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Druid Spirit Chronicles #1
Hawthorne
Gods once ruled Ireland. The ancient Celts fought them into submission, using Druid magic and the might of heroes. The Druids enchanted a tree to imprison the most dangerous of the gods. Only one thing has kept humanity safe:
HAWTHORNE
Two thousand years have passed and the tree is dying. The Morrigan, goddess of death and battle, soon will be free to unleash her bloody revenge on human kind. The knowledge of the Druids has faded and only two remain who can use the ancient magic.
Rhiannon O’Neil, Druid apprentice, lives in fear of the fae who have killed all but her and her uncle. Now, he has disappeared. Terrified that he is dead, she leaves home for Ireland to find him. Rhiannon soon discovers that the root of her problems lies in an underground faerie world.
Rhiannon enlists her fiancé, Logan, to help her, but he carries a secret burden with him. All evidence points to Logan’s guilt in the murder of his father. He chose to run, hoping to find a way to control his shapeshifter power and clear his name.
A Celtic prince, Garth, lives in the faerie world with a clan of Iron Age Irish. He is charged with finding the mysterious Well of Wisdom and returning with the Water of Life to restore the tree. The Morrigan sends her best assassin, the Cailleach, to kill him.
Can a Druid’s apprentice, a renegade skinwalker and a Celtic prince find the strength to defeat the Morrigan? What secrets will a hidden faerie world reveal? What sacrifices must be made? Who will die?
HAWTHORNE
Two thousand years have passed and the tree is dying. The Morrigan, goddess of death and battle, soon will be free to unleash her bloody revenge on human kind. The knowledge of the Druids has faded and only two remain who can use the ancient magic.
Rhiannon O’Neil, Druid apprentice, lives in fear of the fae who have killed all but her and her uncle. Now, he has disappeared. Terrified that he is dead, she leaves home for Ireland to find him. Rhiannon soon discovers that the root of her problems lies in an underground faerie world.
Rhiannon enlists her fiancé, Logan, to help her, but he carries a secret burden with him. All evidence points to Logan’s guilt in the murder of his father. He chose to run, hoping to find a way to control his shapeshifter power and clear his name.
A Celtic prince, Garth, lives in the faerie world with a clan of Iron Age Irish. He is charged with finding the mysterious Well of Wisdom and returning with the Water of Life to restore the tree. The Morrigan sends her best assassin, the Cailleach, to kill him.
Can a Druid’s apprentice, a renegade skinwalker and a Celtic prince find the strength to defeat the Morrigan? What secrets will a hidden faerie world reveal? What sacrifices must be made? Who will die?
- GenresFantasy
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2015
8 people are currently reading
1156 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Fury
1 book21 followersKevin grew up in Michigan and Florida, but you could equally say he grew up in Tolkien’s Middle Earth and C.S. Lewis’s Narnia. From the first time he walked through the wardrobe into Narnia, he knew he loved fantasy fiction. It allowed him to dream of bright places and also of the dark and mysterious.
After finishing his English degree, he moved to Colorado and worked for Barnes and Noble. He managed four Barnes and Noble stores over fifteen years and during that time he worked on his novel, Hawthorne, hoping to one day have his own work on the shelves.
He lives with his family in Denver and is now dedicated to working full time on writing.
You can find his debut novel here:
http://www.amazon.com/Hawthorne-Druid...
After finishing his English degree, he moved to Colorado and worked for Barnes and Noble. He managed four Barnes and Noble stores over fifteen years and during that time he worked on his novel, Hawthorne, hoping to one day have his own work on the shelves.
He lives with his family in Denver and is now dedicated to working full time on writing.
You can find his debut novel here:
http://www.amazon.com/Hawthorne-Druid...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 18, 2016
Hawthorne (Druid Spirit Chronicles Book 1) by Kevin Fury
Rhiannon O'Neil, Druid apprentice, lives in fear of the fae who have killed all but her and her uncle, Brennan. Brennan has been tutoring Rhiannon in the Druid healing arts, but there is much he hasn’t taught her. When her uncle disappears from his home in Ireland, Rhiannon enlists her Native American fiancé, Logan, to help her. However, Logan carries a secret burden with him which he hasn’t shared with Rhiannon. Logan’s secret turns out to be far larger than even he was fully aware. On their first night in Ireland, Logan disappears. Rhiannon now has to rescue Logan from his fae captors and find her uncle, who she’s not even sure is still alive.
Mr. Fury has woven an epic adventure that includes at least three different main story arcs that splinter along the path before rejoining the arc again. His fantasy world is amazingly detailed and his characters are well rounded with distinct personalities. Rhiannon is a strong female heroine who is plagued with insecurities, but she finds her strength when she has time to center herself. This isn’t always easy for her to do because a lot of the action comes fast and furious where snap decisions must be made. She is often pitted against egos that are much greater than her own as well. Luckily, proving her integrity, she is able to make a few interesting fae friends who are able to assist her on her quest.
The story-line takes several surprising twists where tough decisions must be made. Mr. Fury did an excellent job weaving all of his threads together for a dramatic conclusion. The battle scenes throughout are all graphic and captivating. While this story is far from over the most important story arc was brought to a satisfying close. There are still hardships to confront, responsibilities to address, and relationships which could prove troublesome.
From what I could learn about the author, Kevin Fury, Hawthorne seems to be his debut novel. He takes an elementary approach to Celtic Mythos, if you are new to Druid mysticism, The Sidhe, or The Fae, this is a good book to become familiar with their basic truths and beliefs.
