(4/5 stars) Lawless has a way with words and character development that just makes her books incredible to read. What a piece of art and continuation from the previous book!

Es un placer volver al mundo que Shauna Lawless ha creado en su saga Gael Song y que comenzó con The Children of Gods and Fighting Men y que ahora continúa con las mismas protagonistas y con algo más de magia, que era algo que eché de menos en la primera entrega.


Es una historia muy enraizada en la mitología y la historia irlandesa, con un ritmo pausado que se centra mucho en las intrigas políticas de los vikingos y los irlandeses, lo cual nos puede recordar a la fantasía de corte más clásico. Pero es muy importante el cambio de perspectiva que nos ofrecen las dos protagonistas de la novela, que aunque siguen siendo ninguneadas por ser mujeres vemos cómo poco a poco se van empoderando y tomando decisiones que no son las que esperan sus familiares varones, aunque tengan que hacerlo de tapadillo.

La autora también concede gran importancia a la controversia del tráfico de esclavos, generalizada entre los vikingos y supuestamente prohibida entre los irlandeses, pero cuando se centra la visión en el motor económico de los reinos es cuando se resquebrajan las costuras de la falsedad en la que están instalados estos últimos. Lawless ha decidido dejar un poco de lado el conflicto entre paganos y cristianos en esta segunda entrega, sigue estando presente pero no juega un papel fundamental. Digamos que ahora todo gira alrededor de quién se podrá proclamar rey de reyes, con las nuevas generaciones pisando fuerte.

También ha sido todo un acierto por parte de la escritora los nuevos personajes que va añadiendo a la saga y sobre todo la madurez que van alcanzando las voces principales, se nota una evolución causada por los acontecimientos en los que se ven envueltos y por su propia personalidad, generando una auténtica saga en el sentido más estricto de la palabra.

El tratamiento de las relaciones interpersonales y del amor juega un papel importante en la saga, desde matrimonios de conveniencia a amor verdadero por el que se está dispuesto a sacrificar incluso la inmortalidad. No es una novela romántica, pero el amor también está dentro de la balanza en la que se mide la valía de cada historia. Recomiendo esta lectura para quien esté buscando una fantasía pausada y feminista, no se arrepentirá.

"The gods are always watching you (...). They put hardship in your way to see what you will do."

In The Words of Kings and Prophets, the second book in the Gael Song series, Shauna Lawless masterfully continues the story started in the first book - The Children of Gods and Fighting Men.

In this instalment, we are introduced to a new POV character, Colmon - a Descendant and leader of the Warriors. His chapters appear somewhat sporadically, however, the introduction of his POV not only opens up a new perspective from which the story can be told but broadens the scope of the story. With the addition of a new POV character the scope of the story is expanded and we can follow the threads of the story in different locations.

Moreover, Lawless continues to subtly remind the readers that the world of Medieval Europe is connected. Despite the plot taking place in Ireland, an island, that (is)land is not isolated or separated from the rest of the world. The world of the Middle Ages is connected through the movement of people, goods, ideas and even conquest.

Regarding the two main female POV characters, Fodla and Gormflaith, in terms of character development both keep going from strength to strength. Through the author's compelling and captivating writing, we see how both struggle against the bonds of the patriarchy. Although Fodla and Gormflaith are very different, in The Words of Kings and Prophets both struggle against a common enemy - the patriarchy while trying to carve space in the world that is not always kind to them to live their lives on their terms.

Unlike most (middle) books in the series, The Words of Kings and Prophets does not suffer from the middle book syndrome. On the contrary, the plot and character development keep getting stronger and stronger as the stakes rise. There are no boring bits in this book and I cannot wait to see how the story and the characters will progress in the next instalment.

4.5*

This was a highly anticipated sequel to "The Children of Gods and Fighting Men" - an Irish history retelling with interwoven folklore. An honestly this is kinda my favourite historical fantasy to read.
While the first book was more about womanhood, in this one we have evolved into the topic of motherhood. While it still had the same themes (mostly historical retelling with slight flavour of magic) this did give me major second-book-syndrome. Not a lot happened (although not a lot happened in book one; but book one had more going on) in this book. Mainly Gormflaith tried to be badass and scheming, she was surprisingly bad at it in this one. And Fódla... she mainly just chilled.
I do have to tell that did not damper my enjoyment of the book. I devoured it in a heartbeat, but it needs to be mentioned. This is the reason why I deducted half a star.
Also, looking at how the book 2 ended, I have high hopes for an epic third one. Luckily it is not that long wait.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are, as always, my own.

