A captivating revitalization of Celtic mythology that will resonate with modern readers.
When invaders arrive with violent and destructive intentions, the People of the village of Síraide must fight to save their land and preserve their cultural identity in Griffith’s fantasy novel.
The People of Síraide, led by a clan of shamanistic women known as the Mothers, live peacefully with one another and in harmony with the Land and the music from the Harp that created life itself. From the mane of a horse named Pryderi, a boy named Lámfada—or Long-Arm, as he’s often called—is born. He grows up quickly, reaching the physical and mental age of 14 only seven years after his birth. Long-Arm happily spends his days running in fields with his mother and spending time with his older half-brother, Miach, who was born from sentient mugwort. However, trouble is afoot, as the colonizing force known as the Oceaners, led by the god-king Balor, is preparing to eliminate the People and the culture of Síraide. Following a tragic event, Long-Arm learns that he’s fated to lead the battle against Balor and his army; he receives guidance from a shape-shifting girl from the Mothersclan named Bacharigu, and from Máithrín, the creator of life. Griffith’s novel, narrated by an omniscient Crow-Raven, is a captivating retelling of the Celtic myth of Cath Mag Tuired, or the Battle on the Plain of Pillars. Although the prose sometimes feels overwrought and steeped too deeply in metaphor, the author’s passion for the tale is clear. With compelling characters, intriguing dialogue, and evocative descriptions, he keeps this folkloric tale alive and vibrant: “The Rimmed world of the Síraide was a Land of old moors and networked hills that careened and rose into the rocky face of the bald Mountain. Eternal river valleys and misty mires snaking silently below. Wherever one walked, it was moist and cool, always playing with winter.” Overall, the novel itself feels like a form of resistance against colonization and cultural extinction. “All cultures, ancient or otherwise, have their stories,” the Crow narrates. “All stories, cultured or otherwise, have their power.”
A captivating revitalization of Celtic mythology that will resonate with modern readers.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
