Yanshui asked Juliet Marillier:

How "historical" is the universe of the Seven Waters / Blackthorn & Grim / Warrior Bard series? On the surface, it seems like a timeless fantasy version of medieval Ireland, but digging deeper, there are plenty of historical references such as the coming of the Norsemen, that hint at specific historical period. I'm not familiar enough with Irish history to puzzle it out yet!

Juliet Marillier Good question, Yanshui! All three series give a nod to real Irish history, but I didn't pay as much attention to getting the historical detail right as I should have in the first three Sevenwaters books, so while it is theoretically dated around 900CE, the British part of it feels like a much later period with its manor houses and its Norman-derived character names. All three series are set some time in between the first Norse arrivals in Ireland and the Anglo-Norman arrivals. But really, despite my getting better with my historical research in my later books, I've also embraced the fantasy side of the stories so your suggestion of 'timeless fantasy version of medieval Ireland' is entirely appropriate. That not only allows me to include magic, but also to tweak the geography if required and also make the relationships between characters a bit more relevant to the world we live in. (Geography-wise, a lot of it is pretty accurate - I've been to many of the locations.)
all the best, Juliet

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