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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Devotees of Llywelyn's glorious Celtic fantasy, Druids (1991), will welcome this sequel, a beautifully told adventure story that avoids the usual adventure story clichés. After Julius Caesar triumphs over Gaul, the druid Ainvar and his three wives sail west, steering clear of Roman-occupied Albion, to the brilliant green island of Hibernia (so-called because a Roman expedition mistakenly assumed "winter lasted all year" there). Soon after landing, Ainvar encounters the Túatha Dé Danann, the diminutive original folk of Eriu (the island's Gaelic name). The Túatha Dé Danann, who usually are invisible to people, ask only to be remembered. Ainvar is distraught when they no longer appear, but is comforted to learn from a bewildered warrior that the Túatha Dé Danann once unexpectedly revealed themselves to him. Later, Ainvar briefly inhabits a wolf's body and hears the piercing scream of the death-predicting banshee. Throughout, Ainvar's "senior wife," Briga, provides both wisdom and support. Not just fantasy fans will appreciate this gentle, quietly dignified tale. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
When last we saw Ainvar the druid, his tribe's revered sacred grove was being destroyed by Roman legionnaires at the end of the popular Druids (1991). Ainvar himself was in danger of following his beloved king into captivity and death. Now we learn that that was not to be. Ainvar and his family have escaped to Ireland after years of hiding in the forests of Gaul. There they encounter other Celts with somewhat less refined cultural ways, and there they create a new Celtic society from the remnants of Gaulish mysticism as well as from earthy Irish folkways. This highly readable tale offers unforgettable women characters, of whom Ainvar's magical and sensuous wife, Briga, is an especially vivid example. As always, Llywelyn can be counted on to create a compelling tale with strong characterizations. Her devoted readers will not be disappointed. Patricia Monaghan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE GREENER SHORE Is a Tale Spun By a True Bard!,
By
This review is from: The Greener Shore: A Novel of the Druids of Hibernia (Hardcover)
Wow, it's been over 15 years to get a sequel to DRUIDS! I really never expected it; however I'm glad this one finally surfaced.This novel continues the adventures of Ainvar, High Druid, along with his three wives, Briga, Onuava (widow of great albeit defeated Vercingetorix), with Lakutu and a small contingent of others as they journey to a new land after Caesar destroys their people, the Carnutes of Gaul and their Sacred Grove. They eventually end up in Eire or Hibernia as it's known to travelers. Ainvar and his people discover it's a land of many kingdoms and warlike tribes and struggles to find their own place among them. Ainvar wants their settlement to become permanent and reasons that they are among Celts even though they are different in many ways. He additionally discovers that the true forces of the land are older than the druid's magic and comes to an understanding with the original inhabitants, the Túatha Dé Dannans, the true spirit(s) of Eire. Although the story started out slow, it eventually increased to a swift pace and became a genuine page turner until the very end. This novel was penned by a true bard!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.8 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews) 20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
strong Celtic historical fantasy,
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Greener Shore: A Novel of the Druids of Hibernia (Hardcover)
Ainvar looks back towards the land as he sails west with his three wives and other survivors on the vast sea knowing his side lost to the swords of the Romans. Caesar destroyed the Sacred Grove and conquered Gaul (see DRUIDS). As he journeys to his new home in exile on the island of Eriu, a place the invaders call Hibernia because they believe it is winter year round, Ainvar sadly knows he can never go home. Only his wise senior wife Briga seems to understand his depressed mood as the others are into their personal woes.When Ainvar and his small party arrive at Hibernia they encounter the wee folk Túatha Dé Danann and other Druids and Celts. As time passes, Ainvar struggles with adapting to the new world and when the Túatha Dé Danann never reappears his depression grows. Briga who possesses Druid magic quietly leads their party's adjustment with a perceptive wisdom and bits of unseen magic that enables the once proud Carnute survivors to adapt while also helping her spouse with his feelings of failure. Though the wait has been over fifteen years, Celtic historical fantasy readers will appreciate this powerful sequel to the delightful DRUIDS. The story line is filled with action and adventure starting from the moment that the dejected Ainvar keeps looking back at Gaul with hunger and sadness while the endless waves remind him of the Roman legions. The tale never slows down as they reach their destination and adjust to their new home and at all times provides insight into the lives of the Druids and their followers. Harriet Klausner 16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Richly Distillled Tale,
By Dawn Killen-Courtney - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Greener Shore: A Novel of the Druids of Hibernia (Paperback)
Whatever I found lacking in this novel's predecessor,Druids, has been aged to perfection in the years since the first novels appearance. This one was so well told and well formed, I can only say I just kept dreading the end. It felt like a story becoming myth as it was unfolding for me. I could go on for pages about what I liked in this book, but surely one thing I ought to mention is how wonderfully Llywelyn weaves the ancient Celtic teachings into the narrative as it is being related. Ainvar proves a worthy vehicle (as a character) to transmit this knowledge. Knowledge still, and perhaps even more,useful to us in the dark days of the 21st century as we come ever closer to paying the awful price for our separation from nature, the greatest teacher of them all.There is much truth in fiction if you know where to look, and though she does not burden the reader with these gems, they are there to be pondered. Though I rarely say this, this book is too good to be read only once. I really, really hope she continues this tale into the next generation, though that would mean parting with characters to dear to consider having to say goodbye to! Very highly recommended. 8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
New age credo, not much plot,
By J. Hilton - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Greener Shore: A Novel of the Druids of Hibernia (Paperback)
Over the past 20 years, I've read several of Morgan Llewellyn's books, including "Lion of Ireland," "Bard," "Grania,""1916," "1921," and the companion novel to "The Greener Shore," the book "Druids." I have always admired her ability to weave fact and fiction, using the latter to flesh out the former into compelling reads that really make you feel as if you're there and can understand the characters, the landscape, and the times.This novel, however, disappointed me. There is material in this that is drawn from historical, archaeological, scholarly, and literary sources. However, there's also MUCH poetic license taken. Please don't read this thinking you're getting any kind of accurate portrayal of the ancient druids. This is a fantasy story, like "Mists of Avalon" or "Lord of the Rings." And, even as stories go, it was less a story and more a spiritual credo. It had a kind of "Celestine Prophecy" "Bridge Across Forever" quality to it, as if the novel were simply a vehicle for expressing a particular set of (very modern New Age) beliefs. The writing was saturated with repetitious talk about "the pattern," "the Source," the sanctity of nature, the experience of death, reincarnation, etc., not in a way which engaged the reader nor furthered any plot, but as an end in itself. The novel is written in the first person, from Ainvar's point of view, and most of it takes place entirely in his head as he ruminates over past failures, current failures, possible future failures, the nature of the universe, the perfection of nature, the magic which has seemingly abandoned him, crises of belief, and the hatred he has for Caesar and the Romans. But very little actually HAPPENS. Ainvar is little more than a spectator watching as various, disconnected activities, triumphs and tragedies, swirl around him. There are characters who seem terribly important to him -- such as Red Wolf, his wife Briga, his lost daughter Maia, and the fairy spirit woman of Ireland -- but these characters are mostly absent from the novel and the promise of their importance never plays out, other than as macguffins for sparking Ainvar's metaphysical and mental meanderings. |
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