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روباه
کتاب پیش رو شرح زندگی سلتهای نیمه دوم قرن یکم میلادی است. سلتها قبایلی سبع و جنگجو بودند که از سده ششم قبل از میلاد از اروپای غربی به بریتانیا مهاجرت کردند و پیوسته با دیگر قبایل و حتی با خود در جنگ و ستیز بودند. آنها در بریتانیا مذهب چندخدایی (دروئیدیسم) را که تلفیقی از پیشگویی و جادوگری بود پذیرفتند. داستان روباه که با شیوۀ هنرمندانهای به رشتۀ تحریر درآمده است، با روایت چندین واقعه غمانگیز، باورداشتها، اعتقادات، سنن و شیوه زندگی سلتها را بیان میدارد.
464 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
155 people are currently reading
1044 people want to read
About the author
Arlene Radasky
4 books47 followersYou can get my book, The Fox, free, or on Amazon, Kindle or App on iPhone and itouch. Visit my website. My twitter name is @aradasky and I would love to talk to you!
I was born in Pueblo, Colorado in 1949 but spent my early life in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
My father was an electrician and then an air traffic controller. My mother had many different jobs.
I attended two years of the University of New Mexico, met the man who became my husband, and married William Radasky, Ph.D. on June 14, 1969 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
My first child, Christine, was born three years later, in 1972 and the second, another girl, Kendy, was born in 1975. I stayed at home to raise my girls and watch over their schooling. Both now have Master's degrees in science and engineering.
My husband and I moved to Santa Barbara, California in 1973 and have been in the same house for all these years.
I had visited Santa Barbara as a child and knew I would live here one day. I feel as if I should be here.
I was active in the PTA, becoming the President of the Mountain View PTS and Council President while the girls were in elementary school
Paid staff and volunteer with the American Red Cross for 15 years. First as a Health and Safety Instructor (becoming a certified EMT in order to train in Advance First Aid), then as an Instructor Trainer. I also taught Basic First Aid to many K-6 children for 7 years. I was selected as Goleta Woman of the Year for my Red Cross work in 1991. I started working in Disaster Services in 1991 and became a Nationally ranked Instructor and Instructor Trainer as well as working in many national disasters.
Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer for 18 months and worked a very difficult case to its end
Santa Barbara Channel Island Marine Sanctuary volunteer for three years and taught others about our Channel Islands and sea life
Present Volunteer Activities
Volunteer for Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, winning the Volunteer of the year award for 2004
Volunteer for Hospice of Santa Barbara. I have trained to work with Hospice clients and Cottage Hospital Compassionate Care.
Personal Interests
I walked in two Avon 3Day, 60 mile Breast Cancer walks, walked a marathon and completed a sprint triathlon.
I have been lucky enough to have traveled extensively and garnered an intense interest in history. Ancients have stories to be told. I hope I can tell a few. I have always been fascinated with ancient history and think about the people who have walked the same paths we walk today. I have seen two bog bodies, one in Denmark and one in London. My imagination led to my telling The Fox, to tell their story.
My heart is with my family and now two grandsons, Drew and Ian.
I was born in Pueblo, Colorado in 1949 but spent my early life in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
My father was an electrician and then an air traffic controller. My mother had many different jobs.
I attended two years of the University of New Mexico, met the man who became my husband, and married William Radasky, Ph.D. on June 14, 1969 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
My first child, Christine, was born three years later, in 1972 and the second, another girl, Kendy, was born in 1975. I stayed at home to raise my girls and watch over their schooling. Both now have Master's degrees in science and engineering.
My husband and I moved to Santa Barbara, California in 1973 and have been in the same house for all these years.
I had visited Santa Barbara as a child and knew I would live here one day. I feel as if I should be here.
I was active in the PTA, becoming the President of the Mountain View PTS and Council President while the girls were in elementary school
Paid staff and volunteer with the American Red Cross for 15 years. First as a Health and Safety Instructor (becoming a certified EMT in order to train in Advance First Aid), then as an Instructor Trainer. I also taught Basic First Aid to many K-6 children for 7 years. I was selected as Goleta Woman of the Year for my Red Cross work in 1991. I started working in Disaster Services in 1991 and became a Nationally ranked Instructor and Instructor Trainer as well as working in many national disasters.
Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer for 18 months and worked a very difficult case to its end
Santa Barbara Channel Island Marine Sanctuary volunteer for three years and taught others about our Channel Islands and sea life
Present Volunteer Activities
Volunteer for Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, winning the Volunteer of the year award for 2004
Volunteer for Hospice of Santa Barbara. I have trained to work with Hospice clients and Cottage Hospital Compassionate Care.
Personal Interests
I walked in two Avon 3Day, 60 mile Breast Cancer walks, walked a marathon and completed a sprint triathlon.
I have been lucky enough to have traveled extensively and garnered an intense interest in history. Ancients have stories to be told. I hope I can tell a few. I have always been fascinated with ancient history and think about the people who have walked the same paths we walk today. I have seen two bog bodies, one in Denmark and one in London. My imagination led to my telling The Fox, to tell their story.
My heart is with my family and now two grandsons, Drew and Ian.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
April 26, 2013
Excellent story. Actually two excellent stories intertwined. The first century tale is actually better developed and told than the twenty-first century tale, but hopping back and forth provides context and suspense for both. Great fun and creativity, if a bit predictable. Had a little trouble deciding whether it was historical fiction or fantasy, decided: both. Great emotional range, too.
Why not five stars? I'm no expert on Pictish history or Druidic beliefs, but I do know a bit about the history of the Romans in Britain. This story gets several facts very wrong. Not enough to ruin the story, but enough to mar the spell, as it were.
A great read.
Why not five stars? I'm no expert on Pictish history or Druidic beliefs, but I do know a bit about the history of the Romans in Britain. This story gets several facts very wrong. Not enough to ruin the story, but enough to mar the spell, as it were.
A great read.
February 28, 2011
WOW what a book. Carefully blended time tale/travel that leaves you crying both sad and happy. LOVED This book. The setting was perfect you could really see what they were trying to tell you. I loved the easy transistions between the time its taking place. There are many view points presented and it flows well not disjointed at all. Found it by accident on my Nook and am looking forward to more from this writer!
