Epic fantasy?? Definitely but I've been reading so much of that that there were moments that I wished I had more of a wow factor, I did like it but I felt like I was missing something, sometimes I also couldn't understand some of the actions of the main character and her reasons but yeah, the journey was fun but I needed a little bit more

DNF at 21%. I thought this sounded like a cool concept, and I like high fantasy, but this didn't really bring anything new to the table. Ben was a compelling character, as a man completely out of place and some sort of high elf with a serious angst problem, but the rest of the story did not hold up. Una could have been replaced with a cardboard cutout and most of the plot would have still gone the same. Also, I did not care for the setting. It was medieval Ireland/British Isles inspired, but in the gritty, dark medieval way that's just...not very accurate, or fun to read.
All in all, not a book for me.

L.M. Riviere's "The Sons of Mil" is a captivating introduction to the Innisfail Cycle, weaving a world steeped in history, magic, and political intrigue. With a continent divided between the immortal Sidhe and the human Sons of Mil, the stage is set for a grand adventure simmering with tension.

Riviere's prose is a delight. Lush descriptions bring the world of Innisfail to life, from the windswept wilderness to the grandeur of noble courts. The characters, both heroes and villains, are richly drawn, each with their own motivations and complexities. Ben Maeden, the reluctant protagonist, is particularly compelling, a man haunted by his past who finds himself thrust into the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.

What truly elevates "The Sons of Mil" is its intricate web of political maneuvering and the ever-present threat of war. Riviere masterfully balances action and character development, leaving the reader both invested in the fate of the characters and eager to see how the political landscape unfolds. Hints of romance and dark humor add depth and keep the story engaging.

Fans of epic fantasy will find much to love in "The Sons of Mil." It's a world begging to be explored further, and the characters' journeys promise to be thrilling. Be prepared to be swept away by a story that lingers long after the last page is turned.

Highly recommend for readers who enjoy:

Rich world-building with a touch of mythology
Complex characters with hidden depths
A blend of action, intrigue, and political maneuvering
A captivating first book that sets the stage for an epic series

The Sons of Mil is such a fun and interesting fantasy. Although in parts it was a bit hard to follow along with the world building, exact locations and characters I still really enjoyed reading this. I also really loved how unique this was with Irish mythology being a focal point. Overall I would really recommend to any fantasy/high fantasy lovers.

Hello and welcome back to another episode of me, Matilda, choosing a book purely based off the book cover. This one is so fun. Sometimes 'epic' fantasies don't sit right with me, and often fall into the fantasy therefore it's YA trap (no shade to YA, it's just not for me i'm discovering). Yes, sometimes the writing is a bit clunky and drops huge lumps of information in not a particularly cohesive way, but ill be damned if its not a fun read! You can definitely see the influence from other fantasy novelists, not complaining at all, and I really enjoy the Irish mythology. I think where I personally found this book most successful, was when it seemed to shift a little into Sci-Fi's shoes, love.

Would definitely recommend if you're looking to get into more of a series type read.

4 .5. Ben is my all time fav character of this series! He is such a real character, by this I mean he is genuine with his emotions but his moral compass always wins! I love how this gets him into crazy situations be absolutely hates. I did have a hard time with the politics but in all it was an interesting read. Thank you for a copy. I am looking forward in reading the next book in the series! Thank you so much for the copy of this book

🇬🇧this was fun to read! I don’t have much to say so I won’t prepare a whole review for my blog, but I can say I had some good time reading it! Maybe a little bit long and filled with informations that weren’t always necessary or logic, but it was cool to finally be able to read something that had to do with Irish and Scottish folklore. I especially loved the world-building and the atmospheres that were created, while an aspect I didn’t fully appreciated were (some of) the characters, which I found a bit dull.
🇮🇹questo libro è abbastanza carino da leggere. Non ho molto da dire a riguardo quindi non preparerò una recensione vera e propria per il blog, ma è stato divertente. Forse è un po’ troppo lungo e pieno di informazioni che spesso si sono ritrovate un po’ inutili a mio parere, ma comunque è stato interessante leggere finalmente un libro sul folclore Irlandese e Scozzese. Per questo mi è piaciuta molto l’ambientazione e com’è costruito il mondo mentre non ho apprezzato appieno alcuni dei personaggi.

