Conall: The Place of Blood - Rinn-Iru

Conall #1

by David H. Millar

Over four hundred years before the birth of Christ, the island of Eriu is a patchwork of feuding kingdoms, wide plains, and impassable bogs. Battle, intrigue, betrayals, and courage are part of life for the Celts who call Eriu home, while from their underground halls the mysterious aes sidhe seduce brave warriors, turning men in to kings and binding them with fearsome geis.

Conall Mac Gabhann is content with his apprenticeship to the local blacksmith. Content, that is, until his family is slaughtered in their home.

Two men share responsibility for the massacre: a mad Irish king and a dissolute Roman. Conall will have his vengeance on both, or die in the attempt.

Accompanied by his childhood friend Brion o Cathasaigh and the veteran warrior Fearghal o Maoilriain, Conall's hunt takes him northward through unfriendly kingdoms and treacherous bogs to a confrontation beyond the ancient earthworks of the Black Pig's Dyke.

Along the way, Conall will gather an army, and come to the attention of the aes sidhe. An apprentice blacksmith could become a king with their help-if he so desires."

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Fiction, Ireland

402 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, internationally published author, David H. Millar is the founder, owner, and author-in-residence of ‘A Wee Publishing Company’—a business that seeks to promote Celtic literature, authors, and art.
Millar moved from wet Northern Ireland to Nova Scotia, Canada, in the late 1990s. After ten years of shovelling snow, he decided to relocate to warmer climates and settled in Houston, Texas. Quite a contrast!
An avid reader, armchair sportsman, and Liverpool Football Club fan, Millar lives with his family and Bailey, a Manx cat of questionable disposition known to his friends as “the small angry one”!
Millar is the author of the five volume, ancient Celtic-based, Conall series. Recently published, The Dog Roses is a spin-off from the series.

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received arc from BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for honest read and review,this review is my own.
I was hooked from the beginning in this one and could not out it down until the conclusion.
This is Historical Fiction at its finest and even with trying to pronunciation some words it was a brilliant read.
This is the first in the series and was such a wonderful start.The characters are brilliantly written and it was such a pleasure to read.
Conall is amazing and such a great leader, this story had everything.

[Melisende · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure what the intent was in starting the book in a period set 20 years after the period in which the current book is set - however, despite the start, this was set in the period of 410s BC in Ireland, and weaves a tale mixed with mythology, history, and a good dose of fiction.

I was looking forward to this first in a new series, having read Kenneth C Flint's mythological cycle of books, and having read a good deal about Irish history and mythology, but came away feeling ... well, to be honest, .... meh.

Can't put my finger on it, but just was not feeling it with this one - will not be pursuing the rest of the series.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the tale of survival & constant battling that takes place 419 B.C. To the late 300’s B.C. Conall survives his families viscous and barbaric slaughter, and becomes the man who leads his men from battle to battle, as they attempt to avenge the deaths of loved ones and thrive together under his command.

The plot moves swiftly along and the details in the story and setting are very well portrayed.

Overall a bloodthirsty read that keeps the reader thoroughly engrossed!

[K Saju · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good book on historical fiction, and this book set in early Ireland, was one of the most enjoyable reads. This book is a mini series most of which has already been published and I was able to get hold of the first one via Netgalley.
Book one starts with the life and rise of Conall Mac Gabhann, who first stands against the attackers of his village and then leads his young followers to create an army, an army battle hardened and ready to take the might of the roman empire. The characters of this book have been well developed and kudos to the author for bringing to life the characters and the battles, both the battle strategy and tactics and the gory of the kills. This book is highly descriptive and paints a vivid imagination of the involved characters, the life they led, their thoughts and the sacrifices they made.
Overall one of the best books set in old Ireland, and my thanks to Netgalley for providing me this book for my unbiased feedback.

[S.E. Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fast paced historical fantasy novel. Nicely written, it combines mythical and invented characters extremely well., along with historical fact, (in as much as this period in the UK and Ireland has fact rather than educated speculation given the scant documentation and oral Celtic traditions.)
5 stars in terms of its genre, up there with Matthew Harrfy, and Bernard Cornwall but set in an entirely different Celtic world., Similarly to their novels a certain amount of sex and violence, which as the author explains very much integral to the oral legend /bardic/fili tradition I suspect some may find the Irish names tricky to navigate, and I may have found it easier as I have an interest in the period, but you can't write a book about Ireland without them. All in all well done.
Read courtesy of NetGalley

[Hans Erdman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivid Descriptions of Everything

This is a an interesting story, obviously painstakingly researched and detailed. Everything is described in vivid, sometimes gory detail. The battles, the retribution, crimes and punishment, the sex, is all described in explicit terms that leave little to the imagination. That being said, it is well written and engaging. The characters are extremely well developed and you come to know them well. Cautionary statement: This IS historical fiction/fantasy, and is definitely R-rated. I will eventually read the next book, but right now I need something lighter.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of historical fiction in ancient Ireland. From a lad witnessing the brutal murder of his parents and sisters to creating a following of youngster and forming an army. Seeking revenge for the senseless murders and then throw in some otherworldly powers. This book is packed full of mystery, suspense, action, and revenge that will keep the pages turning.

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am donating it to a senior assisted living facility.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! I cannot wait to read #2.

[Alex McGinnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story Following Conall Mac Gabhann and how he came to his Geis is incredible and the insight this provided to Irish stories and mythology is truly wonderful.

[Syd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through a goodreads first reads giveaway.

