Song of Ireland

I will read any novel about Ireland. I am crazy about the country. I have also lately been enjoying reading fantasy. So, put the two together and you should have a sure winner. Well, not totally. I found the Prologue confusing but thought that wasn't enough to judge the book. The next section, about Amergin and his family, was great. The next section, going back to Eire before Amergin's clan got there was totally confusing. Anyone more familiar with reading fantasy/sci fi may not have found it as confusing as I did. But I was lost with the talk of Braiding, Re-Braiding, etc. The last section, when Amergin and his family get to Eire was also good. Since this was about the bard Amergin, I was hoping for more of a storytelling aspect to the story. (Like "I Am of Irelaunde," one of McKnight's other books, which I really liked.) If I could have, I would have given this three and a half stars. It was good but if I'd known just how confused I was going to be with parts of the book I never would have read it.

The two stories interwoven in this book start as a historical romance but undergo a metamorphosis to fantasy Sci-Fi. As a fan of the author's previous works, I enjoyed this reworking of an Irish folktale, with a twist that stretches the imagination.