I was unable to complete this book I got a good 80 pages in and couldn't focus. Maybe I need to read up more on Irish lore. It would interest me. I think of I knew more about everything. I would like to revisit it

Thank you so much Head of Zeus and Netgalley. To say I was thrilled to receive an eARC of Daughter of the Otherworld would be an understatement! I adored Era 1 of the Gael Song and could not wait to read book 1 in Era 2.

Shauna Lawless continues with this series with multiple first person narration, which is unique in itself and worked very well in Era 1. In this novel however, I started to get frustrated and my attention waned. I am not sure if it was due to the personalities of the characters (more on that soon) or the amount of dialogue. It was ALOT! The plot developments were slow and unlike Era 1, the beautiful storytelling wasn't quite there. It didn't feel as smooth or engaging. I found myself constantly looking for the next Gormflaith chapter. To be honest, if she wasn't in this book, I think my rating would have been lower.

Overall, I can't say I was as captivated with Daughter of the Otherworld as I was with every book in Era 1. Am I going to continue with the series?....absolutely, yes!

3.75/5

This is part of a series, Gael Song, and would not make much sense as a stand alone book, dear reader.
It is a fun series about Irish mythology and history.
We have Isolde as our protagonist.
She is complex and likeable.
Broccan is another super curious character.

If you are familiar with Fomorians and Irisg mythology, you will like this series. and this book.
If not familiar, you will like it, because it will all be new to you.

I did not enjoy the ending in this book very much.
3.5 stars.

Daughter of the Otherworld is an atmospheric and beautifully crafted novel that weaves history and myth into a compelling tale of loyalty, power, and the unseen forces that shape our world. Shauna Lawless has a gift for immersing readers in a vividly realized setting — the blend of folklore and historical detail feels both authentic and enchantingly fresh.

The characters are complex and memorable, with motivations that feel grounded and human, even when the story edges into the mystical. Lawless’ prose is lyrical yet accessible, drawing you deep into a world where every choice carries weight and consequences ripple through generations.

What I especially loved is how the story balances quiet, intimate moments with tense, high-stakes intrigue. The pacing is steady but never dull, and the worldbuilding is layered and thoughtful without ever feeling heavy-handed.

This is the kind of book that stays with you after the last page — thoughtful, haunting, and full of questions about loyalty, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves.

I highly recommend Daughter of the Otherworld to readers who enjoy historical fantasy with rich folklore elements and strong, nuanced characters. I can’t wait to see what Shauna Lawless writes next.

After starting this book feeling very confused, I realised that this book was the fourth in a series I had never read before.

Whilst this story is described as a new era of, my score is reflects an "on the fence" viewpoint as I can't bring myself to continue this without the world-building of the previous novels. You could definitely complete this without the previous knowledge, but I found I couldn't connect with the story as a consequence.

If you've read the series, I encourage you to continue. The writing is incredible and Isolde as a character has a lot of room for growth, lending a curiosity to the reader for where she takes her life.

I hope to read this series, with the promise shown from Daughter of the Otherworld, but ideally in order.

This was an enjoyable read that kept my attention all the way through and when I wasn't reading it I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I went into this book thinking it was a the first of a new series, separate from Gael Song. While it is a new series, it's a sequel. Having not read the previous series I'm sure there's a lot I have missed but things were explained well enough not to feel confusing. So you can begin here but it will spoil the first three so probably best start there if you want to read the rest.
That said, I loved this book. It was so full of depth and intrigue, I couldn't wait to get my hands on my kindle each day. Will absolutely be continuing the series as they're released.

4.25/5

Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with an eARC.

A brilliant set up to era 2!! While I found that there were some pacing issues in the middle, the ending was perfect and already leaving me itching for the next book.

Because this takes place 150 years after the original trilogy there is a whole new setting and cast to get used to again, however, I do think reading the OG trilogy is fundamental to fully enjoy this. The amazing atmosphere we got in the first trilogy is slightly lacking in this book but the character development is just as top notch.

Overall, I had a great time with this. Thank god the new novella comes out soon because I just love Shauna’s writing and storytelling

A continuation of the Gael Song trilogy, fifty years later.
Isolde, the last Descendant, Fódla’s baby who had been taken to the otherworld is the prophesied daughter able to destroy fire. She lives in obscurity on an island protected by Broccan, unknowing of her family and her magic with no gift showing.

