Shauna Lawless has done it again! In her follow-up to The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, we continue following our two main characters, Fódla and Gormflaith, and we also get an extra POV from Colmon. The stakes continue to build higher and higher in both the mortal and magical worlds, and the overlap between the two grows - to the dismay and joy of different parties.

Lawless has flawless pacing in this sophomore book with no slump. It’s so easy to immerse yourself in this story filled with mystery, magical races, religious tension, political intrigue, and phenomenal characters. I can enjoy historical fiction on its own, but the way Lawless meshes the story with fantastical elements of Irish mythology makes the Gael Song series a true joy to experience.

I truly can’t say enough good things about this series (especially without giving any spoilers). What I can say is that these are two of my favorite books that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, and I’m genuinely so excited to see where the third book takes the story. Shauna Lawless is an auto-read author for me, a fact that this book has cemented.

I read the first in the trilogy last year and then listened to it on audio in preparation for reading The Words of Kings and Prophets, which was absolutely the right call. I hear that the audiobook for this sequel with have two additional narrators (and while the OG narrator is OUTSTANDING, we love an audiobook with multiple narrators). If audio is more your jam, I highly recommend it for this series.

5 of the happiest stars that I can give a book 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to Shauna Lawless, Jade Gwilliam, and Head of Zeus for the ARC and book tour opportunity! I will post to Instagram and Goodreads on 30 September according to the book tour schedule.

I requested a copy of the ARC from the publisher, Head of Zeus, on NetGalley and was approved in exchange for consideration of a review. All opinions discussed are my own and are subjective to myself as a reader.

Author Shauna Lawless has delivered a stunning sequel in her historical fantasy series, Gael Song. Forbidden magic and its use appearing in the most unexpected ways, sinister schemes for power, betrayal, murder, revenge - THE WORDS OF KINGS AND PROPHETS is another thrilling ride through the bloody history of Ireland.

As I read the opening pages of THE WORDS OF KINGS AND PROPHETS, I sighed with contentment. It was a joy to be back in the wonderful prose of Shauna Lawless. There's a beauty and a style to it that I find comforting, although I must admit I was most excited to find out what Gormflaith and Fodla were up to!

This installment of the series thawed my heart towards Gormflaith a bit. I still don't trust her, but I feel like I understand her, if that makes sense. No loving family that raised her, married off to a man she did not choose by her son as a property transaction - it's no wonder she needs something to direct her unhappiness and rage at. Gormflaith has decided she will uncover the location of her enemies, the Descendants, a magical race who has worked tirelessly to eradicate those like Gormflaith, the Fomorians.

The other perspective belongs to Fodla, a healer who seeks to find a place of safety and shelter for herself and her nephew, Broccan. Poor Fodla is in an impossible situation - all she wants is for her beloved nephew to grow up, build a good life for himself. Being the caregiver for her nephew has begun healing Fodla's damaged heart. She feels the stirring of something more than friendship for the son of the King, Murchad. The heart wants what it wants - the only problem is that Fodla is a Descendant and the punishment for being with a human is death or the loss of their gift.

That's a problem for another day, though.

Except Tomas, the druid leader of the Descendants, waltzes into King Brian's court one day. Fodla fears he's there to take her back to the Island. Gormflaith thinks he's there to reveal her as a Fomorian and to kill her.

Which one of them is right? Both? Neither? You'll have to read for yourself to see who is pawn and who is prey...

There isn't one shred of second book syndrome here. Instead it's the total package of wonderfully written and developed characters of historical Ireland, steeped in magic, folklore and political scheming. The writing was very atmospheric and took me back in time to watch this store play out.

I can't wait for the next one!!

I love this world, and I'm so glad I get to see the next chapter. This is a direct continuation of the first book, and it picks up almost exactly where the last one left off. The characterizations are a bit better rounded out now. Lawless is taking her time with us, letting us get to know the characters more deeply than before. Some middle book syndrome going on. Lots of political moves and chess and an ending that is more a set up than a true ending. All in all, I'm still very excited to see how this will wrap up. (And I've definitely been enjoying more Irish mythology than I normally explore, so fun!)

Wonderful sequel. Fast paced. Unique. Perfect for fans of Irish Mythology and historical fantasy. Can't wait to read part 3.

