Hello,
Now that The Land of the Living and the Dead is up on Netgalley, I’ve had numerous requests for a recap of The Words of Kings and Prophets.
Seeing as I am a kind and benevolent author, I’ve decided to write one for you 😉
If you want to refresh your memory for The Children of Gods and Fighting Men – here is the recap for that.
For those who want the recap for The Words of Kings and Prophets, keep reading.
Summary
Gormflaith is unhappily married to Brian Boru. She tries to fit in, hoping to fulfil her promise to Máelmórda that she will help him find the Descendant fortress. After two months of boredom and misery, Falk comes to visit. He tells Gormflaith that a rival king, Svein Forkbeard, has murdered Olaf. She is devastated. Later that day, Tomas arrives at Brian’s dun with Gobnat and another witch, called Eilis. Gormflaith, now convinced that Tomas is a Descendant, believes he has come to spy on her and panics.
Tomas, however, has come to speak with Fódla. When they are alone, he tells Fódla that Senna watched her cry over Lonán’s body. Jealous, he accuses her of having an affair with him. His obsession with Lonán convinces Fódla that Senna did not see her heal Murchad on Dalkey Island as she feared. However, when Fódla says she will not come back to the fortress, Tomas attacks her. Broccan rushes into the house to protect his aunt. Showing incredible strength and speed, he knocks Tomas unconscious. Fódla realises that Broccan has the warrior gift, even though this has not presented in children with a mortal parent for hundreds of years. Remembering her last promise to Rónnat (never to think that Tomas will help her son) she heals Tomas, pretending that the injury was not serious to conceal the truth about Broccan’s gift. When he wakes, Tomas apologises and leaves, but says that Fódla will have to come to Fennit Island for the next gathering.
Gormflaith, convinced that Tomas came to spy on her, is confused that he leaves without speaking to her. Desperate, she decides to follow him so at least she can discover where the Descendant fortress is. This way she will have fulfilled her promise to Máelmórda before leaving Ireland forever.
Gormflaith sets part of the dun on fire to disguise her escape, and she follows Tomas and his two companions. From a distance, she sees Tomas argue with the third Descendant,the witch, Eilis. She has been caught having an affair with the King of Connacht and is being brought to the fortress for trial.While Gobnat is away looking for food, Tomas kills Eilis with the magical knife that makes descendants mortal, as he does not believe Eilis deserves the honour of dying as a Descendant. Afterwards, he runs deeper into the forest to find Gobnat, pretending that Eilis attacked him first.
When Gormflaith moves closer to the dead witch, her fire-magic absorbs the magic mist seeping from Eilis’ body. Gormflaith also steals the magical knife which Tomas has left behind and runs. She soon realises she has the gift of a witchand can now change her appearance at will. She no longer needs to worry about not ageing but needs time to learn how to use the gift properly.
Returning to Brian’s dun, Gormflaith discovers she is pregnant. King Brian takes her back in. He tells her that Sitric is building him a Viking fleet and that they will start to trade goods to Meath. They agree to live amicably and bring up their child together.
Murchad and Fódla’s relationship grows, and Murchad tells Fódla he loves her. She realises she loves him but cannot jeopardise Broccan’s safety. Fódla tells Murchad she does not return his feelings and lets him believe she was in love with Lonán before he died.
Gormflaith, using her new magical powers, now has streaks of grey hair and some wrinkles. Several months later, she gives birth to a son called Donnchad. When Máelmórdavisits, she tells him what happened with Tomas and Eilis. He demands that she give him the knife so he can steal a gift too, but she refuses. Máelmórda tries to take it, and in a fit of anger, Gormflaith accidently sets the room on fire, including the crib where her baby is sleeping. When the baby emerges from the fire unscathed, she realises her son is a Fomorian and has fire-magic.
Now that Gormflaith is more powerful than her brother, Máelmórda takes her to visit a monastery, where they meet King Sechnall in secret. Dismayed that King Brian thwarted his plans at Glenmama, Sechnall plans to attack the Vikingtrade boats when they pass through Connacht (on their way to Meath) and kill Brian Boru and Murchad. Gormflaith agrees.
Afterwards, however, Gormflaith convinces Máelmórdato side with King Brian. Now that she no longer looks young (and has learned how to change the appearance of others) she convinces Máelmórda to be patient and let Brian and Sechnall destroy each other, thus weakening the other Irish armies who could stand against him. Then when the time is right, and her son older, they will go to war with Brian and then kill the Descendants.