Now, I am going to get nit-picky. I am giving Hawthorne a four star rating because the author did a great job keeping the big picture in order, which is hard to do with such an epic story. However, I found two small inconsistencies that did throw me out of the story momentarily. The first was when Fao, the wolf, followed Rhiannon out of the cave (chapter 11) who was following Tinurion. He then reached down and stroked Fao’s head. A page later Fao woke up, stretched, and walked over to sit next to the Tinurion. The second was when Rhiannon shed her cloak in the raging water because of its weight (chapter 33) and in the next chapter she is pushing up the sleeves of her robe. These were small and had no real bearing on the story whatsoever. I wanted to warn Mr. Fury to keep an eye on the small details as well. A good line editor should have caught these. Despite these issues I would recommend this epic fantasy that mixes Celtic mythos with Native American myths and look forward to the next book.
Format/Typo Issues: I came across a few proofing issues that could use some attention. Mostly missing, extra, or wrong words, but they didn’t throw me out of the story. These could have been addressed before publication, but I have to review the file I was given.
FYI: **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** June 8, 2016
Rhiannon O'Neil, Druid apprentice, lives in fear of the fae who have killed all but her and her uncle, Brennan. Brennan has been tutoring Rhiannon in the Druid healing arts, but there is much he hasn’t taught her. When her uncle disappears from his home in Ireland, Rhiannon enlists her Native American fiancé, Logan, to help her. However, Logan carries a secret burden with him which he hasn’t shared with Rhiannon. Logan’s secret turns out to be far larger than even he was fully aware. On their first night in Ireland, Logan disappears. Rhiannon now has to rescue Logan from his fae captors and find her uncle, who she’s not even sure is still alive.
Mr. Fury has woven an epic adventure that includes at least three different main story arcs that splinter along the path before rejoining the arc again. His fantasy world is amazingly detailed and his characters are well rounded with distinct personalities. Rhiannon is a strong female heroine who is plagued with insecurities, but she finds her strength when she has time to center herself. This isn’t always easy for her to do because a lot of the action comes fast and furious where snap decisions must be made. She is often pitted against egos that are much greater than her own as well. Luckily, proving her integrity, she is able to make a few interesting fae friends who are able to assist her on her quest.
The story-line takes several surprising twists where tough decisions must be made. Mr. Fury did an excellent job weaving all of his threads together for a dramatic conclusion. The battle scenes throughout are all graphic and captivating. While this story is far from over the most important story arc was brought to a satisfying close. There are still hardships to confront, responsibilities to address, and relationships which could prove troublesome.
From what I could learn about the author, Kevin Fury, Hawthorne seems to be his debut novel. He takes an elementary approach to Celtic Mythos, if you are new to Druid mysticism, The Sidhe, or The Fae, this is a good book to become familiar with their basic truths and beliefs.
Now, I am going to get nit-picky. I am giving Hawthorne a four star rating because the author did a great job keeping the big picture in order, which is hard to do with such an epic story. However, I found two small inconsistencies that did throw me out of the story momentarily. The first was when Fao, the wolf, followed Rhiannon out of the cave (chapter 11) who was following Tinurion. He then reached down and stroked Fao’s head. A page later Fao woke up, stretched, and walked over to sit next to the Tinurion. The second was when Rhiannon shed her cloak in the raging water because of its weight (chapter 33) and in the next chapter she is pushing up the sleeves of her robe. These were small and had no real bearing on the story whatsoever. I wanted to warn Mr. Fury to keep an eye on the small details as well. A good line editor should have caught these. Despite these issues I would recommend this epic fantasy that mixes Celtic mythos with Native American myths and look forward to the next book.
Format/Typo Issues: I came across a few proofing issues that could use some attention. Mostly missing, extra, or wrong words, but they didn’t throw me out of the story. These could have been addressed before publication, but I have to review the file I was given.
FYI: **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** June 8, 2016
February 16, 2016
This is a great fantasy book full of magic, adventure and a world kept apart from our own. It is a wonderful story bringing druid magic, fairy magic and celtic myth together. The author did a great job in showing the reader the world below filled with all sorts of magical creatures. The characters were well developed, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book to our druid heroine and the son of the Morrigan. Truly well developed world and characters. I also love how it shows the price of magic whenever it is used. Just a wonderful story! It was great to visit this world for a few days, hoping to go back soon in the next book. Thanks for sharing this world with the readers!
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I was not paid in any way and all opinions are my own.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I was not paid in any way and all opinions are my own.
January 18, 2016
I enjoyed this debut novel quite a bit! It's a face paced book, starting out in the mountains of Colorado where the main character is attacked by faerie creatures. Soon she finds herself in a faerie world where she must team up with some unusual allies to defeat a vengeful goddess. Great characters and I enjoyed their nail biting adventures! Can't wait to see what happens to them in the next book!
January 18, 2016
I enjoyed this debut novel quite a bit! It's a face paced book, starting out in the mountains of Colorado where the main character is attacked by faerie creatures. Soon she finds herself in a faerie world where she must team up with some unusual allies to defeat a vengeful goddess. Great characters and I enjoyed their nail biting adventures! Can't wait to see what happens to them in the next book!
February 5, 2016
An excellent book! If you enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, or just want to read something different from your normal genres, this is a great choice. The author combines strong characters and beautiful imagery, along with well-researched Celtic legends, to produce a fast-paced and exciting tale. I highly recommend it!
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February 6, 2016Hawthorne grabbed my attention immediately. I enjoyed the adventures the characters encountered through the fairie kingdom. The fast pace and short chapters would be very enticing to struggling readers.
I look forward to the next book in this series, and recommend it highly.
Thanks to Goodreads for a copy of Hawthorne. It's a winner.
I look forward to the next book in this series, and recommend it highly.
Thanks to Goodreads for a copy of Hawthorne. It's a winner.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews