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The Child of the Erinyes #4
The Sixth Labyrinth
Book Five, The Child of the Erinyes series. A new myth from Ancient Greece.
Morrigan Lawton lives a lonely, wearying existence in a land that long ago turned its back on magic and myth.
Curran Ramsay enjoys every advantage and is loved by all who know him. Yet none of his successes can rid him of the sense that he is missing something, or someone. It haunts every moment, awake and in dreams.
Twenty years ago, the sea stole Aodhàn Mackinnon's memories. Now a penniless fisherman, his heart reels from an agony he cannot quite remember--until the landowner's new wife comes to Glenelg.
A silenced but enduring goddess has seen her place in the souls of mortals systematically destroyed.
But she bides her time.
For Athene, thousands of years mean nothing.
Ancient prophecy and the hand of a goddess propel the triad into the winding corridors of The Sixth Labyrinth.
The sea claims final possession and leaves nothing behind.
Morrigan Lawton lives a lonely, wearying existence in a land that long ago turned its back on magic and myth.
Curran Ramsay enjoys every advantage and is loved by all who know him. Yet none of his successes can rid him of the sense that he is missing something, or someone. It haunts every moment, awake and in dreams.
Twenty years ago, the sea stole Aodhàn Mackinnon's memories. Now a penniless fisherman, his heart reels from an agony he cannot quite remember--until the landowner's new wife comes to Glenelg.
A silenced but enduring goddess has seen her place in the souls of mortals systematically destroyed.
But she bides her time.
For Athene, thousands of years mean nothing.
Ancient prophecy and the hand of a goddess propel the triad into the winding corridors of The Sixth Labyrinth.
The sea claims final possession and leaves nothing behind.
- GenresFantasy
542 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 8, 2016
4 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Lochlann
15 books61 followersThe series is complete! All nine books (and some boxed sets) are published and available, including a box set of the entire series.
The Child of the Erinyes is a nine-book journey (Goodreads calls it 8, but it's actually 9) spanning nearly 4000 years: beginning in the Mediterranean Bronze Age, it follows the lives of a woman and two men as they are reborn seven times through history.
The author envisions her epic story as a new kind of myth, one built upon the foundation of the Greek classics, and continuing through the centuries right up to now and the future.
It has become her life's work to complete the series, though she didn't exactly intend it to be that way when she began.
Lochlann categorizes The Child of the Erinyes series as mythic fantasy, inspired by the myth of Ariadne, Theseus, and the Minotaur.
The Year-god's Daughter, book one of the series, is followed by The Thinara King, which precedes book three, In the Moon of Asterion. The series doesn't end there. Book four, a novella, The Moon Casts a Spell, is next; it introduces book five, The Sixth Labyrinth. Falcon Blue jumps back in time again to the magical Arthurian age. When the Moon Whispers, told in two books, and Swimming in the Rainbow take the reader forward in time to an uneasy dystopian future.
Thank you to everyone who has read my books and left their thoughts. It is much appreciated.
Lochlann believes that certain individuals, either blessed or tortured, voluntarily or involuntarily, are woven by fate (or the Immortals) into the labyrinth of time, and that deities sometimes speak to us through dreams and visions, gently prompting us to tell their lost stories.
Who knows? It could make a difference.
The Child of the Erinyes is a nine-book journey (Goodreads calls it 8, but it's actually 9) spanning nearly 4000 years: beginning in the Mediterranean Bronze Age, it follows the lives of a woman and two men as they are reborn seven times through history.
The author envisions her epic story as a new kind of myth, one built upon the foundation of the Greek classics, and continuing through the centuries right up to now and the future.
It has become her life's work to complete the series, though she didn't exactly intend it to be that way when she began.
Lochlann categorizes The Child of the Erinyes series as mythic fantasy, inspired by the myth of Ariadne, Theseus, and the Minotaur.