February 19, 2011
I’ve read a lot of Celtic historical fiction from Jules Watson and Diana Gibaldon to Juliet Marillier and Bernard Cornwell. Coming from blended Celtic roots, I have also read dozens upon dozens of nonfiction books. The one thing I will say about The Fox is that Radasky pays very close attention to historical details. On the other hand, sometimes the routine and ritual of those details overshadowed the immediate characters, making it difficult to get close to and fall in love with them.
And I wanted to fall in love with Lovern (a healer and Druid) and Marc (a modern archeologist,) the way the main characters, Jahna and Aine were in love with the men of their worlds, but many of the characters felt slightly underdeveloped. I think part of the reason I found it so hard to wrap my mind around them was the shift between characters and the first person narrative of each speaker in this epic tale. First-person narrative is often a difficult sell as it is, and the wider range offered in third-person could have made these characters easier for me to identify with as a reader.
Overall, the premise of the novel is very creative. A modern day archelogist (Aine,) is connected to the past through a series of spirit dreams shared with Jahna, a powerful healer from pre-Roman invasion Scotland who uses her ability to spirit walk to help keep the memory of her clan and family alive.
The editor in me had a hard time overlooking some of the grammatical errors and tense-shifts that often invaded the narrative, which in turn made it hard for me to relax and sink into the story. I think had I listened to the podcast version prior to reading it, I might have understood the narrative tense shifts a little better, because it felt as if the author was trying to capture character personality. Listening to someone else read it may have made it easier to ignore those little details.
I really feel that if a professional editor had taken a second pass at The Fox, the story itself would have been more enjoyable for me as a reader. Her eye for detail and grasp on historical practices and rituals was really beautiful, and as a reader and lover of Celtic history that is one of this novel’s saving graces. Radasky’s passion shines through, which increases the novel’s enjoyability.
And I wanted to fall in love with Lovern (a healer and Druid) and Marc (a modern archeologist,) the way the main characters, Jahna and Aine were in love with the men of their worlds, but many of the characters felt slightly underdeveloped. I think part of the reason I found it so hard to wrap my mind around them was the shift between characters and the first person narrative of each speaker in this epic tale. First-person narrative is often a difficult sell as it is, and the wider range offered in third-person could have made these characters easier for me to identify with as a reader.
Overall, the premise of the novel is very creative. A modern day archelogist (Aine,) is connected to the past through a series of spirit dreams shared with Jahna, a powerful healer from pre-Roman invasion Scotland who uses her ability to spirit walk to help keep the memory of her clan and family alive.
The editor in me had a hard time overlooking some of the grammatical errors and tense-shifts that often invaded the narrative, which in turn made it hard for me to relax and sink into the story. I think had I listened to the podcast version prior to reading it, I might have understood the narrative tense shifts a little better, because it felt as if the author was trying to capture character personality. Listening to someone else read it may have made it easier to ignore those little details.
I really feel that if a professional editor had taken a second pass at The Fox, the story itself would have been more enjoyable for me as a reader. Her eye for detail and grasp on historical practices and rituals was really beautiful, and as a reader and lover of Celtic history that is one of this novel’s saving graces. Radasky’s passion shines through, which increases the novel’s enjoyability.
June 19, 2011
My favorite book of the year. Such a beautiful written story that has deeply touched my soul. Can't keep the tears back; but loved, loved every page up to and especially the ending. Just amazing how the author breaths life into the characters and their environment in this extraordinary historical fiction. All 'Outlander' fans are going to surly love this as a MUST read.
April 10, 2009
The Fox by Arlene Radasky is a captivating, fascinating historical romance, a story of ancient people, there traditions, beliefs, customs, and culture. The author paints a word picture rich in breath-taking scenery and unique characters It's a powerful love story full of passion, courage, and tragedy.
The Fox is a tale not unlike Jean Auel's "The Clan of The Cave Bear." Jahna, the heroin of this epic story, like Ayla, the heroin from the Cave Bear series, is a strong, courageous and passionate young woman. This book will stir your emotions.
Aine MacRae is a modern day archeologists working a site in the Highland of Scotland and about to discover the ruins of Jahna's ancient clan site, with help from Johna, herself. But she must find an ancient relic worth stopping the finalization of the sale of the excavation site. She also wants to pick up the shattered pieces of a renewed friendship with an ex-lover.
If you loved the Cave Bear series, you'll love, "The Fox."
The Fox is a tale not unlike Jean Auel's "The Clan of The Cave Bear." Jahna, the heroin of this epic story, like Ayla, the heroin from the Cave Bear series, is a strong, courageous and passionate young woman. This book will stir your emotions.
Aine MacRae is a modern day archeologists working a site in the Highland of Scotland and about to discover the ruins of Jahna's ancient clan site, with help from Johna, herself. But she must find an ancient relic worth stopping the finalization of the sale of the excavation site. She also wants to pick up the shattered pieces of a renewed friendship with an ex-lover.
If you loved the Cave Bear series, you'll love, "The Fox."
May 31, 2009
I lived a life long dream through this book. As a genealogist I've always wanted to meet my ancestors and uncover my heritage. I was able to do this through Jahan and Aine!
September 22, 2011
Synopsis: Have you ever wondered who your ancestors were? How did they live? How did they die? Most of us do.
Genealogy is a huge business. Curiosity about our bloodlines, our past, makes us want to go back as far as possible.
But, genealogy can only go back as far as there are written records. What if you had a chance to find a connection to ancient roots? To someone who lived two thousand years ago? Proof you could touch and hold in your hand?
Aine Macrea has that chance. She is the archaeologist who is on the search for a vision.
Jahna has come to her and lead her to discoveries.
In The Fox, you will follow the lives of Jahna and Lovern, two people who lived in what is now Scotland, during the time of the invading Romans. The Romans threatened Jahna and Lovern, their clan and most importantly, the life of their child. They struggled to find a way to stop the coming invasion and in doing so, left traces of their lives.
