Rating: 
Summary: Not her best, sad to say
Review: While I'm quite fond of the Keltiad series, I have to say this is the weakest of the series. If your both a fan of Patricia Kennealy-Morrison and her late husband Jim, then yes, you might like this book, both for the inside references and what might have been.However, if you're not a Doors fan and have no interest in their music, this book becomes a painful exercise in patience. Ultimately, one has to realize that this book is Patricia Kennealy-Morrison's attempt to exercise the ghosts of her past and is in fact her therapy. It's a shame her readers had to foot the bill though. It's a shame her husband died, but life and the wheel goes on, and Ms. Kennealy-Morrison needs to let go of her husband's ghost and live for herself again. Besides which, this book, (along with "The Deers Cry"), has horrid, vile, "romance novel" style covers. This hurts the book worse than the writing does, because those who might be interested in Fantasy/Science Fiction tend to avoid romance books, and romance readers will get turned off by the F/SF elements.
Rating: 
Summary: Blackmantle Deserves Better!
Review: While it is true that Patricia Kennealy Morrison's Blackmantle is not in the same league as the Aeron or Arthur series, it's not "supposed" to be. I found PKM's "Celts in outer space" story to be a charming love story, never mind that you can read her own history into it and yes, play anagrams with many of the names. I find the previous reader comments peckish and with an underlying tone of personal grudge. Hmmm, wonder why they sound alike... Well, anyway, I found that, as usual, PKM's command of Celtic culture and language made reading Blackmantle that much more enjoyable. She's truly in a class of her own.
Rating:
Summary: Orpheus and Eurydice in Outer Space!
Review: While others who have reviewed this volume have complained about the personal, autobiographical element, it is my opinion that they are totally off the mark. Though the author has admitted, indeed, even boasts of, the honor she grants to her beloved husband, and uses their story to fuel this book (hey, she's a writer; that's what writers do...), she has transcended the personal and accessed the archetypal themes of love, loss and loyalty, betrayal and vengance. Among the author's works, it is her personal favorite, and in her opinion "the best writing I have ever done." It's a pity some readers cannot see past the lesser autobiographical connection to the grandeur of the mythic sweep beyond. After all, don't you think she would've challenged the gods for Jim if she could have? (...and don't you think she might have won?)
Rating:
Summary: Blackmantle: A triumph indeed!
Review: Would that we could all avenge our personal wrongs with as much style and finesse as Athyn Cahanagh!
In "Blackmantle", the latest installment of the popular and well-respected "Keltiad" series, writer Patricia Kennealy-Morrison introduces readers to Athyn Cahanagh, a war orphan who grows up to become a Keltic leader renowned (and at times feared) for her fair-mindedness and deep-rooted sense of justice. Kennealy-Morrison, famous for her development of strong female characters, does not fail her readers in bringing forth a protagonist who, while being very human and having faults of her own, is dedicated to doing what is right.
While regaling readers with a feast of fierce battles, wild magics, and the sheer beauty of Keltia, Kennealy-Morrison invites readers to explore a realm that is even more powerful--that of Athyn's relationship with master bard Morric Douglas.
Athyn and Morric's bond is mythic in its proportions. Sparks ignite at their first meeting, and the Underwolrd shakes when Blackmantle searches there for her murdered beloved. While some detractors may think that such scenes are, at best, uninteresting, or, at worst, emotional posturing, Kennealy-Morrison balances out the grand tableaus with moments of very human tenderness. The times Athyn and Morric spend alone, just being a couple in love, show off the writer's ability to create characters who know how to act like people.
Loyal readers of the Keltiad will enjoy "Blackmantle" thoroughly. Anyone who has an interest in Celtic mythology will come away very satisfied. New visitors to Kennealy-Morrison's universe will be pleasantly surprised that, yes, intelligent fantasies are still being written
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