Member Review
Review by
Vivienne O, Reviewer
My thanks to Penguin Random House U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Sláine the Horned God’ by Pat Mills. It is narrated by a full cast and has a running time of 2 hours, 47 minutes.
Sláine the Horned God is an extremely popular comic series that premiered in the U.K. comic magazine 2000AD in 1983. This dramatised production provides an excellent introduction to this classic barbarian fantasy series.
My late husband was a devoted fan of 2000AD and knowing my interest in Irish mythology introduced me to Sláine the Horned God. He also felt that its feminist aspects would also appeal. He was right.
At the opening the tribes of Tír na nÓg are under the domination of the drunes; a dark cult of druids who have poisoned the land with their magic. The warrior Sláine seeks out Danu, the Earth Goddess, from whom he learns some shocking truths about the priesthood and his own future.
Danu offers Sláine the opportunity to become her consort, the Horned God, by defeating the Lord Weird Slough Fegg, who had refused to die when his seven-year reign as Horned God ended and has unnaturally extended his life. If Sláine achieves this it would restore the worship of the Goddess and also improve the position of women in their society.
This was simply excellent. I listened to it over the course of a morning and was totally enthralled. The performances were outstanding including Colin Morgan as Sláine and Gerry O’Brien as Ukko, the dwarf, who is Sláine’s companion and the chronicler of his adventures. Ukko is very much comic relief with great banter between him and the druidess Nest, who ‘encourages’ Ukko to write down the saga. Nest, who was portrayed by Fiona Glascott, was my favourite character.
The cast also included Ayoola Smart as Niamh, Gemma Whelan as Medb/Megrim, and Stephen Hogan as chief baddie Lord Weird Slough Fegg.
This is barbarian fantasy at its finest, drawing deeply on the mythic cycles of Ireland. I unreservedly recommend this audiobook.
Sláine the Horned God is an extremely popular comic series that premiered in the U.K. comic magazine 2000AD in 1983. This dramatised production provides an excellent introduction to this classic barbarian fantasy series.
My late husband was a devoted fan of 2000AD and knowing my interest in Irish mythology introduced me to Sláine the Horned God. He also felt that its feminist aspects would also appeal. He was right.
At the opening the tribes of Tír na nÓg are under the domination of the drunes; a dark cult of druids who have poisoned the land with their magic. The warrior Sláine seeks out Danu, the Earth Goddess, from whom he learns some shocking truths about the priesthood and his own future.
Danu offers Sláine the opportunity to become her consort, the Horned God, by defeating the Lord Weird Slough Fegg, who had refused to die when his seven-year reign as Horned God ended and has unnaturally extended his life. If Sláine achieves this it would restore the worship of the Goddess and also improve the position of women in their society.
This was simply excellent. I listened to it over the course of a morning and was totally enthralled. The performances were outstanding including Colin Morgan as Sláine and Gerry O’Brien as Ukko, the dwarf, who is Sláine’s companion and the chronicler of his adventures. Ukko is very much comic relief with great banter between him and the druidess Nest, who ‘encourages’ Ukko to write down the saga. Nest, who was portrayed by Fiona Glascott, was my favourite character.
The cast also included Ayoola Smart as Niamh, Gemma Whelan as Medb/Megrim, and Stephen Hogan as chief baddie Lord Weird Slough Fegg.
This is barbarian fantasy at its finest, drawing deeply on the mythic cycles of Ireland. I unreservedly recommend this audiobook.
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