The Year-god's Daughter, book one of the series, is followed by The Thinara King, which precedes book three, In the Moon of Asterion. The series doesn't end there. Book four, a novella, The Moon Casts a Spell, is next; it introduces book five, The Sixth Labyrinth. Falcon Blue jumps back in time again to the magical Arthurian age. When the Moon Whispers, told in two books, and Swimming in the Rainbow take the reader forward in time to an uneasy dystopian future.
Thank you to everyone who has read my books and left their thoughts. It is much appreciated.
Lochlann believes that certain individuals, either blessed or tortured, voluntarily or involuntarily, are woven by fate (or the Immortals) into the labyrinth of time, and that deities sometimes speak to us through dreams and visions, gently prompting us to tell their lost stories.
Who knows? It could make a difference.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 22, 2016
I was given an advanced reading copy of this novel. I am also acquainted with the author through social media, however, that is not an admission that this review is biased. If I don’t like an author’s writing, I won’t finish reading it, and because I’m loath to do anything that might compromise my professional integrity, I wouldn’t dream of giving a positive review to a book that didn’t deserve it.
The Sixth Labyrinth is the second offering in the second trilogy of Rebecca Lochlann’s the Child of the Erinyes series. At 562 pages, it is a BIG novel with three books included, The Reunion, The Discovery, and The Pilgrimage. Readers who enjoy immersing themselves in epic novels will appreciate this installment.
In the first trilogy, we met the bold princess torn between two compelling men, one dark, one light. This threesome, as well as several other characters in their orbit, is cursed by the goddess Athene to be reincarnated repeatedly over the course of thousands of years. Seven lifetimes they are fated to live, through prosperity and hardship, trust and betrayal, love and heartbreak, until they appease Athene for humanity’s loss of faith in her.
This incarnation takes place in the mist-shrouded Scottish highlands of the nineteenth century. Our princess is now a lass named Morrigan, working under the crushing thumb of her father in a humble inn. Morrigan tries to be a dutiful daughter, but her adventurous spirit tempts her with fanciful thoughts of exotic people and places. Her father’s heart is dark, tainted by the brutal Clearings that killed Morrigan’s mother in childbirth. Not only must she submit to his vicious idea of discipline, but she is tormented by horrendous nightmares and plagued by headaches and fainting spells, unaware that these are flashes of memory from her former lives.
Feminism is a concept that appears throughout Lochlann’s writing. In the princess’s first life, she lived in a thriving matrilineal society that worshiped Athene, but in subsequent lives she is subjected to the abuses men heaped upon women throughout history. We get tantalizing glimpses into the beginning of the end of this unfairness through the author’s description of the political climate of late nineteenth century Britain that led to the formation of the women’s suffrage movement.
The Sixth Labyrinth is fairly bursting with historical detail. Not only does Lochlann boast some impressive researching skills, but she’s got the uncommon ability to build a vivid sense of place and time without making the reader’s eyes glaze over from too much description. Her other strength is her gift for weaving enchantment into the story; the prose is steeped in mysticism, adroitly drawing the reader into the characters’ emotions and temperament.
The pervading atmosphere, even during moments of joy, is somber, and the tension builds slowly through action and reaction. The story has elements of horror, from that which underlies the struggle of daily life, as well as through the paranormal aspect of dark magic as our princess and her lovers are pursued through time by a malevolent sorcerer. The suspense is amplified layer by layer until it all comes crashing down in a shocking, yet satisfying conclusion.
Highly recommended.
The Sixth Labyrinth is the second offering in the second trilogy of Rebecca Lochlann’s the Child of the Erinyes series. At 562 pages, it is a BIG novel with three books included, The Reunion, The Discovery, and The Pilgrimage. Readers who enjoy immersing themselves in epic novels will appreciate this installment.
In the first trilogy, we met the bold princess torn between two compelling men, one dark, one light. This threesome, as well as several other characters in their orbit, is cursed by the goddess Athene to be reincarnated repeatedly over the course of thousands of years. Seven lifetimes they are fated to live, through prosperity and hardship, trust and betrayal, love and heartbreak, until they appease Athene for humanity’s loss of faith in her.
