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.

I couldn’t have asked for a better follow up for the first trilogy. Living and Dead left me emotionally ruined and I need this book to give me life again. It certainly did though once again I was put through the absolute emotional wringer while reading. Shauna writes characters and plot like no other. The intrigue, the history, it was such a beautifully crafted story and I highly recommend for all fantasy, and historical fantasy lovers out there!

SO good to be back in this world - this new trilogy is already off to such a fantastic start, promising all the magic, tension and intricate plotting of the Gael Song trilogy with a cast of characters both new and familiar. Very glad to see Gormflaith up to her usual scheming, and also very glad to see the same flavour of subtle but heart wrenching romantic subplotting that coloured the Gael Song is back in the new trilogy. The reveal at the end had me absolutely gasping - can’t wait for the next instalment!!

A dreamy delight for anyone drawn to Irish and Gaelic mythology.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this—it was honestly such a treat!

This is exactly the kind of book I love to get lost in. Daughter of the Otherworld had me completely under its spell from page one—I didn’t want to put it down.

The way the author weaves old folklore into something fresh and full of heart is just magic. The writing has this lovely, lyrical quality, and the whole story feels like it’s been plucked from the misty edge of a fairy tale.

If you love stories with a touch of the mystical, rooted in ancient legend and full of wonder, this one is for you.

Daughter of the Otherworld was a really engaging read! I enjoyed the unique world and the magical elements were quite compelling. The characters were interesting, and the plot kept me turning pages. It was a solid fantasy, and while I definitely recommend it, it didn't quite hit that five-star mark for me personally. Still, a great book!

Ambientada en la Irlanda medieval, Daughter of the Otherworld entrelaza mitología celta, política, venganza y magia ancestral. La historia comienza con Donnchad, un rey caído en desgracia que huye de sus enemigos mortales y mágicos. Portador de dones sobrenaturales de fuego y agua, herencia de su linaje Fomoriano, Donnchad escapa con su hijo hacia Roma buscando redención por sus pecados ante el Papa. Sin embargo, es su madre una hechicera inmortal quien lo encuentra, marcando el inicio de una nueva huida por Europa.

Décadas después, Broccan, un guerrero descendiente de los Tuatha Dé Danann, sigue la pista de los Fomorianos, decidido a vengar a los suyos. Pero un mensaje en medio del desierto lo obliga a regresar a su tierra natal, a Rathlin Island, donde una niña recién llegada del otro mundo, Isolde, cambiará el destino de todos.

Isolde crece en la isla bajo la protección de Broccan, ajena a su linaje y al conflicto ancestral que la envuelve. Pronto, su deseo de libertad y su espíritu indomable la llevarán a descubrir secretos que pondrán su vida en peligro. Mientras el fuego del pasado amenaza con arrasarlo todo, Isolde deberá elegir entre el amor, la lealtad y el poder que arde en su interior.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

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 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 balances 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.

Lets 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 perfection.

There’s also such a profound exploration of grief and loss here, all handled with incredible tenderness. Lawless’s writing is gorgeous!! Immersive and lyrical, yet always anchored in raw emotion. By the end, 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 pickign 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 won’t regret it.

PS: While you technically could jump in here, I wholeheartedly recommend starting with the first trilogy and novellas. It changes everything and it’ll simply hit harder.


PPS: Days later and I still can not stop thinking about this book and this series. The amount of times I come back to change up my review, to sing the books/series praises, all in the hopes it at least convinces one person to pick up up this series and fall in love!

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, but it completely won me over. Honestly, it’s easily one of the best historical fantasy novels set in a Middle Ages–inspired world that I’ve ever read. I have a strong feeling this series might become one of my all-time favorites.