Gormflaith is living in Paris with her brother, son, niece and grandson. They have been running from Broccan’s hunting until recently. Now they see a chance to return to Ireland to meddle in wars and kill the prophesied daughter.

Isolde is a great protagonist to follow. She isn’t a hero, she didn’t even know of the magical world at the start. She is careful, yet curious. Independent and self-sufficient, but often naive.

<b>For who wanted love when they could be a queen?
</b>
For faith conies her manipulation and her pessimistic outlook on love and the position of women.

I would not recommend reading this series without having first reading the initial trilogy. There are past characters, continuations of character arcs, conflicts, and history. Whilst there is a little bit of background infomation given, it is not near enough.

I think that is one of my biggest grievances as I felt unsatisfied by the ending of the first trilogy and now we have this trilogy following on years later extending the feuds and grudges.

There was also a plot pointed I despised towards the end as it felt like cheating, but I will not spoil it. If you have read it, please message me.

The first 40% was my favourite and then after that felt very similar to the earlier trilogy.

Physical arc gifted by Head of Zeus.

i picked this up, unaware that it was 4th in a series. a silly mistake to make! but from the blurb it sounded really interesting and seemed like maybe I could manage to read it as a standalone.
sadly the more I read the more I realised I couldn't really do this. there were so many characters and I was having real trouble keeping track of who was who. and every time I got the hang of it, another several characters seemed to appear.
so in the end, I had to give up on reading it. the story wasn't grabbing me and there were just too many characters to keep track of.
I've given it 3 stars because I don't think it's necessarily a bad book, I just tried to read it at the wrong time, and starting a series at book 4 is never a smart move.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for the ARC! Rating: 4.25/5

Ok.... where to begin?

First things first, I want to say that this is the 4th book in a series- not a standalone or book one! It is the first book in the next cycle of the Gael Song saga, yet I truly feel that without first reading the previous trilogy you will be missing out on a lot here. When I received this ARC, I went and first read the original 3 books to get the necessary background, and can confirm that those are also great reads, equally as entertaining and richly woven as this one!

Daughter of the Otherworld is set 150 years after the original trilogy, but because many of the main characters live multiple centuries, you still have many of the same POVs and characters in this book, which is why reading the first 3 books is so necessary. There were a few new characters and POVs for this book, namely Isolde (my new favourite character by far) and Donnchad, who together with other characters help continue painting the complex world of Irish mythology that Shauna Lawless describes to us. The character development in this book and the previous ones really stand out as exceptional, with fully-fleshed, morally grey narratives. The one character here which I couldn't attach to so much was Donnchad- he mainly talked of the battles he was in/ his political scheming and I did find myself skipping through some of his sections as they felt less gripping.

However, overall this book was really well-paced and cunningly crafted, and I definitely recommend it for fans of epic fantasy! (But read the first three first :)

I first want to thank NetGalley and Shauna Lawless for the arc of this amazing book. Here is my honest and fair review of Daughter of the Otherworld.

This book was phenomenal. Majority of fantasy novels take a lot of inspiration from Irish mythology but the author of this book being Irish just made the world of difference!! This story follows Isolde who has been raised on a remote small island with her cousin until their family history is unveiled, revealing an even bigger legacy that leaves Isolde in a whole new world. It follows the two sides of this magical feud between the Fomorians and the Descendants that has been raging for over a century.

When I finished this book, I just wanted more! The plot twist at the end will be on my mind now until the next release. It was so refreshing to have such a good plot twist/cliff hanger to finish off on. The story itself is jam packed with so much lore of each character, magic and Irish folklore. I loved every second of it. I cannot wait till the next book. It truly deserves every bit of the 4.5 stars rating I am giving it.

Daughter of the Otherworld, a new chapter in The Gael Song trilogy. I should note here that I haven’t read the trilogy yet, though I plan to after reading this book.

After Isolde goes missing—born into the family of a famous Irish king and a powerful immortal. She eventually reappears and begins living with her uncle Broccan. Her mother’s kin, the Descendants, are one of two magical races in Ireland. The other race is the Fomorians, ancient enemies of the Descendants.

