Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this novel. I have read some of Emma Donoghue’s work and I wanted to read this one to continue my journey of reading all of this author’s work.

This is a story of three religious monks, in 7th century Ireland, on a journey to discover an island to build a safe place away from the sins of the world.
And that is basically it….oh and birds.. lots and lots of birds!

I really enjoyed the narrator of this. Their voice was perfect and was a highlight of the whole experience of reading this for me.

This book was so well written and in theory easy to follow, but man was the boring. Very character driven.
I want this book to find it’s readers because I really think there will be some people who find this work amazing.

2 stars.

I've loved Emma Donoghue ever since I read Hood. I have faithfully read and enjoyed every book she has published since.

I was looking forward to reading this one because of the setting. When I learned I might be going to Ireland in the summer of 2022 (the trip didn't happen), I only had one place I wanted to visit: Skellig Michael. Not because I am a Star Wars fan. Not because I'm particularly religious, but because of the birds. So I was beyond excited when I learned that Donoghue's latest would be about the founding of the monastery there. (Even more excited when I saw the gannet in the British edition!)

I enjoyed the book's opening, but quickly grew to hate Artt. Reeling against the excesses of the church, Artt and his companions took the bare minimum on their journey. Although Trian and Cormac--the monks who accompanied him--were concerned, they had sworn fealty to Artt and accepted Artt's decisions.

Artt was a very Old Testament monk. he believed in self sacrifice to honor God and did not understand why Trian and Cormac had other priorities (some biological, some ecological). Disclaimer: I have issued with men who hide behind theology to inflict harm upon others. As expected Trian and Cormac are not pleased and things end up coming to a head.

My rating is most likely a 3.5. The writing style is descriptive and lyrical, but the story was not always engaging and seemed to move at a glacial pace.

Ugh, I REALLY love Emma Donoghue but this book just didn't do anything for me! Sooooo slow moving and I wasn't interested in what the monks were doing AT ALL. I honestly had to force myself to keep reading and came very close to giving up multiple times. Sadly not for me but I do appreciate an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review. Recommended for fans of Edward Rutherfurd or Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth series.

I loved the narrator of this book. This was very surprising to me, not my typical read. It is a simmering story of sacrifice and commitment to a destiny to serve God, that puts three men at odds with the elements, their faith, their egos, and how they relate to power. Their leader becomes more and more rigid, unreasonable and nearly cruel, and it is a study in how man unchecked can be tyrannical. I enjoyed this book. I was expecting more to happen in terms of plot, but Emma Donoghue is such an incredible writer I am very glad to have spent time with HAVEN.

Inspired by the archaeological site and monastic settlement, Emma Donoghue tells a story set on Skellig Michael, that follows three monks in the 7th century as they withdraw from the world of sin and set on a holy journey to create a "Haven". The novel gives readers insight into the humanness of their thoughts and their individual relationships with faith as they face hardships that test it. Beautifully written, detailed, and researched - this read is for you if your interests are in historical literary fiction.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

It was fascinating to step into the world of eighth century Irish monks. It is such a closed off world that it feels claustrophobic, made even worse when the three main characters set off for a remote island and stay there for the remainder of the book. The story felt like it dragged in some points, with the monks going about their daily tasks, but there is an underlying feeling of dread that some awful tragedy will befall them all, and that it made it compelling enough to continue. The struggle between the men, of knowing how much to sacrifice in order to grow closer to God, without going too far, was interesting to witness. Emma Donahue always leaves me thinking about the story long after you’ve finished it, and I’m sure it will be the same with this one. Narrator Aidan Kelly did a phenomenal job as well.

Seventh Century, Ireland

Artt, a scholar and priest, had a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. So, he sets out with Cormac and Trian. As the drift off into the Atlantic they come across a rocky island (Skellig Michael) and claim it for God. The island is relatively bare save for the rocks and thousands of birds who live there. The island is a bleak setting where survival is paramount and the search for food is important and following rules is paramount.