Aine is working to rebuild her career and is led by instinct, or a vision (or is it a ghost?) to a hilltop in Scotland. (The preceding synopsis was stolen from the author's website.)
Setting: Ms. Radasky sets The Fox in Scotland. Part of what initially attracted me to this story was my life long interest in this northern portion of the United Kingdom. Blame it on Doohan. However, in Ms. Radasky's book, there are two Scotland's. The present day Scotland that a few among us might know, and an ancient Scotland inhabited by druids and warriors. While I greatly enjoyed the latter, the former didn't really gel as much for me. Without spoiling the story, much of the area is the same in both situations, separated by a time shift. That time shift somehow greatly affected the word portrait Ms. Radasky painted. At least to me. Strangely, the archaic Scotland seemed much more lifelike to me than the modern one.
Grade: B+
Plot: The synopsis above gives a glimmer of what the story is about. The two time streams do swap back and forth in being the driving current plot, until they eventually converge. Each time stream develops its own subplots and carries the readers along paths that I, at least, for one, never found very comfortable. But then again, who said life was comfortable? As I read this book I was reminded how uncomfortable listening to it had made me. Let me state here. Reading it made the uncomfortableness go away. In it's place I found acute pain.
I enjoyed the plot line set in ancient Scotland much more than the one in current times. More about this in the recommendation.
Grade: B-
Characters: Again, there is a discrepancy between the characters in the ancient story line and the current. Jahna and Lovern had me tied into their story from the first page (ancient story line). I found Aine (current story line) to be unlikeable and quickly read through those chapters.
While this might seem harsh, let me say again, it isn't the author's job to make me love their characters. It is the author's job to make me have a visceral reaction to their characters. At least that is my thought. Ms. Radasky does that. I loved Jahna and Lovern until I hated them. Aine's character, while not affecting me as deeply, still made me angry, which is still a characteristic of decent writing.
Grade: A-
Odin's Recommendation: Ms. Radasky did not write my favorite book when she wrote The Fox. Part of that is because she does some truly horrific things to her characters. Things that quite probably were very true to the way of life ancients in this part of the world during the time period described. I wish the entire book would have focused on the ancient civilization, and although having finished the story, I understand why there are two, I still cannot say the current timeline and the tie in interested me nearly as much. I could have/would have enjoyed it more having completely been set in the ancient world. That being said, The Fox made me angry because it made me care. If you're interested in life and legends set in ancient Scotland, Ms. Radasky has written a book for you. Warning: (and possible spoiler) Ms. Radasky in no way rewrites history. You've been warned.
Genealogy is a huge business. Curiosity about our bloodlines, our past, makes us want to go back as far as possible.
But, genealogy can only go back as far as there are written records. What if you had a chance to find a connection to ancient roots? To someone who lived two thousand years ago? Proof you could touch and hold in your hand?
Aine Macrea has that chance. She is the archaeologist who is on the search for a vision.
Jahna has come to her and lead her to discoveries.
In The Fox, you will follow the lives of Jahna and Lovern, two people who lived in what is now Scotland, during the time of the invading Romans. The Romans threatened Jahna and Lovern, their clan and most importantly, the life of their child. They struggled to find a way to stop the coming invasion and in doing so, left traces of their lives.
Aine is working to rebuild her career and is led by instinct, or a vision (or is it a ghost?) to a hilltop in Scotland. (The preceding synopsis was stolen from the author's website.)
Setting: Ms. Radasky sets The Fox in Scotland. Part of what initially attracted me to this story was my life long interest in this northern portion of the United Kingdom. Blame it on Doohan. However, in Ms. Radasky's book, there are two Scotland's. The present day Scotland that a few among us might know, and an ancient Scotland inhabited by druids and warriors. While I greatly enjoyed the latter, the former didn't really gel as much for me. Without spoiling the story, much of the area is the same in both situations, separated by a time shift. That time shift somehow greatly affected the word portrait Ms. Radasky painted. At least to me. Strangely, the archaic Scotland seemed much more lifelike to me than the modern one.
Grade: B+
Plot: The synopsis above gives a glimmer of what the story is about. The two time streams do swap back and forth in being the driving current plot, until they eventually converge. Each time stream develops its own subplots and carries the readers along paths that I, at least, for one, never found very comfortable. But then again, who said life was comfortable? As I read this book I was reminded how uncomfortable listening to it had made me. Let me state here. Reading it made the uncomfortableness go away. In it's place I found acute pain.
I enjoyed the plot line set in ancient Scotland much more than the one in current times. More about this in the recommendation.
Grade: B-
Characters: Again, there is a discrepancy between the characters in the ancient story line and the current. Jahna and Lovern had me tied into their story from the first page (ancient story line). I found Aine (current story line) to be unlikeable and quickly read through those chapters.
While this might seem harsh, let me say again, it isn't the author's job to make me love their characters. It is the author's job to make me have a visceral reaction to their characters. At least that is my thought. Ms. Radasky does that. I loved Jahna and Lovern until I hated them. Aine's character, while not affecting me as deeply, still made me angry, which is still a characteristic of decent writing.
Grade: A-
Odin's Recommendation: Ms. Radasky did not write my favorite book when she wrote The Fox. Part of that is because she does some truly horrific things to her characters. Things that quite probably were very true to the way of life ancients in this part of the world during the time period described. I wish the entire book would have focused on the ancient civilization, and although having finished the story, I understand why there are two, I still cannot say the current timeline and the tie in interested me nearly as much. I could have/would have enjoyed it more having completely been set in the ancient world. That being said, The Fox made me angry because it made me care. If you're interested in life and legends set in ancient Scotland, Ms. Radasky has written a book for you. Warning: (and possible spoiler) Ms. Radasky in no way rewrites history. You've been warned.
