Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Head of Zeus, for providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.

4.5 stars!

The first thing I noticed about this book was its title. That and the cover immediately gave me the kind of fantasy vibes I love so much. In the end, it also turned out to be an excellent description of what this book is about :) I loved how the story is based on real events and real Irish history, but also strays a little from that history and incorporates some fantasy elements that truly add to the story.

We follow the lives of two women: Gormflaith, Queen of Dublin and one of the last two Fomorian, an immortal gifted with fire magic. And Fódla, a healer and a descendant of the Tuatha Dé Danann. They are enemies of the Fomorians, and have slain all of them... Or so they believe.

Whereas the last two Fomorians try to gain power and rule over Ireland, the descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann stay hidden in their fortress and do no longer live among the mortals. They only keep an eye on the kings fighting each other, so they can try and keep innocent women and children safe, without meddling in the ways of Men. Men are bloodthirsty beasts that only crave for more power, after all.

I thought Gormflaith was a very well-written character. She is always scheming and plotting and stops at nothing to make her son become what she wants him to be. She has to hide her Fomorian magic to be safe from the Tuatha Dé Danann, but to defeat them is her ultimate goal. To defeat them, and finally be seen as the powerful woman she is.
And on the other hand there was Fódla, spying on another Irish king to try and find out if the innocent people could be kept safe. I loved following her story and seeing her slowly learning that maybe not all men are so evil as she was led to believe. She has to tread very carefully to not go against the rules her kin have set.

I could not put this book down and I'm so happy I got the chance to read it. I recommend it to anyone who loves Irish history and mythology, and enjoys a fair bit of scheming with that :)

A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. Looking forward to hearing more from this author

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I gave this book a shot. I tried over and over. I couldnt get anywhere. with it. I felt like the names were too close to the names from the Vikings shows. It just wasnt my cup of ale

I'm going to start with the end of the book and the Author's Note about the story. Having the further details and context, plus explaining why the changes made were made, really added to the richness of the story.
Onto the story itself, I really enjoyed the dual perspectives of the two female characters and how that progressed the story across years and a vast landscape. This also made for a dramatic meeting when the two finally met, leaving you with a "will Fódla notice?"
The conflict Fódla is fighting with internally is also interesting and I'm keen to see how that plays out, along with her sister's warning to Colmon.
Gormflaith is going to do something drastic, besides the main drastic thing in the King's Hall, and I am very keen to know what and how. She's entirely power driven, for herself and her son, and written in a way that means you can't help but wonder what trick is up her sleeve next.

In a nutshell, the story pulls from history and the beautiful, often overlooked, wealth of Irish myths to build a series of characters you want to know what happens with and to, centred on two very different but equally strong main characters.

I was granted a digital arc by the publisher via NetGalley - thank you to Head of Zeus, NetGalley and Shauna Lawless.

I can’t get over how well-written this debut historic fantasy novel is. Shauna Lawless is one extremely talented and well-read lady. The depth of her research for this book can be seen at every turn and her love for Irish history and mythology shines on every page. The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is easily one of my favourite books so far this year!

This highly intriguing epic is set in tenth century Ireland, a time when the coasts of Ireland are beset by opportunistic Vikings and Christianity is spreading far and wide taking over from the Vikings’ belief in the Norse gods and Valhalla. It follows the fates of a Fomorian - a witch in possession of fire magic who have extremely long lives and do not age until the final year of their life - necessitating that they leave everything and move every so often to hide the fact they are not aging. The Fomorians have been persecuted and almost wiped out by another band of non mortal beings of power, the mysterious Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Descendants believe they have wiped out all of the fire witches, thus saving mankind from their evil. However they have missed two - Gormflaith and her brother.

There are two main point of view characters, whose stories are told in alternate chapters - two very different strong women, Gormflaith the Fomorian and Fódla the Descendant. These are both so well-written many layered females who are hell bent on survival in a man’s world. Both are fiercely protective of their charges - in Gormflaith’s case this is her son, Sitric. Her ambition for him to become a respected King of Dublin knows no bounds. Gormflaith is a relentless, Machiavellian character, extremely smart and well-versed in politics and history, she can see exactly who she needs to manipulate in order to get what she wants for her son Sitric and has no qualms about whatever needs to be done. We see her murdering his rivals in cold blood, using her body where necessary, or any other means available to her to get what she wants. She is someone it would be wise to keep on your side rather than make an enemy of! She was very enjoyable to read.

