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Call of the Morrigú
Would you dare rouse a Goddess?
Life wasn’t easy in 1798 Ireland. Rebellions were rising across the countryside, and the English could be cruel overlords. However, this brutality hadn’t reached the country estate of Strokestown.
Theodosia Latimer and her grandfather Reginald, were on a mission to discover the past. They were determined to excavate some ancient mounds on their estate. But when they discovered an imprisoned goddess straight out of Ireland’s rich mythological history, they were both dumbfounded and frightened.
Tasked with integrating this primeval warrior woman into polite society, they developed both respect and fear for the powerful goddess. Would they be able to tame her lust for violence in the upcoming rebellion? Or would they fall victim to it?
Life wasn’t easy in 1798 Ireland. Rebellions were rising across the countryside, and the English could be cruel overlords. However, this brutality hadn’t reached the country estate of Strokestown.
Theodosia Latimer and her grandfather Reginald, were on a mission to discover the past. They were determined to excavate some ancient mounds on their estate. But when they discovered an imprisoned goddess straight out of Ireland’s rich mythological history, they were both dumbfounded and frightened.
Tasked with integrating this primeval warrior woman into polite society, they developed both respect and fear for the powerful goddess. Would they be able to tame her lust for violence in the upcoming rebellion? Or would they fall victim to it?
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2017
25 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Christy Nicholas
112 books320 followersCeltic Fairies, Fables, and Folklore!
Christy Nicholas loves all things historical, especially if it has anything to do with Ireland, Scotland, England, or Iceland, and she writes historical fantasy, travel guides, and a book on writing craft. Her tales tend to the gritty, with bittersweet endings, and she's never afraid to torture her characters. But there is beauty in all darkness, and she loves showing that, as well.
- If you are in the mood for something more scifi, check out her C. N. Jackson book, Time Tourist Outfitters, Ltd.
- If you are looking for some urban fantasy, magical adventure in modern ireland, see her Rowan Dillon series, Guardians of the PHAE.
- If you prefer some timeslip romance in Iceland, or a women's fiction based on her parents' true story, go look at her Emeline Rhys books, Past Storm and Fire or Better To Have Loved.
Homepage: http://www.greendragonartist.com
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Christy Nicholas loves all things historical, especially if it has anything to do with Ireland, Scotland, England, or Iceland, and she writes historical fantasy, travel guides, and a book on writing craft. Her tales tend to the gritty, with bittersweet endings, and she's never afraid to torture her characters. But there is beauty in all darkness, and she loves showing that, as well.
- If you are in the mood for something more scifi, check out her C. N. Jackson book, Time Tourist Outfitters, Ltd.
- If you are looking for some urban fantasy, magical adventure in modern ireland, see her Rowan Dillon series, Guardians of the PHAE.
- If you prefer some timeslip romance in Iceland, or a women's fiction based on her parents' true story, go look at her Emeline Rhys books, Past Storm and Fire or Better To Have Loved.
Homepage: http://www.greendragonartist.com
Blog: http://www.greendragonartist.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/greendragonau...
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/greendragon9
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkSd...
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greendragonau...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greendragon...
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/chris...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 23 reviews
April 30, 2018
This book turned out to be a page-turner for me.
Set in the rebellious period of Irish history 1797-98, the main character, Dosey and her grandfather release an ancient war goddess from her 1300 year captivity.
The story intertwines the actual Irish history with old myths, magic and the revitalisation of the goddess Morrigan.
Characters are introduced and expanded as the story develops, and although there are to some extent stereotypes - The tomboy, the sorceress, the wise grandfather, the arrogant priest, the pretentious snobby lady, and so forth - They are presented with care. I loved the ones I should, and despised the ones I should despise.
Introducing a goddess from early medieval times to a more modern society creates humorous situations. Once a strong and powerful goddess, Morrigan has to gather her powers, until she can command a battle again.
In the meantime, Dosey learns more about her fiancé and must make her own choices of love.
I might have liked to see Dosey mature a little more through the story, she remains somewhat more naïve than I would expect.
Some sub-plots are predictable, while other twists to the story are surprising.
Well written, great story, fun read.
Set in the rebellious period of Irish history 1797-98, the main character, Dosey and her grandfather release an ancient war goddess from her 1300 year captivity.
The story intertwines the actual Irish history with old myths, magic and the revitalisation of the goddess Morrigan.
Characters are introduced and expanded as the story develops, and although there are to some extent stereotypes - The tomboy, the sorceress, the wise grandfather, the arrogant priest, the pretentious snobby lady, and so forth - They are presented with care. I loved the ones I should, and despised the ones I should despise.
Introducing a goddess from early medieval times to a more modern society creates humorous situations. Once a strong and powerful goddess, Morrigan has to gather her powers, until she can command a battle again.
In the meantime, Dosey learns more about her fiancé and must make her own choices of love.
I might have liked to see Dosey mature a little more through the story, she remains somewhat more naïve than I would expect.
Some sub-plots are predictable, while other twists to the story are surprising.
Well written, great story, fun read.
October 5, 2017
3.5/5.0
Christy Nicholas’s “Call of the Morrigú” is an interesting and exciting story, and readers will be swept away by the characters and plot twists.
Read full review in the 2017 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Christy Nicholas’s “Call of the Morrigú” is an interesting and exciting story, and readers will be swept away by the characters and plot twists.
Read full review in the 2017 October issue of InD'tale Magazine.
July 18, 2017
I do really enjoy Irish mythology; it is a newer interest for me so I am still learning about it. Morrígu is a strong goddess from around 1500 years ago when she was imprisioned by priests who saw her as a threat. Fast forward to 1797 & she is back!! It was SO fun to see how Morrígu reacted to the world in the "new time"; the 18th century as well as how she adapted or more like; didn’t adapt. She is a strong Warrior and doesn't understand the passive docile manner of the "modern" women of the time.
