“Penman’s characters are so shrewdly imagined, so full of resonant human feeling that they seem to be on the page….Most compelling is the portrait of the Welsh as wild and rugged as their landscape.”
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Here, alive from the pages of history, is the compelling tale of a Celtic society ruled by Llewelyn, Prince of Wales, on a collison course with a feudal realm of Edward I. WIth this last book in the extraordinary trilogy that began with HERE BE DRAGONS and continued in FALLS THE SHADOW, Sharon Kay Penman has written a beautiful and moving conclusion to her medieval saga. For everyone who has read the earlier books in this incomparable series or ever wanted to experience the rich tapestry of British history and lore, this bold and romantic adventure must be read.
Our Little Celtic Cousin of Long Ago (Little Cousin)
The story of Ferdiad, a boy of Ireland, in the time of High King Brian Boru, when the Danes were pillaging the Irish countryside. How his foster-father Angus becomes poet to the High King and how Ferdiad himself recovers a lost treasure. Gives a glimpse into the customs and social life of the Celts, with special emphasis on their artistic achievements, including the Book of Kells and the stories of Cuculain. Suitable for ages 8 and up.
Tristan and Iseult
This is a retelling of an ancient Celtic story, that later became incorporated into Arthurian legends. The foreword puts it nicely into historical context. It’s an excellent story, full of excitement, adventure, friendship, love and heroic deeds. Being older than the Arthurian stories, the characters seem freer and more human without such a strict code of chivalry. Tristan is a top notch hero, prevailing over a number of dangerous enemies. True and brave, he makes deep friendships with people who would happily die for each other, as well as for the cause of honour or their country. The heart of the book, though, is the tragic, doomed love between the characters of the title.
High Deeds of Finn Mac Cool
Set more than a thousand years ago in the soft green hills of Ireland, in a shifting time when enchanted creatures and the Fairy Kind still flickered in and out of the lives of men, the ancient stories of Finn MacCool and the brotherhood of the Fianna shimmer with magic. Here Rosemary Sutcliff breathes new life into adventures of these Irish heroes and their battles with strange and supernatural beings.
Hound of Ulster
This saga of the Irish Celts is re-told by Rosemary Sutcliff with a magical weaving together of passion and poetry. The boy who takes up the spear and shield of Manhood on this day will become the most renowned of all the warriors of Ireland, men will follow at his call to the world’s end, and his enemies will shudder at the thunder of his chariot wheels. So the prophecy went, and as the boy Cuchulain heard it, he went forward to claim the weapons of his manhood. This is the story of how he became the greatest of heroes—the Hound of Ulster.