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Exiles #1
Bad Blood
Ireland 1585. When Eunan Maguire’s village is raided by the English, he flees, his parents are killed and he blames himself for their death.
When he meets Seamus MacSheehy, Seamus encourages him to go to the election of the new leader of the Maguire clan to claim his father’s voting rights. With Seamus’ guidance, he sets out to ingratiate himself with the new Maguire. But all is not well for Eunan is wracked with guilt because of the death of his parents and Seamus is not all he appears. The English invade Fermanagh, and he is called to fight.
Will Eunan discover the secret of his parent’s death? Will Eunan discover who Seamus MacSheehy really is and why he has taken such an interest in him? Can Eunan overcome his inner demons and save his clan from English onslaught? Bad Blood is the first novel in the ‘Exiles’ series of Irish historical fiction novels. If you love fast-paced action and adventure orientated historical fiction then you will love this book. Buy Bad Blood to discover this exciting new series today.
When he meets Seamus MacSheehy, Seamus encourages him to go to the election of the new leader of the Maguire clan to claim his father’s voting rights. With Seamus’ guidance, he sets out to ingratiate himself with the new Maguire. But all is not well for Eunan is wracked with guilt because of the death of his parents and Seamus is not all he appears. The English invade Fermanagh, and he is called to fight.
Will Eunan discover the secret of his parent’s death? Will Eunan discover who Seamus MacSheehy really is and why he has taken such an interest in him? Can Eunan overcome his inner demons and save his clan from English onslaught? Bad Blood is the first novel in the ‘Exiles’ series of Irish historical fiction novels. If you love fast-paced action and adventure orientated historical fiction then you will love this book. Buy Bad Blood to discover this exciting new series today.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
338 pages, Hardcover
Published June 8, 2021
About the author
C.R. Dempsey
9 books11 followersC R Dempsey is the author of Viking Dawn and Viking Oathbreaker, both set in the Viking age and the Exiles book series, set in Elizabethan Ireland. History has always been his fascination, and historical fiction was an obvious outlet for his accumulated knowledge. C R spends lots of time working on his books, mainly in the twilight hours of the morning. C R wishes he spent more time writing and less time jumping down the rabbit hole of excessive research.
C R Dempsey lives in London with his wife and cat. He was born in Dublin but has lived most of his adult life in London.
C R Dempsey lives in London with his wife and cat. He was born in Dublin but has lived most of his adult life in London.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 2, 2021
“You bark a lot for a little sparrow!”
Bad Blood by C. R. Dempsey is a rip-roaring sweeping saga into the 16th-century land wars of Ireland, and follows the journey of a boy growing to manhood in the midst of it all. Clans reign, and they fight one another for supremacy, all the while Queen Elizabeth I is gazing over their shores hungrily sending her troops to subdue them all under her rule.
Eunan is part of the Maquire clan, sent away by his emotionally distant parents to Enniskillen to learn the ways of a warrior, a Gallowglass fighter for the clans. After much ado of him learning to grow up and fight, under the strict eye of Desmond, who himself is connected with Hugh Maquire, THE Maquire of the clan, he finds himself struggling to find his identity in the midst of all the turmoil, and trying to reconcile the innate hatred he feels from his parents.
After Eunan’s training, he is sent back to his village, but Eunan’s thoughts are more about how he can kill his father, than the dangers of the English soldiers who are destroying Irish villages as fast as they can. In a sudden attack, the village is raided, his parents are killed, and he flees, all the while blaming himself and his bad blood for the curse of their death.
Upon fleeing, he comes upon a group of Gallowglass warriors, and meets Seamus MacSheehy, who encourages Eunan to attend the election of the clan leader and take up his father’s voting rights. Seamus takes the lead, guiding Eunan along the way as they both seek to ingratiate themselves with Hugh Maquire. They do this by successfully completing some “tasks” assigned to them by Hugh, which bolsters their rank in the clan, as well as some coin in the pocket and herds of cows for Eunan’s suffering village.
But all is not well with Eunan. His grief nearly overwhelms him... and having to deal with the headstrong, and sometimes overbearing, as well as blood-thirsty nature of his so-called friend Seamus.
At long last, the English invade Fermanagh and he is called to fight for the Maquire.
So many questions are answered along the way – the secret of his parent’s death, the identity of Seamus MacSheehy and his sudden interest in Eunan, and the inner turmoil that Eunan suffers from as he attempts to save the clan from the English invasion.
To say this book is rich with action, adventure, and deep meaty history is putting it mildly. This book is indeed graphic in the sense of the brutality of the clan wars, and the savagery of the English soldiers who took no quarter when bringing the Irish to heel. That being said, sometimes the immense amount of history embedded into the novel overshadows Eunan’s story and the passages relay more as a non-fiction book with bursts of fiction.
But, this story is about as real as you can get for a depiction of Ireland in the mid-1500s. Eunan’s character relates to the reader as he deals with the commonality of human struggles – grief, abandonment, desperate for acceptance, and self-doubt. As a supporting character, Seamus provides a balance since he tends to go to the other extreme by showing no emotion at his kills, entitlement, and self-assurance edging towards arrogance.
I am reminded of the Irish fellow in the movie ‘Braveheart’ as the author managed to capture the clever quips and verbiage of Ireland in a way that you can actually feel the accents in the dialogue.
Plus, there is definitely the ‘Game of Thrones’ feel to the storyline as the constant struggle for supremacy goes back and forth between clans. You get a sense that the author loves the era and the research into Irish politics is evident throughout the book.
Most of the time, books in this era focus on the Tudor reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth, so this is a refreshing look of the time period from Irish eyes as they fail to band together to fight Elizabeth’s soldiers, thus suffering the consequences. We also are given the viewpoint from a Catholic standpoint as the Irish cling to the hope that Spain and the Papacy will send help, especially against a Queen they view as a heretic; but, alas, no help comes and the Catholic Irish clans are on their own with the only help coming from Scottish mercenaries and their own Gallowglass warriors.
But even in that, the author paints the glim picture of warriors pledging their loyalty to a clan chieftain, but in reality are fighting for their own survival, and fighting with inferior training compared with that of England. This story is so familiar with other examples of a stronger government shoving its way into a smaller, weaker nation, stripping them of lands, resources, religion, and killing thousands, all in the name of enlightening a culture viewed as barbaric and backwards.
All in all, there are moments of riveting action amidst the heavy history, and while Eunan is the main character of the book, sometimes he felt a little to easily led by his friend Seamus, so his character never fully connected with me. Seamus was brutal, and frightening – certainly someone you would never want to meet in the dark woods, especially if he thought he might gain a little coin by taking off your head and stuffing it in a bag to present to the Maquire. His manner was so jarring at times.
A few highlighted passages that stood out to me:
“Eunan was not expecting much, so he got nothing. Not the sun nor wind on his back, the chirping of the spring birds nor firm ground for his horse underfoot greeted his journey. The callous day of his return was frosty, as if even nature was telling Eunan not to return. He rode his horse into the village, as yet untroubled by his presence, and received no warm embrace from family, friend nor neighbour.”
“You said you have bad blood that afflicts you. With Divine guidance, these leeches will such the bad blood away. I am also praying for spiritual guidance for you, your soul and me. This is what you wanted.”
“What I wanted was to be free of this affliction. If this removes the curse, I’ll do it.”
“You must have faith. Faith cures all. Believe in the goodness of God, and you will be free.”
After a thorough read and letting the story settle in my mind a bit, I am ready to move on to the sequel - “Uprising” - and see what is in store for Eunan Maquire.
“Bad Blood” by C. R. Dempsey earns four stars from The Historical Fiction Company.
Bad Blood by C. R. Dempsey is a rip-roaring sweeping saga into the 16th-century land wars of Ireland, and follows the journey of a boy growing to manhood in the midst of it all. Clans reign, and they fight one another for supremacy, all the while Queen Elizabeth I is gazing over their shores hungrily sending her troops to subdue them all under her rule.
Eunan is part of the Maquire clan, sent away by his emotionally distant parents to Enniskillen to learn the ways of a warrior, a Gallowglass fighter for the clans. After much ado of him learning to grow up and fight, under the strict eye of Desmond, who himself is connected with Hugh Maquire, THE Maquire of the clan, he finds himself struggling to find his identity in the midst of all the turmoil, and trying to reconcile the innate hatred he feels from his parents.
