(3.5 stars)

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is a healthy mix of historical fiction and fantasy, set in 10th century Ireland and combining Irish history with folklore. As a lover of folklore and folktales, the choice of setting and story felt very true, as folklore is entrenched in history, culture, and tradition.

The story is told from two perspectives, following two women from opposing magical forces as they support two opposing mortal kingdoms. The main appeal of the story is human nature and political intrigue, so if you enjoy a book that has a solid plot and action, this might not be the story for you. I also assume this is the first in what will be a series, as this first book was mainly build-up of tension and very little release. I felt that there could have been a little more payoff for how much investment you put into the characters as a reader, however I'm sure it will get incredibly tense and exciting in future books!

The world building and character development was solid, however, for the first book in a series. It did feel a little slow for my personal taste in the first half, but this is in part due to its genre as historical fiction/fantasy. The pace was fairly meandering, as is the course of history, but there were time-jumps throughout which I felt gave me little time to feel properly connected to the characters. In turn, the characters' connections to each other would suddenly change which each time-jump, which was a little jarring.

Perhaps this illustrates more how I feel about this genre in particular, however, and is not necessarily a reflection on the writing, which I found engaging. There was plenty of dialogue (which I love, and helps increase the pace), and quite a few lovely, poetic sentences, especially in regards to nature and the elements. The story felt very grounded in the landscape, which is crucial in a story like this.

Recommended for readers who don't mind a slower journey, and who want to explore more of Irish history and folklore (as from the writer's note, it is meant to be fairly historically accurate).

Thank you so much Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the arc of The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

What can I say, I was unsure about a book that merges history with magic, I’ve read a few previously that didn’t gel, but this book achieves the perfect merger between the two. Combining the ferocious and thrilling history of Ireland during the 10th century with elements of magic, myth and viking lore, it delivers an engaging and intriguing story from the perspective of two female protagonists who are mythical enemies from distinct magical lines, the Fomorians, and the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Fódla of the Tuatha Dé Danann and Gormflaith of the Fomorians are on opposing sides at a time in Irish history where conflict was rife as battles are fought to regain control of Ireland from the Vikings. Both have magic, and their stories are woven so beautifully into the narrative that there’s no questioning the existence of myth, and magic during these times.

The storyline is blended into key historical events and times, and the author has endeavoured to be as true to history as possible, which only serves to reinforce the world she has created and illustrate a genuine desire to be as real as fantasy can be.

I was truly engaged in this story from the first page, please don’t be daunted by the reams of characters and pronouncing names. (There are some great sites to help you get those names right when you are reading, and honestly they don’t detract from this story. The names are actually amazing,

I absolutely loved how this book brought history to life, displaying the politics, scheming and betrayals that went behind the battles and wars, which were also described with an excellent touch, displaying the rawness and pave of events.

This was a great read and I’m definitely picking a copy up, and can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, as there is so much more to come for Fódla, Gormflaith, and for this author.

First off, this is probably the best historical fantasy debut I have ever read. Lawless had me in their palm of their hand from the first chapter.

Set in Ireland in the late 900s, we follow Gormflaith and Fódla. Gormflaith's husband, the Viking King of Dublin, has just died and she wants to get her son on the throne and fast. Amongst all her courtly secrets, she also has a secret of her own, she's a Fomorian. Fomorians are an immortal being that can perform fire magic and she has had to keep this secret to stay alive and stay safe from the other immortals of this world, the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Fódla is one such Tuatha Dé Danann who sets out on an undercover mission to spy on the battling kings of Ireland and send word back to her people. Along the way Fódla must fight against what she has been told and what she believes to be true.

This is a truly glorious piece of fiction with a lot of well research Irish history mixed in, Lawless' masterpiece shows how historical fantasy can and should be done. I cannot wait for the next installment.

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is a heady mix of real medieval Irish mythology and magical fantasy. I have spent a great deal of time recently immersed in ancient history of this period so this novel slotted in well with my current reading trends. I enjoyed the complexity of the story as the reader bounces back and forth between two warring factions each with their own magical ability and the need to safeguard that knowledge from the other and mankind. Men, Vikings especially, pose quite a risk to each and though they sometimes live among them, it can come at a high price.

This novel is so easy to sink into. The world building and character development brings the age to life. I am always pleased to enjoy the first of a trilogy and this is no exception. There is much more story left for the follow on books.

I’m always ready for a high fantasy that shares secrets of a country’s folklore, gods and magic. In this historical fantasy work, our author shares the myths and legends of Ireland in a loose retelling of the country’s history.

This story follows two female POV’s of women who have very separate magical powers and whose family histories have held conflicts for generations. Queen Gormflaith’s husband has died and she is consumed with having her son take the crown and making her voice heard, all while hiding her true self and magic. Our second POV, Fodla, carries the grief of a lost daughter and struggles to find her place and trust in a world of dangerous men.