Well I'm embarrassed for being late on this. Because it is so good. "The Words of Kings and Prophets" continues Shauna Lawless' Gael Song trilogy.

Fódla is doing pretty well, at the start. She has made herself part of the household as a healer and watching her nephew grow. Might have caught the eye of Murchad, saving his life and being charming tends to do that. Except some of the other Tuatha Dé Danann pop in to check on them. And it goes a bit sideways. Meanwhile, Gormflaith is married to another king, yoked to having to support her brother and maintain her cover. Being one of the last Fomorians, capable of burning all around you down, but still being put down because she is a woman has to be galling. So when opportunity to seize power arrives, she does not flinch.

Reasons to read:
-It's a trilogy, conclusion has been announced, nows a great time to dive in
-I NEED some folks to get comeuppance
-Well that is some professional level gaslighting, be a shame if something spear shaped happened to certain folks
-Is Murchad him?
-Fódla and Gormflaith's growth to stop being tokens for others
-Holy crap I was saying the names right!

Cons:
-My shame for being very late

Absolutely stunning, the perfect continuation of Book 1. I wrote in a review of the first book that once the foundations were set, that this book would hurtle forward relentlessly, which is more or less what I got.

Motives of characters are being gradually teased out, with some lore reveals later on that had me shook.

If you're reading this now, read Dreams of Fire, Shauna's new novella, also exceedingly excellent!

The Words of Kings and Prophets

5/5 Stars

Shauna Lawless is ruining my life, she has ruined all other historical fantasy mythology for me. I wish I knew the words to write that would make people understand how much I love this little book series; how much the words impact me on a random day at 2:43pm for no reason.

For those unused to the style of writing and folklore retellings, it may come across as dry or bland, confusing, or otherwise. There is a lot of stationary moments in this second installment, not a lot of moving around until the last quarter of the novel when the location changes place.

Maybe I’ll be able to write a longer review when I have more words, but please note that it has been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a series!

I love the characters, the subtle romance, platonic relationships, the struggle between the Norse Vikings and the Irish Christianity, the fight of ancient civilizations and the isolation from the new world, the power struggle, the plots of overthrowing the leaders and the recreation of a supposedly extinct people.

I love this series – I love it. I think more people should read it and appreciate it.

This book was a gut punch and I loved every moment of it. I don’t want to get into specifics, as it is a sequel, but suffice to say that this series continuous to be one of my favorite.

If you haven’t, you should definitely read this series. If you love atmospheric explorations of the past with a sprinkling of speculative fantasy it’d be perfect!

[4.25/5] THE WORDS OF KINGS AND PROPHETS occurs shortly after the events in THE CHILDREN OF GODS AND FIGHTING MEN. Fódla is a healer in King Brian's court and guardian of her nephew Broccan. Gormflaith is King Brian's wife, biding her time to slither her way to power. However, infighting among the Tuatha Dé Danann threatens the world of mortals as they have known it for centuries. And, unbeknownst to these immortals, this unrest plays right into the hands of the remaining Fomorians. The stakes continue to rise in this sequel to set the stage for an epic conclusion.

THE WORDS OF KINGS AND PROPHETS follows the same vein as its predecessor: quiet politicking and maneuvering of mortals and immortals alike to ensure their existence. Readers who fell in love with the early medieval, historical world of Gormflaith and Fódla will likely feel similar about this latest installment. Lawless does a wonderful job using real historical figures and weaving their known history into something fantastical yet tangible. Though steeped wholly in history and Irish and Viking folklore, the smaller tidbits of everyday, historical detail stuck out most to me. That attention to detail made me feel more immersed in the story.

I also love the quiet yet fierce strength of both Gormflaith and Fódla in a man's world, even though Gormflaith is an unlikable character. I understood Gormflaith's motivation despite not caring for her intentions. It was delightful, in a melancholic way, to see Fódla realize and internalize Tomas's manipulation of their relationship. This conscious realization makes Fódla a more strong-willed woman and to fight for what's right.

