The Shareg, the eagerly anticipated third book in the Isle Fincara Trilogy, returns the reader to the remote island communities of Caerpadraig and Fisherhame and the medieval, mystical world of its particular form of Celtic Christianity. The opening chapter finds ‘the Seaborne’ of the first book a man of standing with a growing family—an Islander by adoption of some ten years. Originally fleeing a chaotic situation in modern-day London, he has come to value the simpler rhythms of the Island, and his former life seems ‘remote as a dream.’ When the ‘shareg,’ the community’s head man, stands down, he is even invited to put himself forward. All is going well when betrayal by a community member and the unexpected arrival of the Archpriest’s soldiers finds him on the run again, his life in danger of collapsing around him once more.

A central theme is that of power. There are many cloaks of power in The Shareg, either collaborating with, or standing against each other. The Archpriest’s mission to bring the Island to ‘the Perfection of Faith’ is little more than a clumsily disguised attempt to seize control. Through coercion and the imposition of a poisoned orthodoxy, his campaign endangers the soul of the island and is ‘deaf and blind to the value of anything beyond its narrow view.’ Against this stands the power of the shareg’s cloak, exercised in the serving and protection of the Island and its people; and with the sharegs, the spiritual power of the Guardians, a hidden circle of mystics and adepts. Finally, is the power to know oneself more deeply: the power of Becoming, which takes centre stage at the climax of the story.

In The Shareg Rivett has skilfully crafted an epic tale for modern times. A tale of love and betrayal, faith and doubt, cowardice and courage, battle and ultimate sacrifice. A multi-layered book that may be likened to a rich and beautiful medieval tapestry. The conclusion draws together all threads into a seamless and heart-warming whole. I simply love this book!

📚Book Review📚

The Shareg
AG Rivett

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I'm back with the final review for The Isle Fincara Trilogy books and this is the third and final book in the series and oh my gosh, this was such a great way to bring the series to a close.

I've said before that this really isn't a genre that I read too often - and I've also said that whenever I step out of my comfort zone and read something different, I end up really surprising myself by loving the books.

This was certainly the case here and I think maybe because I've read all three books in quick succession - and therefore come to know all the characters and the community so, so well - I honestly think this book was the best of the three.

This was such an emotional read from start to finish and I literally could not put this one down.
I devoured it over just 3 sittings.

We continue the story from where we left it in book 2 - although set a few years on - and there's a definite sense of foreboding that we get from the prologues.
Having said this, I absolutely didn't see where this story was going to take us in the end.

Morag is now happily installed as the new priest, doing a great job, and life is good in the community of Caerpadraig - however, changes are afoot and due to their forward thinking, tough times are certainly heading their way.

As this is the final part of the whole Fincara story, I really don't want to say too much about the plot as there would definitely be many spoilers - but suffice to say that this whole book was a journey and there were so many things happened from start to finish.

I loved learning more about the Guardians and seeing the development of Sorcha's character.
Morag is caught up in the troubles and this was quite a moving final thread to her character storyline.

We also see a new challenge for Dhion and Shinane and the tying up of Dhion's story was in some ways as I'd expected, yet in other ways, I was completely unprepared for!
The conclusion to their stories is what had me riding that emotional rollercoaster to the final chapters.

Although I rated the first book a 4*, I think that the series as a whole is a 5* read for me and certainly one I'll be recommending in the future.
It's unlike anything I've read before and there are so many great elements to the story arc and so many great characters.

I think that the books could be read as individual reads and still make for an enjoyable experience, but for me, I'd absolutely read these in order and as a series.
The whole story arc and full character development is far more moving and meaningful if read in this way.

This series will be one that will stay with me for quite some time to come.

This was a powerful ending to the Trilogy. Each book had its on weight and prompted deep thoughts. The character development was done well and the plot was super interesting. The ebb and flow of dialogue and details kept me locked into this one (as well as the first two).

The third and final novel in A. G. Rivett’s Isle Fincara trilogy continues to delight with its vividly depicted landscape, so evocative of the Scottish isles, yet retaining the mystery of a world that exists beyond the boundaries of our own modern time and space. The rugged beauty of the setting is reflected in the simple lives of the island community, whose traditions and way of life are governed by the changing seasons. Here, reverence for the Earth exists alongside a Celtic Christian spirituality that is deeply woven into the life of the people.

The Shareg skilfully brings together the threads of the story developed through the earlier two novels. The narrative continues to centre on Dhion, an engineer from our own time who found himself washed up on the mysterious island; his wife Shinane; and Morag, whose position as the village Priest provokes outrage among the leaders of the new religion that threatens to extinguish the old ways of the island. The fate of these three characters becomes increasingly intertwined as the island itself is threatened by forces from beyond the sea that has, until now, protected it. Rivett handles these converging strands with a steady and skilful pace, allowing the story to build without losing sight of the rhythms of island life.

One of the themes I found particularly engaging is the novel’s exploration of where true spiritual power resides. It is not necessarily found in religious institutions that use physical force to implement their authority, nor in individuals driven by fervour and the desire for control (graphically illustrated in the character of the Archpriest) but in those who remain connected to the natural order of things. The simple, faithful life of the islanders increasingly comes into conflict with the religion of the empire, which seeks to bring their minds under its control but, in doing so, outrages their hearts.

This theme is particularly evident in the portrayal of the women of Fincara. Although the society is essentially feudal and men appear to hold the positions of authority, its women possess a strength that is easily overlooked because it is expressed through the ordinary roles of wives and mothers. As the story unfolds, however, these women increasingly come into their own with surprising results. When fate calls upon them, they prove more than equal to the task…

The Shareg is a story in the best tradition of storytelling. It has pace, tension and a satisfying denouement, while never abandoning the steady heartbeat of the small community at its centre. Most importantly, the final novel succeeds in drawing together the strands of the trilogy while remaining faithful to the distinctive atmosphere that has made the world of Fincara so compelling: a place where the boundaries between nature and spirit, past and present, brute force and the hidden power of nature converge. Despite its elusiveness, it is a world to which we as readers have been given rare and thoroughly enjoyable access.