“The Fomorians were a strange breed to be sure. Power-hungry, dangerous, destructive. It’s in their blood.”

The other main character, Fódla, has sworn to look after her nephew, Broccan, after his mother, her beloved sister Rónnat, is banished to an island by the rest of the Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann for falling pregnant by a mortal. Blessed with healing powers, Fódla is in hiding in a secret fortress with the remainder of the Descendants at the beginning of the story.

She is a much gentler character than Gormflaith, brave but cautious, sensible and loyal to her people, fiercely protective of those she loves and quick to anger over the senselessness of war and the pain and suffering it causes. After voting on a New Agreement, the Descendants have withdrawn from mankind thinking they have saved the mortal race from the witches. Having been warned of the anger and destructive power of mortal men by Tomas, the leader of the Descendants, naturally cautious Fódla is wary of them. She is a rule follower and eventually has to weigh up her protective nature and desire to save lives against her inherent need to follow the rules of her people.

The powers of the Descendants are slowly fading and Tomas, is keen to find ways to strengthen them. Tomas believes that breeding with mortals is a factor in the weakening of their gifts and demands strict punishment when he discovers Rónnat’s pregnancy.

“How strange things had become since we had voted for the New Agreement and withdrawn from the mortals. Laeg had once used her gift to drain and refill rivers and lakes – now it was a party trick to fill wine goblets. Gobnat had once used her gift to change her appearance to kill her enemies – now she used it as a tool for her own vanity.”

Tomas sends Fódla accompanied by four year old Broccan out into the world of men to infiltrate King Brian Boru’s court to spy and report back what she learns about the likelihood of a peace treaty and this is where her story arc really takes off. What Fódla discovers surprises her:

“I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. His words mirrored many of my own thoughts. Was it truly possible that this mortal man wanted to change things? My heart fluttered at the thought of it. A world of peace. A world where a girl like Aoife could have left the fortress on Fennit Island and found a man worthy of her. A land where Broccan could grow up in safety, just as Rónnat wanted. “I hope with all my heart that the treaty holds. Is it possible?””

Fódla was a much nicer character than Gormflaith but somehow she was less compelling. However, I found the diminishing of their magical powers and the decreasing numbers of Descendants being born with gifts to be a very interesting concept. I would love there to have been more focus on the history of this group and to have found out more about their origins - I thought they were fascinating!

“In the old religion, the people of Ireland followed the teachings of the Tuatha Dé Danann. There were fewer rules to be sure, less judgement. Our ancestors spoke of peace and love, but also, I had to admit, revelled in mischief. The new religion had none of that.”

The characters were what really grabbed me with this book, I do love strong female protagonists, but there is also plenty of detailed world-building. Ireland and the other locations are painted lovingly by Lawless and the history and mythology are ever present without there being any sense of too much information being given at once. The magic and ‘gifts’ feel like natural magical skills rather than outlandish powers. There are no spell books or magical equipment involved. The action is fast paced and exciting and the inevitable meeting of the two sides and the two main characters had me holding my breath, waiting to see if Fódla would recognise Gormflaith as a Fomorian.

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this book just as much as those who love epic fantasy and I cannot recommend it highly enough!! It absorbed my full attention on the first page and didn’t let go of me until the bitter end. Bring on the sequel and then the TV adaptation!

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is the first book in a historical fantasy series inspired by Irish mythology. I found the plot to be compelling throughout and the characters are all well written. One of the main strengths of this book was the political intrigue - it was so well done. Overall I enjoyed this one and would recommend checking it out.

Wow, go get this one as soon as possible. It’s like an adult Percy Jackson meets a mysterious Brandon Sanderson book.

The first in a gripping new historical fantasy series that intertwines Irish mythology with real-life history, Wow what a rollercoaster of a ride… jaw-dropping and edge-of-the-seat… Instantly hooked… I literally couldn't put it down… I can't recommend this book enough!!!!