This book is told from multiple points of view: from Isolde and Broccan to the Fomorians, and others. This is where the strength of the book lies. The way these chapters are written allows you to clearly sense the different voices and personalities. It’s not only a character-driven story, but also a plot-driven one. You experience the conflict between the Descendants and the Fomorians, as well as the rivalries between various Irish and Norman kings, alongside political and religious tensions.

The story takes its time to get going. I must admit, I sometimes struggled with certain chapters due to the large number of characters and families mentioned. I also found it challenging to keep track of the Irish names and terminology for towns or strongholds. Additionally, it felt like some world-building was missing, likely because it's already been established in the previous books. There was a general lack of context at times.

All in all, I really liked Lawless’s writing style, and even though I didn’t fully understand everything, the book definitely made me want to read more. I absolutely should read the trilogy as soon as possible!

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing this E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I literally had to take two days off reading to digest this book! WOW 5/5 ✨! This book was so immersive for me as a reader. You experience the conflicts through the eyes of each character (per chapter), while blending elements of Irish mythology in such an exciting way! One thing to note is that I wasn’t aware this was part of a trilogy, but it works as a standalone, which is brilliant!

Isolde is our FMC, and she is at the heart of this story, without having done much initially! We watch her discover her heritage and the magical powers within her in real time, and it is so fascinating. I saw one person describe this as her coming-of-age tale, and while that’s spot-on, I wanted to add that we get to see her explore her identity, boundaries, and essentially her power, as everything she thought she knew gets turned upside down.


World/Politics:
Now, let me dive into what really kept me hooked for two days straight: the world-building and politics! We are talking about shifting times, a literal change of power in the universe of the book, particularly medieval Ireland where war is imminent!

The tension between the Descendants and the Fomorians is so palpable that, as a first-time reader, I felt like Isolde, learning about the betrayals and the vendettas between the two groups. The author does a brilliant job of unfolding the magical elements and world-building without overwhelming you with unnecessary details, just enough to keep the plot moving forward.

At the same time, we see the Anglo-Saxons, French, and Irish navigating a world full of high-stakes politics (power struggles and geopolitics), complicated relationships, and bloody violence had me reaching for my popcorn! You can feel that the imminent war, wrapped in the name of Christianity, adds another layer to everything going on between the Descendants and the Fomorians (if you’re a fan of historical fantasy with a dose of inspiration from actual events, this is for you)!

Side characters:
One of the things I loved most was how human every character felt—even the gods. Flawed, angry, conniving… you could see their motivations clearly, and it made the story feel more read! I even enjoyed reading the POVs of those we’d typically consider "villains," because their perspectives were just as valid and understandable as those of the heroes.

Broccan:
I realize this is about Isolde, BUT I WISH we had another 2-3 chapters of his perspective, because, truly, he was the heart of the book initially! His deep love for Isolde, combined with the immense pain from his past, truly made him the emotional core of the story initially!

Cuan:
I actually need to stand up because… YES. A character who has been attacked by conflict due to his family and has suffered because of it? SAY LESS, WE LOVE! Jokes aside, the storytelling between him and his decisions, as told through Isolde’s POV, was so interesting. It gave us critical insights into his motivations and made his decisions even more impactful.

The writing was SO incredibly descriptive, immersing you in the world while still allowing the characters’ experiences, emotions, and motivations to be the main focus. The exploration of grief, loss, and the fight for power within our characters and the nations mentjoned, is handled with great care, which is such a sensitive topic!


The final chapter left me wanting 300 more pages, so I can’t wait for the next one! And to fill in the void, I’m buying the previous books to read!😉

I would definitely recommend, as you can guess by my 5/5 stars!

Thank you, NetGalley and Head of Zeus, for the ARC!

Oh this is was just as good as I’d hoped it would be! The story follows on a century after the events of the last book, so in a ‘new era’ with some familiar characters and plenty of new ones!

Isolde is Folda’s daughter, her would is turned upside down and she discovers the truth about her heritage the and the strange powers she has within

Ahhhh I just love Shauna Lawless’s writing. This is just a such a perfect blend of historic fiction and fantasy. The pacing was great, the characters just have so much depth and the writing is just beautiful.

I also love that you don’t technically need to have read the previous trilogy in order to understand what’s going on. This story sands up on its own (although I’d recommend reading them a steady, equally as brilliant)

This was my first time reading Shauna Lawless and found her writing and style so fantastic. She created strong characters with development as the story unfolded, in a historic setting I haven't read about before.

