Shauna Lawless never fails to leave me in awe. Her stories weave myth, history and heartbreak into something utterly breathtaking and Daughter of the Otherworld is absolutely no exception.

Coming back to this world felt like stepping through a familiar door only to find the entire landscape transformed. Over a century has passed, Ireland is shifting, power changes hands, old grudges fester and yet myth and magic still weave through the land, never truly gone. It’s like watching legends refuse to rest, determined to carve out their next chapter and I just couldn’t get enough.

Isolde is such a compelling lead—Torn between who she is and who everyone expects her to be. I loved the way she balanced quiet vulnerability with a hidden spark of her mother Fódla’s fierce spirit. I just know there is so much more to come with her and I can’t wait to see it unfold.

And Broccan… gods, he shattered me. Carrying centuries of grief and loyalty, his moments with Isolde felt raw and painfully human. Their bond was tender and magnetic, and I was completely swept up in it.
Cuan added a beautiful undercurrent of quiet sorrow, his steadfastness tinged everything with a bittersweet note that I adored.

Let’s not forget Gormflaith—her return hit like a lightning strike. Watching events twist through her eyes left me reeling between empathy and dread. Lawless never gives us simple villains … her characters are flawed, aching, vividly human, and that’s what makes them truly unforgettable. Even the secondary characters are written to utter perfection.

There’s also such a profound exploration of grief and loss here and all handled with incredible tenderness. Lawless’s writing is gorgeous!! Immersive and lyrical, yet always anchored in raw emotion. By the end, as always, I was desperate for more. It’s killing me knowing I have to wait to see how it all plays out. I don't regret picking this up so soon, but also, I do!!

This series has more than earned its place on my all-time favourites shelf … and Lawless on my all-time fave author list.
It’s stories like this — rooted in folklore, tangled in politics, brimming with heartbreak and love — that remind me exactly why I read fantasy. I’ll be championing these books to anyone who’ll listen.

If you crave historical fantasy that feels rich, lived-in, and achingly real, please do yourself a favour and pick this up. 💛 You honestly won’t regret it.

I was a little apprehensive going into this book. It's the start of a new trilogy in the world of Gael Song, set more than a hundred years after the events of the third book. I picked up Children of Gods and Fighting Men immediately after its release and loved it, then waited a year for Words of Kings and Prophets and adored it, and then waited another year for Land of Living and the Dead and... just liked it. I'm definitely in the minority with that opinion, as everyone says it's the best in the trilogy, but it did make me nervous about this latest installment. Was the series still for me? Was I even going to like a book without Fódla in it?
Yes and yes, I'm happy to report.

It has a slow start but once it gripped me, even the relatively slower pace and set-up-heavy first part could not make me put the book down.
The writing style is so fluid that even the slowest parts go by fast, aided by short sentences and the multiple first-person POVs.

Isolda is not her mother, but after a few unsteady initial chapters she found her stride. She's younger and even more naive, which makes for a less compelling main character but perfectly places her to introduce the Ireland of the late 12th century to us readers. That's still the field in which Lawless shines the most: She makes the setting feel truly alive, not only with descriptions and interactions, but also by conveying the differences in worldview and customs between the Irish and other people. We get to see what changed in a century and what didn't: slavery is back, the Vikings are more integrated, Christianity has taken over. The threat now to the Irish way of life is Norman knights fueled by the Crusades and in search of new land, and their new combat style that puts more emphasis on logistics and personal honor rather than cunning and individual prowess.

The secondary cast highlight different aspects of the society and have distinct personalities that make them interesting to read about. The most compelling is of course Cuan, Isolde's love interest, half Viking and considered an outsider by his Irish family, even if he's related to the High King. It will be hard to top Murchad's charm, but there's a tragic conflict being set up for him and I'm doing my best not to go on a Wikipedia rabbit hole to read all about the following historical events to try to guess what will happen next.

Gormflaith is back as well, though for this book she takes the back seat and leaves the stage to her son Donnchad, now an adult with a son of his own, whose ambitions and treachery rival those of her mother. He was a window on the Norman side that we sorely needed, but his internal thoughts did not captivate me; his son Angelo however, mute and violent, is clearly being positioned to play a more important role later in the series and I can't wait to see what he does.

I will advise any interested reader who has not done so already to read the previous trilogy before picking this one up. I understand it's being marketed as being able to stand on its own, but I disagree. You may enjoy the story, but what makes this series great are its historical elements; and not knowing what came before would make certain events or details, not to mention character interactions, less impactful. As for me, I will be waiting impatiently for book two, once again. Especially after that avalanche of an ending!