Una has been selected by her scheming father, her scheming grandmother, and her scheming cousin to be the Queen. Even if she doesn't want to , especially because this will be war to Innisfail's doorstep, so in a last desperate attempt to avoid the fate her family has written for her, she runs. Right into Ben Maeden, a man who has been banished from the place he's called home for the last twenty six years and unable to return to his real home the last thing he needs is a girl who is clearly trouble with a capital T tagging along with him. But as it becomes increasingly clear that Una may be the key to getting his life back and finally being able to go home. That is if they are able to stay alive.

Did I get into this book right away? No, not even a little bit. Honestly, for about half of the book, the only reason I stuck with it was because I was determined to not DNF another eArc. I'm really glad I made that decision because while the it was extremely slow to start and I believe revealing certain things earlier in the book (how the "magic" works specifically) would have helped the start of this book immensely. That being said there is a breaking point where this went from something I was barely interested in that had taken me a full week to get to that point to a book I stayed up until 2am to finish last night. Honestly, it had less to do with anything I just said up there, getting better and more about a clear confidence in the story Riviere was writing and beginning to shine through. Dialogue became more polished, and battle scenes were more intense and throughly well written. There is simply a point where you can almost see her realizing she was writing a damn good story.

In terms of character development, this was excellent. While the main character Ben has the most growth, Una demonstrates a lot of growth as well. And I think what makes her growth a little better is that she realizes she still has a lot of growing to do as she interacts with the general population of Innisfail. The progression of their relationship is well done as well. They support each other, and while yes, Ben tries to protect her, he also realizes that she can protect herself and others too. Quite honestly, between the two of them, they could probably destroy half of Innisfail and barely break a sweat, which is great. OP power couple is definitely my jam.

The bad guys are insane. Like insane. Especially Damek and Aoife and The Dema. Look, their all nuts, but Damek is like a sleazy, slimeball type of insane but also intelligent, so you really want to punch him in the face.

The magic system isn't really a magic system, and I'm not going to go into it because it'll give it away, but while it's not really groundbreaking, it's simple and devastatingly effective.

The pacing, once we get past the beginning, is excellent. This is an action paced adventure fantasy that takes us from one end to Innisfail and back again while balancing battle scenes against plot and character development perfectly.


Overall, if you start reading this and get frustrated like I did, don't give up. I promise it's worth it. This is one of the bloodiest, funniest fantasy stories I've read written by a woman in a long time and quite frankly I feel like given the level of violence in here if Riviere could have she would have included piggy bombs here. And as we all know, that's the highest honor I can bestow an author.

As always, thanks to Lights Out Ink and Netgalley for the eArc!

4/5!
A great chunky fantasy read!
I loved the Irish mythology and the fantastic world building and descriptions.
Had some minor difficulty keeping up with the plethora of characters, especially when going back and forth locations.
I came to love the multiple POVs and the character development. Great slowburn, done very well with no insta-love at all.

I loved details into Irish mythology . The authors twrote these tales in a unique style and approach. I WILL DEFENTLY CO.TINUE THE SERIES. I LOVED Ben so much.
Plus I couldn't put the book down

Excellent book! I loved the use of Irish mythology in a fantasy setting, thought the prose was well written with likeable characters.

Loved the intricate world building, history, politics and sense of adventure

Thank you NetGalley! This was absolutely amazing. Such an epic fantasy. I really enjoyed the mythology aspect and the vast array of characters. There is a lot of world building, so you really have to invest into the story but it is well worth it.

I really appreciated the author's knowledge of and passion for Irish mythology and folklore, but I've read a lot of dense and complex fantasy settings by now and I need a greater hook to pull me in at this point.

I'll keep it on my WTR list on goodreads in case I find a strong interest in the material in the future.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy!

Definitely a deeply detailed dive into Irish mythology that I absolutely loved. While there are so many books about fae and elves in general but this is the first I've seen that have Tuatha De Denann in it and I was incredibly excited to read this. The authors take on these tales is one of the most intriguing things about this and I have every intention of continuing this series. There were parts where I was so engrossed that I could not put it down but there were others that felt as if it dragged on a little too much. And I absolutely adored our unwilling hero Ben and all the secrets he holds close to his chest. While I didn't love Una as much as I thought I would, I did still like her and am fascinated to know the truth surrounding her.

There is nothing I love so much as a good, meaty, chunky fantasy novel to get lost in. The Sons of Mil more than delivered on that front, and I absolutely loved it! I don't think this is a book for everyone, but I do think it's quite the hidden gem for fans of high fantasy.