Let me start by saying that I hadn’t read the first three books. I didn’t even realize Daughter of the Otherworld was the fourth in a series rather than the first in a new one when I requested the ARC. At first, I was a little worried I might feel lost or miss out on important context. But I decided to give it a try, and thankfully, I ended up really enjoying it as it was. Sure, readers familiar with the earlier books will likely catch more references and feel more grounded in the world, but for me, the lack of prior knowledge didn’t detract from the experience. I don’t mind mild spoilers, and I wasn’t bothered by not fully grasping all the lore. Quite the opposite – it actually made me even more excited to go back and read the previous installments. Not having read them didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book at all.

That said, I’m not necessarily recommending that everyone start the series with the fourth book – but I do want to emphasize that it might not be a problem for everyone. It wasn’t for me.

The main characters here are new, and I completely fell in love with Isolde’s storyline – she’s the daughter of Fódla from the earlier books, but her journey is very much her own. I was immediately intrigued by her quiet, sheltered life under Broccan’s care, and equally invested when she left that behind to embark on a journey that led her to Cuan. I’m really hoping for good things to happen to them in the next books.
The second storyline, featuring Donnchad, Angelo, and Gormflaith, was also really engaging. While it’s clear that the biggest developments for these characters are still to come in the next installments, the groundwork laid here was promising, and I found myself invested in their arc.

Shauna Lawless strikes a perfect balance between political intrigue and deeply personal character arcs: my absolute favorite combo in both historical fiction and historical fantasy. The stakes feel high on both fronts, which makes for truly compelling reading.

Also, the writing flows effortlessly. Not a single moment felt slow or drawn out. I was completely absorbed from beginning to end.
I’m definitely going to read the next book, and obviously, I have to go back and catch up on the previous ones too!

A thrilling mix of Irish Mythology and Medieval History.

I loved Daughter of the Otherworld for its story of the mythological magical races of Ireland battling for supremacy and survival whilst hiding in plain sight amongst the medieval landscape.

I particularly loved the naïveté of Isolde living a sheltered Island life shielded from life’s hardships by the immortal descendant warrior Broccan.

I also loved the despicable Fomorians and their fire magic with their battle to wipe out their historical enemy, the Tuatha Dé Danann.

I found the story's mixture of history and mythology delightful.

When Isolde falls in love with Cuan O’Connor, then finds out he’s of Fomorian descent this adds a wonderful Romeo and Juliet like quality to the story and is just one of the many highlight of this book for me.

I honestly could not fault this book. I would highly recommend it to any fan of historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. I rated it 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Perfect for lovers of Irish and Gaelic mythology.

Thank you NetGalley for this read! It was such incredible

This isn’t my usual genre, but OMG I just couldn’t stop!
Daughter of the Otherworld had me hooked from the very first page.

The way the author weaves folklore into a fresh and compelling narrative is masterful. The writing is lyrical, the pacing tight, and the characters unforgettable.

If you’re drawn to tales rooted in Irish or Gaelic lore with a touch of the mystical, this one’s for you.

I was unable to complete this book I got a good 80 pages in and couldn't focus. Maybe I need to read up more on Irish lore. It would interest me. I think of I knew more about everything. I would like to revisit it

Thank you so much Head of Zeus and Netgalley. To say I was thrilled to receive an eARC of Daughter of the Otherworld would be an understatement! I adored Era 1 of the Gael Song and could not wait to read book 1 in Era 2.

Shauna Lawless continues with this series with multiple first person narration, which is unique in itself and worked very well in Era 1. In this novel however, I started to get frustrated and my attention waned. I am not sure if it was due to the personalities of the characters (more on that soon) or the amount of dialogue. It was ALOT! The plot developments were slow and unlike Era 1, the beautiful storytelling wasn't quite there. It didn't feel as smooth or engaging. I found myself constantly looking for the next Gormflaith chapter. To be honest, if she wasn't in this book, I think my rating would have been lower.

Overall, I can't say I was as captivated with Daughter of the Otherworld as I was with every book in Era 1. Am I going to continue with the series?....absolutely, yes!

3.75/5