After Eunan’s training, he is sent back to his village, but Eunan’s thoughts are more about how he can kill his father, than the dangers of the English soldiers who are destroying Irish villages as fast as they can. In a sudden attack, the village is raided, his parents are killed, and he flees, all the while blaming himself and his bad blood for the curse of their death.
Upon fleeing, he comes upon a group of Gallowglass warriors, and meets Seamus MacSheehy, who encourages Eunan to attend the election of the clan leader and take up his father’s voting rights. Seamus takes the lead, guiding Eunan along the way as they both seek to ingratiate themselves with Hugh Maquire. They do this by successfully completing some “tasks” assigned to them by Hugh, which bolsters their rank in the clan, as well as some coin in the pocket and herds of cows for Eunan’s suffering village.
But all is not well with Eunan. His grief nearly overwhelms him... and having to deal with the headstrong, and sometimes overbearing, as well as blood-thirsty nature of his so-called friend Seamus.
At long last, the English invade Fermanagh and he is called to fight for the Maquire.
So many questions are answered along the way – the secret of his parent’s death, the identity of Seamus MacSheehy and his sudden interest in Eunan, and the inner turmoil that Eunan suffers from as he attempts to save the clan from the English invasion.
To say this book is rich with action, adventure, and deep meaty history is putting it mildly. This book is indeed graphic in the sense of the brutality of the clan wars, and the savagery of the English soldiers who took no quarter when bringing the Irish to heel. That being said, sometimes the immense amount of history embedded into the novel overshadows Eunan’s story and the passages relay more as a non-fiction book with bursts of fiction.
But, this story is about as real as you can get for a depiction of Ireland in the mid-1500s. Eunan’s character relates to the reader as he deals with the commonality of human struggles – grief, abandonment, desperate for acceptance, and self-doubt. As a supporting character, Seamus provides a balance since he tends to go to the other extreme by showing no emotion at his kills, entitlement, and self-assurance edging towards arrogance.
I am reminded of the Irish fellow in the movie ‘Braveheart’ as the author managed to capture the clever quips and verbiage of Ireland in a way that you can actually feel the accents in the dialogue.
Plus, there is definitely the ‘Game of Thrones’ feel to the storyline as the constant struggle for supremacy goes back and forth between clans. You get a sense that the author loves the era and the research into Irish politics is evident throughout the book.
Most of the time, books in this era focus on the Tudor reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth, so this is a refreshing look of the time period from Irish eyes as they fail to band together to fight Elizabeth’s soldiers, thus suffering the consequences. We also are given the viewpoint from a Catholic standpoint as the Irish cling to the hope that Spain and the Papacy will send help, especially against a Queen they view as a heretic; but, alas, no help comes and the Catholic Irish clans are on their own with the only help coming from Scottish mercenaries and their own Gallowglass warriors.
But even in that, the author paints the glim picture of warriors pledging their loyalty to a clan chieftain, but in reality are fighting for their own survival, and fighting with inferior training compared with that of England. This story is so familiar with other examples of a stronger government shoving its way into a smaller, weaker nation, stripping them of lands, resources, religion, and killing thousands, all in the name of enlightening a culture viewed as barbaric and backwards.
All in all, there are moments of riveting action amidst the heavy history, and while Eunan is the main character of the book, sometimes he felt a little to easily led by his friend Seamus, so his character never fully connected with me. Seamus was brutal, and frightening – certainly someone you would never want to meet in the dark woods, especially if he thought he might gain a little coin by taking off your head and stuffing it in a bag to present to the Maquire. His manner was so jarring at times.
A few highlighted passages that stood out to me:
“Eunan was not expecting much, so he got nothing. Not the sun nor wind on his back, the chirping of the spring birds nor firm ground for his horse underfoot greeted his journey. The callous day of his return was frosty, as if even nature was telling Eunan not to return. He rode his horse into the village, as yet untroubled by his presence, and received no warm embrace from family, friend nor neighbour.”
“You said you have bad blood that afflicts you. With Divine guidance, these leeches will such the bad blood away. I am also praying for spiritual guidance for you, your soul and me. This is what you wanted.”
“What I wanted was to be free of this affliction. If this removes the curse, I’ll do it.”
“You must have faith. Faith cures all. Believe in the goodness of God, and you will be free.”