This incarnation takes place in the mist-shrouded Scottish highlands of the nineteenth century. Our princess is now a lass named Morrigan, working under the crushing thumb of her father in a humble inn. Morrigan tries to be a dutiful daughter, but her adventurous spirit tempts her with fanciful thoughts of exotic people and places. Her father’s heart is dark, tainted by the brutal Clearings that killed Morrigan’s mother in childbirth. Not only must she submit to his vicious idea of discipline, but she is tormented by horrendous nightmares and plagued by headaches and fainting spells, unaware that these are flashes of memory from her former lives.
Feminism is a concept that appears throughout Lochlann’s writing. In the princess’s first life, she lived in a thriving matrilineal society that worshiped Athene, but in subsequent lives she is subjected to the abuses men heaped upon women throughout history. We get tantalizing glimpses into the beginning of the end of this unfairness through the author’s description of the political climate of late nineteenth century Britain that led to the formation of the women’s suffrage movement.
The Sixth Labyrinth is fairly bursting with historical detail. Not only does Lochlann boast some impressive researching skills, but she’s got the uncommon ability to build a vivid sense of place and time without making the reader’s eyes glaze over from too much description. Her other strength is her gift for weaving enchantment into the story; the prose is steeped in mysticism, adroitly drawing the reader into the characters’ emotions and temperament.
The pervading atmosphere, even during moments of joy, is somber, and the tension builds slowly through action and reaction. The story has elements of horror, from that which underlies the struggle of daily life, as well as through the paranormal aspect of dark magic as our princess and her lovers are pursued through time by a malevolent sorcerer. The suspense is amplified layer by layer until it all comes crashing down in a shocking, yet satisfying conclusion.
Highly recommended.
May 18, 2016
The concept of a love triangle that endures over millennia was introduced by R A Lochlann in her first three books in the Child of Erinyes series set in Bronze Age Crete. The ease with which she transported the reader into the beauty and violence of Minoan times was expert as she explored a matriarchal society where women ruled and nature was in harmony. This world belonged to Queen Aridela, a bull dancer and warrioress, who was seduced by the Mycenaean prince, Chrysaleon. His betrayal of her marked her demise and the ascendency of masculine dominion. In that storyline, Aridela was also attracted to the troubled Menoetius but realised too late that his love for her was purer and more selfless than that of Chrysaleon’s.
In The Sixth Labyrinth, Lochlann seamlessly propels the reader into Scotland in the late 19th century to follow the reincarnations of these three characters. For each of them are destined to be reborn and experience love seven times throughout the ages. In this era Aridela lives as Morrigan, a girl who is trapped in a society where women have long surrendered any rights to equality or power. For better or worse, her life depends solely on men: whether oppressed by her father, Douglas Lawton, or saved by the kindness of her husband, Curran Ramsay, who marries her after she falls pregnant to him. In this sixth cycle, Curran (Menoetius) is free from the torments of his previous warrior existence. The newlywed couple finds happiness when he takes his bride to his home as the laird of Kilgarry. However, Chrysaleon awaits in the form of the moody and secretive Aodhan McKinnon, a man believed by the township to be a selkie, a mythical creature who resembles a seal in water but takes the form of a human on land.
At the end of In the Moon of Asterion, the reader is left in no doubt as to the cruelty that exists within Chrysaleon but, by the time he resides in the body of McKinnon, he has suffered greatly which adds complexity to his character and evokes sympathy despite his unrelenting drive to possess Morrigan at all costs. For unlike the others he is able to remember each time he is reborn. He knows whom he has lost and who he has harmed. Morrigan and Curran can only catch glimpses of their past lives in dreams, but McKinnon understands that the opportunities to make Aridela his are dwindling. The eternal struggle between the three lovers makes a compelling read. The depiction of Morrigan’s journey from being a disempowered daughter to a strong insightful mother is riveting. And as I knew Lochlann does not shrink from portraying heartache and horror, I was on tenterhooks until the last page as to the fate she’d determined for these characters in their penultimate manifestations on earth.
