The Children of Gods and Fighting Men

Gael Song, Book 1

De: Shauna Lawless

Narrado por: Aoife McMahon

The first in a gripping new historical fantasy series that intertwines Irish mythology with real-life history, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is the thrilling debut novel by Shauna Lawless.

They think they've killed the last of us...

981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son – and herself – but Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long. Gormflaith also has a secret. She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world – like the Tuatha DE Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians.

FOdla is one of the Tuatha DE Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. FOdla agrees to help her kin by going to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High King of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war – a war she is desperate to stop. However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and the Fomorians now on the rise...

'Highlander meets The Last Kingdom in this assured and captivating debut... I was hooked from page one.' Anthony Ryan

'Gripping and beautiful. A Celtic Last Kingdom with wild magic and fierce heroines.' Anna Smith Spark

'I really enjoyed the book. It's an excellent read.' Mark Lawrence

'A beguiling blend of fantasy, history, and politics. A gripping start to this series.' D.K. Fields

'A vividly written story that makes the ancient past feel contemporary.' Joseph O'Connor

'Rife with atmosphere and armies, magic and compelling characters, it swept me along and refused to be put down.' H.M. Long

'An epic historical fantasy that weaves myth and history into a sprawling tale of magic, intrigue, and war. Absorbing and richly detailed.' Ian Green

'With all the complex political machinations of A Song of Ice and Fire and the bloody battles of The Warlord Chronicles, it's ideal for fans of both.' Stephen Aryan

'An atmospheric journey into a thrilling historical fantasy world.' R.J. Barker

©2022 Shauna Lawless (P)2022 Head of Zeus

What a great book, don't think twice!

I loved it so much, it captivated me from the beginning. The story was gripping, world-building is immersive. This if my first time reading about Irish folklore and I absolutely love it. l'm excited to dive into the rest of the series! Great narration!!

Such a great listen!

Honestly, I bought this for my favorite narrator, but the story was really intriguing. I am glad I chose to listen instead of reading so I could hear the proper pronunciation of names and places. Well done! can't wait for the next.

Mood Reading FTW!

This was truly a perfect March audio listen.

I wasn’t sure I was ready for Irish-historic-anything (because my bookish heart is deeply invested in the Exit Unicorn saga… which I *highly* recommend also), but Lawless was able to hook my attention quickly with sibling love. Oh, and what solid villain/grey character work at play here too- I’m nervous to see how they progress in this series.

I already pre-ordered book two, due out September 2023- because my curiosity is bursting at the seams to see what happens to Fódla and Murchad! Maybe a new favorite fictional couple on the horizon? *fingers crossed* (Oh, and I’m excited to see what happens to sweet Broccan, too!

Recommend to fans of Juliet Marillier, Genevieve Gornichec and Amy Harmon.

Fantastic storyline and well written book

I found this book through a recommendation by one of my favorite authors and am so glad I bought it.
A wonderfully woven tale with beautiful character development and a well-paced story.
Warriors and kings, magic and lore, all wrapped up with surprising plot twists in warm, beautiful narration that took you straight to Ireland.

I just finished book two and am even more in love with this series.

Incredible Performance

Aoife McMahon really did this wonderful book justice! I can’t wait for the next in the series!!

Exceptional!

Will listen again and can’t wait for the next installment would recommend to anyone who enjoys mythology and an excellent story with a narrator that knows the importance of clear and precise annunciation and clearly enjoys the story

A good story

It was very well told, I’ve never read this type of story, I’m not sure if it’s for me, but altgough it was a complicated story I didn’t loose track of everything that was happening, a profesional performance from the narrators, if you like politics and this type of stories you will love this audio book

Very Creative!

I enjoyed this book! Very well written. Fascinating characters. I love how it incorporates Irish mythology into the storyline.

Addictive start to a fantastic journey.

An addictive book. Fantasy sprinkled with enough historical aspects to be easy to follow even while learning about new magic and political systems. The FMCs are strong in their individual ways and I love them both so so much. Cannot wait to devour the next one!

Unique Celtic Inspired World

Right off the bat you have a unique setting focused around Irish demigods trying their best to fade into legend. The story balances between 2 interesting and very different POV characters. A generally relatable healer forced to live among the mortals she has been taught to loath and revile to take care of her nephew and a dowager queen finding their cursed heritage in an effort to further her and her brother's plans of vengeance and conquest on the mortal realm and the descendants of those who dethroned their ancestors and hunted them. My main complaint is that the 2 POV characters interact almost entirely peripheral to one another which is more as a result of my own personal taste in twisting epic fantasies with large casts of conflicting characters.