The Words of Kings and Prophets
Ratings6
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.9
The sequel to the critically acclaimed The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, The Words of Kings and Prophets is the powerful new historical fantasy novel by Shauna Lawless. Power fades but fire endures... Ireland, 1000 AD. Clouds of war gather for mortals and immortals alike as the Irish kingdoms strive for supremacy. Gormflaith, unhappy queen of Brian Boru, schemes to destroy the Descendants, sworn enemies of her Fomorian kind. As her plans take an unexpected turn, Gormflaith discovers her magic is more powerful than she ever realised – but at what cost? Descendant healer Fódla dwells disguised in the mortal world, seeking to protect her young nephew – but the boy has secrets of his own. Fódla must do all in her power to keep him hidden from those who would use him for evil. When a mysterious man comes to King Brian's court, his presence could spell disaster for both Gormflaith and Fódla – and for Ireland herself. For he is Tomas, an ambitious immortal – and he will do anything to see his plans become reality... Reviewers on Shauna Lawless' GAEL SONG series: 'Lawless blends fantasy with historical fiction to great effect.' SFX 'Celebrates the extraordinary history and cultural traditions of Ireland while giving voice to the women who helped shape it.' Lucy Holland 'A beguiling blend of fantasy, history, and politics..' D.K. Fields
Featured Series
3 primary books5 released booksGael Song is a 5-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2022 with contributions by Shauna Lawless.
Reviews with the most likes.
What a sequel!
I was hooked from the first page of this book.
The characters leapt from the page and while told in first person, there was no doubt to who's head I was in. I love both Gormflaith and Foedla. Gormflaith feeling trapped and caged by the men in her life, was so fun to read about. How she grows and starts to do things for herself and not others. The relationships she has... I was glued to the page.
Gormflaith is a character I knew I would love but Foedla took my heart. Kind and sweet characters are not who I find myself liking and yet I love her.
Both characters are complex, and opposites of each other in more ways than their personalities.it makes for a great story. I love reading about different persepectives. Not to mention the plot and politics!
The worldbuilding was effortless. The writing flowed but the characters are the strongest part of this story.
This is by no means a fast book, but the moments between the characters, the hints at what is to come pulled me through the book in the best way.
The ending chapter has me salivating for book 3 as my suspicions of what could happen could come to pass and I just know I'll have the best time reading.
A huge step up from book one. Highly recommend.
I had the best time reading this.
Another amazing, immersive and fast paced home run! The story is brilliant and I think the characters have levelled up a few times from book 1! I love Fódla, how can you not, just a wonderful person! I also love Gormflaith but only to read about, she terrifies me even more in this book, and all the others!
Cannot wait for book 3, i need to know
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so of course I had to reread Children of Gods and Fighting Men before this came out.
Since it's a sequel, I'm not going into any details, but this was fantastic! I love Fódla, so her perspective is my favorite, but I love to hate Gormflaith so her perspective is almost as good.
Tensions are high among the Descendants. Most of them are ready to live among the mortals. Their biggest problem is Tomas. He will do unspeakable things to get what he wants.
Because of his acts, Gormflaith is more powerful than ever.
Will the Fomorians finally find the Descendants or will they destroy each other first?
I love this series so much! I just finished it and want to read it again!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
This was a very good follow up! I liked it more than book one, the magic and lore kicked it up a notch, the villain was more interesting and engaging, and I actually rooted for Gormflaith this time! (I mean, I did last time too, but against my will).
My cons for this series remain the same, however. Several first person POVs is just hard for me, and I still don't think the two main POVs sound different enough from each other, which can make it hard for me to ground myself. This was much better in this one, though, due to being more familiar with their various supporting cast. And I still find Fodla to be very passive. She spends most of this novel having others once again make decisions for her...I suppose that makes it better when she actually DOES make decisions, but following such a passive character can be frustrating for me.