Lochlann evokes the world of Victorian times as effortlessly as she did when she conjured the ancient world – an indication of her skill as an historical novelist. I look forward to visiting the next epoch and country she chooses for the continuing story of Aridela and her two warring men.
In The Sixth Labyrinth, Lochlann seamlessly propels the reader into Scotland in the late 19th century to follow the reincarnations of these three characters. For each of them are destined to be reborn and experience love seven times throughout the ages. In this era Aridela lives as Morrigan, a girl who is trapped in a society where women have long surrendered any rights to equality or power. For better or worse, her life depends solely on men: whether oppressed by her father, Douglas Lawton, or saved by the kindness of her husband, Curran Ramsay, who marries her after she falls pregnant to him. In this sixth cycle, Curran (Menoetius) is free from the torments of his previous warrior existence. The newlywed couple finds happiness when he takes his bride to his home as the laird of Kilgarry. However, Chrysaleon awaits in the form of the moody and secretive Aodhan McKinnon, a man believed by the township to be a selkie, a mythical creature who resembles a seal in water but takes the form of a human on land.
At the end of In the Moon of Asterion, the reader is left in no doubt as to the cruelty that exists within Chrysaleon but, by the time he resides in the body of McKinnon, he has suffered greatly which adds complexity to his character and evokes sympathy despite his unrelenting drive to possess Morrigan at all costs. For unlike the others he is able to remember each time he is reborn. He knows whom he has lost and who he has harmed. Morrigan and Curran can only catch glimpses of their past lives in dreams, but McKinnon understands that the opportunities to make Aridela his are dwindling. The eternal struggle between the three lovers makes a compelling read. The depiction of Morrigan’s journey from being a disempowered daughter to a strong insightful mother is riveting. And as I knew Lochlann does not shrink from portraying heartache and horror, I was on tenterhooks until the last page as to the fate she’d determined for these characters in their penultimate manifestations on earth.
Lochlann evokes the world of Victorian times as effortlessly as she did when she conjured the ancient world – an indication of her skill as an historical novelist. I look forward to visiting the next epoch and country she chooses for the continuing story of Aridela and her two warring men.
April 10, 2016
One of a growing number of fans, I loved the initial, Bronze Age section of Rebecca Lochlann’s ‘Child of the Erinyes’ series, and the subsequent novella, ‘The Moon Casts a Spell’
I have been looking forward to the issue of this continuation of the epic, and am very happy to say I was in not disappointed by this, the sixth life of the three main characters.
In the first novels, we met the lithe and enticing, brave and generous but in some ways tragically deluded Queen of ancient Crete, Aridela.
We encountered Menoetius, the great warrior illegitimate son of the King of Mycanae, who unwittingly betrays her trust, and pays an appalling penalty of physical and mental suffering.
We met too, the always riveting and bold, but arrogant and misogynistic, Lion of Mycane Chrysaleon, the King of Mycanae’s legitimate heir, who is sent over to win the throne of matriarchal Crete, and whose bondsman Alexaire braves the wrath of Athene to forward his master’s aims.
Finally, we met one of the characters I enjoy most out of a whole, memorable set, and that is the appalling one time practitioner of the black arts Harpalycus.
This villain swaps from body to body, and life to life, avoiding the rebirths that are the lot of the other three, and gleefully causing them as much misery as he possibly can, for he remains a dedicated torturer and sadist. Throughout the series, he provides moments of grim humour of the darkest kind: only Chrysaleon retains enough memories of his former lives to know his enemy:
“Aodhan had never learned Harpalycus’ secret for sensing them and finding them. But find them he did, and it always meant chaos and death.’
