The Children of Gods and Fighting Men

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is the first book of the Gael Song series – and was released on the 1st September 2022.

In February 2023, it won best traditional debut of 2022 as part of the FFA Awards.

THE BLURB

The first in a gripping new historical fantasy series that intertwines Irish mythology with real-life history, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is the thrilling debut novel by Shauna Lawless.

They think they’ve killed the last of us…

981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son – and herself – but Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long. Gormflaith also has a secret. She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world – like the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians.

Fódla is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. Fódla agrees to help her kin by going to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High King of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war – a war she is desperate to stop. However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and the Fomorians now on the rise…

REVIEWS

‘Highlander meets The Last Kingdom as feuding clans of magical undying vie for control of tenth-century Ireland in this assured and captivating debut. Themes of motherhood and conflicted obligation lie at the heart of Shauna Lawless’s historical fantasy, explored through the eyes of two powerful women compelled to navigate a land where men hold sway, or think they do. I was hooked from page one.’ — Anthony Ryan

‘Gripping and beautiful. A Celtic Last Kingdom with wild magic and fierce heroines.’ — Anna Smith Spark

‘There are, of course, lots of types of good writing, different writers have different primary strengts. Josiah Bancroft for exampmle has world-class prose, Brandon Sanderson is great at pacing and accelerating to an exciting end, George R.R. Martin delivers wonderful characters. Lawless, is good at all those things…’ — Mark Lawrence

‘A vividly written story that makes the ancient past feel contemporary.’ — Joseph O’Connor.

‘A beguiling blend of fantasy, history, and politics… Every turn of the page ratchets up the tension. To read this novel is to fall into a richly imagined web of lives. A gripping start to this series.’ – D.K Fields

‘The 10th century setting is enriched by Lawless’ seamless interweaving of Irish myth. Highly recommended.’ — Lucy Holland

‘A compelling and fascinating tale, written with great skill, that draws the reader into a world full of magic, betrayal, warring kings and mythology. With all the complex political machinations of A Song of Ice and Fire and the bloody battles of The Warlord Chronicles, it’s ideal for fans of both — Stephen Aryan

‘I feel like there is so much that I want to say about this book but nothing seems profound enough or nearly sufficient to do it justice. All I can say is as I was reading it, with every passing chapter, I got the sense that I was reading the start of a series that is going to make big waves once it is released into the world.’ – Out of this World SFF

‘An atmospheric journey into a thrilling historical fantasy world that feels like it should be real’ — RJ Barker

An epic historical fantasy that weaves myth and history into a sprawling tale of magic, intrigue, and war.’ — Ian Green

If you are interested in buying my book, here are some of the links for pre-ordering below.