The Winter Isles

by Antonia Senior

I am Somerled. The summer warrior. What am I, if not a warrior?

In twelfth-century Scotland, far removed from the courtly manners of the Lowland, the Winter Isles are riven by vicious warfare, plots and battles.

Into this hard, seafaring life is born a boy called Somerled. The son of an ageing chieftain, Somerled must prove his own worth as a warrior. He will rise to lead his men into battle and claim the title of Lord of the Isles - but what must he sacrifice to secure the glory of his name?

The Winter Isles is an astonishingly vivid recreation of the savage dynastic battles of medieval Scotland: an authentic, emotional, powerful read.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Scotland, Fiction, Historical, Medieval, 12th Century

400 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2015

About the author

Antonia Senior is a writer and journalist. After many years at The Times, she is now freelance. She writes columns, book reviews and features for various national publications, including The Times, the Guardian and the Financial Times. Antonia lives in London with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somerled. A romantic sounding name for a great warlord, the legendary Lord of the Isles. The fact is that very little is known about him which means that most of this book, by the author's own admission, is romanticised conjecture. That's fine by me.

Antonia Senior has given us a cracking good read. Unable to learn much verifiable about Somerled himself, she has researched well the times he lived in - the political, maritime and social history - in order to inject realism into his story and she does so very successfully. The pace of the writing keeps the momentum going and regularly switching between telling the story from his perspective to Eimhear or Ragnhild's (the love of his life and his wife respectively) works well. The historical setting is broad and interesting, the language used to describe the magnificent landscape, the brooding seascape, the unpredictable weather and nature of the west coast and islands of Scotland, is evocative (and indicative of the author's own love for them), and the battle scenes are realistic and gruesome without being overly gory. Taking all this into account, it's an easy 5 star read for me. Great stuff!!

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you all know how hard it was for me not to google, or read that afterword? Oh it pained me. But since I had already heard of him, but knew nothing of him, I read the book without googling. Of course when I was finished I googled for about an hour ;)

Somerled was of Irish/Norse origin. His family had been chased away from their stronghold (which island was it now again, that Argyll one). Then they came back and that is how the history of Somerled starts. It is he who shapes their destiny and even titles him King of the Isles at one point. He is strong, cunning, but is he shown as a good man? No, but a man of his time. With that I mean the whole, oh so few women, oh well, we can raid some more. Wow, thanks, that's nice of you lot. But that was the time. I would not have wanted to live there, but I have never read a book set there at that time (12th century).

But there is also the POV of Emeirhin. And her POV is told in first person for some reason. I did first wonder about this, it worked well with his 3rd, and her first. I am glad that his was not through that way though, it fitted better that hers was. Later on the POV of Ragnhild shows up, and I should not have disliked her, but I did. Not really her fault, she was also shaped by events.

It was a harsh world. Filled with war, hardship, but also love, loyalty and will. The will to succeed, to conquer.

Even if not much is known about him, she made it work. And she wrote an interesting life for him with that which was known. It made it into a book that I could not put down. A one sitting kind of book. I sure hopes she writes more interesting historical books.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting tale of Somerled, a partly historical, mostly mythical and legendary hero of medieval Scotland, the Outer Isles and the Isle of Man. Of mixed Gael and Norse stock, he rises from castaway to warlord and king, a true leader of men. Intertwined is an unrequited love story and an unhappy marriage.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting and brutal tale of Somerled's rise to power and dominance in the 12th-century Scottish isles. 3.5-4 stars

A review: https://forwinternights.wordpress.com...

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrical and poetic story about the ups and downs of a life where duty and love are at war - of everything you could gain and lose in the journey from cave-dwelling to hall-biding.

[Ben Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without doubt, one of the finest written novels I have read in the last few years. As good as Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon or Kingmaker: Winter Pilgrims by Toby Clements, and that's saying something. Lyrical, musical and deeply absorbing, this tale of Somerled, a Scottish tribesman of the 12th century is magnificent. Simply magnificent.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this historical fiction novel about somerled the 12th century legend in the western isles and charts his wars and loves and his fights with the norman influenced king of Alba (david/malcolm) and norse/gaels of man and norway. the character himself is the grandfather of the start of clan donald. the author brings the windy and rough terrain to life in the brutal landscape of 12th century western scotland with the clash of gael and norman cultures.