May 16, 2012
An epic tale of deep love, ancient history, and modern archaeology. This book may have taken me a long time to read at one hundred and thirteen thousand some words, but it was well worth it and it seemed much shorter. This book is worth your time and money, but lucky for you it's free so you owe it to yourself to download this story and enjoy it for a good long while. I really liked the back and forth between the ancient and modern times. The characters were well done and believable in both time frames, and it never bothered me jumping from one time to another. I never felt jolted out of one time and thrust into another, it just flowed. Now that I think of it, pulling that off could not have been easy but Arlene did it really well. If you like romance, drama, archaeology, even some great action - then this story is for you. Sometimes it's really nice to be able to curl up with a book for a good long while, knowing you have a lot of story to go and the fun won't end soon. Some of my favorite books are the ones that took me a long time to read. When I read The Kite Runner it was over the course of about a year, but I enjoyed it and think back fondly on toting around that huge tome. It was the same with The Historian, and it's the same way with this treasure - you don't have to worry about the end of the story coming up on you soon because it's magic and story keep going for a long time. I think you'll find as I did though that before you know it, the story has ended and you're left with many fond memories and new friends. There were a few parts that I felt were a bit slow, but there were also parts that just about brought me to tears and many exciting parts. In my mind those parts more than equal out the book overall to be a great read. I don't usually read this genre of book, but I'm glad I read this one. I really liked the ending, it was exciting.
February 2, 2011
I listened to this story as an audiobook, but I am purchasing print copies because it is a story that absolutely needs to be shared with some of my favourite people. I stumbled across The Fox while looking for some light entertainment, and by the time that I realized that this wasn’t it, I had been irrevocably sucked in. I’ve never fallen in love with characters the way I fell in love with Jahna, and especially, because the reader gets to view him through Jahna’s eyes, with Lovern. This is a wonderful blend of realism, history and heart-wrenching fantasy, a hauntingly-sweet, tragic story that allows you to feel like you are breathing in the sights and sounds that the narrator is experiencing, and makes you want to cling to each moment so that it endures. Ms. Radasky is a master at evoking a strong sense of attachment to all of her characters, including the modern day ones who play a lesser role in the tale. Even the minor characters come to life and I walked away from the story (still wiping the tears from my face) with the impression that I had new friends, lovers and family. I look forward to the author’s next book. I would recommend this story to anyone with a heart, and would rate this as one of my favourite books ever.
January 12, 2010
Arlene Radasky's "The Fox" is a fascinating crossover between historical fiction and fantasy. Her heroine, Aine, is an archaeologist who is visited by Jahna, an ancient Pictish Druid who lived at the site Aine is exploring.
Radasky has clearly researched not only bog archaeology but Celtic mythology, Druidic practices and life in the ancient British Isles. Her facts are spot-on (this is an area of interest for me).
On top of that, she has created interesting characters in both the modern and ancient world. Archaeologists and ancients alike are well-rounded, multi-dimensional characters. Even the "villains" are well thought-out and complex.
I enjoyed the book thoroughly and recommend it to fans of fantasy, archaeology procedural stories and historical fiction alike.
Radasky has clearly researched not only bog archaeology but Celtic mythology, Druidic practices and life in the ancient British Isles. Her facts are spot-on (this is an area of interest for me).
On top of that, she has created interesting characters in both the modern and ancient world. Archaeologists and ancients alike are well-rounded, multi-dimensional characters. Even the "villains" are well thought-out and complex.
I enjoyed the book thoroughly and recommend it to fans of fantasy, archaeology procedural stories and historical fiction alike.
July 17, 2012
Still scratching my head trying to figure out all the 5 star reviews. While this isn't the worst story I have ever read it's certainly not above mediocre. I appreciated certain parts where the author clearly took the time to create a developed scene with full characters, which is why I even finished reading it, but overall it has the feel of a high school student dipping into a college level writing workshop for the first time. Too much predictability, very contrived. Had the author played her cards correctly this could have been great, a real shame.
September 1, 2012
I couldn't get into this at all. The writing felt really stilted and stiff to me. Grammar and capitalization was really hit or miss. The capitalization bothered me in particular - names would only be capitalized every other time.
Most importantly, I didn't care about the characters at all. I didn't find the switching between the two time periods/characters to be done well. I gave up when I realized I had no interest in finding out what was going to happen.
Most importantly, I didn't care about the characters at all. I didn't find the switching between the two time periods/characters to be done well. I gave up when I realized I had no interest in finding out what was going to happen.
February 27, 2012
Eh, I went back and forth between two and three stars for this because two stars seems sort of miserly but I am trying to adhere to the goodreads star standards and, really, I feel more strongly about "it was okay" than saying I actually *liked* it.
I did like all the "in the past" segments and I found myself interested in Jahne and the characters of that time period but the "present" characters didn't interest me at all. Aine was totally flat to me and I found I couldn't care less about her which, given she is half the point of the book, really takes away from the book as a whole. I think the problem with Aine's character was that all the development about her was rushed and so none of the events that theoretically define and shape her had any substance to me. For example, at one point at an end of a chapter we have her *completely out of the blue* weeping and disabled by grief about her brother having died (heroically I might add). Brother? what brother? Turns out she had a brother who threw himself on a grenade to save others. Okay. But, spending literally about three paragraphs on this brother and Aine's obviously turmoil over his death (I mean, she's pretty much knocked incapacitated by this out of the blue grief, in the space of these three paragraphs) and then moving right along with the story and everything is fine is not a way to get me to feel for the brother OR for Aine's feelings for the brother. I understand why he was mentioned - he was foreshadowing for someone else's [otherwise obviously approaching] death AND he served to provide Aine with a convenient reference point at the end of the book when she was trying to figure out someone's motives ("oh! my brother did THIS so that's probably why this person did THAT"). So, I understand the purpose this served but it still seemed really amaturely done overall.
I also did not like that the narrator switched to a third narrator at 67% of the way through the book. Again, I understand why the author did so -- obviously she didn't have another way for us to get this character's information while he was on a journey -- but his perspective for the first time in the book at that point (and he's a main character) and then ONLY that little section of the book just served to be more stalling of the flow for me than furthering the plot. I could see that I was supposed to feel more deeply about what he saw than had the narration stayed the same and he just came home and told about it, but knowing I was supposed to do that and being compelled to do it are two different literary feats and this book fell short on the the latter of those two.