I had both the kindle and audiobook versions of this book. I found myself going back and forth between the two but have to say the narrator had the perfect voice for this book.

Speaking of the book, it is hard for me to rate. The writing is beautiful, and the descriptions are vivid and so well done. Everything takes place in a slow fashion. I am not a slow build/slow book fan but this one worked as I imagined their days full of toil, building, and transcribing must have felt. Plus, this is not an action book. It's a book about the men, their faith, their days, and their survival.

Beautifully written, thought out and researched.

I receive this book from the publisher through netgalley.com I am voluntarily leaving this review.

I really like this author so I was excited to read this one however, once I dove in I was less than thrilled. It was not a difficult read and the writing is beautiful as always. I think it may be the subject matter. I was excited for Artt, Trian and Cormac to set off to find a new monastery but once they did I was reminded of the pitfalls of so many of the pious.

When asked about building shelter Artt wanted a church instead, when they asked to go to the closer islands to trade for food their request was denied. The careless way in which Trian was asked to kill birds to supply them with fat for fires and taking more than they needed for so many things was just devastating to me. There was no care for the land or the creatures that had inhabited it before they got there.

Artt believed that God had sent him to this island and provided all the birds and fish for him. Such arrogance is the same reason African's were enslaved, and Native peoples almost wiped out. Missionaries who go into jungles to "save" people who have been living quite well on their own wiped out by diseases carried by these people who think that saving their souls is worth killing the entire population. The arrogance of man knows no bounds.

So while I didn't really like the book it was definitely thought provoking and well written. Ultimately in the end I believe Cormac was the smartest person on the island. God does provide but you have to be smart enough to use the tools he provides.

I think I spent way too much time reading about this journey. I also read Odyssey but this is not as epic as that. I waited for an a-ha moment where reading about this lengthy journey and watching a bully torture two other men would make sense. However, it never came. It started as it ended.

Artt had a dream - he was supposed to go to this unknown island and devote his life to God and sinless life there. He needed two more men from his monastery: one young, one old. Convincing the other men, they started their journey. Artt forced them to take bare minimum and constantly said God would provide. This should have been the first indicator of how much of a bully he was and how things would escalate later.

I want to believe that this was more of a psychological journey of Artt. Young and old men were him at those ages. Young man, Trian, represented Artt when he was naive and wanted to please everyone (yet still exiled to a monastery, left alone and bullied). Artt, at his current age, depicted a man who had some trauma that he coped by doing exactly what was done to him. Old man, Cormac, represented Artt when he started understand life itself and made peace with the past to not to repeat same mistakes. It was somewhat deep story, but also made me want to scream “who is gonna say no to this bullish man?!”

While the prose was beautifully written, I just could not get into this story. You definitely need to be in the right mindset for this one and unfortunately I wasn't. Far too slow with minimal emotional connection.

Haven by Emma Donoghue is a really great historical fiction! It’s about three monks in the seventh century Ireland who travel to a remote island. I was utterly transported back in time. I have read Emma’s previous book Room and loved it. This is my second read by her and I’m amazing at her range in writing characters. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Aiden Kelly and he did a spectacular job! It really felt like an authentic narrative. It was a great journey traveling with the monks to the island and finding out what happens to them there.
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Thank you to Hachette Audio via NetGalley for my ALC!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown & Company and Hachette Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest treasure by a favorite, Emma Donoghue, hauntingly narrated by - 5 stars!

Taking place in 7th Century Ireland, a monk, Artt, has a dream that he needs to take two other monks, young Trian and older Cormac. The dream states that they must leave the sinful world and travel to a deserted island to start a monastery. They must leave behind all but the barest of essentials and travel to what is known today as Skellig Michael.