[The Idle Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyrical and heartfelt, this novel set in 12th-century Scotland feels like a natural successor to King Hereafter. It occupies much the same territory, following the ambitious young lord Somerled as he negotiates the rivalries and alliances of the Western Isles and develops a name for himself as a fearless warrior. Based on a figure who is as tantalising a blend of history and myth as Macbeth himself, it's a novel that lingers on the feel of the wild land and the yawning breadth of the playful, fearsome, lovely sea, despite the occasional savagery of its battle scenes. With characters you truly grow to care about, and with a wonderful star-crossed love story at its heart, it's a rewarding read.

For the full review, which will be published on 27 March 2017, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/03/27/t...

[Caitlynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I recognize that the subject matter is medieval Scotland and tells tales of actual people (loosely), the story didn’t really go anywhere as it was all just a mush of fighting and sex and death. This would have been easier to swallow if the writing had been less choppy and easier to follow. Frankly, I got lost several times trying to follow the characters’ line of thoughts vs actual descriptions of what was happening in the moment.

Ultimately, I don’t regret reading it as I did learn some interesting things about that time period in an area of the world that I would love to visit. However, I can definitely say I would not read this again or recommend it to anyone else either.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book from the very beginning. I was totally drawn in by not only the mix of history and legend, so well brought together by the author, but also how human the characters were, especially the few who actually truly existed, given that we know so little about them historically. I really found myself experiencing the highs and lows with these characters, but enjoyed that while they were relatable, their opinions and responses to their changing situations were accurate and appropriate to the time they were living in. Overall, I can't recommend this enough for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

[Julie Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somerled

Very good story! We will never know if any of it is true, but I would like to think my ancestors were like the Somerled portrayed.

[TheCosyDragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

Somerled is a young boy when his family first travels to the unforgiving slopes of Scotland. His future doesn’t seem bright, his father loves but doesn’t trust him. His beloved mother keeps standing tall by his side at all points. When he grows to be a warrior, he is able to achieve unbelievable feats in battle.

Honestly, this book almost bored me stupid. Somerled gets into bigger and bigger battles, produces more and more children. The battles are like road humps, they just keep happening. I didn’t finish reading it, and don’t even feel that sorry about it. I have better things to read. If you’re looking for a innovative warrior story, I’d go for Eirelan.

The only light point of this novel was getting the perspectives from the women. It was refreshing to have something other than Somerled’s endless questioning and optimism. The mental voices were crisp and distinct, I could easily tell them apart, and that’s something that is rarely done well.

My history is rusty, even though I generally have some idea of what is going on in the Celtic and Gaelic areas. This novel didn’t fill in any gaps, and I didn’t feel like I got anything out of it. Boring. 2 stars only for its excellent perspective work.

[RP · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Winter Isles is a beautifully told story about a period and place in history that I knew very little about. The prose style is fresh, original and engaging and I the book is very moving during the latter half (I won’t give away any spoilers here but you’re in for an emotional rollercoaster if you haven’t already read it). It really is beautifully written and heart-breaking in places. I thought the writing was brilliant throughout and the poetry that is dotted throughout the book is very sensitively constructed and really helps you to get into the emotional world of the character - and the islands (“I am Somerled. Sword-heaver, carrion-feeder, fool-reaper”). I love the turns of phrase (esp. the bawdy ones that really got me into the mind and heart of some of the more colourful characters :-) . Although the writing is about something ancient, the prose style is fresh and engaging. One of my favourite reads for a long long time. It’s really got me into historical fiction as a genre. Time to check out ‘Treason’s Daughter’…

[Angela MacRae Shanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical Writing.

This is the first novel I have read by Antonia Senior; it will not be the last. The writing is exquisite, recreating the wild beauty of Scottish land and seascape. The characters are perfectly drawn and utterly believable. I was swept up from the first word to the last.

There is not a spare word in this book, it is crafted so well. "Fear is a dry mouth. Fear is a tight-clenched fist. A rising of hackles to remind a man how like an animal he is, no matter how precious he values his soul."

I so wanted Eimhear and Somerled to be together, but the ending was fitting. I finished the book three days ago but it has stayed with me. The mark of a truly great read.

[Adam Lofthouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I read last year. The tale of Somerled, a lord of the western isles. I have no idea how much of this is based on fact, but I can tell you it felt real. The prose is musical, lyrical, it lures you in and you just can't stop. The journey of young Somerled is fascinating. The child that grew into a warrior, kept apart from the love of his life, trapped in an unhappy marriage. The depth to the plot is engrossing, I was emotionally tied to Somerled, and without giving anything away I was devastated at the end. This book really is a must for all fans of Historical Fiction.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antonia Senior does a wonderful job of cutting through the mists of myth and legend to bring to life Sommerled, grandfather of the great Galloglass Clans - MacDougall, Donald, MacRory, and MacAlister.