The themes present in the first book continue here. They include power and how, unchecked, it can corrupt; the ranking of a man above a woman even in societies that, comparatively, regard women better; and the importance of family. Another topic propped up by a secondary character is slavery. There is one particularly important scene that discusses how slavery may still permeate the economy despite one party outlawing it.

Finally, although I enjoyed this sequel, I personally felt it was slower than the first book. However, this is because Lawless sets future scenes in action by laying the groundwork throughout. Each perspective--Fódla, Gormflaith, and Colmon--is important and connects the reader with the characters. The action near the end of the book figuratively glued me to the page and I even audibly gasped at one point.

In summary, THE WORDS OF KINGS AND PROPHETS continues to impress with its historical details and interwoven Irish and Viking lore. It's easy to root for one character and side eye another and I eagerly await the next book. This series is perfect for those who appreciate historical fiction that dabbles in magic and douses the reader with careful politics.

This was a very good follow up! I liked it more than book one, the magic and lore kicked it up a notch, the villain was more interesting and engaging, and I actually rooted for Gormflaith this time! (I mean, I did last time too, but against my will).

My cons for this series remain the same, however. Several first person POVs is just hard for me, and I still don't think the two main POVs sound different enough from each other, which can make it hard for me to ground myself. This was much better in this one, though, due to being more familiar with their various supporting cast. And I still find Fodla to be very passive. She spends most of this novel having others once again make decisions for her...I suppose that makes it better when she actually DOES make decisions, but following such a passive character can be frustrating for me.

This was a very good follow up! I liked it more than book one, the magic and lore kicked it up a notch, the villain was more interesting and engaging, and I acted rooted for Gormflaith this time! (I mean, I did last time too, but against my will).

My cons for this series remain the same, however. Several first person POVs is just hard for me, and I still don't think the two main POVs sound different enough from each other, which can make it hard for me to ground myself. This was much better in this one, though, due to being more familiar with their various supporting cast. And I still find Fodla to be very passive. She spends most of this novel having others once again make decisions for her...I suppose that makes it better when she actually DOES make decisions, but following such a passive character can be frustrating for me.

In the absolutely captivating second instalment of the Gael Song series, we’re taken back to 1000AD Ireland. We follow Gormflaith, a queen discovering that she has more power than she had known, and Fódla, a healer doing everything she can to keep her nephew safe and hidden. And then arrives Tomas, a threat to both Gormflaith and Fódla - and all of Ireland.

Shauna Lawless’ writing is so breathtakingly beautiful, effortlessly inserting elements of fantasy in such a way it’s hard to believe this isn’t just historical fiction, and that it didn’t all happen this way. The different POV chapters between Gormflaith and Fódla make you so invested in the stories of both characters, and their journeys will have you holding your breath, gasping in shock, and refusing to sleep saying “just one more chapter!”

A sequel that moves quickly along the historical-political lines of the first book where several faction were fighting for supremacy. This fantasy novel seamlessly blends magic, mythology, and history as it continues to unravel the lives of sworn enemies against the backdrop of 11th century Ireland. The deep exploration of Irish history enhances the world built and the fallen pieces of The Children of Gods and Fighting Men interweave greatly in these pages.

I often avoid series because I hate committing but I forgot how warm and comforting it can be to return to characters that you care about and this was the case with The Words of Kings and Prophets.

When I finished The Children of Gods and Fighting Men earlier this year, I predicted that the next book would hit the ground running and it definitely did! The foundational groundwork paid off and in the sequel, we continue to follow Gormflaith and Fódla as they navigate a world divided by and rife with conflict. The cold, ruthless Gormflaith finds herself lacking what she craves most - power - whilst Fódla is desperately trying to keep her nephew safe from people she once trusted.

Gormflaith and I have a tricky relationship. I found myself sympathising a lot with her in this book as she struggles to readjust to her loss of power. With few allies, married to a man she hates and very little control, her grit and determination is rather admirable… until she does something horrible and I go back to hating her (in the most loving way possible). It was interesting to reflect on why her I condemned her actions so much. When morally grey male characters act questionably, their actions are often justified in some way. Can I really blame Gormflaith for wanting more for herself, despite her questionable methods?