The great irony is that in this current novel, this women hater has no choice but to take on the form of the sex he despises…
The events that were set in motion, partly through the actions and reactions of these four and their devoted followers, have largely changed the history of the world. Through their mistaken choices then, Chrysaleon and Alexaire have set themselves up as Athene’s opponents on earth, condemned to find love and happiness elusive.
The former Aridela is through Athene’s will, blind to her past, those of her two lovers, and the destiny of them all.
The novella, ‘The Moon Casts a Spell’ relates a subsequent life of these three on the lonely Scottish island of Barra in the mid tnineteenth century, about the time of the infamous Highland Clearances. Two of the members of this life triangle came to premature ends (I won’t say more for fear of making a spoiler for those readers who haven’t yet read it).
Now in, The Sixth Labyrinth’ some twenty years later, Aridela is reborn as Morrigan, the inn keeper’s daughter and survivor of the clearances. She falls for and marries Curran Ramsay, the reincarnation of Menoetius, now a golden and handsome young Highland laird, while Chrysaleon is the poor fisherman Aodhan Mackinnon.
Once again they are reunited, and after more than three thousand years, their adventures come to a climax.
Chrysaleon in particular senses this: He is weary from his endless, desperate fight against Athene’s power; he believes that he must win.
‘Curran would fail. Athene would fail. A bit more time – that’s all he needed. Athene would diminish. At some point, she wouldn’t have enough power to bring back Menoetius or those other sycophants – Selene and Themiste…Then he would drink sweet revenge, as sweet as the old god’s necar.’
There are stirring characters in this, larger than life but fully believable, and intense passion; loyalty and betrayal, hatred and cruelty, horror and abuse, humour and tragedy. As ever, I was deeply impressed by the strength of the writing and the depths of the historical research, which is ever present, but never laboured.
Here is an example of the vividness of the word pictures that even brings the palace of Knossos to life: Here is a distant memory of the former Chrysaleon (the only one of the triad who retains his memories): -
‘Flanked by a wary Menoetius, he stepped into the palace courtyard at Labrynthos. Sunlight beat against the paving. He could feel the blinding heat richoting from those stones. Sensations and images blinded him, of carved pillars supporting gigantic stone awnings, of vibant frescoes displaying black bulls and blue, flittering birds. He’d heard of Crete’s magnificent architecture, but the reality left him awe struck…’
But now the former Aridela is the new wife of the beguiling laird to his empoverished, dour and middle aged fisherman. How can he win her?
Yet he will try, just as he knows that the now Morrigan, though drawn to him, will strain her utmost to be loyal to her handsome new husband, and that Menoetius’ love for her is more loyal and less selfish than his own. Harpalycus will discover them, and wreak havoc. It is the nature of them all.
This book is long, but it’s a page turner, so that it doesn’t seem so. I read it through at record speed, and recommend it as a fascinating, engrossing story from an epic series to be enjoyed on many levels.
One of the smoothly interlocking themes of this great novel is the tragic depiction of the abuse of woman, and in particular, it's destructive effect on the feelings of self worth of the woman who is subject to it. Morrigan has scars on her psyche, the result of the abuse of her bitter father,who has always doubted her paternity. I don't want to write a spoiler; but it is this sense of not feeling good enough for happiness and the love of a truly admirable man, which greatly contributes to some of Morrigan's mistaken decisions in the book.
The former Chrysaleon remembers her in her incarnation as the fearless Aridela, and this is the supreme irony of his thousands of years' long crusade against female power. In attacking it, he has brought about a change he hates to see in the one woman he loves and respects as an equal: -
'Had he fought all these centuries only to lose her to this world's joyless new order - the world he had helped to create when he caused the destruction of Crete and the last stronghold that honoured women?'
But Aridela has more strength than he knows: and Athene's eclipse from the face of the earth and modern understanding may be part of the Great Mother's plan...
I can’t wait for the next in the series!
April 10, 2016
Yoopy, it's here at last!
First I will give a word regarding the stunning book cover.