After a thorough read and letting the story settle in my mind a bit, I am ready to move on to the sequel - “Uprising” - and see what is in store for Eunan Maquire.
“Bad Blood” by C. R. Dempsey earns four stars from The Historical Fiction Company.
December 31, 2020
What would you do to save your clan?
Ireland 1585. When the English raid Eunan Maguire’s village, he flees, his parents are killed, and he blames himself for their death.
When he meets Seamus MacSheehy, Seamus encourages him to go to the election of the new leader of the Maguire clan to claim his father’s voting rights. With Seamus’ guidance, he sets out to ingratiate himself with the new Maguire. But all is not well for Eunan is wracked with guilt because of the death of his parents and Seamus is not all he appears. The English invade Fermanagh, and he is called to fight.
Will Eunan discover the secret of his parent’s death? Will Eunan discover who Seamus MacSheehy really is and why he has taken such an interest in him? Can Eunan overcome his inner demons and save his clan from the English onslaught?
Bad Blood is the first novel in the ‘Exiles’ series of Irish historical fiction novels. If you love fast-paced action and adventure orientated historical fiction then you will love this book.
C.R. Dempsey’s is a very balanced blend of historical fact and fiction, interwoven into a very interesting story, that highlights the realities of Irish life in the late 1500s. Eunan is an immediately recognizable and relatable character, whose struggles and reactions to his environment and peers are always coherent and credible. Seamus is the perfect counterpart for the story, which is very well-written, fast-paced, and action-filled. A compelling, inspiring, and interesting story on an important (if not always widely known) time in Irish history
Ireland 1585. When the English raid Eunan Maguire’s village, he flees, his parents are killed, and he blames himself for their death.
When he meets Seamus MacSheehy, Seamus encourages him to go to the election of the new leader of the Maguire clan to claim his father’s voting rights. With Seamus’ guidance, he sets out to ingratiate himself with the new Maguire. But all is not well for Eunan is wracked with guilt because of the death of his parents and Seamus is not all he appears. The English invade Fermanagh, and he is called to fight.
Will Eunan discover the secret of his parent’s death? Will Eunan discover who Seamus MacSheehy really is and why he has taken such an interest in him? Can Eunan overcome his inner demons and save his clan from the English onslaught?
Bad Blood is the first novel in the ‘Exiles’ series of Irish historical fiction novels. If you love fast-paced action and adventure orientated historical fiction then you will love this book.
C.R. Dempsey’s is a very balanced blend of historical fact and fiction, interwoven into a very interesting story, that highlights the realities of Irish life in the late 1500s. Eunan is an immediately recognizable and relatable character, whose struggles and reactions to his environment and peers are always coherent and credible. Seamus is the perfect counterpart for the story, which is very well-written, fast-paced, and action-filled. A compelling, inspiring, and interesting story on an important (if not always widely known) time in Irish history
February 16, 2022
If you are a regular reader of my reviews, then you know that historical fiction is one of my top three favorite genres to read. So I was super excited when I was able to get my hands on three C.R. Dempsey books. As of the writing of this I have read Bad Blood with Uprising currently being read. And I have to say, despite honestly having no idea who Dempsey was before picking up this book (as is the fact with most of the books I pick up on sites to review) I inhaled the entire novel in a day. Much to the chagrin of my cats and husband as I forgot to feed them. (Don’t worry they got treats later. The cats, not the husband, he can feed himself.)
Anyway, back to the book. Bad Blood is a historical fiction novel taking place in late 1500s Ireland. While the story and characters are fictional, as with many a historical fiction, the setting and the general timeline going on around the characters, who are doing their best to survive it, if rooted in history. The main character Eunan is a trouble young man who we meet at a young age as he does his best to deal with parents who hate him so much that he wishes to be away, but honor keeps him bound. Now I could guess why his parents hated him to some level. Despite this, I was not disappointed by how the story turned out.
Beyond the story, the characters are fitting for the century they take place in as are their struggles and bonds.
I would strongly suggest Bad Blood to fans of historical fiction, you will likely inhale this story as quickly as I did.
Anyway, back to the book. Bad Blood is a historical fiction novel taking place in late 1500s Ireland. While the story and characters are fictional, as with many a historical fiction, the setting and the general timeline going on around the characters, who are doing their best to survive it, if rooted in history. The main character Eunan is a trouble young man who we meet at a young age as he does his best to deal with parents who hate him so much that he wishes to be away, but honor keeps him bound. Now I could guess why his parents hated him to some level. Despite this, I was not disappointed by how the story turned out.
