The Words of Kings and Prophets: an epic fantasy novel based on Irish history, myth and legend (Gael Song)
Shauna Lawless
4.6
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men: Gael Song, Book 1
by Shauna LawlessCategory
About this book
The first in a gripping new historical fantasy series that intertwines Irish mythology with real-life history, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is the thrilling debut novel by Shauna Lawless. They think they've killed the last of us... 981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son – and herself – but Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long. Gormflaith also has a secret. She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world – like the Tuatha DE Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians. FOdla is one of the Tuatha DE Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. FOdla agrees to help her kin by going to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High King of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war – a war she is desperate to stop. However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and the Fomorians now on the rise... 'Highlander meets The Last Kingdom in this assured and captivating debut... I was hooked from page one.' Anthony Ryan 'Gripping and beautiful. A Celtic Last Kingdom with wild magic and fierce heroines.' Anna Smith Spark 'I really enjoyed the book. It's an excellent read.' Mark Lawrence 'A beguiling blend of fantasy, history, and politics. A gripping start to this series.' D.K. Fields 'A vividly written story that makes the ancient past feel contemporary.' Joseph O'Connor 'Rife with atmosphere and armies, magic and compelling characters, it swept me along and refused to be put down.' H.M. Long 'An epic historical fantasy that weaves myth and history into a sprawling tale of magic, intrigue, and war. Absorbing and richly detailed.' Ian Green 'With all the complex political machinations of A Song of Ice and Fire and the bloody battles of The Warlord Chronicles, it's ideal for fans of both.' Stephen Aryan 'An atmospheric journey into a thrilling historical fantasy world.' R.J. Barker
Available Formats
Paperback: $15.99 Audiobook: $0.00
What readers are saying
AnonymousGreat start to a series
"I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book. It is a great start to a fantasy series and I can't wait to pick up book 2. While light on fantasy elements as others have said, that is not the point of this book and does not hinder the story in any way. Both main perspectives were expertly done. ["
January 28, 2026 Verified Purchase
HeatherGreat Historical Fiction, But Felt Lacking For Fantasy
"3.75 rounded to 4. Not my favorite, but I liked it more than just "ok" it just wasn't quite what I expected going into this book. While magic does exist in this world, it felt more like historical fiction, which I do enjoy on occasion (especially about Ireland)! It reminded me almost of Morgan Llewelyn's historical fiction books that take place in Ireland, but with less historical accuracy. The book is full of political intrigue and backstabbing and a fight between two "magical" races, at war with each other, both trying to stay alive as the world moves from paganism to Christianity. I feel like you need to have a love of Irish history or enjoy historical fiction to really enjoy this book, because it's not a typical fantasy read and more history than magic. I think this is a good book, the writing was well done, the plot was interesting from a historical standpoint, and I loved getting two POVs, one from each side of the conflict. I appreciated that the book focused on two female main characters living in a world of fighting men and what that looked like during the time period. I also appreciated motherhood being a big theme in the book. This book probably would have been rated higher for me if I liked Gormflaith. At the beginning of the story I felt for her, but as the story progressed I just dreaded every one of her chapters. She's devious, manipulative, and her actions just bothered me on so many levels. There was not a single moment, beyond the initial chapters, that I rooted for her character and all I could think was "if this is what Fomorians are like then I understand why the descendants of the Tuatha De Danann want to wipe them out." I kept wishing there was some more action or more moments to bring me back to rooting for her character like I did at the start. Her PoV is half the book and it just never came. But maybe that was the point? I feel like by the end the book wanted me to pick one side or the other and I was firmly on Fodla's side because I disliked Gormflaith so much. I think I would just much rather read a book where I'm cheering for both sides and conflicted and hoping for a resolution between both sides. Will I continue the series? I don't know. Maybe if I'm in the mood for historical fiction, cause it does scratch that itch, but it'll be a while because my current reading preferences are firmly rooted in more fantastical worlds rather than historical reads. ["
June 1, 2025 Verified Purchase