Skip to main content

The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga-Edward Rutherfurd

History and Fiction Meet on the Liffey Plain......
Edward Rutherfurd takes readers back in history to explore the misty-green, magical land we know today as Ireland, focusing on Dublin and surrounding areas.  Spanning eleven centuries, The Princes of Ireland begins in Dubh Linn, 430 AD, and introduces the characters whose families will carry the saga through the mid 1500's.  Rutherfurd blends historical fact and fiction seamlessly together, creating the paths the descendants of Celtic, Nordic, and English lines take over the course of years.  Quite lengthy, the novel boasts 770 pages, but in actuality, there are three major time periods dealt with, each with its own characters and events.  Because of this, the story doesn't feel overdrawn; it stays fresh and flowing, but I must admit, during the second storyline set in the 1100's, I had to force myself to read through portions.  This was the only section I struggled with, and I very much enjoyed the novel overall.

Edward Rutherfurd has written a number of novels including Sarum, Russka, London, and The Forest, and I will definitely check out another of his works, as this novel was well crafted.  More than an evening's commitment, The Princes of Ireland, is involved.  This broad appreciated the pronunciation guide and maps, but they are not necessary to understand or enjoy the story.  I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Recommendation:  * * * * _
If you have the time and inclination to get involved in a great, but longer, novel and have an interest in history, Edward Rutherfurd's, The Princes of Ireland, will surely satisfy.

~Moira

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Teaser ~

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading . Here's how it works.. Grab your current read Open to a random page Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author too so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Hi, All!  I've been absent the last two weeks, catching up on my reading.  Now I've got a new teaser to share.   Mina reviewed one of Katie MacAlister's books awhile back, and that review left me eager to search out this author.  When I saw this title, I had to give it a try.  One hilarious escapade after another, Men In Kilts is sure to elicit a giggle even from the staunchest of readers.  If you like humor sprinkled throughout your romance once in awhile, this is ...

Braised Broads

Homemade Yogurt!       Yes, that's right, homemade yogurt. This is something I've been wanting to try for a while now. I mean, I've been making my own detergent and started making my own granola, why not yogurt too? So this started me browsing through all of internet land looking for a recipe I liked.             I guess I really shouldn't say recipe, as this implies differing ingredients.  The recipe for yogurt is pretty universal: milk and starter.  Starter being yogurt with active cultures in it.  If it has it, it will say somewhere on the container.  If you do not have this you will not make yogurt, you'll only make milk that has been heated, left to sit, and cooled.  Not very tasty.  Now there can be additions like dry milk powder or even gelatin for extra thickening if you're using, say, skim milk.        The biggest difference really is how many ...

Euphemania-Ralph Keyes: Review and Giveaway

A Book About Why We Speak As We Do We tend to read a lot of fiction here at the Brazen Broads Book Bash, so it's always nice to get our hands on some good nonfiction books almost as a way to cleanse our palettes sometimes.  Ralph Keyes book, Euphemania ,  is the perfect mix of informative yet interesting.  In it, he shares the reasons why we use euphemisms so often in our daily speech.  The main idea behind the book is that euphemisms are used to make the uncomfortable more comfortable.  Therefore, they're very common in discussions about sex.  One anecdote offered in the book refers to Jesse Jackson's threat during the 2008 election in which he stated he wanted to "cut off Barack Obama's nuts."  Keyes explains that the major news organizations struggled with how to report this, using euphemisms such as Jackson wanted to do something to his sensitive areas.  (It escapes the Broads why they couldn't just say Jackson wanted to castrate him.) E...