I enjoyed this book and the history that it carried with it; however, I would have preferred a bit more action in the book (my own personal preference in any fantasy novel). The author did an amazing job of weaving together different beliefs in mythology and Catholicism and sharing so much folklore regarding Ireland.

Thank you to Head of Zeus Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley.

Irish myth melded with history in a way that left me wanting more. We follow two characters in the medieval times during a generations-long fight between Descendants and Fomorians over the soul of the Ireland's future.

With their magic and immortality, the women could work in parallel with a constant eye to the horizon. However, their approach towards power and kindness set them clearly apart. This can come across as a simplistic pitting of good versus evil, but layering in with actual history helps to flesh out their perspectives and those around them.

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless is a thrilling mingling of fantasy and historical fiction, set in Ireland during the 10th century. Combining elements of magic, myth and viking lore, it features an exciting cast of characters from Irish history including mythical enemies the Fomorians, and the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The story follows two magical female protagonists, during a time when Irish men fought to regain control of Ireland from the Danes and Norsemen, with the history and magic so seamlessly woven together that it seems logical that both would exist at the same time.

There are some wonderful historical references from the viking era and while the author has changed some names and places, it was all recognisable from my school history books. I think the concept and the fact that the author is Irish is really exciting and it felt fully formed enough to be a formidable contender in the YA fantasy genre.

I wasn’t totally sold with the theme of “all men are evil” but this didn’t distract too much from the scheming and underhandedness of the battles and wars which were well paced and rousing. However, I think the lack of spice might put it at a disadvantage when pitched against some of the current YA fantasy.

Overall I was really intrigued and with the ending set up for what I presume is a series, I can’t wait to see what happens next for Fódla, Gormflaith and for this author.

This book is a historical fiction read, set in 8th century Ireland that explores some of Irish mythology in such a powerful way. I’m a person with a very limited knowledge of Irish history but I had no trouble following the story (although I did have to pause and google a few things so that I could be sure I knew what I was reading about). This read made me want to learn more about not just Irish history but mythology as well.

This story is told in a dual POV between two very different, but extremely powerful women. Fódla is a Descendent who possesses healing magic, fears mortal men (she’s been told her whole life about how dangerous they are), and spends a lot of time working as a spy for her leader. Gormflaith on the other hand is a Fomorian who possesses fire magic, loves her son, and spends a vast majority of the book trying to insure that her son is able to raise to power the way that she wants him too. She’s the master of manipulation and there’s really no limit to what she will do for her son.

These two women are on very different paths for a majority of the book but they do finally intersect towards the end of the book and it was everything I could have asked for.

Overall I did really enjoy this book even though it took me a while to really get into it (about 45%). I do think this set a beautiful framework for a series and am interested to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for my review

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

This absolutely did not work for me, and I don't think I'm the audience, so I won't be giving this a rating. Admittedly, I requested this on a whim when I first signed up for Netgalley, and the title and synopsis sounded like it could be interesting.

We follow two POV characters, Gormflaith and Fódla, over the course of roughly 10 years. There are a number of time skips in the book, with each chapter highlighting the POV (alternating), the location, and the year. As I was reading an e-arc, I don't know what the final copy will look like, but with the dates just being in the chapter heading, it felt like years were just suddenly gone and nothing important must have happened during that time. I think it would have been more impactful to have the book broken up into sections based on the years, not to mention made it easier to determine when we moved forward in time.

Gormflaith is a Fomorian, with the ability to control and conjure fire. She was the wife to a late king, with whom she had a son, Sitric. She wants to recreate Oedipus Rex with Sitric. I cannot stress this enough, she has an absolutely toxic relationship with her son, controlling him, thinking that any woman near him is ugly and a whore, and her entire characterization is basically tied up in her son. She's also a terrible person, and then is constantly shocked when people don't like her or respond poorly to her actions or words.

Fódla is a Descendant of the Tuatha Dé Danann, with the ability to heal herself and others, and has lived an incredibly sheltered life, because her baby daddy said so. Fódla is incredibly naïve, but takes in her nephew after her sister is no longer able to care for him, and goes to spy on one of the kings.

Plot wise, this reads like a history lesson, with the faintest sprinkles of magic and fantasy. Gormflaith and Fódla's stories seem to have no connection until about halfway through the book, and even that doesn't come together until the very end of the story. This is the first book in what's meant to be a series, so I suppose there may be character interaction in future books.

Other early reviews are raving about it, so again, I think I simply wasn't the audience for this.

“981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead”-

Ooft it was great to get stuck in to some historical fiction again and this did not disappoint! Pair that with the fact that this is a DEBUT and honestly I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Lets start with the cover it is Beautiful and gave me heavy fantasy vibes which on first look I thought it was, this definitely drew me to the book but this was so much more than I could have hoped for- this was well researched Historical Fantasy Fiction at it’s best.