I thought I enjoyed the first book in this series ("The Children of Gods and Fighting Men") a lot, but then I started reading "The Words of Kings and Prophets". Talk about ramping up the enjoyment by several notches! It's pretty much a perfect read, and I'm not only looking forward to book 3, but anything else that Shauna Lawless sends into the big wide world.

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

This second entry into Shauna Lawless's Gael Song trilogy was a slow burn, but worth it. She manages to bring tension so well as she introduces you to all the characters that are important to the story, see things from their POV and then just let's you wait to see how they all inevitably interact/challenge/make each other's lives difficult.

Not a ton happened from a plot perspective, this entry is mostly about the characters, and I'm very excited to see where they end up in the 3rd installment.

4/5 stars.

The world building is so gripping that jumping into The World of Kings and Prophets was seamless.

I enjoyed reading about the culture of Ireland again in a historical setting. Also the religious details in this time period included were great to add to the backdrop.

The main characters were well developed alongside the complex villians and it made an intriguing read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you liked the first book, you'll like this one. More of the same great writing, characters get developed a little more but mostly move the plot forward.

I couldn't read through, unfortunately since it's a sequel and I haven't read the first book in the series, I just found out so my apologizes for not checking when I requested.

Thank you Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lawless’ The Children of Gods and Fighting Men was such an unexpected delight earlier this year that I was thrilled to receive an ARC of its sequel. This picks up where the first left off, and though it has been several months and many books since then, I found it was easy to sink back into Lawless’ Ireland and return to her characters. I had forgotten some details from the first book but I never felt lost at sea while reading this, and I think The Words of Kings and Prophets does a good job at bringing up events that happened in the previous book with just enough detail to jog my memory.

I really love the strong emotions the characters in this series evoke in me; I feel neutral on very few of them, and it makes it easy to root for or against them (I want Tomas to suffer, for example). Lawless also successfully avoids middle book syndrome and I found this to be a very compelling book where I just wanted to know what was going to happen. I think this book builds tension well, and I really enjoyed that we got a third perspective in this—loved what it added to the story. The pacing is quite good and I really enjoyed seeing the characters grow and change and scheme. While the prose itself is not a standout to me, it flows very well and I’m not that fussed over it because the story is so great.

The Words of Kings and Prophets moves the story in really interesting directions and I’m extremely curious to see how this ends—I really loved all the twists! I am not one who does a lot of guessing and theorizing while reading, but each new turn was delightful and well done. Overall, very good and absolutely lives up to the quality I’ve come to expect from this series!!

The Words of Kings and Prophets, the second installment in the Gael Song series, continues to show Shauna Lawless's impressive ability to interlace history, mythology, and fantasy into a captivating narrative. Building upon the foundation laid by the first book, this book provides deeper insights into the world, our main characters, and their different forms of magic.

Gormflaith and Fóldla, the main characters, are exceptionally well-written, and I've developed a strong fondness for both. As I’m reading their chapters, I'm always rooting for their success. Surprisingly, this feeling persists when I transition to the other’s chapter, despite knowing one’s success will hinder the others. This book introduces chapters from a third point of view, which adds a layer of depth to the story beyond that of our two main characters.

I must note that there is a romance in the series. Although I typically don't enjoy romance in books, this one is an exception for me. Not only was I okay with the romance unfolding, but I also found myself actively cheering for it.

With this second installment surpassing the excellence of the first, it's safe to say that this has become one of my favorite reads of the year. If you have an interest in historical fiction, mythology, fantasy, Vikings, and characters that are both cutthroat and charismatic, I highly recommend picking up this book as soon as it hits the shelves on September 14th, 2023!

The Words of Kinds and Prophets, book 2 of the Gael Song Series by Shauna Lawless.

Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this electronic ARC. I loved the first book so was thrilled to get the eARC. The Words of Kings and Prophets is due to be released 14 September.

Gormflaith is now married to Brian Boru High King of Ireland. A Fomorian magic user who is unhappy with her place and seeks a way to find and destroy the fortress of the Descendants the enemies of the Fomorians and in her quest, she discovers she is much more powerful than she ever realised.
Fódla a Descendant and healer, seeks a safe place for her nephew and herself and during this time she discovers things about herself of those of her people that make her question everything as she looks to another Descendant to help.