I had mixed feelings about his book and when i actually started reading it, guess what? I couldn't stop. Wonderfully crafted with plot inspired from Irish myths and legends and well built characters, you simply cannot help but get enamoured with the book. An absolute delight!

This is one of those stories where as soon as I put it down, I thirst for the rest of the series.
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men felt long but every second where I wasn't doing something, I had to read it. The urge to keep reading, and acquaint myself with the characters, swelled within me as soon as I woke up in the morning.
First, the most compelling part of this story are it's characters. The POV is mainly split between two characters: Fodla and Gormflaith. Two powerful, and vital women. The ways in which these two channel their power, and influence a society that women are widely unaccepted in as anything besides a mother, is fascinating. The Children of Gods and Fighting Men bleeds femininity, god knows I love it.
There is not a lot to say about this book without spoiling it, but if you thirst for a solid fantasy with strong female main-characters, invest in this one! Honestly, I don't care what your preferences usually are, invest in this novel anyways. I am confident Lawless' series will go far. Her characters and world are wonderfully forged. This is just the beginning.

I absolutely love it when I end up being blown away by a book that I had virtually no knowledge about before reading it. Such is exactly the case with THE CHILDREN OF GODS AND FIGHTING MEN by Shauna Lawless. All I knew going into it was that it dealt a good deal with Irish mythology/history and also had a solid basis in the pagan vs Christian split in Ireland at that time. And yes, there are Vikings, so I had some inkling that this book would be right up my alley. But I wasn't prepared for just how "up my alley" it was.

So many things kept me glued this story. One in particular was the amazingly executed political maneuvering and intrigue. I mentioned in one of my updates that it is really hard to pull off a story with lots of political intrigue because you have to make it interesting or you will quickly lose the reader. Well, this is some of the most tightly written and compelling maneuvering that I've come across quite honestly. The newly widowed Gormflaith is determined almost to the point of obsession to help her only son Sitric rise to become King of Dublin. And the lengths that she goes to try and place him on the throne are limitless. I was inspired by her dedication and yes, also her calculated scheming at times. But we all know that a mother's love can sometimes lead to extraordinary measures being taken in defense of their children, am I right? (See Orka from John Gwynne's Bloodsworn trilogy).

As the story goes on we get introduced to other characters who are on the complete opposite side of the coin in their motivations and desires. And that is really what made this book such a captivating read, both sides are given equal time through the alternating POVs and we get to view how the ensuing conflict develops through each of their perspectives. One thing is very clear, both sides think they are the "good guys" despite the growing feeling that neither one of them may be in actuality. And yet each has a strong sense that they should lead, resulting in many a violent altercation as you would expect.

I feel like there is so much that I want to say about this book but nothing seems profound enough or nearly sufficient to do it justice. All I can say is as I was reading it, with every passing chapter, I got the sense that I was reading the start of a series that is going to make big waves once it is released into the world. There's so much crossover appeal here with plenty to enjoy for fantasy fans, historical fiction aficionados, and those who love a good dose of folklore. Honestly, I can't wait until more people get an opportunity to experience it.

Lawless writes historical fiction steeped in fantasy and mythology like Bernard Cornwell, Mary Stewart, and Stephen Lawhead at the top of their games. I don't say this lightly either, I'm aware of the track record and accomplishments of these authors. But I have to say that Lawless more than holds her own among that lofty company. If you are an admirer of those books, you will absolutely love this.

Okay, i'm done gushing. Maybe. I'll just finish by saying that I was so impressed with every single aspect of this book. Shauna Lawless has loudly and triumphantly announced her presence to the world with this unforgettable debut and first book in the Gael Song series. Preorder it now because this is just one of those books that you must read the moment it is available. THE CHILDREN OF GODS AND FIGHTING MEN is truly an epic tale that nobody is going to want to miss. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to deal with waiting for book two!

Part history, part fantasy, mostly a bloody good read, this book sweeps the reader along and keeps you engaged all the way, you almost don't want the end of the book to happen

This was a beautifully written story. From the first page where the names were also written phonetically to the last I couldn’t put it down. It had a root in ancient Irish history and on that base the author has written an awesome tale. I look forward to reading more from Shauna Lawless.

This was such a riveting read that was well written, with an enchanting storyline and well developed characters that i really liked. This was much better than I expected and I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be reading more by this author.