Really enjoyable read. I didn't realise it was a continuation but that didn't really detract at all, if anything I'll definitely go back and read the previous book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was really well written and interesting. Though I enjoyed, I didn't realise this was a continuation and this kind of prevented me from fully enjoying it.
But really enjoyed this and may decide to back track and look at the previous books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for a review copy of this book. I have read Shauna Lawless previous series of the Gael Song and enjoyed them very much. This offering, like the first, uses the concept of the descendants of the Tuatha de Danann and the Fomorians pitted against each other to continue the narrative, only this time it is, for the most part, with the next generation. Lawless takes us this time 150 years later, to 1169, to another pivotal time in Irish history--the eve of the Anglo Norman lord, Richard Stronbow’s invasion of Ireland to help Diarmuit MacMurragh reclaim his Leinster kingship.

Broccan, now an aging Descendant warrior had been looking after his half sister, Isolde on the remote island of Rathlin since his mother summoned him on a wind from the faraway lands of North Africa where he was hunting the last of the Fomorians. She is a young woman now, but still naïve and showing no signs of the gifts bestowed on Tuatha de Danann that the prophecies about her had predicted. Ignorant of these prophecies Isolde carries on an innocent life on the island playing with her human friend and training in fighting at Broccan’s insistence. It’s only when her friend is to marry and leave the island that things begin to change. Broccan gives into the insistence of his fellow Descendants who live in their own seclusion and allow one of the Descendants to test Isolde for any gifts and persuade Broccan to bring her to their sanctuary for her protection. But the Fomorians have not lain dormant. Gormflaith, llving in Paris with her brother, her sons and niece, has been having disturbing dreams that lead her to think that her long time enemy, Broccan is about to move against the Fomorians again. After sending her shapeshifting bird and soldier on flights to survey the Irish landscape to discover any change, her fears are confirmed. It’s time for them to make a move first and so Gormflaith leaves Paris with her family and prepares to conduct her own type of warfare-- with cunning, seizing and shaping events, using her family as her tools to eliminate her enemies, once and for all. But there’s so many things and events even Gormflaith can’t account for and Isolde’s growing strength and power is far from the least of them.

The novel continues in the same pace and temper as the previous ones in the first series. Readers with be glad for the continuing thread of some of the familiar characters and enjoy getting acquainted with the new ones, especially Isolde. And like the previous novels, the reader gets a real immersive understanding of the events that led up to and the invasion of Ireland, in all its rivalries and conflict against a landscape of wild beauty.

Firstly thank you @netgalley and @headofzeus for kindly gifting me an early copy for an honest review. If you have seen my other posts on the Gael Song series you know I absolutely adore and devoured these books! So I was delighted to see the series was continuing with a new era. Daughter of the Otherworld is a fast paced action packed book. I would definitely recommend reading the rest of the series first to better understand the relationships between characters especially the duty Broccan feels towards Isolde.

Daughter of the Otherworld, starts over a hundred years after the Land of the Living and the Dead with Isolde, a daughter of a famous Irish king and powerful healer and descendant of the Tuatha de Danann reappears. No one can understand why it took so long for her to reappear or why she appears to be giftless despite the prophecy foretold. Even though it's a hundred years later, danger still lurks in every corner with Fomorians, and the battle for land and power between the Irish and the normans.

I loved that in era one of the series we saw the fight for power between Vikings and the Irish and in this one we see the emergence of the normans. Showing that the fight for power never ends. I loved the historical elements in this book

Isolde is the new central character in this book. I loved her relationship with Broccan and that he was back in this book. The turmoil and quest for revenge he's still going through is utterly heartbreaking. I loved the bond him and Isolde have and the protectiveness he has for her. Isolde is quite naive for a lot of this book, Broccan had sheltered her from so much and we really see her torn between who she really is and who the other descendants expect her to be because of the prophecy. Gormflaith is back in this book again and back to her scheming ways, I love her character so I was delighted to see her back. We also get a lot more pov's in this book which I loved especially seeing the insights into some characters decisions.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it! It's heartbreaking, excellently paced and will leave you wanting more!

Having read and adored the first trilogy I was a little apprehensive for this latest instalment but I should not have been, Lawless is an absolute master at her craft and this book is no exception.

Set a century after baby Isolde goes missing, Daughter of the Otherworld follows some new characters as well as some that we know and love (or loathe in some cases!).