Fódla travels with Murchad to the coast where the Viking boat builders are building the fleet for King Brian to be theirhealer. Whilst there, the wind once again calls her name. She swims out to an island where the voice is coming from. Rónnat speaks with her once more. When Fódla turns around, she sees that Murchad has followed her. Because she has left the mainland of Ireland, the spell has faded, and he sees her as she really is. She tells him the truth and that while she loves him, she cannot be with him.
The next spring, the boats are ready, and Senna comes to call Fódla away for the gathering. She tells Broccan she has been summoned to help a woman in childbirth. As Broccan walks with her into the woods, where they will part, a warrior Descendant called Tigernach attacks them, intent on killing Broccan.
Colmon, Fódla’s cousin, who has secretly been spying onher, is also a warrior Descendant. He fights Tigernach and kills him. Fódla believes that Tomas realised Broccan was a warrior when Broccan saved her from him, and so ordered the kill – as Broccan’s existence proved that mortal blood was not to blame for the Descendants’ fading powers, and this would mean Tomas might not fulfil his wish of uniting the treasuresof the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Fódla takes Broccan to Murchad and asks Murchad to hide him, disguise him, and tell everyone that Broccan is dead. She wants to take Broccan to Rónnat and discuss how to move forward, whilst keeping Broccan safe, but must go to the gathering first.
Colmon and Fódla travel to the gathering. Colmon realises that Tomas will win the vote to reunite the treasures and so votes with him, then in secret plots to hide two of the treasures where Tomas cannot find them. After the gathering, Fódla leaves. She tells Tomas that Broccan is dead and that she must tell Rónnat herself. Tomas, believing that Fódla will return, agrees.
Meanwhile, Máelmórda sends word to King Sechnall that the boats are ready and about to sail north. He tells Sechnall they will attack Brian together, but he has agreed with Gormflaith’s plan and will betray Sechnall and fight for King Brian instead. Sitric agrees to join Máelmórda.Gormflaith, wanting her Fomorian son to rise to power, tellsMáelmórda to kill Murchad’s son, Tairdelbach, whilst the fighting is underway.
Fódla travels north with the trade ships to Meath so that she can reunite with Broccan (now disguised as a novice monk) and Murchad. On route to Meath, they are attacked by King Sechnall and his men. King Brian, with the help of Sitricand Máelmórda, is victorious, and now claims to be High King of all Ireland. However, during the battle, Tairdelbach is hit by a spear. Fódla carries him into the forest, where she heals him. She decides that one day she will return to the fortress and when asked if she wants to be banished or forfeit her gift (using the magical knife) she will choose to forfeit her gift so she can live with Murchad.
After the battle, Fódla makes it to Rónnat’s crannog.Broccan and Rónnat reunite. Rónnat tells her sister that she is a prophet and knew that Broccan could only have survived to this point with Fódla looking after him, but now Colmon must train him to use his warrior gift before Tomas finds him again.Fódla agrees to stay with Broccan and Colmon on the warrior base of Rathlin Island, where they will hide away from both Descendants and mortals until Broccan is strong. She hopes in ten years or so she will be able to reunite with Murchad.
Gormflaith, though glad that King Brian finally trusts her, is still unhappy. Máelmórda has taken all the credit for her plan. She considers leaving, but then receives a messagefrom Olaf in her dreams – a type of dream magic that has come from the witch gift she took when Eilis died.
This dream shows her that Olaf escaped from the sea battle and that Svein Forkbeard took him captive. His dream to become King of Norway and England is over, and he nowwants to help Gormflaith become Queen of Ireland in her own right.
The book ends with Rónnat talking to the wind – and she is crying. She sees Senna flying overhead, on her way to follow Fódla and spy on her. Rónnat summons the wind to push the bird to her crannog. Once there, Rónnat uses her magic and pulls away a spell upon Senna and Senna transforms into a mortal woman. Rónnat also gives Senna a potion which removes the effects of a love potion upon her.Senna tells Rónnat that Tomas has held her captive in bird form for nearly one hundred years.
The book ends with Rónnat thinking about her sister and the future ahead of her. This future is filled with death, and when she pictures Fódla, she sees her burning.
How to order
For anyone reading this, just a wee note to say how much pre orders/early interest matters. I’ve put a couple of links below – but you can also order from your local bookstore or your local library.
I’ll also add that the ebook and audiobook versions are available to pre-order if you prefer those mediums!
Waterstones – https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-land-of-the-living-and-the-dead/shauna-lawless/9781803282725
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-land-of-the-living-and-the-dead-shauna-lawless/1144473504?ean=9781803282725
Also – my novella Dreams of Sorrow comes out this Thursday and is currently on offer. If you are intrigued by Senna – you should give this novella a go 🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛
