From Publishers Weekly
This powerful partisan novel by the author of Druids recounts the aftermath of the last concerted attempt by Celtic nobility in Ireland to throw off English domination. When Elizabeth I sent her forces to the Catholic country to guard against attempts to retake the British Isles for Rome, her commanders used bribery and threats to coerce some nobles to swear fealty to the English throne. Others, led by Hugh O'Neill, held out during the Nine Years' War until the final defeat at the Battle of Kinsale in 1602. When this work opens a year later, a chieftain from the south, Donal Cam O'Sullivan of the now destroyed fortress town of Dunboy, has resorted to the desperate expedient of leading his people across a hostile Ireland to seek safety with loyal clans far to the north. A thousand civilians and soldiers set out but, harassed at every turn by those seeking the price on O'Sullivan's head and tormented by fierce winter weather and by hunger, only 34 men and one woman survive. This tale of courage, love, cruelty and treachery, one of the great legends of Ireland, receives vivid, evocative treatment here.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Veteran novelist Llywelyn (Red Branch , Morrow, 1990) breathes life into historical facts, seducing readers into caring about the people and events she depicts. Her new novel takes place in 17th-century Ireland as Queen Elizabeth I of England seeks to obliterate 2000 years of Celtic tradition and religion. It begins on December 30, 1602, soon after the Battle of Kinsdale sounded the death knell for Irish independence. Fugitive nobleman Donal Cam O'Sullivan, the "prince" of the title, denounces the queen and seeks to march 1000 followers to safety across wintry, dangerous terrain. Death, desertion, and near constant fighting with the enemy, both English and Irish, reduce his band to a starving and exhausted group of 35 survivors, but a lively dose of Irish humor woven into the dialog keeps the novel from becoming a funeral march. Cinematic descriptions and a plentiful ensemble of romantic characters make this very good reading for loyal Llywelyn fans and new readers alike. Despite a few credibility problems, this belongs on every library's shelf. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/92.
- Marlene McCormack-Lee, Drain Branch Lib., Roseburg, Ore.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