I have to say this is a fairly ambitious novel. How often do you come across books about ancient Ireland (written by people that have done their research and attempt to it)? Not often enough.

If you love a good battle scene this book is certainly for you. I'm usually not very good at following written descriptions of battles but the battles in this book were easy to follow and consistently interesting. The descriptions of life and battle in ancient Ireland were very clear and sufficient to give the reader a good overall view without dragging down the story with unnecessary detail.

I loved the inclusion of the Romans and the grudges and messes they were sure to leave behind. I also loved the banshee and how quickly the tides could turn with one around, whether or not they were on your side. (Seriously, why don't authors use banshee in their books more often??)

The one thing that kept me from giving this book five stars is that the dialogue seemed so restricted it was frequently distracting. I'm not sure if it was meant to emulate the style of dialogue that is usually found in ancient Irish legends but it's personally not for me. A majority of the Irish terms used throughout the book were explained but some were not. I would recommend including a translated list just for a quick guide. Most of the time the general meaning is clear but it would be nice to be sure.

The cover for the book was lovely and I had high hopes as soon as I saw it and certainly wasn't disappointed. I can't wait for the next book.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Received from Goodreads First Reads giveaway**

I do not give out 5-star ratings lightly, or often. In my opinion, Conall: Rinn-Iru by David H. Millar has earned 5 stars.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, but have not had much exposure to Irish history, especially at the point in history of this book, over 400 years BC. Conall Mac Gabhann is a teenage son of a blacksmith, in a small community in southeastern Ireland, or Eriu. His life gets turned upside-down one day while he is away from home on a hunting trip. The hunting party returns to find that their village has been attacked, with all the residents slaughtered, including Conall’s parents. Conall vows to avenge their deaths, no matter the cost.

The rest of the novel follows Conall as he travels through Eriu on his mission of vengeance. In the process, he amasses an army, becomes a king, and creates powerful enemies, as well.

With detailed, graphic descriptions of battles, Mr. Millar paints a vivid picture of the life-and-death struggles faced by warriors of ancient times. Can Conall, with the help of his friends, find those that he has sworn to take vengeance upon? I anxiously await the next volume in this series of books.

One note: This book is “R” rated, for violence and adult situations, for those that are concerned with these things.

Overall, a fantastic book – highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!

[Shelby Rollenhagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Millar's novel is extremely well-written and entertaining. As my first real forte into historical fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by just how enjoyable a book Conall: Rinn-Iru turned out to be. Not only is the story line an intriguing glimpse into another time period, but it is also jam packed full of fascinating three-dimensional characters who are engaged in a interesting plot line.
Although I can't attest to the accuracy of the depiction of the time period as a whole, Conall: Rinn-Iru presents a cohesive picture of the time period creating the feeling of accuracy. (Only someone more well versed in Irish history could really say anything about the accuracy with certainty.)
Regardless, Conall: Rinn-Iru is quite a distinguished novel. I look forward to reading more by Millar and I may even take the time to look into some of the books that he used to help research for this novel, seeing as he was kind enough to include a list of those sources along with some of his informational notes at the end of the novel.

I would recommend this book to others.

This book was part of a Good Reads first reads give away.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong 4.5 Stars. The only reason I can't give it 5 is just that there was so much graphic war.

I started out absolutely loving the book. The characters are fantastic, the dialog is smart, and the story comes vividly alive. My only down side I had was that I only have an hour or so at the end of my day to read so I was reading this before going to sleep. After a few days I started to have dreams about the graphic war scenes, it was starting to get to me. However, I still loved the story and characters and would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction.

The story focuses on Conall, a young adult who loses his family in a brutal attack. He then sets out on a journey of revenge. Step by step he takes down those who played a part of the murder of his parents. Joined by fellow villagers along with neighboring nobles, a druid type priestess and a Spartan he wages war up and down the island. This is a standalone book which is a part of Conall's story. I Will be getting book 2!

I won this book with the goodreads giveaways.

[Judith Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my usual genre to read, but I was given the book as a gift, and was intrigued with the cover, so I read Conall. From the first chapter in the book I was gripped. It tells the story of a simple blacksmith's son whose parents and sisters were brutally murdered. Conall starts off on a journey of vengeance with a band of young followers, most not much older than children. The story leads the reader through his growth as a man, a warrior and the leader of his army. The narrative used is authentic, the battle scenes satisfyingly vivid, and the antics of the sidhe will both terrify and delight you. If you like Games of Thrones - you will love Conall.

[Artemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched novel that brings you back to 415 BC in ancient Ireland and follows an orphaned young man on an epic page turning quest for revenge. Just think of an ancient Batman that Batman would run from ;) The descriptions of armor, weaponry and battle tactics were so thorough that I could almost hear the battle cries and I loved the bit of folklore blended in. I won this in a goodreads first reads contest; thanks for the fantastic read.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off,I love the cover of the crow and Celtic weaving.This book is usually not what type of book I like reading but I gave it a try anyways.(fantasy,fiction,and paranormal is what I love reading)The author wrote this book very well and took the time to write every pronunciation so you could understand.Overall this book was ok to me.I would recommend this book to anyone who like history :)

[Anthony Messina · Rating 4 out of 5]

After getting past the difficult Gaelic names and delving into the story it was a non-stop page turner. David Millar weaves a story of legend, real history and unique characters that make it one of the best I've read in awhile. I can't wait for the next book.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Conall: the Place of Blood" is an engaging read. The author does a wonderful job of keeping the reader engaged. I'm looking forward to Part II in ""Conall II: The Raven's Flight".