Sent this as an arc by NetGalley and wasn't aware it was part of a series until I began reading. If I could read it afresh, I would read the other 3 books first to get a better picture.

Daughter of the Otherworld opens a new chapter in Shauna Lawless’s medieval Ireland steeped in myth, set after the events of the Gaelsong trilogy. As tensions rise between the ancient Fomorians and their age-old enemies, the Descendants, a new generation must confront old rivalries and the echoes of forgotten power. At the heart of it all are Isolde and Broccan, two characters navigating the blurred lines between loyalty, legacy, and survival in a land where gods and monsters still walk among men.

One of the strengths of the book lies in its character work—particularly in the dynamic between Isolde and Broccan. Their bond feels genuine, layered with history and shaped by choices (in part made prior to this book) that carry a substantial and emotional weight. I found myself especially drawn to their interactions, which were loving, sometimes heartbreaking, and often carried a quiet intensity. There’s also a real sense of stakes in the re-emerging conflict between the Descendants and the Fomorians, which builds a sense of looming tension that keeps you curious about what’s coming next.

However, I struggled to fully engage with the novel, and there were several factors that contributed to that. The world, while steeped in the medieval history and rich mythological roots of Ireland, felt a bit underdeveloped in Daughter of the Otherworld—almost as if the scaffolding of a familiar world was present, but the textures and sensory immersion were missing. This might be due to the fact that I haven’t read the original Gaelsong trilogy, and unfortunately, I felt the lack of context. Some of the relationships, tensions and background elements seemed to rely (at least in part) on prior knowledge, which left me feeling slightly adrift. The pacing was also slower than I expected, which made it harder to stay invested during the middle sections of the book.

Overall, Daughter of the Otherworld didn’t fully land for me, but I suspect many of my reservations would fade if I had read the Gaelsong trilogy beforehand. Fans of Lawless’s earlier work will likely appreciate the nuances and world-building in ways I couldn't. That said, I’m not ready to give up on this world just yet—I already own The Children of Gods and Fighting Men on Audible and plan to listen to it soon. Perhaps with that foundation, I’ll be able to return to this series with fresh eyes.

..: Disclaimer :..
I was sent an ARC of <i>Daughter of the Otherworld</i> by Shauna Lawless via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Many thanks to the author and publisher, Head of Zeus, for the trust!

This is my first time reading a book written by Shauna Lawless, and I'm pleased to say that I've been captivated by the strong characters, and mythological story.

I dove into this book without realising it was book 4 of the collection. The story was easy to follow, and the creativity in the writing made it easy to imagine that you're right there with the characters.

After reading this book I went back and looked though descriptions of the previous books to gain a bigger picture. However, I don't think this is absolutely needed.

I felt gripped enough after reading this book that I'm going to go back to read the:

Children Of Gods And Fighting Men
The Words Of Kings And Prophets
The Land Of The Living And The Dead

Thank you for giving me the chance to read this masterpiece early. Shauna's love of mythology really shines through and I look forward to stepping into creations to come.

What an absolute delight this was to read. From the very first page, I was wholly absorbed—the writing is so beautiful, it swept me away. Although I haven’t read the first three books of the original trilogy, I never felt lost; if anything passed me by, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment in the slightest.

This novel is a stunning blend of mythology, history, and intensely character-driven storytelling. As the story unfolded, I found it increasingly difficult to put the book down. But what truly captivated me, more than the fascinating lore or compelling plot, was the beauty of the prose. Shauna Lawless has a remarkable gift with language, and this was my first experience reading her work. It certainly won’t be my last.

I’m already looking forward to continuing with this series. The characters are so well-drawn and engaging that I’m now fully invested in their journeys. The story of the Descendants and the Fomorians feels especially resonant given the state of the world today, and I’m eager to see where Lawless takes it next.

Having really enjoyed the original Gael Song trilogy, I was delighted to learn that Daughter of the Otherworld continues the story many years later. As with the previous books, Shauna blends together history and mythology seamlessly, making for a really rich and interesting world which always makes me want to learn more. Some of the original characters are still present, however, it was the newer POVs which really held my attention this time and I found Isolde's chapters particularly enjoyable.
Shauna isn't one for giving her characters an easy time of things and that certainly continues to be the case here. Towards the end I could not put this book down and I am already looking forward to the next book, even if I fear it might hurt.