Aodhàn/Chrysaleon looks really hot though I must confess I imagined him a lot more weather beaten – not only because he’s been having a rough life as a fisherman but also because he’s been suffering continuously for two decades – still it is a very appealing image.
The setting:
Having lived on the isle of Skye for three great years it was really special to return there even if only through the words of the author, the descriptions may not be exactly as I remember, however I’ve never pictured so well where the characters were! Places like Glenelg, Mallaig, Fort William... what a trip down memory lane!
The narrative and characters:
Rebecca Lochlann has a truly great gift. She manages to keep us interested on the story from beginning to end simply because her characters and their tale are anything but plain.
While one is light –Curran/Menoetius – even if with a smudge, the other is so dark it’s hard to find a lighter shade in him. But we do find it once we look deep.Well... very deep...in fact I would not have thought him capable of that great gesture...might he be evolving into someone better though still full of flaws? –Aodhàn..
Diorbhail/Selene is probable the best of them all with her unshakable loyalty and even her has a soft spot regarding Curran (who wouldn’t? I certainly have more than a soft spot…) besides there will be always a connection between them given their history
Last but not least Morrigan/ Aridela…oh dear, she has this frustrating ability to make all the wrong choices at first! Yet because I’ve learned to know her and love her as she is I can see where that comes from and sometimes I even seem to have a glimpse of how it would be like if she stopped being so blind. Until then it seems I’ll have a very painful road ahead of me, if I'm to be lead by her Mother’s words, as painful as hers will be:
I have lived many lives since the beginning, and so shalt thou. I have been given many names and many faces. So shalt thou, and thou wilt follow me from reverence and worship into obscurity. In an unbroken line wilt thou return, my daughter. Thou shalt be called Eamhair of the sea, who brings them closer, and Shashi, sacrificed to deify man. Thy names are Caparina, Lilith and the sorrowful Morrigan, who drives them far apart. Thou wilt step upon the earth seven times, far into the veiled future. Seven labyrinths shalt thou wander, lost, and thou too wilt forget me. Suffering and despair shall be thy nourishment. Misery shall poison thy blood. Thou wilt breathe the air of slavery for as long as thou art blinded. For thou art the earth, blessed and eternal, yet thou shalt be pierced, defiled, broken, and wounded, even as I have been. Thou wilt generate inexhaustible adoration and contempt. Until these opposites are united, all will strangle within the void.
So I keep waiting for the union of those opposites. getting enraged with some, loving others mistake after mistake and all the time rooting for Morrigan to find herself. To finally unveil all she can be. I do believe she's getting closer.
These might not be the same five stars of the bronze age box set for that first contact with Rebecca Lochlann’s work left me in awe – I was taken by everything in it, from the setting (always had a thing for ancient civilizations ) to the way it all unfolded before my eyes – nonetheless I’m still touched by these characters' sorrows, I still cheer for most of them and I’m undoubtedly captivated by the story. Plus Aridela surprised me this time!
I long to know how it ends, oh how I long to know it!
First I will give a word regarding the stunning book cover.
Aodhàn/Chrysaleon looks really hot though I must confess I imagined him a lot more weather beaten – not only because he’s been having a rough life as a fisherman but also because he’s been suffering continuously for two decades – still it is a very appealing image.
The setting:
Having lived on the isle of Skye for three great years it was really special to return there even if only through the words of the author, the descriptions may not be exactly as I remember, however I’ve never pictured so well where the characters were! Places like Glenelg, Mallaig, Fort William... what a trip down memory lane!
The narrative and characters:
Rebecca Lochlann has a truly great gift. She manages to keep us interested on the story from beginning to end simply because her characters and their tale are anything but plain.
While one is light –Curran/Menoetius – even if with a smudge, the other is so dark it’s hard to find a lighter shade in him. But we do find it once we look deep.Well... very deep...in fact I would not have thought him capable of that great gesture...might he be evolving into someone better though still full of flaws? –Aodhàn..