So that it doesn't sound as if I thought it was ALL bad (I did almost give it three stars), I will say again that I did like the main character from the "past" section of the book and I felt for her and even cried at points in the book, on her behalf.
I would recommend this to someone for light reading but my recommendation of it would likely only come toward of the bottom of a list of other books to read first/instead. However, this book is free for the kindle so it is certainly a good enough book for a freebie.
I did like all the "in the past" segments and I found myself interested in Jahne and the characters of that time period but the "present" characters didn't interest me at all. Aine was totally flat to me and I found I couldn't care less about her which, given she is half the point of the book, really takes away from the book as a whole. I think the problem with Aine's character was that all the development about her was rushed and so none of the events that theoretically define and shape her had any substance to me. For example, at one point at an end of a chapter we have her *completely out of the blue* weeping and disabled by grief about her brother having died (heroically I might add). Brother? what brother? Turns out she had a brother who threw himself on a grenade to save others. Okay. But, spending literally about three paragraphs on this brother and Aine's obviously turmoil over his death (I mean, she's pretty much knocked incapacitated by this out of the blue grief, in the space of these three paragraphs) and then moving right along with the story and everything is fine is not a way to get me to feel for the brother OR for Aine's feelings for the brother. I understand why he was mentioned - he was foreshadowing for someone else's [otherwise obviously approaching] death AND he served to provide Aine with a convenient reference point at the end of the book when she was trying to figure out someone's motives ("oh! my brother did THIS so that's probably why this person did THAT"). So, I understand the purpose this served but it still seemed really amaturely done overall.
I also did not like that the narrator switched to a third narrator at 67% of the way through the book. Again, I understand why the author did so -- obviously she didn't have another way for us to get this character's information while he was on a journey -- but his perspective for the first time in the book at that point (and he's a main character) and then ONLY that little section of the book just served to be more stalling of the flow for me than furthering the plot. I could see that I was supposed to feel more deeply about what he saw than had the narration stayed the same and he just came home and told about it, but knowing I was supposed to do that and being compelled to do it are two different literary feats and this book fell short on the the latter of those two.
So that it doesn't sound as if I thought it was ALL bad (I did almost give it three stars), I will say again that I did like the main character from the "past" section of the book and I felt for her and even cried at points in the book, on her behalf.
I would recommend this to someone for light reading but my recommendation of it would likely only come toward of the bottom of a list of other books to read first/instead. However, this book is free for the kindle so it is certainly a good enough book for a freebie.
November 3, 2013
Having read Kate Mosse's "Sepulchre", the theme in Radasky's novel was familiar. The descriptions of early Scottish life (wherein we know them as "Picts") were perfectly visual, with light introductions to druid practices and habits. The characters in this time period were fleshed out wonderfully, with depth and detail.
The only thing keeping me from rating this book higher was the lack of believability in the present day foil, Aine. She just didn't act her age, seemed grossly immature, and one dimensional. This was just inconsistent with the investment in Lovern and Jahna. Aine's chapters felt stiffer and lacked depth. Halfway through the novel, very important information about Aine's family history was info-dumped abruptly, further adding to the jagged and uneven character development. The Roman conquest of the ancient Scotish areas were just enough to make me forgive this in the writing style and continue reading. I'm glad I did, because I found myself teary-eyed at the end, not wanting to let go of this story.
Fans of "Clan of the Cave Bear" might enjoy this as a lighter, less involved history of ancient peoples with a modern twist.
The only thing keeping me from rating this book higher was the lack of believability in the present day foil, Aine. She just didn't act her age, seemed grossly immature, and one dimensional. This was just inconsistent with the investment in Lovern and Jahna. Aine's chapters felt stiffer and lacked depth. Halfway through the novel, very important information about Aine's family history was info-dumped abruptly, further adding to the jagged and uneven character development. The Roman conquest of the ancient Scotish areas were just enough to make me forgive this in the writing style and continue reading. I'm glad I did, because I found myself teary-eyed at the end, not wanting to let go of this story.
Fans of "Clan of the Cave Bear" might enjoy this as a lighter, less involved history of ancient peoples with a modern twist.
July 8, 2011
This book kept me spellbound. At first I wasn't sure I was liking the book because of its switching from one century to the other. The ending was not predictable. I enjoyed this very much as the archaeologist began her journey in Scotland in many ways. Great Read.
October 6, 2009
I have read, and re-read. Soon a hard copy will be on my shelf, and I can't wait for her next book to come out.
June 16, 2011
An instant favorite! This is one book I'll read and reread and always find something new.
March 2, 2019
I've had this in my kindle library for years, and I'm trying to work through some of those older books. This was a pretty solid read. It really would have benefitted from a deep editing - some grammatical issues, too many infodumps, some weird anachronisms with the language - but I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed reading it.
June 27, 2022
A great story I thoroughly enjoyed.
February 17, 2013
Recently a friend mentioned this to me, saying that she thought I'd enjoy it a lot. It happened to be free for Kindle that day and I snagged it with only a brief glance at the synopsis since I was in a hurry; the picture of a fox was good enough for me. Today, on forced bed rest with a nasty ankle mishap I was randomly scrolling through my books looking for something, anything, to distract me from my self pity. Again the fox caught my attention and I picked it without absolutely any recollection of it's contents.
All I can say is just, wow. I read it in one sitting and it actually had my emotions engaged, which sad to say is all too rare these days. I have always been attracted to this period of history and am an archeology buff so right away there were two things to snag my attention but the twist of having people connected through waking dreams, two of which lived a millennia apart, kept it. I thought the way it switched back and forth between the different time lines seamless but always found myself yearning for it to switch so I could find out what was going on in the other one. Also, for Jahna and Lovern, the gods really came alive. They weren't just some abstract idea of something that could exist but really did exist and they believed with all their being.
