary. Their position and lives are, if anything made more perilous because of their powers which they keep hidden. There is plenty of action and battles, the 10th century is presented as an undoubtedly violent time but this isn’t gloried in and the focus is more on the characters themselves.


Children of Gods and Fighting Men is a historical novel with a lot of political intrigue and a smattering of the fantastical. It was so refreshing in a market saturated with retellings of the Greek and Latin myths to read one based on Irish mytholology.

Excited to read the second one!

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for the eARC, I also bought a copy!

It's a good book, I think -- it just didn't work too well for me at this point in time. I think it was a matter of mismatched expectations between the tone of the blurb and that of the book -- I might come back to this one later, as I do get the mood for grim & chewy sometimes.

I have an excuse for why it took so long for me to finish "Children of Gods and Fighting Men" by Shauna Lawless. I was learning about the history and myths of Ireland so I had context. Because based on one trait about me, see second image, you can guess where some of that came from. But until the last month I knew NOTHING about the myths and legends of Ireland, yet can talk about Greco-Roman myths for ages! And once again, wow world history is poorly taught.

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for the ARC, will pick up the pace again.

OK, so the conflict between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians is the basis for many stories from Ireland. This story weaves a delicious balance of legends and real history together that I found educational and interesting. We follow two POVs, The Queen of Dublin is one of the last Fomorians and in hiding from the Tuatha Dé Danann. The other is a Tuatha Dé Danann sent to learn about a conflict brewing between the Kingdoms of men. There is a lot of info thrown at us and once you sort it out and get your legs the machinations of both sides makes sense.

Reasons to read:
-Learn about stories the British have done a great job of diverting us from learning
-Politicking at its murderous best
-Cold War between two mythical races while exploiting the humans
-Foreshadowing for future books
-Can see the reasons both characters are the way they are
-The horrors of war and the violence done to regular people at the time shown to dramatic effect

Cons
-Learned what bobbing is and the significance of that
-The pronunciation and spelling of some of these names...

This is a brilliant book and I can't wait to read the next in this series as I loved this mix of Irish myths and historical fiction.
Well plotted, riveting, gripping. The author is a talented storyteller and the characters and the world building are excellent.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The book seems well-written and well-thought-out. Unfortunately, I can't connect it and started to feel like forcing myself to finish it. I decided to DNF it for now, but I want to emphasize it's the case of "It's me, not you" DNF :)

Thanks to the publisher for giving me the possibility to try it. I may give it another try soon.

I’ve gotten pretty ruthless about not finishing books that don’t feel like a good fit, and “The Children of Gods and Fighting Men” is one such book for me. The characters are cruel and motivated by power, and I’m also having a hard time tracking the multiple characters (with Irish and Viking names). Based on what I’ve heard, this story from Shauna Lawless seems like a perfect suggestion for fans of “Game of Thrones,” so do take my rating with a grain of salt– this book just wasn’t written for someone like me.