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cabarry's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this story. The book was described to me as the story of how Finn Mac Cool became a legend, but it's truly the tale of how Finn made himself a legend. A story of life, love, and battle. I loved every second of this story and cannot wait to read more by Morgan Llwelyn. I did listen to the audio book and I loved having all the Gaelic words pronounced for me. Five Stars, cannot recommend enough!
_wodwo_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So good. Fun, adventurous, and heartbreaking. I knew bits and pieces of Finn's story, and this brought all the tales together in a wonderful way. Don't think I've cried over a book before, but those tears were earned.
nicolepiermanwriter's review against another edition
5.0
Finn Mac Cool is an amazing rendition of the famous Celtic warrior. Morgan Llewelyn takes you through a journey with her magical writing and I loved every minute of it.
cael_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
henryarmitage's review against another edition
4.0
Epic fantasy. A retelling of the Irish legend of Finn Mac Cool. I'm really impressed with this author. She makes the characters come alive and she's obviously done her research. A lot of modern fantasy is crap but this was exceptional.
hypocritehippie's review against another edition
5.0
Incredibly sad. I was on the verge of tears more than once.
disreputabledog's review against another edition
4.0
In this novel, Morgan Llywelyn takes Irish folk hero Finn Mac Cool and puts him in a historical context, explaining how he grew to be a larger-than-life figure in folklore. I read this book in a week, which is incredibly fast for me; Llywelyn has a quick and smooth writing style that immediately draws you in and doesn't relent until the final page. All of the characters felt real and tangible, and Llywelyn does an excellent job of portraying many of her characters - even the minor ones - in such a way that readers can understand and sympathize with them almost immediately.
Readers who know nothing about Finn Mac Cool can enjoy this novel just as much as those who are familiar with Finn's story and the lore behind him, since Llyweyln essentially strips the layers of myth from her hero. The story follows Finn as he joins the fianna (army) and then becomes Rigfennid Fianna (leader of the army). As Rigfennid, Finn transforms the fianna from a ragtag group of soldiers at the bottom of society, raising them up to become extremely well-respected and well-looked upon. Over the years, the fianna unites many areas of the country and brings peace to the land, but it comes at a cost to Finn's personal life when his wife and young son are taken from him.
I enjoyed every second of this book, and teared up a little when I reached the final page - partly because of the way that it ends, and partly because I was sad to lose Finn Mac Cool as a companion.
Readers who know nothing about Finn Mac Cool can enjoy this novel just as much as those who are familiar with Finn's story and the lore behind him, since Llyweyln essentially strips the layers of myth from her hero. The story follows Finn as he joins the fianna (army) and then becomes Rigfennid Fianna (leader of the army). As Rigfennid, Finn transforms the fianna from a ragtag group of soldiers at the bottom of society, raising them up to become extremely well-respected and well-looked upon. Over the years, the fianna unites many areas of the country and brings peace to the land, but it comes at a cost to Finn's personal life when his wife and young son are taken from him.
I enjoyed every second of this book, and teared up a little when I reached the final page - partly because of the way that it ends, and partly because I was sad to lose Finn Mac Cool as a companion.
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