Diorbhail/Selene is probable the best of them all with her unshakable loyalty and even her has a soft spot regarding Curran (who wouldn’t? I certainly have more than a soft spot…) besides there will be always a connection between them given their history
Last but not least Morrigan/ Aridela…oh dear, she has this frustrating ability to make all the wrong choices at first! Yet because I’ve learned to know her and love her as she is I can see where that comes from and sometimes I even seem to have a glimpse of how it would be like if she stopped being so blind. Until then it seems I’ll have a very painful road ahead of me, if I'm to be lead by her Mother’s words, as painful as hers will be:
I have lived many lives since the beginning, and so shalt thou. I have been given many names and many faces. So shalt thou, and thou wilt follow me from reverence and worship into obscurity. In an unbroken line wilt thou return, my daughter. Thou shalt be called Eamhair of the sea, who brings them closer, and Shashi, sacrificed to deify man. Thy names are Caparina, Lilith and the sorrowful Morrigan, who drives them far apart. Thou wilt step upon the earth seven times, far into the veiled future. Seven labyrinths shalt thou wander, lost, and thou too wilt forget me. Suffering and despair shall be thy nourishment. Misery shall poison thy blood. Thou wilt breathe the air of slavery for as long as thou art blinded. For thou art the earth, blessed and eternal, yet thou shalt be pierced, defiled, broken, and wounded, even as I have been. Thou wilt generate inexhaustible adoration and contempt. Until these opposites are united, all will strangle within the void.
So I keep waiting for the union of those opposites. getting enraged with some, loving others mistake after mistake and all the time rooting for Morrigan to find herself. To finally unveil all she can be. I do believe she's getting closer.
These might not be the same five stars of the bronze age box set for that first contact with Rebecca Lochlann’s work left me in awe – I was taken by everything in it, from the setting (always had a thing for ancient civilizations ) to the way it all unfolded before my eyes – nonetheless I’m still touched by these characters' sorrows, I still cheer for most of them and I’m undoubtedly captivated by the story. Plus Aridela surprised me this time!
I long to know how it ends, oh how I long to know it!
March 26, 2016
By following Rebecca's website and mailing list, I was able to obtain an advance digital copy of this book, and I'm so happy to have had the chance to read this before I take off on my travels (which includes Greece, specifically a trip to Crete). What a treat this book is!
This book was just as wonderful as I expected it to be. I was drawn in easily in the first trilogy of this series, and this continuation definitely did not disappoint! It was a fun and interesting experience in the first third of the book to try to match up the characters to their past selves. I admit that I was wrong about some of them at first, but the beauty of Rebecca's writing is that it's not totally predictable and I love being proven wrong at my guessing.
I admit that the main character, Morrigan, frustrated me to no end at times, because of her indecision, but I believe that was intended, because it falls in line with her persona in previous incarnations and lends to the overall cohesiveness of the story arc. I went through a range of emotions with almost all the characters - from sorrow, anger, and pain to love and admiration - which is exactly what I love about reading....the author succeeds in taking me on a journey with each of them.
I also appreciate the depth of knowledge she shows in her research of the setting and language used at the time and location this story takes place. I think she included plenty of reference material to help understand the Gaelic used throughout the story, as well as using descriptions so vivid of the locations used that I could actually picture each of the places.
I would love to know more backstory on many of the characters in this book - for instance, Beatrice & Douglas: what happened between them really? - but even without knowing that, I can infer on my own and I think it's great that there's room for imagination in this story as well.
I can't WAIT to see where these characters end up. I'm thoroughly invested in their outcomes, and I can't think of anything more I could ask of an author than to keep me hooked. Mission accomplished. When does the story continue? :)
This book was just as wonderful as I expected it to be. I was drawn in easily in the first trilogy of this series, and this continuation definitely did not disappoint! It was a fun and interesting experience in the first third of the book to try to match up the characters to their past selves. I admit that I was wrong about some of them at first, but the beauty of Rebecca's writing is that it's not totally predictable and I love being proven wrong at my guessing.
