Sister Wake

by Dave Rudden

A proud culture oppressed for centuries. An island over-run by bestial gods. And a girl with the power to raise the fallen . . .

For three hundred years the wild island of Croí has been subject to the Empire of the Answering. Clans have been subjugated, their language outlawed, their religion reduced to the whisper of fugitive priests.

Until Croí's prayers are answered. The Gods return. Feral and majestic, they stride the land as colossi, throwing the Empire into chaos.

The dispossessed and the vengeful struggle for power. A ruthless priestess rallies the faithful, offering a simple choice - believe, or die - even as the empire's Queen makes the first moves in a long and dangerous game.

But for all their machinations, one woman will decide the fate of them all . . . Sister Wake, unwilling saint of the Goddess of Death.

The first in a high fantasy trilogy, inspired by Ireland's history of English oppression. With the help of their newly arisen gods, Croí is finally about to fight back against the Empire of the Answering - but are the gods on their side, after all?

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, High Fantasy, Mythology

560 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2026

About the author

I began my arts career as a storyteller in Dublin at nights like The Monday Echo and Milk & Cookies, before realising that it might be a good idea to try writing some of this stuff down.

From then, it was submitting to journals and anthologies, getting rejections, and then occasionally getting accepted by nice places like Bare Hands, the Stinging Fly and The Quotable.

In 2013 I won the Fantasy Book Review Short Story Prize, which was lovely, and I’ve had short stories short-listed for the Hennessy New Writing Award and the Bath Short Story Prize. I graduated from the UCD Creative Writing Masters with the first chapter of what would become Knights of the Borrowed Dark and signed with rockstar agent Clare Wallace of the Darley Anderson Children’s Agency soon after.

Since then, I’ve released the second two books in the KOTBD trilogy, written Doctor Who books for the BBC, and written plays and TV and music videos and RPGs .

I teach creative writing at UCD, currently serve as DCU’s Artist in Residence, and have travelled to more than nine hundred schools and libraries all over the world to talk about writing, mental health, and monsters. I also have two new series coming in 2025.

Follow me on Twitter at @d_ruddenwrites or on TikTok at @daveruddenwrites

Reviews

[Helen Corcoran · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was growing up, Irish mythology was taught like ancient history, with no real distinction that it was legends that had first been passed down through oral history before being written down.

Irish mythology has influenced a lot of writers, through the names and legends, but most of what makes it familiar is then lost when it’s repurposed. There’s rarely been Irish influenced fantasy done in such a way that an Irish person would recognise and relish it.

Enter Sister Wake.

While Rudden has still put his own spin on things, the Irish gods and the Irish language and the history of colonisation still rings true. Colonisation is a recurring theme in fantasy, especially in the last few years when marginalised writers, grappling with their own experiences of colonisation, have started to be published more in the mainstream. It’s not just the Answering oppressing the Croí; it’s not just England oppressing the Irish — it’s in the erosion of history, language, culture. The unpicking of faith and traditions, what joins a people together. When something loses significance, it stops being passed down and slowly becomes forgotten.

I loved all three plot strands, which remain pretty much separate throughout the narrative, though by the end it’s obvious they’ve become entangled from a plot perspective, and the set up is there for at least two to directly intertwine in the next book. I enjoyed following the three POV narrators, who each brought something new to the book, but I especially loved how Sister Wake started and finished the book, and was the opening chapter of each section. She is the heart of the novel; Abelard the intelligence; and Talasa the cunning.

I also loved the depiction of the Irish gods, and how the reader’s perception of them changes throughout the book. The last fifty pages are a true horror in all the POVs, and the decisions made all in direct conflict with each other, and I can’t wait for the next book. I truly have no idea how this trilogy will end, and that’s very exciting.

[Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. The 4 stars were there in parts and pieces but the world building took me down.

