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The Land of the Living and the Dead
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Description
The old world will die in flames…
Ireland, 1011 AD. Brian Boru is now High King of Ireland. His queen, Gormflaith, instructs their young son in his heritage - but only on his mother's side. For Gormflaith, an immortal Fomorian skilled in fire-magic, intends to finally defeat the Fomorians' hated foes, the Descendants, and establish control over Ireland. And if King Brian stands in her way, so much the worse for him…
Fódla, the Descendants' spy in King Brian's camp, treads a wary path. She must protect her magically powerful young nephew from their leader, Tomas, who will do anything to achieve his aim of the Descendants returning to the mortal world and ruling Ireland. And Fódla is on dangerous ground, for she has broken one of the sacred rules of the Descendants: she has fallen in love with a mortal.
As the schemes of Gormflaith and Tomas come to fruition, the only possible outcome is war. Ireland has bled red and often… but the coming clash will be a battle for the ages. Strange alliances will form, old defences will fail, and the land will never be the same again.
Reviewers on Shauna Lawless' Gael Song series
'Lawless blends fantasy with historical fiction to great effect.' SFX
'Lawless's writing is absolutely luminous.' Irish Independent
'Swept me along and refused to be put down.' H.M. Long
Product details
| Published | Sep 02 2025 |
|---|---|
| Format | Paperback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 576 |
| ISBN | 9781803282749 |
| Imprint | Head of Zeus -- an AdAstra Book |
| Illustrations | 1 map |
| Dimensions | 198 x 129 mm |
| Series | Gael Song |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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Phenomenal... an intense and intricate read
Grimdark Magazine
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Scintillating
The Bookseller
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Just glorious! Rings with authenticity as it seamlessly blends fantasy with history and brings Ireland to vivid life in 1011AD
LoveReading, A Star Book
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A formidable piece of work… Lawless has done a terrific job of bringing an important part of Irish history to vivid life
SF Crowsnest
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Celebrates the extraordinary history and cultural traditions of Ireland while giving voice to the women who helped shape it. Highly recommended.
Lucy Holland on Shauna Lawless
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Highlander meets The Last Kingdom… I was hooked from page one.
Anthony Ryan on Shauna Lawless

















