Book Review: ‘The Children of gods and Fighting Men’ is Perfect for Historical Fiction Fantasy Book Lovers
“Pride, as always with men, was the cause of their stupidity.”
I was shocked to realize it’s been a little while since I’ve read and reviewed a fantasy book that wasn’t Romantasy, and The Children of gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless was the perfect start to my fantasy fall. While I’ve seen it recommended on Booktok a few times, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. But who am I kidding? I love a historical fiction fantasy with older FMCs, and who will do whatever it takes to save the ones they love. This is a dual POV of two women on opposing sides of an immortal war set during the age of Vikings and 10th Century Ireland. While there are some characters you will love to hate, Shauna has made each character complex and at moments you find yourself feeling sorry for even the ones who seem like villains. If you have any interest in Viking or Irish history, you’ll love how she seamlessly weaved in bits of history to coincide with her two magical races who hide in plain sight amongst the mortals. The Fomorians, an immortal race with fire magic have all been wiped out, or so their enemies would believe: the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of warriors and druids and healers. And the Tuatha Dé Danann have retreated behind their fortress, only going out to spy on the mortal world by infiltrating nunneries and churches. This book is dark, gritty and brutal, and the character development is spellbinding. I could not put this book down—I was so invested in these characters. So is it right for your TBR?
Things to Know:
Historical Fiction Fantasy
Irish myths + Vikings
Political Intrigue
Dual POV
Immortals
Older FMCs
Trigger: Violence against women, child bride, war, death, torture
We first meet Gormflaith (aka an Irish Cersei a la GOT), one of the last Fomorians, who has been hiding her fire magic her entire life. Married to a Viking King at age 13 (YUCK), she’s now a widow with a mortal son to protect. Fodla, is a gifted healer of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and has suffered immense loss. She’s tasked with her nephew’s raising and safety, and is sent to spy on the Irish mortals, hoping to prevent a war.
This book is full of political intrigue and power struggles. Some are vying for peace and others for war. And women have virtually no say in anything. But these two characters are extremely strong-willed, and are determined to succeed, and I found myself staying up way too late reading because I could not put it down. I was obsessed with Fodla’s character development especially. She started out a bit meek, but finally stands up for herself, and isn’t afraid to let men hear a piece of her mind. I was so proud of her.
If you like character driven plots based on history and mythology, with lots of political scheming and different clan leaders vying for a throne, you’ll probably love this too. Think of it like an Irish Game of Thrones.
I would definitely recommend the audiobook for this one because you will be absolutely lost trying to pronounce all of these character names. An immersive read is always my favorite, and the two FMCs are truly brought to life with the accents in the narration. I loved it!
You can find the audiobook on Audible or Libro.fm (protip, you can get two free audiobooks on Libro.fm with the code SWITCH right now).
Favorite Quotes:
“What gives you the right to speak—”
“The right?” My voice rose. “The air we breathe gives me the right, the soil beneath my feet. I am born of this land, just as you are.”
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“The bonds of friendship can be a greater bind than the threat of a sword.”
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