Gruffydd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd is not himself since the truce with Henry I of England. Furthermore, Henry I suspects him of aiding the young firebrand Griffith ap Rhys who has been raiding the Welsh countryside. He has summoned him to England to be questioned. Gruffydd ap Cynan has no choice but to agree. Leaving his wife Angharad as regent he sets off to the English court. Her brother Gronwy who has always coveted Gwynedd decides that this is the best time to make a move and secure the kingdom for himself. However, Gwenllian and her brothers decide to stand up against their enemies risking not only their lives but also putting in peril the entire family and its inheritance. Can the royal family survive and be secure from their enemies? This is the main premise of this novel.

Though this tale is written as historical fiction it is based on Welsh history. The characters existed and Nunn’s tale springs from the stories the Welsh bards sung. Hence the title of the novel. There was a tradition among the Welsh bards to sing of love and war but only those stories that exalted the heroes. Moreover, as Nunn will explain at the end of the book very little Welsh history is recorded. It is only through extensive research that she has managed to piece this part of their history. I also learned how she has had to fill in certain gaps to make a cohesive tale. This might go some way to explain why it has been classed as fiction. Regardless this is a fascinating piece of history.

The blurb does not give the book justice. There is more than one plot as this is a complicated tale. Nunn however rises to the occasion and spins a fascinating yarn. As the story unfolded, I began to truly appreciate Welsh feeling. So real were her characters and the plot building that I was thrown back in time. I felt each of their pain and their sorrow at being ruthlessly crushed by a greedy enemy. Their betrayal, their hurt were mine too, likewise their grief and loss. Besides Nunn skilfully embroiders injustices of that century into her narrative.

There is a quiet yet passionate intensity to Nunn’s storytelling. As the tapestry of the history of Gwynedd unfolds, I admired her plot building. She braided the storyline and characters with scintillating care and sensitivity revealing their true natures be they good or bad. On finishing the novel, I could not help but wonder how the Welsh may have developed as a nation had it not been interfered with by their nemesis to be parcelled among their enemies solely for personal gain.

I think that this might be the first time I've read a historical romance set during Norman times. However, I'm not going to lie I did enjoy the historical part more than the romance.

First and foremost, the cover is incredible!! SO I found noo indication this was part of a series so I wish I had known going into this, cause I really loved the writing and I really enjoyed the setting and characters but I found it confusing to read as I felt I was missing out on some stuff. I would definitely recommend going back and starting the series from number 1!

This turned out to be an interesting book. The story kept my attention the whole way through by adding characters and little tangent storylines.

The author is clearly passionate about Welsh history and has researched thoroughly. That translates into a rousing story, that generally makes the history feel alive. Angharad and Gryffud in particular feel like real people making the best of a difficult situation.

Sometimes that also leads to unnecessary detail that bogs down the flow. There is also an unfortunate fondness for cliché that further slows the telling. But I think if you're particularly interested in the period or Welsh history these will be minor concerns.

First of all the cover of this book is beautiful! I have not read much about this time in history and I really enjoyed it. It is a great book!

Interesting book about a time period that is new to me. The politics between the Welsh and Henry 1 is fraught with deception, lies and hatred.

This book can get very confusing with its large cast of characters, and requires patience to get through. I did not read the prior books, it may be worth doing that to get the context right

Beautiful story and characters.
Loved the world the dialogues and the writing.
Highly recommend for everyone who loves this genre

I’m not posting this publicly. I tried reading this book, loved the cover and the description. When I started the first chapter, I was so bored and lost with all the info dumping. I was like reading an encyclopedia. Didn’t want to read more.