Red Branch

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Summary: The history of Erin was waiting for Morgan to tell.
Review: All I can say about Morgan Llywelyn is that she envolves you in the lives of these great men and women of the Celtic tribes. I have read all of her books and the only one I can say didn't grip me was Elementals. Other than that the greatest complent I can pay her is that "I am not a pack rat, but I will never part with her books"

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Summary: The Hound of Ulster Rocks!
Review: I absolutely loved this book. Before picking it up I knew absolutely nothing about the story of Cuchulain, the legendary Hound of Ulster. I found myself enthralled by the story, the characters, the myth, and the setting of this novel from page one. This was the second of Ms. Llywelyn's novels that I'd read -- Lion of Ireland being the first -- and I think it's ranks as one of her best. By the end of the novel, even though you know that it cannot end well, you've become invested in the characters and it's sad when it finally ends. The novel has a lot to say about love and war, what motivates men (and women), and a curious historical tie-in to the modern troubles of Ireland. A great read for anyone interested in ancient Ireland's legendary past.

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Summary: Ever wonder why your Irish Wife loves to fight?
Review: I love this book, I read it as a beginning of a diversity search... We have all this diverse cultural stuff thrown at us in the workplace in this age of political correctness, so I read some of Ms. Llywelyn's novels, to see where my family comes from. Boy did I get a better understanding of my wife! All that aside, this is a fascinating telling of one of Celtic Mythologies most exciting tales.

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Summary: The Hound is alive and well!
Review: I wasn't familiar with Morgan Llywelyn prior to reading this book, but I was very pleased afterwards. Llywelyn's treatment of the Ulster Cycle was mesmerizing. From the start, Setanta was a fiery, determined boy who would grow to be the greatest warrior ever, Cuchulain, the Hound of Ulster. It was obvious that Llywelyn did her homework as the story follows the legends well, and in my opinion makes them much more interesting as they are written in such a way as to make the characters more accessible. This story has it all, heartaches, desire, battles, and destiny. The hero of his people, Cuchulain moves toward his fate with certainty and without fear. Not only is this entertaining fiction, but it is also inspiring. The human aspect is revealed as the character's motivations are brought to light, and once-old legends now seem more relevant. If you are a fan of heroic epics, this is definitely a book you will want to read.

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Summary: The Hound of Ulster Fights On Forever
Review: If I asked you to believe that an entire invading army could be held at bay by a single warrior, a fighter of legendary strength, skill, and determination, you might dismiss this as a Hollywood action movie, but in fact, this is the basis of the Irish myth of Cuchulain, retold most convincingly here by Irish authoress Morgan Llywelyn. A young boy named Setanta, living in Eire before the birth of Christ, discovers his royal heritage, and impetuously leaves home to join his uncle, King Conor, in the defense of the Ulster kingdom. Because the boy has been sired by an ancient Celtic god, he has remarkable powers, which manifest themselves in the form of a terrifying battle-frenzy, but his destiny is clouded by the hovering presence of an Irish war-goddess who both fancies and resents the growing hero. Llywelyn writes scenes of graphic violence without flinching, and yet can alternate those with descriptions of unparalleled beauty and subtlety, and her understanding of the ever-shifting politics of male-female relationships is uncannily precise. She modernizes the spelling of ancient Gaelic words and names, and puts many of the actions and motivations for her characters in terms that 21st-century readers can readily accept and understand. This book has a tremendous significance for me---I bought it in London, and finished reading it on a ferryboat, bound for Dublin, my first time to visit my ancestral land, so I have a soft spot in my heart for it. Heroic, heartbreaking, and passionate, "Red Branch" (also known as "On Raven's Wing") is more exciting than any dozen Hollywood blockbusters---and a lot better written, too! Most highly recommended, even if you're not Irish.

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Summary: The Hound of Ulster
Review: If you are a reader who is interested in myth, legends or ancient history, this is a book for you. Morgan Llewelyn combines all three to write what I feel is her best work. You wont be able to put it down. The legend and story of Cuchulain truly come alive in this epic tail. If you liked Lion of Ireland and Pride of Lions then you will love Red Branch.

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Summary: A great read - you don't have to be a Celtic fan to love it
Review: Morgan Llewelyn is decidedly the modern Bard of the Celts. Compelling and alive with vibrant, accurate descriptions of the lay of the land and the ambience of the era, Red Branch is still Llewelyn's best book to date. While there is plenty of action to keep even casual readers engrossed, my favorite sections of the book center on the young Setanta, his feelings of bewildered isolation and his curiosity about his mother's dreamy half-life. Also wonderful are the rawness of emotion the author paints around the deaths of those closest to Cuchulainn - even when his heroic heart is breaking, his courage and ambition shine through, making the Hound of Ulster at last a very real and human being.

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Summary: Red Branch
Review: Re-telling of the tales of the mythical Irish hero Cuchulain. Historical fiction, except its myths not history being re-wrote. This book kept me captivated from beginning to end, I don't know if I've ever got through a 500 page book as fast I got through this one.

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Summary: Many Problems With Interesting Moments
Review: This is the second Llywelyn book i've read, I read 'Druids' several years ago. I enjoyed Druids very much, so I was excited to start reading Red Branch. Unfortunately my excitement dwindled quickly.

I'm not saying that it's a bad book. For me it has many problems. Her writting style is simplistic, in between moments of attempted flash and bold description that leaves me cringing. It took me almost the first half of the book to warm up to the main character, Cuchulain, and I couldn't help but thinking he was such a 'Mary Sue' character; although this is a book that retells mythic heroic deeds, so that's not such a bad thing ultimately. It was still difficult for me to get over just how perfect he was.

Llywelyn was also incapable of making me believe in the depth of the world. The world in which she set her characters was trite. Again, I know this is a fantasy based novel retelling well known cultural myth, but at no time during reading this book did I feel immersed in its universe.

I also found myself reeling when from one paragraph to the next, quickly and without warning, she changed the time and sometimes place of the story. Most authors let their readers know when hours lapse between paragraphs in a pleasant way rather than just shoving it down your throat.

As I said it's not all negative, though. Being a heroic, mythic adventure tale the characters and situations were often very interesting. I enjoyed reading about these legends of which I had no previous experience. I kept threatening to stop reading it, but it held enough fun and interesting moments to keep me reading. I'm not sure this book deserved the almost 500 paperback pages it is made up of. It seems better suited as a series of character events told throgh a series of short stories, rather than a novel.

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Summary: A story told in the Bardic tradition.
Review: This legend of CuChullain is told in all its glory. The legendary tales of the great Irish champion come to life amidst the backdrop of pre-St. Patrick Ireland. The "Hound of Ulster" is undoubtedly the greatest Irish hero, and the Bardic accounts of his feats are collected into one book which is masterfully written. The Cattle Raid of Coolley is the centerpiece, where Ulster King, Conor McNessa, and his rival Mauve go to war in this lesson of greed . This is a must read for anyone who enjoys Irish folklore, or just plain enjoys a good book