Fódla of course is enduringly kind and grappling with difficult decisions of her own. Whilst not as cutthroat as Gormflaith, she is incredibly loyal and comes into her own in this book. Her quiet strength blossoms into a greater sense of agency as she tries to protect Broccan and reevaluate her beliefs about humans.

This series is a slow burn, building strong characters and a world that feels grounded. I’m looking forward to the next one!

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by Net Galley, Head of Zues/AdAstra Books and the author, in exchange for an honest review. Apologies for my delay in providing feedback.

The patriotism is coursing through my Irish veins right now!!

I am just in love with Shauna's to turn Irish folklore and mythology into something I have never experienced. The way that she has created a fantasy tale, an exceptional one at that, and sprinkled in the interesting Irish mythology, Celtic history and Viking warfare is truly not something to be underplayed.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book. I picked up the audio version as I didn't have much time to read the digital copy, and I am so glad that I did so. The additional narrators massively helped to enhance the story and provide the already well written characters with a much more distinct voice. Bravo to them.

Amongst the characters themselves, Fódla is such a gem. We must protect her at all cost!! Her care for her nephew and struggles to keep those around her safe makes her one of the more wholesome fantasy characters to read. Gormflaith on the other hand, well I hate her. Not because she's poorly written or uninteresting, just because she's an awful person. Still didn't stop me enjoying her chapters though. And don't even get me started on Tomas. *Insert middle finger emoji*

The author does a superb job of balancing the input and interest of both the immortal and mortal sides of this world. Whether it be kings, warriors, witches or children, you are never lacking for intriguing content and conflict in this book.

I'm excited to see where the story goes in the final book of this trilogy. (I hope I'm right in saying it's a trilogy, apologies if not)

Overall, really loved this book so congratulations to Shauna and I wish her all the success and acclaim that this series deserves. It even made me download Duolingo and want to learn more Irish. Such is the power of this amazing author.

Please read it, you won't regret it!!

The second book in the Gael Song series, The Words of Kings and Prophets follows on from the events of The Children of Gods and Fighting Men. Gormflaith is now married to Brian Boru, and finds herself without the power she once had. She is unhappy at being sent to marry Brian and will do anything to regain her power. Gormflaith still desires to wipe out the Descendants and soon realises there is more to her power than she ever thought possible. Meanwhile, Fódla continues to live in the mortal world to protect her nephew, but can she hide him from the evil in this world, especially when war is brewing? Back home there is trouble brewing amongst the Tuatha Dé Danann, but who is behind it and will Fódla be able to see the truth?

I really enjoyed reading The Children of Gods and Fighting Men so I was incredibly intrigued to see where Lawless would take the story in book two. This time, the stakes are even higher and Lawless does a brilliant job of creating tension. The story is well paced and I loved being back with Gormflaith and Fódla. Lawless has created some truly fascinating characters and I particularly love Gormflaith. She’s ruthless and determined to succeed at all costs. The way she schemes and manoeuvres is fascinating and I found her chapters particularly compelling. I also felt Fódla came into her own more in this installment, determined to do what is right even if it goes against the rules of her people.

The story is full of political scheming and makes for a really engrossing read. The story did go in some directions I didn’t quite expect, and I am so looking forward to seeing what Lawless has in store for book three. I was lucky enough to hear Shauna Lawless talk at Cymera Festival this year and one of the things she mentioned was the research that went into this series. The story does feel incredibly well-researched and the sights and sounds of Ireland in the 10th Century really come to life in Lawless’s writing. The Irish mythology in this story is utterly fascinating and I love the way Lawless weaves this into the story.

The Words of Kings and Prophets is a fascinating, well crafted story and if you’re looking for some historical fantasy that will keep you hooked right till the very last page, this series is a must read.

When I first read Lawless' debut and the first book in her Gael Song series, "The Children of Gods and Fighting Men", last year, I was - to put it mildly - blown away. Lawless' gorgeous prose not only taught me a lot about Ireland's history during the Viking Age (and made me go on a Wiki binge), but made me truly fall in love with her protagonists, two strong women from two originally warring mythological factions (the Fomorians and the Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann) who are, essentially, both on different quests to achieve what neither of them has: at its core, actual freedom. Because I loved the first book so much I had high expectations going into this sequel.
Well. They were all met. I love this series and this series loves me.

