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“In her life she had been maiden, seducer, warrior and queen.”


The legend of the warrior queen exists in many cultures and for the Irish, theirs is Maeve of Connacht. Building on the story of Deirdre of the Sorrows told in her last book, The Swan Maiden, Jules Watson once again pulls from ancient myths and folklore to tell the story of a fierce and ambitious woman who sacrificed nearly everything for the sake of her people.

As a young woman, Maeve (the daughter of the King of Connacht) is already on her third husband (the first two having been pushed aside when her father found a better deal) – Conor of Ulster who was also the man behind the tragedy of Deirdre. Although Maeve and Deirdre have never met, they are both captives of sorts and at about the same time, they each decide to flee – Deirdre on her fated trip with three brothers and Maeve back to her family. Since the two women have Conor in common, threads of Deirdre’s story became tangled with Maeve’s as Conor tries to regain his pride.

Shortly after Maeve returns home, her father dies. But with a brother who is immature and irresponsible, Maeve decides that she would be a better leader and protector of her people. Using skills secretly learned from her husbands warriors, Maeve challenges her brother to a fight in order to determine who should be the next ruler. She wins but her path to the throne doesn’t come easily. But once there, she manages to pull the contentious kingdoms of Erin together in an effort to put a stop to Conor’s plans to make himself high king over the whole island.

Like The Swan Maiden, there is a strong fantasy/magical element to the story and it is steeped in the druid culture that existed in pre-Christian Ireland. But as in Deirdre’s story, at times the magic of the sidhe (people of the mounds similar to fairies) overwhelms the story and there were times when I felt I just wasn’t “getting” it. But that is more my issue than anything to do with Watson’s writing which is often beautiful, poetic, and vividly descriptive. The use of magic reminded me a lot of Manda Scott’s Boudicca series and since I don’t usually read a lot of fantasy books, I sometimes struggle with fantasy elements. I think that in order to enjoy them you have to open your mind, let it go and loose some of the logical constraints of what is or is not possible. But that’s a hard sell to the rational and logical part of my brain!!

Despite her tough exterior, Maeve is not all hard – beneath the toughness also lies a woman with a heart and compassion and who craves love and acceptance. She’s passionate, cunning and, complex and not content with being told what she can’t do; she struggles to find her way in a man’s world and she is often her own worst enemy. Although the story was a little slow to get going, once it did, it was a thrilling tale that culminates in the showdown between Maeve and Conor and in the aftermath, in Maeve finding where her heart and her future really belong.

The book includes a list of characters, a map, as well as a pronunciation guide and short glossary. Watson also includes a lengthy explanation of the various myths and historical records that she drew from in telling Maeve’s story.



In case the FTC asks: From the publisher for review