This could be a standalone but I would really recommend reading books 1, 2 and 3 because they’re so brilliant and this series deserves to be read in totality.

As always, I would read Lawless’ shopping list and cannot wait to read whatever comes next.

Shauna Lawless delivers yet again with Daughter of the Otherworld, the opening chapter of a new era in her Gael Song saga. Stepping into this book feels like walking through a doorway back into medieval Ireland, only to find the landscape changed, the dangers sharper, and the politics even more treacherous than before.

At its heart is Isolde: a young woman of noble blood and immortal lineage, returned after more than a century’s absence with no memory of her missing years and, most worryingly, no magic. In a time when power is survival, this lack makes her an easy target, especially as the Fomorians, ancient enemies of her mother’s people, tighten their grip on mortal affairs through manipulation of the Norman lords. Against this backdrop, Ireland is a land on the edge of conquest, and every choice Isolde makes could tip the balance.

Lawless excels at weaving intimate character arcs into the vast tapestry of real history. Isolde’s personal journey is threaded seamlessly through the grander struggles of kingdoms, clans, and immortal rivalries. Every character, from old favourites to new faces, feels layered and alive, their loyalties shifting like the tides.

The worldbuilding is, as always, masterful: the mists over the Irish hills, the salt sting of the sea, the dimly lit halls where alliances are forged and broken. The pacing balances political intrigue, bursts of action, and moments of quiet reflection with a deft hand, so the story never loses momentum but still allows the reader to breathe in its richness.

Perhaps most impressively, Daughter of the Otherworld manages to be both a fresh entry point for new readers and a deeply satisfying continuation for those who loved the Gael Song trilogy. The echoes of past events resonate, but this is unmistakably its own story: a story of legacy, resilience, and the perilous dance between fate and free will.

A powerful beginning to a new chapter in the saga, and one that left me desperate for the next instalment.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

This has to be in my top 5 series I have read in recent years. I really hope a book box does a special edition set 👀.

The story is set a long time after the end of the main trilogy with lots of familiar characters and new ones too. Gormflaith is one of my favourite characters ever, so glad to have her back!

Really recommend the first trilogy and now this new series, I cannot wait for the next book!

Daughter of the Otherworld - Shauna Lawless
Release Date - 11th September 2025

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book

Now I don’t write many reviews - I should write more but I can never put into words what I want to say!

This book has destroyed me and put me back together just to destroy me again… Exactly like the first trilogy!

This book follows multiple POVs and every single one of them I loved to read.

Now I have to wait even longer to find out what happens 😫

Definitely another 5🌟 read and I can’t wait to own a physical copy

I absolutely loved the first book in the Gael song series. I do feel like I should have read books two and three before reading this one. It does work as a standalone, but it does have spoilers for the earlier books. I do still really want to read them, but having read books 1 and 4, I feel that reading them all in order, or starting with book four would have been a better experience.

This series explores Irish history and mythology and its wonderful. I love this exploration and feeling like I’m learning about this specific moment in history. It does have some more supernatural elements and these are fascinating.

This book is told from multiple points of view. We see both sides of a conflict between two magical and ancient factions. I did find I preferred the female points of view, and these made up the bulk of the story.

This starts very strong in the early chapters and ends well but there was a bit in the middle that lost energy a little. A very good historical novel that’s part of an amazing series.

Arc copy provided with thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus.

*Daughter of The Otherworld, published by Head of Zeus
Release date: 11th September 2025*

Although this is Shauna's 4th book in this world... it's actually the first i have read - The horror!!
Technically it is the beginning of a new trilogy but it is a new era and follows on a number of years later.

We follow Isolde through this story as she comes to terms with her history and what she is. There are both familiar figures for those who have read the other books and new characters are introduced.

I loved the plot and enjoyed the pacing, I couldn't wait to get a chance to reenter this world. The characters were brilliantly well developed that I had those I was rooting for while others I disliked but were so compelling! (I want to have hero's and villains in a book to give me all the feels)

Shuna's writing style and world building is rich, immersive, and steeped in atmosphere. History and myth are blended seamlessly - (Two of my favourites) I felt completely transported... And I am excited to pick up the first three books to time travel again into early medieval Ireland.