I did enjoy how it ended and the only reasons I gave it four stars are probably just nitpicky. I loved how it had Aine connecting herself with Lovern and Jahna not just as people that lived ago and someone to study but that may actually be ancient ancestors of her own which had her wanting to dig back through her family history even more as well as to see if she could find evidence of what happened to their daughter. It made me think of the archeologist that came across one of his own ancient ancestors several years ago. To me, being able to visibly see that connection and to actually know from where you came from is very powerful. I think what lost me however was the dialogue at the end when Jahna showed Aine her daughter with her own small family. It seemed a bit stilted and contrived although I did see what the author was doing; it was just so out of the blue. I enjoyed the basic premise of it; I just wish it had been done in a slightly different manner. Then again, it did give Aine the connection she needed to her roots. That leads to one of the other gripes I had. I would have loved to know more of Aine's history; not just her personal history so she was more three dimensional but that of her family. I got such small glimpses of it. What led to this and why was it she that Jahna had such a strong connection with? Was it just an accident; a peculiar singularity of time and space? Or was it actually a familial trait handed down through the family from when the gods favoured them, but not spoken of, and happened to present itself in this matter?
So yeah, nitpicky. :) Perhaps I did have too many questions but, in my own defense it's not often a book engages me so thoroughly and makes me wish it hadn't ended quite at the moment it did.
All I can say is just, wow. I read it in one sitting and it actually had my emotions engaged, which sad to say is all too rare these days. I have always been attracted to this period of history and am an archeology buff so right away there were two things to snag my attention but the twist of having people connected through waking dreams, two of which lived a millennia apart, kept it. I thought the way it switched back and forth between the different time lines seamless but always found myself yearning for it to switch so I could find out what was going on in the other one. Also, for Jahna and Lovern, the gods really came alive. They weren't just some abstract idea of something that could exist but really did exist and they believed with all their being.
I did enjoy how it ended and the only reasons I gave it four stars are probably just nitpicky. I loved how it had Aine connecting herself with Lovern and Jahna not just as people that lived ago and someone to study but that may actually be ancient ancestors of her own which had her wanting to dig back through her family history even more as well as to see if she could find evidence of what happened to their daughter. It made me think of the archeologist that came across one of his own ancient ancestors several years ago. To me, being able to visibly see that connection and to actually know from where you came from is very powerful. I think what lost me however was the dialogue at the end when Jahna showed Aine her daughter with her own small family. It seemed a bit stilted and contrived although I did see what the author was doing; it was just so out of the blue. I enjoyed the basic premise of it; I just wish it had been done in a slightly different manner. Then again, it did give Aine the connection she needed to her roots. That leads to one of the other gripes I had. I would have loved to know more of Aine's history; not just her personal history so she was more three dimensional but that of her family. I got such small glimpses of it. What led to this and why was it she that Jahna had such a strong connection with? Was it just an accident; a peculiar singularity of time and space? Or was it actually a familial trait handed down through the family from when the gods favoured them, but not spoken of, and happened to present itself in this matter?
So yeah, nitpicky. :) Perhaps I did have too many questions but, in my own defense it's not often a book engages me so thoroughly and makes me wish it hadn't ended quite at the moment it did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2012
This was my second experience of listening to an audio book downloaded in podcast format. My first experience had been wonderful and I had high hopes for
The Fox
. It started well: the story alternating between modern day Scotland and the people of Scotland at the time the Romans occupied Britain, i.e. my present and an area in which I have a lot of interest.
Although I had issues with the way the text was read by the author, the storyline created enough curiosity for me to continue listening on my commute to and from work. By about episode 10, however, I had found it too slow; things seemingly dragging on for ages. Unlike the previous podcast books, I forced myself to listen to the remainder of the podcast episodes, even though I barely managed to remain tuned in, just in case the story and/or the reading of it picked up. I am not sure there was a climax, or which part was intended to be the climax - the event in the past, or the connection in the future - and the story just trailed off to a finish.
So, the story centres around two characters, really: the modern day archaeologist, Aine, and a Pictish[?] woman Jahna, both living around Fort William. Jahna starts as a young girl, living with her clan, when a stranger arrives to join their community, Lovern, who it seems has the skills of healing. Jahna sometimes has visions, which link Aine to her along with a group of foxes. Aine is working in the area where Jahna's clan once lived, trying to get funding and help for a dig that seems doomed, as the owner tries to sell the land from under her ... and so the story goes.
The audio broadcast was peppered with pauses in strange places causing a stilted flow - having not read the book (only have a .pdf) I cannot comment on written punctuation, but the spoken punctuation was awkward, jarring at times. The author continued to pronounce one of the main character's name, Aine, incorrectly: rhyming it with "aim", rather than "AHN-yuh" and I wish Ms Radasky had refrained from using accents for certain characters, in particular the one used for Mr Treadwell which was very muddled indeed. This is just a sample what irked me about the storyline, historical details and the audio translation, I am loathe to provide more as it's probably a personal thing; others may not have the same quibbles.
I am sorry to say that as the episodes came to a close, I was utterly disinterested in the characters, any resolution to their problems, and indeed hearing the author's rendition of the same. I'm afraid I won't be recommending this book in future.
Although I had issues with the way the text was read by the author, the storyline created enough curiosity for me to continue listening on my commute to and from work. By about episode 10, however, I had found it too slow; things seemingly dragging on for ages. Unlike the previous podcast books, I forced myself to listen to the remainder of the podcast episodes, even though I barely managed to remain tuned in, just in case the story and/or the reading of it picked up. I am not sure there was a climax, or which part was intended to be the climax - the event in the past, or the connection in the future - and the story just trailed off to a finish.
So, the story centres around two characters, really: the modern day archaeologist, Aine, and a Pictish[?] woman Jahna, both living around Fort William. Jahna starts as a young girl, living with her clan, when a stranger arrives to join their community, Lovern, who it seems has the skills of healing. Jahna sometimes has visions, which link Aine to her along with a group of foxes. Aine is working in the area where Jahna's clan once lived, trying to get funding and help for a dig that seems doomed, as the owner tries to sell the land from under her ... and so the story goes.