This is fantasy written on the back of Irish mythology and its giant gods and England’s colonization of Ireland. This story is the fantastical war between these factions. Having not grown up with Irish mythology, the world building was probably even that much more intense for me. There were whole actual chapters where I wasn’t sure much what was going on.

And yet, we can leave space for that as fantasy is something I am not yet an exceptional or avid reader. It’s my intention to find the fantasy student within me this year. My intention is to put my 4th grade joy of reading back into my life when I devoured Narnia and Andrew Lang’s fairy books with so much happiness. I am seeking magic this year!

[R.S.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My full blurb:

'SISTER WAKE is a brilliant, rebellious scream of a novel with 200 foot tall pissed off gods from Celtic mythology coming for an alternate British Empire in a fever dream of an Irish revenge fantasy. A page-turning epic about people doing monstrous deeds in a desperate bid to win the war between colonizer and colony, it mercilessly shows us that in the war for sovereignty and freedom there can be no saints, only those willing to sell their very souls for victory.'

My unprofessional thoughts:

OMG OMG OMG.

This is fantasy by someone at the top of their game. Human nature laid bare in all is horrible glory, brought to you by a cast of very human, unforgettable characters scrabbling with everything they have to understand and withstand the calamitous, portentous events that drag them all into personal and public hells.

If you crave books that take you on a rollicking ride into the ugliest parts of human history and culture, that champion the oppressed, that shine an unforgiving light on what it takes to both become a monster and fight one, what it takes to both be empire and resist it, how to find who you are when what people want most from you is for you to do what you're told and be who they want you to be, this is the book for you.

If you want to spend an entire book on the edge of your seat, mouth open at each incredible, unique, wondrous worldbuilding detail and reveal, this is the book for you.

If you crave being immersed in the culture entirely unlike your own, or if you wish to be immersed in the authenticity of a culture being lovingly and mercilessly explored by one who lives and breathes it, this is the book for you.

If you want to close a book absolutely sure you'll be reading the next one going, 'this author is a fucking genius' this is the book for you.

I don't know what else to tell you.

Read the damn thing and see what fantasy can do in truly deft hands.

[Ryan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

200-foot kaiju gods, necromancy, and anti-colonial rebellion. What more could you ask for?

[Alexandra]

RTC

Thank you Netgalley and Hodderscape from Hodder and Stoughton for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Release date : 15 January 2026

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Hodderscape for the ARC, it hasn't affected my review. 

Release date: 15th Jan 2026

TW: death, murder, colonisation, violence, blood, horror, racism, war, body horror

Utterly brilliant from the very first page, ‘Sister Wake’ is a devastating and epic reimagining of the Irish invasions and rebellions in a fantasy world where gods have begun to walk again. The island of Croí has been under the oppressive control of the Empire of the Answering for centuries, its people systematically crushed down and mistreated by colonisers. As a new rebellion begins with the hope of freeing Croí for good, Sister Wake- the only person ever spared by the goddess of death and now acting as her emissary- is forced into a role as an unwilling saint, driving her people forward- even though she doesn't fully believe they can succeed. Aided by Brother Wight, her protector knight and only companion, Sister Wake marches across Croí until the impossible happens: the Gods rise again. Hundreds of feet tall and devastatingly destructive, they throw the entire Empire of the Answering into chaos even as the foreign Queen Kalifsena and her mysterious daughter Talasa try to influence things at court. Caught in the middle is Abelard, the son of an Answering Lord who hops on the boat to Croí and into history in the making. It's up to Sister Wake, Abelard and Talasa to discover if the gods are actually on Croí's side or just dooming everyone to destruction. 