Beyond the story, the characters are fitting for the century they take place in as are their struggles and bonds.
I would strongly suggest Bad Blood to fans of historical fiction, you will likely inhale this story as quickly as I did.
June 6, 2021
I found this book really difficult to get into, to me it reads almost more like a reference book than a story. I could follow the story but I couldn’t feel myself in the story like I usually can which I was disappointed with. I’m sure lots of people will enjoy it but it wasn’t for me unfortunately
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review
April 7, 2024
💩💩💩
I always thought the Irish were good at story telling and maybe this is true, if you are Irish and can follow all the confusing names and place names and the mixed metaphors??
Worst book I've ever read! it was torture but I always finish reading the whole book, once I start one.
I am just really glad I did not purchase the extended series offer.
I always thought the Irish were good at story telling and maybe this is true, if you are Irish and can follow all the confusing names and place names and the mixed metaphors??
Worst book I've ever read! it was torture but I always finish reading the whole book, once I start one.
I am just really glad I did not purchase the extended series offer.
October 11, 2024
The setting is unlike anything I've ever read before. I know relatively little about Ireland outside of the 21st/20th century, so to read about an epoch so specific as encapsulated in this book was quite something. I'm English, obviously, but my family has more than a little of Ireland and Catholicism in its heritage, so this book was quite fascinating to me.
August 5, 2023
This book is about my family, and there is combat, intrigue and treachery; even so painfully long and dull. The protagonist is a hateful, stupid ass, and that never helps.
April 24, 2024
I basically liked the story, but the violence finally got to me and I stopped reading. A lot of interesting characters. Some language I could have done without, but great descriptions.
August 4, 2024
The writing was a bit clunky, but overall I enjoyed the story. The English were messed up!! I can't wait to keep reading about our emotional, bad*ss hero.
June 10, 2025
Bad Blood
Great book and well written with excitement and action on almost every page. Set in Elizabethan Ireland and the war for Irish independence.
Great book and well written with excitement and action on almost every page. Set in Elizabethan Ireland and the war for Irish independence.
June 3, 2021
An interesting story of life in Elizabethan Ireland, when the Queen is attempting to overthrow the Irish chieftains, while said chieftains cannot or will not band together en masse to fight her soldiers. Many small bands of raiders pledge allegiance to a chieftain but, in reality, answer to no one. The conflict is also religious: the Church of England supports Elizabeth, while the Papacy essentially ignores the plight of the Catholic Irish.
Even with help from Spain and Scotland, England’s enemies, the Irish chieftains’ weapons & training are inferior; they have few horses and fewer muskets; their victories are small and local, while defeats become dominoes, laying whole counties at the Queen’s feet.
The story of the colonization of Ireland reminded me of the European colonization of the “New World”, with the ruthless and unprincipled destruction of entire villages of people in order to take over the lands, crops & cattle; imposing a new religion on them; stripping them of the rites and language of their ancestors. In this way, I found the story riveting.
On the downside, there are many examples of anachronisms and incorrect homonym usage, as well as passages that read like a documentary rather than a novel. The main character, Eunan, is essentially a leader with no one to lead, as his entire village has been destroyed & all the people (including his family) killed. His character is so malleable that, even as he matures, it’s hard to get a grip on him. Seamus is completely unlikable: he’ll do anything for money, but always has a plan that prevents him from fighting. And the explanation of the title, BAD BLOOD, doesn’t come until the very end of the book, which I found a bit frustrating.
But the era and the extensive research behind the story are so fascinating, I’d recommend it to anyone with a wish to know more about Irish history.
I received an ARC of this novel from StoryOrigins with the proviso that I write an honest review. This review reflects my honest opinion.
Even with help from Spain and Scotland, England’s enemies, the Irish chieftains’ weapons & training are inferior; they have few horses and fewer muskets; their victories are small and local, while defeats become dominoes, laying whole counties at the Queen’s feet.
The story of the colonization of Ireland reminded me of the European colonization of the “New World”, with the ruthless and unprincipled destruction of entire villages of people in order to take over the lands, crops & cattle; imposing a new religion on them; stripping them of the rites and language of their ancestors. In this way, I found the story riveting.