Once I got stuck in I was immediately hit with the writing and the depth of the research, I learnt so much from this book as it’s not a period that I am overly familiar with unless you count my studies at the university of the Last Kingdom- there are so many layers to this book with impeccably written political intrigue woven with Irish/Celtic mythology.

Something special about this book is that it’s told with a female voice, the book follows the lives of two women Gormflaith, Queen of Dublin and one of the last two Fomorian, an immortal gifted with fire magic. And Fódla, a healer and a descendant of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Gormflaith’s ambition for her son is palpable think Margaret Beaufort amped up, her plotting and scheming was fantastic!
Fodla while gentler, a healer gets caught up in political scheming as she despertaely attempts to stop a war and prevent the loss of mortal lives but with the Fomorian’s on the rise will she succeed?

These are two strong women determined to not only survive but rise in a man’s world.

This book was giving me Last Kingdom meets Game of Thrones flashbacks but in know way is this a hybrid or a replica, this is stand out wonderful historical fantasy fiction with magic, witches and warriors, I am so excited that this is the start of a series, I am not so excited that I’ll have to wait some time for the next book!

It gets full marks from me.

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is a wonderful, engaging tale based on Irish mythology and legends. Featuring main characters who are empowered women, this novel grips you from the get go.

The changing perspectives allows the reader to have an insight on the different events of the plot, which is a nice change given that the novel is rather dense.

If you enjoyed Lucy Holland’s Sistersong, where magical realism and real historical facts blend together, this book is for you!

It’s the YA version of Percy Jackson and I am 100% here for it. The characters. The dialogue. The chemistry. All of it. Absolutely in love with this story. Give me more now. The characters were three dimensional and complex, the plot didn’t drag, the dialogue and banter was amazing- just yes. All of it.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the Riordan books.

Captivating and Mesmerizing are the 2 words that can be used to describe Shauna Lawless’ book” The Children of God’s and Fighting Men”. This book read as if I was watching a series of “The Last Kingdom” only set in Ireland.

Story: Follows the viewpoints of two main characters. Two incredibly determined, strong women, each with different goals, fighting in a male dominated world just to make their way.


Characters: First is Gormflaith, Widowed, Queen of Dublin, Fomorian, with only one goal. That goal is to make sure her son Sitric’s seat as King of Dublin is secure. Gormflaith will do whatever she has to do to
insure that is possible, no matter what that means. However, she has a secret. She’s Fomorian, which means she has “Fire magic” and she must do whatever, she has to in order to keep that a secret. For the Tuatha De’ Danann believe that they have annihilated all of the Formorian kind.

Then there is Fodla, who is known as a Descendant, and is a descendant of the Tuatha De’ Danann. She is blessed with the magical ability of healing and has sworn to take care of her nephew Broccan. Fodla is in care of her nephew because her sister was banished to an island by the rest of the descendants, for getting pregnant by a mortal. Now the descendants have scattered into hiding in the forests to avoid living amongst the mortals.
Yet Fodla has been tasked with spying on another mortal king, for the descendants.
While doing so, Fodla’s teachings of mortal men are evaluated. What she learns and what she learned are not what she was taught
.
Interesting Part: The interesting part is when the two women come together. Sworn enemies to the end. Ones ancestors have annihilated the others.
The other’s ancestors have been wiped out of existence by the other’s ancestors.
What a rendezvous that will turn out to be, eh?

Two Women: One just wants what is best for her son!

The other just wants what is best for her nephew!

Ending: Lawless comes head on, Guns blazing with this masterpiece.

She leaves no stone unturned and let’s no dust settle under her feet.

Her knowledge of historical Irish history is awe inspiring (I really must go to Ireland for sure now!)
that mixed with Norse mythology is splendid.

This one was a hard review to write, I kept changing my mind and rewriting it because of too many spoilers.

Then I made the review too long, Gosh! You just have to read the book yourself.

Compliments: Lawless absolutely SHATTERS THE CEILING!!

BRILLANT!!!

I always say the books that I take the longest to read are the best.

Here is another PERFECT example. This was another of my first NetGalley picks.

Thank you Head of Zeus/NetGalley/Shauna Lawless for this eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

I feel like there aren’t enough historical fantasy books based on Irish mythology and if they were all like this, I hope that number grows! I really enjoyed slowly submersing myself in this vibrant world and unfortunately it had to end sooner or later. I also loved that this book placed two women who were warriors in their own right at the forefront of this story, where other histories and historical fantasies might have sidelined them. It was reminiscent of the current trend of centering women that history forgot in stories. I would definitely recommend looking up the Irish/Gaelic pronunciations of names because it definitely added to the immersive feel of the novel! I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone looking for books similar to the current rush of Greek and Roman retellings but who are in the mood for something wholly unique and special.