I genuinely found this book impossible to put down when I started. I've not been caught up in the start of an epic fantasy series like this for a long time and I can't wait to see where it goes next. This book is dark, brutal in places because of the violent and calculated oppression committed by the Answering against the Croí but there's also an undercurrent of humour in parts that I really enjoyed. I took to Sister Wake immediately as she and Brother Wight tried to raise their rebellion and found her backstory to be especially fascinating, particularly when you see her powers in action. I also really liked the naive character of Abelard and how in wanting to prove himself, he walked into a nightmare he's nowhere qualified for: it was with him that some of the horror began, especially with the towering figure of Macha walking through crowds of people like they're nothing. Talasa is a sixteen year old girl caught up in the machinations of a racist court, limited in what she can do because of her role though she stretches and pushes those limits in some brilliant political scenes. I have to mention the Gods because they're so scary and inhuman, I couldn't stop imagining the sheer size of them while I was reading. Wherever I thought ‘Sister Wake’ was going to go, it always surprised me and made some incredible comparisons to the treatment of the Irish people throughout history. This will be a standout book of 2026!

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

On my blog.

Actual rating 3.5

Galley provided by publisher

First, a disclaimer, if you like. There is very little fantasy that I’ve read and enjoyed this year that hasn’t been Malazan, Book of the Fallen or otherwise. It’s like nothing else has been able to grab my attention. Whenever I pick up a different fantasy book, all I can think about is that it’s not Malazan and it will not reach the worldbuilding heights of Malazan.

That being said, Sister Wake is a book that grew on me. At the start, I have to admit it did fall into the not-Malazan trap. I am still of the opinion that its worldbuilding is somewhat half-baked (I will come back to this later), and it didn’t help that that’s my favourite thing about the Malazan series. However, the characters in this one came to the fore and, with that ending, I am so intrigued as to where this one goes next.

I might as well dive straight in, starting with the characters. The story splits into three plotlines, thus far unrelated except in the broadest sense. First is Sister Wake, who is a saint blessed by the goddess of death and therefore able to reanimate corpses (though only animals). She travels the country alongside her protector, Brother Wight (sp?), helping to incite rebellion amongst the Croí (Ireland) against the Answering (British Empire). Then there is Abelard, the youngest son of an Answering lord who disappoints his father at every turn, and, finally, Talasa, the daughter of the Queen of the Answering who is not Answering herself. Now, of course I had favourites (Sister Wake), that was inevitable, but each character grew on me the more I read. As you would hope, given that this is a relatively chunky fantasy. They’re clearly characters travelling distinct roads at this point, but it’s clear enough that they’ll draw together sometime. In retrospect too, I actually really liked that this book is pretty much a set-up for the main conflict. Of course things happen, but it’s clear that this is just the beginning. Nowadays, it feels like more books and series need to take their time over things (told you I was Malazan-pilled), and this one looks to be doing just that.

So you would think this would be right up my alley as a book, which. I guess it was mostly? My only real qualm was with the worldbuilding. YMMV here, but I struggle with books where the worldbuilding is just a fantasy version of real life events. I have nothing against them, in theory, but I do feel that it lends itself to not thinking so much about the depth of the world because you can just assume a certain amount of shared knowledge. As such, here the worldbuilding felt somewhat surface-level. The Answering is Britain, the Croí is Ireland, and all of it is otherwise identical to late 19th-early 20th century Britain and Ireland, just with some fantasy flavour names. The world functions very like our own, just with Irish gods being real (why do they appear after 300 years? Who can say) and bestowing blessings upon people who become saints and gain powers. How and why this works is not clear (though I hope it might be explained later). It’s only towards the end that things start to become more interesting with the fantasy side of things. I also will admit that, the more the plot progressed and the more drawn in by the characters I got, the less concerned I was with the worldbuilding. I could let it go and just enjoy the ride.

Therefore, as a conclusion, all I can say is that this should be a book that fantasy fans will love. It’s definitely one that’s got me eager for the rest of the series.

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters: 4/5
Story/Plot: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Overall: 3.5

This is a heavily Irish inspired dark Epic Fantasy that at its core is a story of colonization. It follows three different Characters: Sister Wake who is a saint with powers akin to necromancy, and her guardian Brother Wight, Abelard the lowly son of a Lord who is a disappointment to his family, and Talasa a woman surrounded by the Answering. As we follow these three characters, we see the two sides of the conflict as well as Sister Wake who is in between.