Granted Senior's Sommerled is a figure based on her extensive period research and romanticized conjecture, but what else can one do when trying to pin down a myth? Her Sommerled is superb.

This novel has all the great swashbuckling and adventure that one would expect from the story of a great warlord. Senior's Sommerled stands up well to Bernard Cornwell's Uhtred Uhtredson of the Saxon Chronicles. But this story has another dimension. This is a story about living life. On the surface it is a tale of Somerled's personal life and it is full of raw emotion: rage, love, loneliness, fear, disgust...and joy. The journey of young Somerled is fascinating. The child that grew into a warrior, kept apart from the love of his life, trapped in an unhappy marriage is quite engrossing.

But there is more. It concerns the the inevitability of loss and aging. Sommerled hints at it very early on when musing about his tutor and spiritual advisor:

Father Padeen always said that it was easier for the young to gamble, because they never truly believed in the possibility of failure. Ageing, he said, was the wearying accretion of small failures.

And we see this happen throughout the story. With every victory a friend is lost in battle. With political success love is sacrificed. Losses mount as life goes on - Sommerled complains of getting around on his "old man knees." Friends that survive battle begin to waste away of disease. The older you get the more you lose. And always remember - the longer you live...the sooner you'll bloody well die.

But that's okay, because Sommerled and Otter show us how to handle it.

[Martine Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my best trips this year was up to Scotland’s Isle of Skye, where I was captivated by unforgettable views of the hump-backed islands of the outer Hebrides. I wish now I had brought this tour de force of a book along as my holiday reading. The Winter Isles is a brilliantly researched and rendered account of Somerled, a lord of the Western Isles, a semi-mythical leader around the twelfth century.
It begins as a love affair between Somerled as a boy and Eimhar (the ‘otter’), who he loves and loses in the need to make a political marriage to Norse beauty, Ragnhild. What I loved beyond the peerless sense of place, were the details of life in a beggarly warrior band striving to rise up the pecking order: the boredom, violence, food, bards, and conflicts between Norse paganism and the new Christianity with its beautifully sparse, poetic prayers.
By the second half, the pace and power of the book quickened, as Somerled achieves manhood and becomes a leader of his rag-tag band, eventually conquering ever more powerful chieftains. These days the islands are largely depopulated, but Senior conjures a remarkable account of forgotten times, of compelling, rough-hewn characters living hard, unrelenting lives. Notably, Somerled is a tremendous male character; contradictory, troubled and self-centred, failing in loyalty to all but his men and the notion of glory in battle. I will never see those empty islands and coasts in the same way again. Thoroughly recommended.

[Justin Neville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars seems a bit mean considering there was a lot I liked about it and I think I would read this author again.
But the book dragged quite a bit after a promising opening till about 50-60% of the way through. It had a lot going for it but never quite took off.

It's a setting that could have been really interesting - more typical of a lightweight historical romances than the serious historical novel that this was attempting to be. The average, even British, reader knows very little about this period of Scottish history (or, rather, i should say Scottish/Manx/Irish history as it's all interlinked).

I was intrigued but never really felt I was really getting to the bottom of the politics of the setting in that period, although we certainly got a good feel of what life was generally like.

Who was the book about? Ostensibly Somerled. But his passages were told in the third person, whereas Eimhar and, later, Ragnhild had their stories told in the first person so those felt more immediate, even though there was less of them.

Without giving any of the story away, it is very moving by the time you get to the end of the book. So job well done on that front.

Perhaps the main issue was that too much was being covered in 400-odd pages and it might have worked better over a series of two or three books.

Certainly happy I read it. Just wish it had been a little more successful.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story - and it's nice to see a novel that explores an often-overlooked area of British history. In England, we tend not to learn much about Scotland prior to it's unification with England, apart from being given a vague idea that there were lots of clans and chiefs.

This novel is set in the 12th century and follows the trials and tribulations of Somerled as he tries to become a respected warrior and leader. He was a real, documented historical figure and it was interesting to read the author's historical notes and learn what is known about him and his exploits, not just in the Scottish Isles, but also involving the Isle of Man. As ever with such novels, gaps in the historical record allow for some aspects to be invented, but the author weaves everything together skillfully, so that it all feels plausible.

One of the key tests as to whether I like a historical novel is: does it make me want to go and learn more about the people/era/places covered in the book? This one certainly does.