On the downside, there are many examples of anachronisms and incorrect homonym usage, as well as passages that read like a documentary rather than a novel. The main character, Eunan, is essentially a leader with no one to lead, as his entire village has been destroyed & all the people (including his family) killed. His character is so malleable that, even as he matures, it’s hard to get a grip on him. Seamus is completely unlikable: he’ll do anything for money, but always has a plan that prevents him from fighting. And the explanation of the title, BAD BLOOD, doesn’t come until the very end of the book, which I found a bit frustrating.
But the era and the extensive research behind the story are so fascinating, I’d recommend it to anyone with a wish to know more about Irish history.
I received an ARC of this novel from StoryOrigins with the proviso that I write an honest review. This review reflects my honest opinion.
December 28, 2021
„Bad Blood“, by C.R. Dempsey is the first instalment in his brand-new series “Exiles", an interesting fictional approach to historical facts. The story is set in Ireland in the year 1585 follows Eunan Maguire, a young man, forced to flee his town to survive an English raid, and who feels responsible for the death of his parents, who were killed in the raid.
Eventually he meets Seamus MacSheeny, who encourages him to become the leader of the Maguire Clan and claim his deceased father’s voting rights. Eunan struggles to cope with his perceived guilt, while trying to become the new leader of the clan, with Seamus help, without realizing that Seamus has his own hidden agenda. The events somersault as the English attack Fermanagh and Eunan has to joint the fight.
C.R. Dempsey’s series offers a very balanced blend of historical facts and fiction, interwoven into a very interesting story, that highlights the realities of Irish life in the late 1500s. Eunan is an immediately recognizable and relatable character, whose struggles and reactions to his environment and peers are always coherent and credible. Seamus in the perfect counterpart for the story, which is very well-written, fast-paced and action-filled. A compelling, inspiring and interesting story on an important (if not always widely known) time in Irish history.
Eventually he meets Seamus MacSheeny, who encourages him to become the leader of the Maguire Clan and claim his deceased father’s voting rights. Eunan struggles to cope with his perceived guilt, while trying to become the new leader of the clan, with Seamus help, without realizing that Seamus has his own hidden agenda. The events somersault as the English attack Fermanagh and Eunan has to joint the fight.
C.R. Dempsey’s series offers a very balanced blend of historical facts and fiction, interwoven into a very interesting story, that highlights the realities of Irish life in the late 1500s. Eunan is an immediately recognizable and relatable character, whose struggles and reactions to his environment and peers are always coherent and credible. Seamus in the perfect counterpart for the story, which is very well-written, fast-paced and action-filled. A compelling, inspiring and interesting story on an important (if not always widely known) time in Irish history.
August 17, 2022
I couldn't finish the book.
The writing was laborious. A lot of telling instead of showing. When the writer does show its often descriptive scenery text that doesnt move the story forward.
For instance from chapter 2 :
His childhood was a patchwork of pain sewed together with intermittent periods of pleasantness, mainly when his parents left him to do what he wanted.
The story goes on to display this to some extent but oversells it in the dialogue.
Meanwhile from chapter 1:
The village lay before the strangers, neatly tucked into a gap between the luscious forests and the gentle lapping of the lake waves upon the shore. Fields of barley were hemmed in at every available opening, as a protective barrier against starvation. The cows roamed freely, grazing on the delicious grass with a profusion of young calves to support the healthy herd. Pigs poked around the periphery of the village, searching the nooks and crannies of the village palisade and the gnarled and knotted roots of the trees on the shore of the lake for any morsels of food they could find.
While perhaps a vivid description, as a reader I have no idea why I'm in this village in the first place.
I think the subject and the premise are interesting but I simply can't spend valuable reading time working through this book. This book needs a heavy developmental edit before its print ready.
The writing was laborious. A lot of telling instead of showing. When the writer does show its often descriptive scenery text that doesnt move the story forward.
For instance from chapter 2 :
His childhood was a patchwork of pain sewed together with intermittent periods of pleasantness, mainly when his parents left him to do what he wanted.
The story goes on to display this to some extent but oversells it in the dialogue.