The Character of Sister Wake was my favorite, as she had an interesting backstory, and I think she is the character that we spend the most time with. I will say that all the characters felt well fleshed out and complex, each with their own motivations.

The writing in this was difficult for me. The world building was hard to grasp as someone who has no exposure to Irish Mythology or History. Some of the visuals were also hard to picture at times. I think this led me to not getting as much out of the plot or characters as I would have liked. I think I would like to sit down with a physical copy of this and utilize the glossary to better understand what I'm reading. I also felt like the pacing was a little slow in the middle.

My struggles aside, I think this was a fine addition to the Fantasy Genre as a whole and I know a lot of readers will enjoy this!


Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing me with an eARC!

[Lel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this in a Goldsboro box and it sounds amazing but just didn't click for me. Whether that was because I read it over Christmas and was constantly interrupted from reading it I don't know. The inclusion of a lot of irish mythology was great and that is the aspect of the book that I liked the most. I may pick up more books in the trilogy as they come, but it will be a series that I will get from the library or second hand rather than rushing out on release date.

[Sarah Moody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Overall, a good read. Starting with the good, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the mythology, those were great and who doesn't love a story about an conquered land rising up against it's occupiers. Sister Wake was also very intriguing as a character, and the necromancy element was presented in a interesting way I've not previously come across. However, there were several aspects of this that hampered my enjoyment. Firstly, while I enjoyed all three stories individually, they felt a bit disconnected. And the constant switching between these stories made it hard to connect with the characters and to stay immersed in each storyline. I also couldn't help but feel that all of them fell slightly flat, perhaps because it was difficult to give each of the storylines the attention they deserved. Secondly, while it is very clear that the author is very passionate about the mythology which inspired this, the use of Irish words throughout the text without sufficient context broke the immersion even more with the frequent need to transit to the glossary. Now, I fully understand wanting to include it, but I felt more care should have been given to how it was used. Overall I would recommend this to fans of mythology inspired fantasy whilst bearing in mind that it is not the smoothest reading experience.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts well, ends well. Dips and drags in the middle.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

An epic fantasy, heavily inspired by Irish mythology, has great potential and well-developed characters. However, its slow execution and confusing delivery hinder its full potential.

The story draws parallels to Ireland’s occupation by the English. The common folk believe in gods with inhumane powers and control over natural elements, preparing to rebel against the British invaders.

There are three compelling perspectives. As a child, Sister Wake, the title character, was sacrificed to the god of death. Instead of dying and providing the village with a good year, she survived and gained the god’s powers, allowing her to raise the dead, communicate with them, and command their obedience. Sister Wake navigates the budding rebellion, helping to lead the people while questioning the rebellion’s motives, eventually leading to her confronting her childhood demons. Princess Undynast, playing coy in the court politics, pretending to be less intelligent and aware, ends up uncovering a secret religious plot in the capital that could upend the entire kingdom. And a lord, who happens to fight for the freedom of the people his country has been enslaving. All the MCs embark on their own journeys, with complex arcs, discovering bigger truths and standing up for their values.

The world is filled with gods seeking destruction, religious zealots who believe they can control the wild gods, and political upheaval, invasion, and the meaning of occupation. In theory, it sounds like my cup of tea. Unfortunately, it’s not the case. The underlying plot revolves around liberation, rebellion, independence, and colonization, and emphasizes the brutality of the invaders. In short, the book places more emphasis on historical fiction than on fantasy. Adding up a very strong Irish mythology background, which is quite confusing for someone unacquainted with it, leads to a struggle in getting into the story.

Despite these flaws, I still enjoyed the book. However, I would truly market it as historical fiction inspired by fantasy, more like Babel than Fifth Season.