As high fantasy, this one definitely requires some patience and some careful reading, but I found the glossary and the character list to both be immensely helpful. The effort it takes to truly delve into this world is so worth it. The politics are intricately woven, and all of the various relationships between characters are elaborately drawn, but to me, that really brought this story to life and kept me turning pages.

L. M. Riviere writes absolutely beautifully. Her prose is so lush and atmospheric, I was able to truly sink into this story. The witty dialogue was so entertaining that by the end, I was left feeling so attached to our main characters that I can't wait to continue this series. I also found it very impressive that this book didn't "feel long" as I was reading, given that it's over 500 pages long.

All in all, I could keep rambling on about how much I enjoyed this read, but suffice it to say that I'm planning on immediately adding this trilogy to my shelves so that they can live with my other high fantasy favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions presented here are my own.

In the misty past, where old gods rule, magic exists, and races brush against one another uneasily. This is epic fantasy of politics, religion, the politics of religion, war, love, and finding purpose. And, of course, lots of action. Ben Maeden, haunted by his past, is allowing himself to fall into drunken
forgetfulness until in an act of unusual
conscience he helps a young noblewoman
pursued by a band of mercenaries. Together they run, trying to outrace the enemies following them and to stop a war, if they can.
Based on Irish folklore, this is a rich world
vith well developed characters, governments social mores, and uneasy peace between races and countries. There are a number of people which can be a little difficult to keep track of, particularly in the beginning but there is an appendix that helps. The pov switches between a number of characters, including the people chasing after Ben and Una, so these are not one dimensional "bad" guys. I like it when people are nuanced and even the "good" people aren't always "good."
Definitely a book to pick up and get lost in if you like fae, magic and epic fantasy.

This was a book I struggled to get into at first, but the writing style kept me engaged as it was incredibly descriptive and engaging. I think one of the things I enjoyed most through the novel were the references to Celtic lore. This is something I seek in books and found in abundance in The Sons of Mil. I enjoyed Ben's journey throughout the book and watching him transition from a highly reluctant ally to more traditionally heroic protagonist.

Some of the reveals within the story weren't as surprising as I think they were meant to be, but with the language tracking needed to keep things straight, this didn't bother me. One thing I wish I knew when I started the book was that there was a glossary and reference guides at the back. Though, I think I failed to find this until the end of the book due to reading it as an ebook rather than with a physical copy where flipping back and forth would be easier.

My one true gripe was wishing Una, our leading female protagonist, had more agency. It often felt that she was being pushed around at the whims of others, including Ben at times. While this was a key problem for women that was established in this world, her being sidelined and waiting around for males to return was something I wish there was less of. However, as this was central to her role in the story and her motivations I am hoping that in the next book she is able to break free more as the plot progresses.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and plan on reading the sequel. A big thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for reviewing it!

I really enjoyed this book. There was initially a lot of information to digest, but once the characters were established it was easy to keep track of them. I loved the play on Celtic mythology and historic elements throughout the story. It didn't feel too long or overwhelming and was a strong start to the series. I'm looking forward to continuing the rest!

I had a little bit of a hard time with this, a lot of jumping and introducing new characters in a completely different setting. I had to DNF about halfway through.

The Sons of Mil was a fantastic book and a great setup for the series as a whole. It was difficult to get into The Sons of Mil at the start due to the large amount of characters and descriptions, but that is found in nearly any High Fantasy so it was not much of a deterrent. Especially considering the fact that there is a glossary at the end of the book! I also struggled throughout the first half due to the use of Gaelic spelling throughout the book, I eventually got used to it and could read it smoothly. Though it may be more difficult for readers who haven't seen Gaelic spellings before or who aren't used to the English language as a whole. The Sons of Mil does include graphic descriptions of violence, so it is not for the feint of heart in that regard. As for the story as a whole! The plot was deeply complex, including multiple points of views each with their own scheming that unraveled throughout the story. The main perspective, with Ben Maeden, was easily my favorite as I loved the characters and their growth throughout the story. I also loved the romance in this book. It is definitely a slow burn, the most well-done, natural feeling slow burn I have ever read, in fact. The Sons of Mil took me longer to read than I am used to, but it was such a good read. I can't wait to continue the story with the second book!

This review is also posted to Goodreads, Storygraph, and Instagram @Dellasbookshelf and will eventually be posted to X and Threads @Dellasbookshelf