I started reading the digital copy but soon switched full time to the audiobook, because the narrator's haunting voice added so much feeling to the words. Emma Donoghue has once again created an entire world in which to immerse yourself, only to make you pause, think, and grow - which to me is what reading is all about. This book has so much to think about - as the three monks faced so very many trials, are these problems that God sends to teach us or are they from the devil to tempt us towards sin? And the arrogance of so many religious leaders that do terrible things to others in God's name. I am a Catholic and loved listening to the prayers and rituals of these monks. The faith these men showed was so commendable but God also gave us free will to think about our actions, so maybe not such blind faith in man and more in God. This book shows how fanaticism usually always leads down the wrong path.

Not an easy book or one for everyone, but one that I highly recommend!

One thing Emma Donoghue taught me in her new novel "Haven" — I would have never made it as a monk in seventh-century Ireland. Three monks set out on a journey to find an isolated spot to build a monastery after Artt, a scholar and a priest, has a vision telling him to escape humanity and leave the sinful world behind. The remote spot Artt picks is no "Haven." It's a bird-infested, rocky nightmare of an island, and there's a reason it's uninhabited. Donoghue's talent for beautiful imagery is on display in this novel, but I had a hard time warming to the story. Maybe it was that unlikable, infuriating, power-hungry religious zealot Artt? He was supposed to be the saintly one, but I admired his companions, Corman and Trian, for their mercifulness. I would have definitely shoved Artt off one of those craggy rocks in the first few days.

This is very different from Donoghue's other books that I have read. It is set in 7th century Ireland and and involves a priest and 2 monks who set sail to a remote and deserted island. I really liked the vivid descriptions of the scenery. The narrator definitely does an excellent job of bringing the island to life, I really felt like I was there. As the story progressed, it became increasingly more difficult for these men to survive and this was conveyed very well in the audio version. There were times that my mind wandered while listening, but overall I liked that this was different and felt that it was well-written. I did feel that the ending was a little out there and didn't seem to fit with the beginning and middle. Still, a worthwhile and unique read.

As much as I love Emma Donoghue, I can't say I enjoyed this one at all. It read like a how-to manual on survival (or slow death) on a rocky, bird-infested, shit hole of an island with an obtuse, over zealous, infuriating monk. I really struggled with all the nature writing (it's not really my bag) and while I actually really liked the other main characters - it wasn't enough to keep me invested. Very disappointed - but I'm sure this book will find its audience with the more literary set. I just wasn't in the mood unfortunately.

I had a really hard time getting into this story. The idea around this book and the concept of 3 religious men and their story intrigued me. This book was too slow, it took to long to get off the ground.

I love Emma's books and will keep a candle burning for her next best seller! Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC.

I'm a HUGE Emma Donoghue fan, but I just couldn't finish this. It was so slow, so uninspiring.

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Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

This review is solely on the audio as I've already reviewed the print version. I did not like the narrator. I understand with the story that this narrator was a good choice, but I didn't like the book so the narrator felt monotonous and like he drew the story out.

Here's my review of the print:


"For full disclosure, I toggled back and forth between the print and audio versions of this book. I really didn't like this book. I'm not sure if I didn't realize the level of preachy religion that was in it, but I loved Room, so I requested this one, somewhat blindly thinking I would like it no matter what. I was wrong. It felt preachy and was just not for me. The prose was too flowery and poetic for my taste. It was well written, but not for me. I am giving the book 3 stars because it was so well written and I know there will be many people who enjoy this story. It just wasn't for me."

Emma Donoghue is a masterful storyteller and I’ve enjoyed all of her past works I’ve had the opportunity to read.
Haven has beautiful prose as it explores the survival and faith of 3 monks in 7th century Ireland as they try to create a ‘Haven’.
Aiden Kelly does a wonderful job narrating and making the storyline intriguing, as some of the time story was slow.
As someone not very religious, I suspect aspects of this may have gone over my head and would be more appreciated by those with a background or better understanding of this topic.
Thank you Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the early ALC in exchange for an honest review.