An easy 5 Stars

Daughter of the Otherworld, book one in era two of the Gael Song saga was a phenomenal return to this world, masterfully handed over by Lawless. I had some small concerns that I would not be able to let go of the characters of the first era enough to fully invest in this one, but there are just enough familiar faces to help you settle in without it feeling cheap, and just enough new ones to intrigue you. As always, Lawless paces the book impeccably, giving you time to invest but moving the plot forward with every chapter. Every detail felt deliberate and considered, and I delighted in overthinking every clue she dropped.

I will keep this light, as it is impossible to summarise this book without spoiling the end of book 3, but time has passed and in the words of the author: 'Ireland had changed. It was rough now. Harsher. Harder.' ; 'Generosity existed still, though it seemed those with the least were the ones who offered the most'. We get to discover these changes through the eyes of a new character who I absolutely adored. Lawless shines in a lot of ways, but the brightest star of her work to me is the characters and the new ones do not disappoint. She writes such layered, complex, believable people. In this new era we are following a larger cast from the offset and yet she does not falter; they are all as fleshed out and compelling as each other. I will also never get over how incredibly she weaves her plot into the real history of both Ireland and England without the story ever feeling restricted or false. The twists and turns of this story had me gasping at points, and the final 50 pages have me desperately excited for the next book already.

I cannot praise this series enough, thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the privilege of getting to read an ARC ahead of its release in exchange for this review. It will be a highlight of my entire year.

Firstly, thank you to House of Zeus for providing me we an arc of this book through NetGalley to review.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book due to the Irish mythology and historical fiction combination and the book did not disappoint on either.

I had not previously read any works by the author however after reading this book I will be going back and exploring the previously published trilogy.

Whilst I enjoyed the plot of this book, for me the characters were my favourite part- their history together, their interactions and I loved how through the different chapter perspectives, you were able to see their timelines interacting.

Personally, I would have loved for more time to have been spent on Isolde understanding what her gift is and how she needs to train it.

I feel it is a slow burn to start with, especially being introduced / reintroduced to the characters and the locations but the world drew me in and I was fully able to escape with the characters.

I feel like other readers, I was not aware this was a continuation of previous trilogy but I felt was able to get into the world and the dynamic of the characters and wasn’t hindered having not read the previous books in the series.

Gormflaith was my standout character, through her masterful ability to scheme but also the glimpses of her vulnerabilities, especially her attitude towards love and marriage. Honourable mentions for other stand out characters are Broccan, Isolde, Cuan and Angelo.

I would recommend this book but I would suggest looking into the author’s previous work, as I think there may been a better pay off in the long run.

This book just falls short of 4 stars as I felt towards the end the plot dragged on longer than it needed to but the twist at the end made it worth it!

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

"For who wanted love when they could be a queen?"

I was very lucky to receive an e-arc of this from Head of Zeus/Net Galley.

I absolutely adored the Gael Song trilogy, which I read with friends (including the novellas) over the last few months. It very quickly became one of my favourite series of all time. At the end of The Land of the Living and the Dead, though the series had a satisfying end, I craved more! More of this Irish history, more of these characters, more of this mythology! When Shauna announced that Gael Song was going to be continued with Daughter of the Otherworld, I simply couldn't wait to immerse myself once more.

Set around 150 years after the events of The Land of the Living and the Dead/Gael Song Trilogy, Daughter of the Otherworld throws us straight back into the gritty, dark and overwhelmingly political world of 12th/13th century Ireland. We also see glimpses of France and Italy, too, which I utterly adored. In the world of mortals, Kings and men amongst them bicker, betray, and grasp at any sliver of a chance of the opportunity to rule. In the world of immortals, the Fomorians, fire mages, are still at war with the Tuatha De Danan, descendants with magical abilities, and the Fomorians wish to use their power to overthrow mortal Kings and claim the power they wish they are entitled to, as well as crush the prophecies which tell of their demise.

As there are three novels and three novellas preceding Daughter of the Otherworld, I do not want to use character names in my review, as it veers too close to spoiler territory for me.

I simply adored this book and devoured it over the course of a few days. Like in Gael Song, Shauna's writing is simply unputdownable. Her descriptions of the lands that we explore are simply breathtaking and completely immersed me into the story. The plot was utterly compelling and incredibly paced. Shauna has an incredible talent in writing stories with plots that move at breakneck speed, yet also allow time for character connection, emotion, and moments to slow down and just feel it in your bones.
The plot involved many historical aspects, with lots of political machinations, but also betrayal, shocking moments that left me aghast and also heartbreaking moments where my love for the characters swept me away.