[Somerled · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story telling

This lady can write highly believable and graphic descriptions of hand-to-hand combat. I only wished she could have written the Somerled saga in a similar way to Cornwall 's "Saxon Tales" i.e. In multiple volumes, she definitely writes a story well enough to do so and keep my interest but I suppose that the sources are too limited to go into such detail.
Summing up and I hate to say this to a Sassanach but Ms Senior, your Somerled is far better than Nigel Tranter's!

[Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five-star book that reminds me of Giles Kristian's God of Vengeance and gave me the goosebumps because of its beauty.

[Dar B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate it 3.5, if possible. Should be longer, more detailed, especially regarding battle scenes and regalia, with less romance. Good writing despite short sentence structure, but excellent conveyence of scenery, observation/ interpretation of people, and fun mental dialogue. Enjoyed the inclusion of real historical songs.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually read historical fiction books set in Scotland in this time period (12th century, I usually stick to 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries), but this was really wonderful. A different take on a typical warrior tale, weaving together so many lives and creating a main character full of complexities.

[Karen Ruymann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read for three nights instead if sleeping through! What a glorious and touching tale of this great leader if the Isles. The author's rapidly paced narrative glitters on the craggy shores and I loved her imagery which brought me back to places I visited six months ago. A deeply satisfying read.

[Justin Sarginson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authentic, vivid and enthralling from start to finish. Exceptional.

[Sadie Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a wonderful read of a young boy growing up to be a leader in 12th century Scotland. Full of emotion and wonderment.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelfth century Scotland is a place of brutal warfare and for Somerled, the son of an ageing Scottish chieftain, life is harsh and often unpredictable. There is much to lose in the frequent battles and turmoil that command his attention and yet his unfailing enthusiasm for his land and his people shine through in this story of ancient conflict, and of a young man's quest to reclaim what is his, by right of birth. To be Lord of the Isles in such a time of great uncertainty was tantamount to risking everything but the ties that bind him to this desolate country are strong and deep.

Twelfth century Scotland is vividly recreated and the storm tossed days of battle thunder and ruthless conflict is depicted in such glorious detail that I felt the earth tremor with excitement at the lyrical quality of such powerful storytelling. There are clever interpretations of light and shade with struggles and skirmishes sitting comfortably alongside tender moments between lovers and an abiding love for home, land and people.

Not much is known about the character, Somerled, and I must admit that my own knowledge was woefully ignorant, shrouded as he is in mythology and buried in legend there is little to really know about what actually happened during these early years in Scottish history. With that thought firmly placed in my mind, I must admit to reading the author’s historical notes at the end of the book before I had reached the end of the first chapter. That’s not to say that the rest of the story was spoiled by reading the notes out of sync with the book, far from it, in fact it helped enormously to put time and place into context.

It is obvious that the author is extremely passionate about Somerled. Her enthusiasm shines through with every well written word and there is no doubt that her impeccable research and many, many visits to Scotland have paid off on abundance.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

c2015: FWFTB: 12th Century, Scotland, warrior, Otter, hostage. It has been a while since a book has wrenched such an emotional response from me. Aed! That's all I am gonna say. Beautifully written, formidably researched, evocative and stirring. Ms Senior has hit all the high notes with this one. I was fortunate that I did not have a clue who Sommerled was so all the events were completely new to me. I find that, sometimes, when I know vaguely about the historical figure, and especially when I know the ending to the story, there is quite a high risk of boredom. Some marvellous comments in the blurb on the back and front of the book - all of which I agree with. Words such as 'powerful', poetic, deft, and convincingly are all used. Highly recommended to the normal crew. "The poor bastard. It was writ on his face - the small tragedy of being mediocre."

[Ivor Armistead · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Winter Isles, Antonia Senior's second novel, does not reach the heights of Treason's Daughter, but comes very close. A different era for certain, and there great differences between the English Civil War of the 17th century and the Western Isles of Scotland in the 12th century, but Senior brings both periods alive with compelling characters, including strong women, and poetic language that causes you to reread paragraphs for the joy of hearing them again.

If you enjoy well written historic novels, don't miss either of Antonia Senior's books and then join me in waiting impatiently for the third. Where will we take us next?

[Ann Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second read of this book. I absolutely loved it the first time but it didn't reread as well as I had hoped. The research is great and the characterisation is good too but I think a lot of its appeal is the story and when I knew what happens I was much less engaged. However I would thoroughly recommend it as a powerful tale with some fine use of language.