It was difficult to believe that this was the authors debut novel, it was so accomplished and completely immersive. I usually read with others but was glad to have this to myself as I just romped through to the end. The political machinations somewhat reminded me of Game of Thrones, but that might just be me ! I will eagerly await more offerings from this great author.

I am a massive fan of anything that combines history and fantasy, especially Irish and Celtic history, so Children of Gods and Fighting Men was right up my alley. The story pics up in 981AD and follows the story of several key figures in Irish history, including Gormflaith and Fódla, our two POVs.

The main characters are both strong, powerful women who demonstrate their strength in different ways and with clearly distinguishable voices. I loved being in their heads and following the plot through their eyes. In a world designed to favor the masculine, our two MCs are powerfully, and unashamedly, feminine.

The intricacies of the plot and cultural elements were clearly well researched and thought out. I do have a history degree with a focus on early Irish history, which definitely contributed to my enjoyment of the book but I think it’d appeal to a vast readership regardless. It introduces what’s sure to be a vast and intricate fantasy series and I cannot wait for the next instalment!

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is an epic historical fantasy that expertly blends Irish mythology with real life history. Shauna Lawless proves herself to be a remarkable writer in this solid debut with compelling characters, a well-researched plot, and outstanding world-building. Be sure to check out The Children of Gods and Fighting Men today!

After reading The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, I am so excited for the rest of this epic historical fantasy series. This book will appeal not only to fans of feminist historical fantasies like Circe and Sistersong, but the epic fantasy genre in general. If you're hesitating at all, just look at the cover! It really encapsulates the spirit and vibe of this novel.

To say I absolutely loved the book is an understatement. Historical fantasy is my favorite sub-genre, and I especially appreciate a rich, compelling, well-researched world that isn't overburdened by the research. Lawless's world-building achieves just that. The reader feels that they've been dropped right into 9th century Ireland, with the added element of magic and the supernatural bubbling just below the surface. The way that stories and characters from Irish mythology are so seamlessly entwined with historical figures and events in Lawless's vision of Ireland is compelling and rich.

Written in first person, the novel is told from two narrators' points of view. At first I thought you couldn't really find two so completely different protagonists. But after following the women's stories more closely, the plot really brings their struggles and ambitions together - literally and metaphorically - making the themes explode on the page and highlighting the characters' similarities. Well-crafted character arcs truly made me love these women and all their flaws.

Anyone interested in Irish mythology, medieval history, the Norse invasions, epic fantasy with zest, or just new ways of looking at old stories should be sure to pick up this book.

"The Children of Gods and Fighting Men" hits the nail on the head when it comes to historical fantasy. This was a gentle read for me, with a pull that kept me returning to the book whenever I could squeeze in a few extra minutes. It is so well written, with some truly remarkable characters, and a theme that was compelling. The negatives? I'm still not sure whose side I'm on! Looking forward to book 2 and returning to Shauna Lawless's imagination.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

This was a fantastic historical fantasy set in Ireland circa 990, following the points of view of two women who possess different magics and occupy opposing positions within society. I haven’t read ,Cush from this era of history, so reading the authors notes and seeing how much was drawn from Irish history was a fun surprise.

The historical setting is fascinating, particularly with the depictions of the settled vikings versus the rise of Christianity at this time, with the conflict between these two religions being felt between characters and their beliefs.

This is very much a clever story about how the people in power manoeuvre the political dance with one another, all vying to be kings of different regions, or in the case of one character, to wipe out his enemies killed almost all of his race. The standout in this aspect of the story is Gormflaith, the queen of Dublin who is the puppet master behind a lot of the big players in the political game. Her cunning and planning was amazing to read about, and her drive to see her people avenged and her son in power made her a great character to follow, and a dangerous adversary to those that oppose her. I really liked this villainous character, and found her chapters to be very tense, as you aren’t sure whether he plans will work, who’s going to betray who next, and her own position often coming under scrutiny as she tries to hide her immortality from those around her.

Our other main character is Fódla, a magical healer who has been sent to spy on one of the provincial kings with her young nephew, as a descendant of magic, she too is immortal, and has been told all her life that mortal men are villainous and not to be trusted, and her only task is to report back to her leaders. But she goes on this incredible journey discussing food and evil, and the ability of ordinary men to be both, and seeing the greyness in the men she meets, whilst also questioning her own beliefs. I do enjoy watching characters form their own decisions and choose to believe something new and radical, so her journey was great to follow too.

Fantastic writing, a really easy book to read and the Celtic and Viking vibes are felt well throughout this book, it definitely lives up to its amazing cover!! Would recommend this to anyone who likes well written characters and interesting historical stories with lots of political games.

Video review to come