Moon Over Donamorgh

by Marlene Dotterer

In 1803, Ireland is firmly under the thumb of British rule, torn with the ongoing turmoil between Protestant and Catholic. In this fractious climate, Seamus Firnan of Donamorgh secretly leads the people of his estate in the worship of an ancient goddess, practicing rites that were in place millennia before Christianity invaded the island. Sworn to the Goddess since his birth, Seamus is a Protector: one who guards the nearby forest, home to fairies and other magical creatures. But when Seamus is kidnapped, the fairies must look for a second Protector, one who will find Seamus and bring their unknown enemies to light.

That person is Tessa McCarthy, an untrained empath who passed through the forest twenty years earlier, when she was still a child. Tessa has struggled all her life to resist the emotions that flood her empathic mind. Now she has moved to an estate in the Donamorgh forest, where she hopes to live in isolation, and to once again meet the fairies from her childhood. But instead of the peaceful life she envisions, Tessa finds distraught fairies, a woman crying in a forbidden circle, and a mystery wrapped in magic that reaches through many generations.

If Tessa is to find her own peace, she must face the terrifying power that resides within her, and use it to help the people of Donamorgh.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2012

About the author

Marlene Dotterer grew up as a desert rat in Tucson, Arizona. In 1990, she loaded her five children into the family station wagon, and drove north-west to the foggy San Francisco Bay Area. To stay warm, she tackled many enterprises, earning a degree in geology, working for a national laboratory, and running her own business as a personal chef. She’s a frustrated gardener, loves to cook, and teaches natural childbirth classes. She says she writes, “to silence the voices,” obsessed with the possibilities of other worlds and other times.

She is married to The Best Husband in the World, and lives in Pleasant Hill, California.

Reviews

[Sharlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as the result of a Goodreads giveaway.

Before I begin, I should state that I had to pry this book from my husbands hands, the night I started reading this, as he figured he should be the first to enjoy this book. The back of the book had him intrigued...Like him I was anxious to start reading...Dotterer, you had me at 1803...again at Ireland...and yup, again at Fairies...to be honest, I didn't even finish reading the back cover because I was ready to get reading!

I started yesterday...found myself reading into the early hours of the morning and then again thankful for the only time in my life that all three kids were home sick and that I could hide under the blankets with my own fever to finish off this book!

What a woven tale of mystical magic, betrayal, strength and love. I do not wish to ruin this tale for anyone but should warn you that there are several violent scenes in the book that even I had trouble with. I admit they are why the book only got a 4 star instead of a 5 star, BUT...with that said, the scenes are essential to the feel of the story and make you remember that it is Ireland in the 1800's. I believe that Dotterer was able to bring to rise, the true essence of the time and the unfortunate malice that not only existed then, but now. When an author can make you feel the way you do, reading this book, you know that they have far better talent than most authors out there today. You will feel outrage, disgust, dispair and hope. You root for the underdogs and wonder at their strength and resistance to give up. You will close this book wanting more chapters, another book...and yet, somehow you know how it will end...Could it be fairy magic?

The characters are solid and real...the wonderful detailed descriptions of Bashen will leave you never wondering what a fairy would look like. Reactions of characters will not be too far off of what your own would be.

Brilliant plot, wonderful climax and fantastically written. I forsee this book on the best seller's lists, "magically" making it's way to the top!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read such an amazing book! It has made my list of the best of the books I have read in 2013 with honours!

[Dana · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot to this is good, but there was way too much violence and rape. I did not enjoy reading it at all. Had I known what was in it, I would not have read it. Because of the content it should have a mature audience warning and is not appropriate for ages under 18.

[Alex]

I abandoned this one more than half-way through. It just wasn't gelling for me for some reason - would the two halves of the story worked better as separate stories? Would it have been fine if the odd anachronistic word or attitude not been there to throw me out of the story?