The audio broadcast was peppered with pauses in strange places causing a stilted flow - having not read the book (only have a .pdf) I cannot comment on written punctuation, but the spoken punctuation was awkward, jarring at times. The author continued to pronounce one of the main character's name, Aine, incorrectly: rhyming it with "aim", rather than "AHN-yuh" and I wish Ms Radasky had refrained from using accents for certain characters, in particular the one used for Mr Treadwell which was very muddled indeed. This is just a sample what irked me about the storyline, historical details and the audio translation, I am loathe to provide more as it's probably a personal thing; others may not have the same quibbles.
I am sorry to say that as the episodes came to a close, I was utterly disinterested in the characters, any resolution to their problems, and indeed hearing the author's rendition of the same. I'm afraid I won't be recommending this book in future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2012
What have we here? This book has two stories intertwined. The first one is Jahna's story. A Celtic Pict woman, living in 80AD. It describes her life, her love and her death.
The second story is that of Aine, a 20th century Archaeologist, digging in Scotland and getting over a divorce and death in her family.
The two stories intertwine because of Jahna's awake dreams, where she travels in her mind and shows Aine impressions of her life/ I will not go any deeper into the hows and whys of this. Read the book!
The research is SUPERB! The writing is captivating. The characters are well developed. I could hardly put the book down at times.
The flow between the ancient time period and the modern time is very well done. Sometimes these things can get a bit disjointed, but Mrs. Radasky is pulling it off so nicely. It all makes such sense.
The story captures your heart and you feel for the characters plight. You feel their happiness, their pain, the fear. It takes you on an adventure, like a good book should.
I had to take a break on a few occasions, since the story was so emotional, it made me cry. I skipped the "taking part" all together. I could not bring myself to read it.
I did find the modern day heroin, Aine a bit on the whiny side. It was a bit off putting, but nothing to really detract from the overall magic of the book.
Although the historical details are wonderfully researched in this book, it is still fiction! I have gotten sick and tired of people citing "The Tudors" on HBO, or "The other Boleyn girl" as historical facts!!!!
I would definitely recommend this book to people that like reading historical fiction. If you just want to read a romance, this might not be the right book for you, since the historical details might be a bit much for you and you might loose interest. Like I said, it really goes into things. Mrs. Radasky describes not only the ancient landscape beautifully, but the daily life, chores, practices and rituals of the ancient people. If you are not into that sort of thing, it will be boring.
If you are like me, then you will LOVE this book!
As of today, 4/19/12, the book is still available for free on Barns and Noble's website as an e-book!
The second story is that of Aine, a 20th century Archaeologist, digging in Scotland and getting over a divorce and death in her family.
The two stories intertwine because of Jahna's awake dreams, where she travels in her mind and shows Aine impressions of her life/ I will not go any deeper into the hows and whys of this. Read the book!
The research is SUPERB! The writing is captivating. The characters are well developed. I could hardly put the book down at times.
The flow between the ancient time period and the modern time is very well done. Sometimes these things can get a bit disjointed, but Mrs. Radasky is pulling it off so nicely. It all makes such sense.
The story captures your heart and you feel for the characters plight. You feel their happiness, their pain, the fear. It takes you on an adventure, like a good book should.
I had to take a break on a few occasions, since the story was so emotional, it made me cry. I skipped the "taking part" all together. I could not bring myself to read it.
I did find the modern day heroin, Aine a bit on the whiny side. It was a bit off putting, but nothing to really detract from the overall magic of the book.
Although the historical details are wonderfully researched in this book, it is still fiction! I have gotten sick and tired of people citing "The Tudors" on HBO, or "The other Boleyn girl" as historical facts!!!!
I would definitely recommend this book to people that like reading historical fiction. If you just want to read a romance, this might not be the right book for you, since the historical details might be a bit much for you and you might loose interest. Like I said, it really goes into things. Mrs. Radasky describes not only the ancient landscape beautifully, but the daily life, chores, practices and rituals of the ancient people. If you are not into that sort of thing, it will be boring.
If you are like me, then you will LOVE this book!
As of today, 4/19/12, the book is still available for free on Barns and Noble's website as an e-book!
December 11, 2019
I am always taken with a work of literature that captures the subtle, and yet potent, tether between love and death. We all experience love, and inevitably, death. Leo Tolstoy writes about both brilliantly. "War and Peace" has one of the most heartbreaking love stories I have read to date. It is both tragic and touching because love is entwined with death. Every time I read the passages detailing the reunion of Natásha Rostóv and Prince Andrew Bolkónski at Great Mytíshchi, I am moved to tears. Their chance encounter is one of the more romantic moments in literature.
As Prince Andrew lies alone in the throes of death, enlightenment arrives with this realization: "When loving with human love one may pass from love to hatred, but divine love cannot change. No, neither death nor anything else can destroy it. It is the very essence of the soul."
My intention is not to compare Arlene Radasky's "The Fox" with Tolstoy's epic, but I do see a meditation on death and love in her work that I also see in the austere Russian moralist's.
The love story in Radasky's tale runs deep, several thousand years deep to be precise. She takes her reader back and forth from the first century to the twenty-first rather deftly, weaving both time spans together as the loom does yarn. The details of place, the atmosphere, are compelling and the reader almost smells the peat smoke that is so familiar to both Jahna and Aine.
However, it is the sacrifice, the sacrifice for love, for family, for bloodline that evinces the true essence of the romance at the center of this story.
Love and death prove to be so much more than simple companions, trite realities that everyone will experience. In "The Fox," they are powerful agents that drive the existence of humanity, inseparable entities necessary for history to remain vibrant and persevere.
As Prince Andrew lies alone in the throes of death, enlightenment arrives with this realization: "When loving with human love one may pass from love to hatred, but divine love cannot change. No, neither death nor anything else can destroy it. It is the very essence of the soul."
My intention is not to compare Arlene Radasky's "The Fox" with Tolstoy's epic, but I do see a meditation on death and love in her work that I also see in the austere Russian moralist's.
The love story in Radasky's tale runs deep, several thousand years deep to be precise. She takes her reader back and forth from the first century to the twenty-first rather deftly, weaving both time spans together as the loom does yarn. The details of place, the atmosphere, are compelling and the reader almost smells the peat smoke that is so familiar to both Jahna and Aine.