[Baccata · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC
This epic fantasy novel, heavily inspired by Irish mythology and history, tells of occupation, resistance, and the slow loss of language, faith, and cultural identity. Set in a world clearly based on Ireland and England, colonization, rebellion, and religious fanaticism take center stage - not merely as a backdrop, but as central themes of the plot.

The story unfolds across three largely separate plot lines with different perspectives:
Sister Wake, a saint consecrated to the god of death with the ability to raise the dead, is the emotional heart of the novel.
Abelard brings a more intellectual perspective that emphasizes inner conflicts.
Talasa/Undynast impresses with their political acumen and tactical skill.
All the characters are complex and develop credibly, even if their paths only cross late and gently.

I particularly liked the characterization, the dark atmosphere, and the portrayal of the Irish gods, whose perception changes significantly over the course of the story. The finale is intense, contradictory, and almost horror-like, leaving me eager for more.

What I didn't like so much was the pace and structure. The plot drags noticeably in the middle, the frequent changes in perspective make it difficult to connect with individual characters in places, and the three narrative strands don't seem to be properly connected for a long time. The mythology and historical references are great, but not necessarily easy to understand. The frequent use of Irish terms threw me off a bit. At first, I had to look things up in the glossary, but that got easier with time and made it much simpler for me.

The bottom line is that the novel is an ambitious, thematically strong fantasy novel with great emotional and mythological potential. Despite narrative longueurs and minor weaknesses, it wins you over with its characters, its dark mood, and its powerful finale. A must-read for fans of mythological fantasy.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘼 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙠𝙣𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨

𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙨, 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡

𝙒𝙖𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙮

THIS BOOK!

I love it when fantasy books deep dive into the reality of how awful people can be and the things they do to hold onto power and this book delivered on that perfectly.

The island of Croí has been under the control of the Empire of The Answering for centuries & now with their Gods returned in the flesh and causing mass destruction, they battle for their freedom.

This book was BRILLIANT and I am genuinely devastated I have to wait for book two because the last 50 pages or so had me violently biting my freshly done nails.

Sister Wake wasnt just about The Answering oppressing Croí, or England oppressing the Irish but the devastation that came with it. The loss of land, culture, history, texts, music, language and faith.

I loved the three different POV’s from sister wake - a saint trying to navigate her new powers, Talasa, a cunning princess & Abelard, a naive but extremely likeable character & being able to see how events unfold separately through their eyes & watch it all slowly come together - It really reminded me of John Gwynne The Faithful & The Fallen in the sense the events were happening all over both islands simultaneously!
(TF&TF also happens to be one of my FAVOURITE series ever so this says A LOT)

This really was an incredible start to this trilogy. The twists towards the end and the cliffhanger went HARD so I’m desperate to get my hands on the next book already. The wait for book 2 will be the end of me. Truly.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND adding this to your TBR and reading as soon as it releases.

“𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣”

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢”

[mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you hodderscape and netgalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

it took me so long to finish this. partly because of the book itself but also just because of my own reading slump and inability to pick up my kindle.

there were a lot of things that i enjoyed about this. i think the prose is great and i appreciate how rudden has taken inspiration from irish mythology, language, and history with colonialism and crafted this world and story. i know that this novel will be exactly some peoples cups of tea and i think if you read the synopsis and find yourself intrigued then you should definitely pick it up and give it a try (it releases jan 15th!!)

the reason i’m giving it 3 stars is that it was just missing *something* for me. again, i don’t really know how much of that is because of the reading slump i was in or whatever but sometimes it felt like such a chore to pick up from wherever i left off when i put my kindle down. i understand why the decision was made to have multiple povs but i personally felt like the povs were quite disconnected for a majority of the story. my favourite pov of course was sister wake’s. i think her character is excellent and i loved reading about her relationship with her sainthood and the ways in which she navigates the intense trauma she’s been through. i also really liked her dynamic with brother wight. i found myself most engrossed when i was reading her chapters and then immediately being less intrigued when we switched to talasa’s or abelard’s. although towards the very end i did find what they had going on somewhat interesting.

the final scene has left me in anticipation for what comes next in the series. i am not 100% sure if i will continue it but i am willing to give the second book a chance whenever it is published.