I admit that the main character, Morrigan, frustrated me to no end at times, because of her indecision, but I believe that was intended, because it falls in line with her persona in previous incarnations and lends to the overall cohesiveness of the story arc. I went through a range of emotions with almost all the characters - from sorrow, anger, and pain to love and admiration - which is exactly what I love about reading....the author succeeds in taking me on a journey with each of them.
I also appreciate the depth of knowledge she shows in her research of the setting and language used at the time and location this story takes place. I think she included plenty of reference material to help understand the Gaelic used throughout the story, as well as using descriptions so vivid of the locations used that I could actually picture each of the places.
I would love to know more backstory on many of the characters in this book - for instance, Beatrice & Douglas: what happened between them really? - but even without knowing that, I can infer on my own and I think it's great that there's room for imagination in this story as well.
I can't WAIT to see where these characters end up. I'm thoroughly invested in their outcomes, and I can't think of anything more I could ask of an author than to keep me hooked. Mission accomplished. When does the story continue? :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2020
I'm so glad I've decided to read it a second time now that Falcon Blue is about to be put life on August 4th. Reading this part of the story in a row enhances the characters growth.
Those who've read my reviews know I have a soft spot for Menoetius, in fact I think I'm a bit in love with him. In my mind even his faults are discarded as products of the time they live in. He's this guy who loves unconditionally. What woman doesn't love that? And this time what I've longed for so long was finally fulfilled, so I'm very pleased!
Aridela took a while yet has finally started to open her eyes here which was nice to see.
However it was Chrysaleon who suffered a major metamorphosis! He surprised me with a selfless act at the end. That one is a slow learner. Of course I still don't think he deserves Aridela's love.
However, if I ended up feeling sorry for him in each live, on this one I felt even more.
Making mine Themiste's words at the end of epilogue one: I can pity those who suffer, even when they might deserve it.
I'll be anxiously waiting for the next instalment.
Those who've read my reviews know I have a soft spot for Menoetius, in fact I think I'm a bit in love with him. In my mind even his faults are discarded as products of the time they live in. He's this guy who loves unconditionally. What woman doesn't love that? And this time what I've longed for so long was finally fulfilled, so I'm very pleased!
Aridela took a while yet has finally started to open her eyes here which was nice to see.
However it was Chrysaleon who suffered a major metamorphosis! He surprised me with a selfless act at the end. That one is a slow learner. Of course I still don't think he deserves Aridela's love.
However, if I ended up feeling sorry for him in each live, on this one I felt even more.
Making mine Themiste's words at the end of epilogue one: I can pity those who suffer, even when they might deserve it.
I'll be anxiously waiting for the next instalment.
February 9, 2022
Best book of the series so far, & possibly my favorite novel ever written. I loved the previous installments in the series for their beautiful prose & story telling. Aridela, however, could be frustrating in her over confidence & ignorance surrounding Chrysaleon.
However as Morrigan, I connected with her on so many basic levels of my own experiences as a woman. Her struggle with her own self worth, her fears, her guilt, her self flagellation. These are all emotions many woman deal with in their quest to be a strong, confident, “bad ass woman”. This edition rang true to the most basic challenges of being a successful woman in our society. The story, as are all of Lochlann’s, is beautiful & captivating. This edition just specifically rises above the rest in its poignant understanding of being a woman in an environment defined by the rules of men.
However as Morrigan, I connected with her on so many basic levels of my own experiences as a woman. Her struggle with her own self worth, her fears, her guilt, her self flagellation. These are all emotions many woman deal with in their quest to be a strong, confident, “bad ass woman”. This edition rang true to the most basic challenges of being a successful woman in our society. The story, as are all of Lochlann’s, is beautiful & captivating. This edition just specifically rises above the rest in its poignant understanding of being a woman in an environment defined by the rules of men.
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