Once again, Lawless impresses with her strong writing. She is a master at telling a compelling story while at the same time giving you fascinating history lessons (yes yes, of course some historical facts are altered for the sake of the story, but that's what aforementioned Wiki binges are for). We follow Fódla and Gormflaith again who this time around find themselves in close proximity to each other at the court of Brian Boru, the soon to be High King of Ireland. This closeness added a constant underlying tension to the story because I was just waiting for one of them to find out who the other one is, especially in the very few moments they actually interact. I also loved how distinct their voices were - even without the book telling you whose pov chapter you are reading right now, you'd know. It's incredibly well done.

The stakes are getting higher and higher, and not just because of the Irish politics Gormflaith especially has to navigate as the new queen of Munster and Brian's wife, with a very shaky peace between the Christian Irish kingdoms and her son's vikings setting the stage for more trouble to come. Tomas is planning dark things for the Descendants, even entertaining thoughts of ruling as High King over the humans once again, and Fódla is a big part of these plans. Gormflaith reaches new heights of power that might help her in her goal to finally find and eradicate the Descendants.

The story is evenly-paced and never gets boring, even with a lot of time being spent on the characters and their relationships instead of action and war. I loved every page and felt for every character. Fódla still owns my heart, and Gormflaith is incredibly intriguing and I love to hate to love to hate her. Lawless does a wonderful job at making me root for her and worship at her scheeming feet while at the same time hating her for how she treats other people, especially women. Tomas also evoked a range of emotions in me, which, in no particular order, were hate, disgust, anger and bloodlust. He's a very effective villain in that way. What makes him even more effective is how very real and menacing he is when interacting with Fódla. He's a manipulative abuser and he makes my skin crawl because we know these kind of men in our world, just without the magic. Senna's story was the final nail in his coffin. I loathe him and I cannot wait for the day he gets his due.
The side characters are all interesting, some more some less so. I'm incredibly intrigued by the "next generation" of Descendants and Fomorians.
My only very minor gripe is probably the romance this time around. I love Fódla and I love Murchad and I love their romance, but was a bit confused at how easily Murchad just accepted certain reveals about Fódla, even though he believes in the old stories, even though he was impossibly healed by her, even though there might have been suspicions. He's very "oh my god wow alright...............anyway," about a reveal that should at least leave him a little shooketh. But maybe I was only a little disappointed because I was looking forward so much to that particular story beat and its consequences for the story.

So what can I say about this book, this series? It's incredibly well written, full of interesting lore and history, focused on its very different, incredibly complex central female characters and just overall as close to perfection as historical fantasy can get for me. 5 stars easy.

Following the same format as the first book in the series (The Children of Gods and Fighting Men) with multiple POV we mainly follow Gormflaith-formorian queen married to Brian Baru, and Fodla-descendant of the tuatha de danann, magical healer and caretaker of her nephew, Broccan. The book moves through several years tracking the progress of Ireland and the several kings that vie for power and land. There was so much character development in this book-I ended up loving my favourites and despising certain characters (cough Tomas cough) even more than in book one as motives and actions were revealed throughout the book. There’s plenty of action, both fighting and political through the book and it’s definitely a lot of moving pieces into place for the final book, but without a trace of middle book syndrome. I felt myself having to cross my fingers that my favourite characters would survive each chapter, there’s a very real sense of dread to the book and knowing that nobody is safe from all the scheming!

Wonderful improvement from the first entry of the series. I loved the slightly stronger focus on all things magical, and the PoV characters being very close to each other created a lot of tension in the story as they were hiding their true nature. The only thing bringing it a bit down for me was that sometimes I had to pause in the middle of a chapter and since we have multiple PoV characters written in first person it was a little bit difficult to understand which one I was currently following once I came back to the book. It's tough for me to knock off a star for that as it is very much tied to the way I consumed the book, but it did end up affecting my experience.

That being said The Words of Kings and Prophets is still an absolutely great read and I cannot wait for the final entry along with any future projects the author decides to undertake.

I love the Irish history interwoven with magical elements. This was a great continuation of the series