Shauna's new characters stood out just as much as her existing ones. Each one is so important and vital to the progression of the story and really holds weight in the plot development.

It's an incredible book, one I will never forget. I can't wait for the next instalment!

thank you so much netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

i am so fucking gagged oh my god 😭😭😭 the best and my favourite book in the series so far. i received the arc of this earlier this month and i hadn’t realised it was a new era of an already existing series. i was so torn between just reading it on its own or starting from the beginning, and i am so glad to have started from book 1. some reviews i’ve seen have mentioned how they read this book without reading the original trilogy and how that impacted their overall enjoyment. i cannot stress this enough how much more you will love this book if you pick up the series from book 1. it *could* stand on its own but there is so much world building/context/references to the original plot that you miss out on if you haven’t read them. and gael song has easily become one of my new favourite series i have just completely fallen in love with it.

okay with that ramble out of the way, i love love loved this book. with how devastated i was at the end of book 3 i was so worried that i would miss certain characters too much going into this but i actually had the best time ever. the book is set over a century after the events of the last book. it was nice seeing familiar faces as well as being introduced to new characters and new sociopolitical dynamics. isolde has quickly become one of my favourite characters in the series. she reminds me so much of fódla but also stands on her own as well. i loved watching her progress from her sheltered self in the beginning to where we see her in the end.

i was actually so stressed for so much of this but i could not put the book down 😭 the twists towards the end had me so gagged i actually punched the air/threw down my kindle/had to take a breather multiple times. i didn’t want it to end!!! it’s actually upsetting me so much that i’ll have to wait god knows how long for the next installment i need it NOW.

if you love gael song, you will love this new era.

Daughter of the Otherworld is an Irish folklore inspired fantasy that follows the rivalry between two magical warring clans for glory and power.

We follow Isolde, who was forced to hide in the Otherworld for 100 years as she returns to the land of the living in the care of her uncle Broccan. But the Fomorians are desperate to hunt her down and kill her due to a prophecy foretelling their demise at Isolde’s hands.

I think my low enjoyment of this book is due to my not having read the previous trilogy. I feel like I spoiled it and it caused me to be more confused as time went on. I could really have done with a family tree, as I found it hard to keep track of everyone.

The writing is accessible and easy to get into, but I found it somewhat simplistic at times. The pacing for me also had some issues, with the first 40% of the book being so tense and invigorating, but then slowing right down to snooze ville.

I love that Shauna Lawless is resurrecting Irish Mythology and bringing it to the masses. In this she is a very talented, creative, and intelligent writer, but I was a bit let down by the pacing, simplicity and disjointedness of the writing at times.

This book definitely has its audience, especially among fans of the original trilogy, but sadly it misses the mark for me.

Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Great continuation although it took me abou 100 pages to realise where I was - beginning a bit slow but enjoyable by the end, would read the next one

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars!

I got excited by the premise of this book and didn’t realise that it was the start of a new era of an existing series so I had to go back and read Gael Song before starting. I think you could read this one as a new start but I’m not sure I would have wanted to as the original trilogy was a complete masterpiece (the land of the living and the dead was possibly my favourite audiobook experience ever, even if I haven’t quite forgiven Shauna Lawless for making me cry on my bus to work while listening to it).

This new era also starts incredibly strong. I love the way that history and mythology are seamlessly intertwined in this series. There is a rich basis in historical facts but the story never feels like a heavy read, the characters and the storyline just keep you reading. I had to wait for a day off to read this one because I knew once I started I wouldn’t want to stop reading. Shauna Lawless writes real characters so well, it was devastating to see Broccan so bitter and torn apart by grief when he had been young and idealistic for most of the original series, his grief also manifests in a quest for revenge rather than the despondency Fodla had in the first book when she was grieving Aofie.

Gormflaith and Maelmorda are dreadful as always but I love Gormflaith’s twisted and conniving point of view, I’m always the most entertained when we’re in her head.

I love this series so much, it is such an underrated gem that I mention to everyone I know that likes fantasy or historical fiction because everything about it is just so well done.

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Another stunning novel by Shauna Lawless.

Picking up over 100 years after the end of the Gael Song series, this novel follows Isolde, daughter of an Irish prince and a Descendant of the Tuatha De Danann as she navigates life in a tumultuous Ireland.

Shauna effortlessly weaves fantasy into her historical setting which makes the novel feel both magical and grounded.

I loved the balance between Isolde's young and fresh POVs when compared with Gormflaith and her world weary attitude.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy or historical fiction.