However, it is the sacrifice, the sacrifice for love, for family, for bloodline that evinces the true essence of the romance at the center of this story.
Love and death prove to be so much more than simple companions, trite realities that everyone will experience. In "The Fox," they are powerful agents that drive the existence of humanity, inseparable entities necessary for history to remain vibrant and persevere.
June 10, 2014
is book found me.
When you move through this book you join Aine as she begins a quest to find herself after a bad marriage. As she searches for that place where Jahna once lived she finds her family, and rediscovers her soul mate Marc.
With us in tow Aine discovers the life of Jahna and her true love the Druid Lovern. Their life is ours to know and share, Jahna reaches out to Aine because she wants the future to know the story of her life with Lovern and never to forget the sacrifice that was made so that their blood line would carry on.
This book is about the journey of a family and what we will do to keep that family and to keep our blood line flowing. There is a deep spiritual side to this story as well within the covers you will journey along a very Druid path that extends outward to remind all that we are but a small part in a greater scheme.
I will stop now for if I go on I may give more away than I should. The author gives this tale to us as a gift to be read and shared. Thus the best we can do is just that, read it, and when done say thank you to her for sharing.
Please read this, trust me when I say it is worth the adventure. When you are done light a candle in memory of someone you love that has crossed over to sit at the table of the Gods/Goddesses
When you move through this book you join Aine as she begins a quest to find herself after a bad marriage. As she searches for that place where Jahna once lived she finds her family, and rediscovers her soul mate Marc.
With us in tow Aine discovers the life of Jahna and her true love the Druid Lovern. Their life is ours to know and share, Jahna reaches out to Aine because she wants the future to know the story of her life with Lovern and never to forget the sacrifice that was made so that their blood line would carry on.
This book is about the journey of a family and what we will do to keep that family and to keep our blood line flowing. There is a deep spiritual side to this story as well within the covers you will journey along a very Druid path that extends outward to remind all that we are but a small part in a greater scheme.
I will stop now for if I go on I may give more away than I should. The author gives this tale to us as a gift to be read and shared. Thus the best we can do is just that, read it, and when done say thank you to her for sharing.
Please read this, trust me when I say it is worth the adventure. When you are done light a candle in memory of someone you love that has crossed over to sit at the table of the Gods/Goddesses
April 1, 2014
I really don't understand all the 5-star reviews. The idea of the plot is decent but it's executed very poorly. It's something I would expect to have been written by a High School student. There are many grammar errors and spelling mistakes. On at least one occasion, "loosing" is used when "losing" was meant. I doubt that this book was edited and proof-read before it was released. The characters are stiff and poorly written. Dozens of names are tossed at you with little to no personality behind them. The descriptions of what the characters look like and what they're wearing are also stiff, awkward and overall painful to read. It's a very stiff book and very underwhelming. I've read better fanfiction. I would not recommend to a friend and I'm only going to finish it because I'm half way through. Personal gripes are that Aine is just exceedingly boring & it's implied by the author that rape victims are responsible for their being attacked.
December 17, 2012
The Fox jumps back and forth between a woman in the late 1st century and a woman in the early 21st century. They share a telepathic link due to be related, and occasionally see through each other’s eyes.
Both are in Scotland. Jahna the druid has a loving family and community that is doing well but worried about the encroaching threat of the Roman army. Aine the archeologist is digging up the remains of an ancient family and community, trying to learn about life in Scotland right before the Romans.
A lot of the Lifetime relationship drama could have been chucked to focus more on the history. Paring down Aine’s section to just about the archeology would have worked better to give more time to linking Aine’s discoveries with Jahna’s daily life rather than all the shifted focus to Aine’s messy personal life.
January 9, 2014
I do not normally review books. I read them, enjoy them or not and then move on. if someone asks I'll say yea read it or not. That is a far as my reviewing interests go. Some I re-read others are forgotten. It will be quite a while before I can reread this one. I seldom cry over books, less than the fingers on one hand in my 68 years. The last 5% of this book took hours to read when I could see through the tears. I finally had to put it down, take a break and go out and walk the dog. Maybe it was my Scots blood, the moon or hormones. I have no idea but this book hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like it was my family, my people. Did I care about the characters--hell yes. Would I recommend it ABSOLUTLY!
December 10, 2011
I enjoyed reading The Fox, but was left feeling dissapointed in it. The author fell short on bringing this story to it's potential. There were many scenes that should have powerfully moving due to the subject matter but were executed poorly-she didn't build the reader's emotions up where they needed to be.
The "present day" segments of the book were hokey and a lot of the coincidences and parallels between the ancient and the current main characters were obvious and contrived.
Most of the time I read this I was thinking how much better it could be, had it been written by an author with a better technique and with more feeling.
The "present day" segments of the book were hokey and a lot of the coincidences and parallels between the ancient and the current main characters were obvious and contrived.
Most of the time I read this I was thinking how much better it could be, had it been written by an author with a better technique and with more feeling.
February 2, 2014
This book should be way more popular. I picked it up for free on the Kindle but would have gladly paid for it. I'm surprised it doesn't have thousands of reviews. The story completely hooked me. The character development is great and the world building made it all come to life. It switches between 2 eras nicely, roughly 70-85AD and 2005. The modern day archaeologist will find something and then it tells the story of how the discovery came to rest in that spot. There is a splash of supernatural but not enough to be labeled as just another ghost story. It kept my attention all the way through and never became monotonous. I highly recommend this book.
July 16, 2013
A story within a story . . . two sets of characters connected in Scotland. Jahna and her clan face the hardships of first century A. D./C. E.* in a hill fort. Archaeologist Aine MacRae has had visions of an ancient woman since childhood. In 2005 she explores an area that she "feels" is related and finds a new purpose in her own life and guided by Jahna's spirit she discovers the ancient site she saw in her visions.
*Biblical scholars define time using this system
B. C. = BCE (before common era
A. D. = Common Era
Sex: a few non graphic scenes
Violence: non graphic
*Biblical scholars define time using this system
B. C. = BCE (before common era
A. D. = Common Era
Sex: a few non graphic scenes
Violence: non graphic
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews