THE PLAIN OF PILLARS

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.