The plot was engaging and kept me hooked the entire way through. Following on shortly after the events of the first book, the lives of Fódla and Gormflaith have changed so much from where they started. The plot revolved around them learning to adapt and dealing with the consequences of their actions and learning more about themselves and those around them as the politics of the Irish kings play out. We also get a new POV that of Colmon another of the Descendants and his story adds to the plot as we learn more of the leader of the Descendants Tomas.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding that has gone into these novels. The research that the author had done to capture that period of Irish history shines through and it is wonderful to see early medieval Ireland being brought to life. I love what the author has built with the Descendants and the Fomorians and their rivalry and fear of each other. The author really brings to life the POV characters of Fódla, Gormflaith and Colmon as well as the historical figures such as Brian Boru King of Munster and Sitric the King of Dublin.

If you like fantasy and historical fantasy, then I highly recommend this book and especially if you have read and enjoyed the first.

This second book in the Gael Song trilogy/series was even better than the first! So much plotting and scheming was involved. It was such a joy to read as Fodla and Gormflaith developed as characters. There was even more world building and I liked feeling like I had been whisked away to Ireland once more.

I will keep this review rather short, because it is, after all a second book.
Needless to say, I enjoyed it about as much as book one. My main gripe is probably still the dual first person POV but I mind it here less than in other books I have read before.

Aside from that the main strong part in this are the characters and characterisation. I loved seeing Fondla's progress and her gaining confidence, starting to find her own way. And Tomas is just so well done and infuriating. I think I rarely hated a character this much.
For Gormflaith, she definitely became much more villainous and borderline antagonistic in this one. Much more simply looking out for herself, now that she has been cut loose from Sitric.

Overall I can just say, this one was a really solid sequel with an engaging plot and interesting characters and I can'T wait to see where the story goes.

Couldn't go through with this read since it's a sequel and I haven't read the first book in the series, I just found out so it's my bad for not noticing when I requested.

Keep your eyes peeled for Shauna Lawless' new book, The Words of Kings and Prophets! https://youtu.be/WZuG3vagIQA

I really enjoyed The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, so I was so stoked to get an ARC of The Words of Kings and Prophets. I think the author does a great job at building up these big game plans between characters. The political intrigue is also really interesting and kept me on my toes. However, the pacing of this book and the length of the chapters really made it a bit difficult for me to stay focused. I love the authors writing and the direction this series is going in, but I just wish the chapters were shorter and the pacing was more quick.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Gonna break my own rule and give this book 5 stars because I already know that I'm going to love it even more on reread. And well.. I seriously loved this book.

The Words of Kings and Prophets is an incredibly strong follow up to The Children of Gods and Fighting Men. I think I enjoyed it even more than the first. The characters, especially our two main females, are just as strong, if not stronger. There is a new POV added and while not AS interesting as Fodla and Gormlaith, it is still very strong and gave more depth to the story.

I enjoyed how both Fodla and Gormlaith have started to shift into their roles. With the first book, they were both protagonists, just trying to survive in a world dominated by men. While this is still true in Words, you can see the subtle (and not so subtle) shifts that will set up what I can only believe will be an amazing face off in the last book. This is also true for several side characters as well. Book three is going to be insane. I'm calling it now.

Also... THE ROMANCE. Ugh.

It's not a big part of the story, but it is done perfectly. My heart swooned. My eyes glistened.

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shauna Lawless’ sequel to The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is a satisfying sequel/book two to the series. I enjoyed this book better than the first one as I felt that Lawless could speed up events and delve into character arcs more after establishing context and introducing characters in book one.

My favourite thing about this series is that the main protagonists are mothers, and their identity as mothers plays a significant role in who they are and why they feel how they feel. However, this element of their lives does not overshadow them as individuals and adds so much to their characters and motives. And the fact that the book is inspired by Irish folklore and history (which I know little to nothing about!) is fascinating.

This is a definite read for anyone who likes fantasy books inspired by folklore. Lawless does not overcomplicate new information and is able to introduce lore, characters and events clearly. She also grasps the concept of time passing, such as travelling or waiting for the next season (as they did back in the olden Viking days ) without slowing the overall pace.

Review from Library of a Viking's wife (who LOVES this series).

This book, this series is phenomenal. Everything you want and more in a sequel, this author gives it. It speaks to your soul. I loved every moment of reading this book. The Irish history & mythology is so fascinating, the fictional characters and plot absolutely spellbinding.