Meanwhile from chapter 1:
The village lay before the strangers, neatly tucked into a gap between the luscious forests and the gentle lapping of the lake waves upon the shore. Fields of barley were hemmed in at every available opening, as a protective barrier against starvation. The cows roamed freely, grazing on the delicious grass with a profusion of young calves to support the healthy herd. Pigs poked around the periphery of the village, searching the nooks and crannies of the village palisade and the gnarled and knotted roots of the trees on the shore of the lake for any morsels of food they could find.
While perhaps a vivid description, as a reader I have no idea why I'm in this village in the first place.
I think the subject and the premise are interesting but I simply can't spend valuable reading time working through this book. This book needs a heavy developmental edit before its print ready.
July 23, 2022
This Irish, gore filled, fast paced historical tale (spanning 1571 - 1594) gives great insight into the tensions and frustrations that boiled over for the Irish clans both among themselves and with the English.
The reader can tell this has been a well researched piece of work, weaving the story through the historical events and the historical figures involved. Places in the story that may have played pivotal roles like Enniskillen Castle, Lisnaskea, Strabane, Dungannon and Lough Erne were especially interesting since this reader has visited and lived near them!
The writer has used humour to lighten the darkness of some of those days. Some of the humour made me smile but some of it was a bit below the belt for my taste and also some of the language…other readers may not be bothered by this.
Throughout the book, we are repeatedly told about Eunan’s ‘bad blood’ and near the end, the meaning and the sad story behind it is revealed. And there is a cliffhanger…what will happen to Seamus?? Going to have to pull out book two to find out!
Received this as free copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
The reader can tell this has been a well researched piece of work, weaving the story through the historical events and the historical figures involved. Places in the story that may have played pivotal roles like Enniskillen Castle, Lisnaskea, Strabane, Dungannon and Lough Erne were especially interesting since this reader has visited and lived near them!
The writer has used humour to lighten the darkness of some of those days. Some of the humour made me smile but some of it was a bit below the belt for my taste and also some of the language…other readers may not be bothered by this.
Throughout the book, we are repeatedly told about Eunan’s ‘bad blood’ and near the end, the meaning and the sad story behind it is revealed. And there is a cliffhanger…what will happen to Seamus?? Going to have to pull out book two to find out!
Received this as free copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
September 12, 2021
Bad Blood is the first novel in the ‘Exiles’ series of Irish historical fiction novels. If you love fast-paced action and adventure orientated historical fiction then you will love this book. The novel takes place in Ireland 1585. When Eunan Maguire’s village is raided by the English, he flees, his parents are killed and he blames himself for their death. A great novel for those into historical fiction! I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the book with no monetary compensation.
October 7, 2021
As someone who grew up hearing tales of the Irish Wars I wasn't sure about reading this book but boy am I glad I did. C R Dempsey weaves a tale that could of come straight from my nana's mouth.
A tale of adventure, with enough mystery and history to engage the reader and keep them reading. I can not wait to read more from this author. If you are new to tales of the Irish clans and Irish Wars, flip to the back of the book first to.read the definitions first. The author does a great job of explaining the roles.
All in all a nicely weaved tale of Ireland in the 1585 era.
A tale of adventure, with enough mystery and history to engage the reader and keep them reading. I can not wait to read more from this author. If you are new to tales of the Irish clans and Irish Wars, flip to the back of the book first to.read the definitions first. The author does a great job of explaining the roles.
All in all a nicely weaved tale of Ireland in the 1585 era.
September 16, 2021
This book is well written and it's obvious the author did a lot of research. I read halfway and then skipped to the end because I just wasn't that invested in the characters. The world building is awesome but I don't think the story is about Eunan; it's more about land wars (which are not really my cup of tea). There are dozens of twists and backstabbing characters. I do recommend it if this interests you!!
I received a free copy of this book.
I received a free copy of this book.
August 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this story and it led me to read the next two books. It is a story about a young man who couldn't help the way he came to be. His parents didn't want him so he became a warrior. First he was taken in by a benevolent old soldier turned advisor. Read the book for yourself to find out what happened next.
April 4, 2024
I love reading historical novels and I especially love them when they’re about our history. I enjoyed this story immensely. I love the way the author mixed facts and fiction, and I want to read more about this time of our past.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 28, 2021
I have tried very hard to get into this book, but just find it too hard going. Sorry.
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