[Devon Borkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best, most engaging fantasy books I’ve ever read.

The characters really made the book for me. Right from the start I absolutely fell in love with Sister Wake. Her dry wit, and the little needling ways she chooses to hang on to her humanity despite the power she wields make her feel so real. Seeing the world of these Gods through her eyes helps the journey feel so personal. Talasa and Abelard, the other two POV characters, were also so endearing and fun to follow. Each new POV had its own voice, and they felt like distinct and complex characters. I really enjoyed all three perspectives, and it was nice to have variations in tone, and the variety of different obstacles across the three stories. I can also imagine a lot of ways these characters lives can begin to intersect as the series goes on.

I loved the clear historical parallel, and that while the Gods, Saints, and magical elements all screamed high fantasy, the conflicts and challenges that the characters face are all so grounded and real. It’s a very nuanced take on revolution, with the horrors of colonialism on full display. The petty infighting of the revolutionary groups, and the casual and deliberate cruelties of imperialism are not softened by the fantasy elements, but reinforced.

I seriously could not put this book down (it was a bit of a problem for me, I kept trying to sneak chapters in even at work). I was hooked from start to finish, and I already can’t wait for the sequel.

[Mark Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Wake by David Rudden is a captivating dark fantasy rooted in Irish mythology, weaving a story inspired by legendary giant gods and Ireland’s colonial history. At its heart, it explores themes of conflict, power, and the search for belonging.

The novel centres on three intriguing characters: Sister Wake, a saint wielding necromancy-like powers and my personal favourite perspective; her loyal guardian, Brother Wight; Abelard, a lord’s son who disappoints expectations; and Talasa, a woman protected by the mysterious Answering. Through their intertwined paths, we gain multiple perspectives on the war, with Sister Wake navigating a complex middle ground. The characters are richly developed, especially Sister Wake, whose compelling backstory draws you in.

I was especially drawn to the inventive worldbuilding, although the narrative pace slowed somewhat in the middle for me. Still, this book promises a rewarding experience for fantasy enthusiasts who relish deep mythology and darker, thought-provoking themes. Overall, Sister Wake stands out as a bold and ambitious contribution to the genre, sure to resonate with many readers.

My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Hodder Books for providing the ebook and the chance to share my honest opinion.

[Sapphyre Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Everything is connected,... And everything has consequences"

This is a fantastic start to what I can see being a brilliant series.
I don't know much about Irish mythology, so this was refreshing. There is a lot of world building here, as well as 3 POVs. Sister Wake is definitely setting up the tone for future books.
The POVs are all very separate but you can see how they will entangled with eachother later on.
Talasa's POV was probably the one that I struggled the most with initially, however her story did pick up and intrigue me the further in we got.
Sister Wake's POV, I just found fascinating from the start. Her history, her gifts and her thoughts about the path she's on.
Abelard was another POV I found interesting from quite early on.

"Grief was as one-sided a thing as there could be, and there was no better proof of that than her sitting here grieving for dead men who didn't even know she existed."

[Angela Groves · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic fantasy, full of rebellion, necromancy and rampaging gods 200ft tall. Inspired by Celtic mythology and the British Empire, the story follows multiple viewpoints as each navigate the uprising of a people under the thumb of an invading force for 300 years.

With rich world building, interesting magics and political intrigue, this story is a must for fantasy fans.

[Benni · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Received via my Goldsboro GSFF subscription; this was the December 2025 selection.)

Loved the style and the story gripped me right away. But it slows down a bit in the middle before the epic ending, thus 4 stars instead of 5.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Irish fantasy ever written. Fight me.