Dosey is a darling lady, she is naïve and very much a woman of her time. A bit of a tomboy at heart, but forced by society to become a proper lady.
Dosey’s fiancé Cillian is an petulant & spiteful guy and I don’t think he’s the right man for her. Never had an easier time disliking a character before!
In the end it was well written but I was hoping for a bit more ... maybe there is a sequel coming & I will get what I want there!
I received an advance reader copy of this book and voluntarily provided an honest review.
Dosey is a darling lady, she is naïve and very much a woman of her time. A bit of a tomboy at heart, but forced by society to become a proper lady.
Dosey’s fiancé Cillian is an petulant & spiteful guy and I don’t think he’s the right man for her. Never had an easier time disliking a character before!
In the end it was well written but I was hoping for a bit more ... maybe there is a sequel coming & I will get what I want there!
I received an advance reader copy of this book and voluntarily provided an honest review.
July 19, 2017
I love this book with his surprises and mystery.
The story is well written, funny and the characters strong and well developed.
You will land in a different world where you don't know what will happened. you will live with them, be part of their world.
A book for all that love mystery and magic.
I received a copy from the author and this is my honest review.
The story is well written, funny and the characters strong and well developed.
You will land in a different world where you don't know what will happened. you will live with them, be part of their world.
A book for all that love mystery and magic.
I received a copy from the author and this is my honest review.
April 22, 2018
An ancient goddess of war, the Morrigan, is woken from her priest-enchanted sleep in the Ireland of Wolfe Tone and the Irish rebellion of 1798. Mistress Theodosia Latimer (Dosey to her friends) is a young Anglo-Irish aristocrat who has to cope with the Morrigan's complete flouting of propriety and habit of wearing breeches - yet they become friends as the de-powered goddess learns how not to frighten the English. When the rebellion breaks out, the Morrigan joins in and wins a battle, only to have everything thrown away by the foolishness of men.
There's some great humour when the Morrigan and polite society butt heads. I particularly liked the way Dosey remains an 18th century woman who blushes at the sight of a naked warpainted goddess and is planning a marriage of convenience to the wrong man. Christy Nicholas does not commit the crime of psychological anachronism and handles her splendid fantasy with great verve. It hardly seems fair that she's also an artist!
There's some great humour when the Morrigan and polite society butt heads. I particularly liked the way Dosey remains an 18th century woman who blushes at the sight of a naked warpainted goddess and is planning a marriage of convenience to the wrong man. Christy Nicholas does not commit the crime of psychological anachronism and handles her splendid fantasy with great verve. It hardly seems fair that she's also an artist!
June 25, 2017
A good, solid four stars
I love Irish mythology. Morrígan is a strong goddess from around 1500 years ago. She was entombed by priests who saw her as a threat. Now it’s 1797 and she is free once more. It was fun to see how Morrígan reacted to the ‘modern’ world in the 18th century. How she adapted or rather didn’t adapt. She is so different from the subdued and restrained women of that time.
Dosey is sweet and naïve and very much a woman of her time. A bit of a tomboy at heart, but forced by the rules of society to become a proper lady.
Dosey’s fiancé Cillian is quite an unlikeable, petty, spiteful guy and I don’t think he’s the right man for her.
The story is entertaining and interesting; the author is a good storyteller. Slowly but steadily the story goes on, in a pleasant way, but about halfway through the book I’m still thinking: “Where is this gonna go?” Funnily that was a good thing; it kept me wondering what would come next. Will Morrígan cause trouble? Will she get out of control? Will her powers grow? Will she become the goddess of war once again?
At about three quarters of the book I started to like the story a bit less and the end was a mixture of sad and happy. Somehow I had expected a bit more from that. It left me ever so slightly disappointed after such a compelling story. But all in all a good, solid four stars.
Favorite quote: “A lady cannot wear breeches. It’s unseemly. Men can see the curves of your backside, your legs, anything he cares to!”
I received a complimentary copy of this book and voluntarily provided an honest review.
I love Irish mythology. Morrígan is a strong goddess from around 1500 years ago. She was entombed by priests who saw her as a threat. Now it’s 1797 and she is free once more. It was fun to see how Morrígan reacted to the ‘modern’ world in the 18th century. How she adapted or rather didn’t adapt. She is so different from the subdued and restrained women of that time.
Dosey is sweet and naïve and very much a woman of her time. A bit of a tomboy at heart, but forced by the rules of society to become a proper lady.
Dosey’s fiancé Cillian is quite an unlikeable, petty, spiteful guy and I don’t think he’s the right man for her.
The story is entertaining and interesting; the author is a good storyteller. Slowly but steadily the story goes on, in a pleasant way, but about halfway through the book I’m still thinking: “Where is this gonna go?” Funnily that was a good thing; it kept me wondering what would come next. Will Morrígan cause trouble? Will she get out of control? Will her powers grow? Will she become the goddess of war once again?
At about three quarters of the book I started to like the story a bit less and the end was a mixture of sad and happy. Somehow I had expected a bit more from that. It left me ever so slightly disappointed after such a compelling story. But all in all a good, solid four stars.
Favorite quote: “A lady cannot wear breeches. It’s unseemly. Men can see the curves of your backside, your legs, anything he cares to!”
I received a complimentary copy of this book and voluntarily provided an honest review.
June 22, 2018
I enjoyed this book, it was a great mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I think the author did a good job of taking an interesting cross of history, the goddess being from ancient Ireland, and then the 1700's of the 'present day' and interweaving it into a fascinating story.
It was an easy and enjoyable read, with a nice writing style. The characters were likable, particularly Dosey and I think my only complaint was it felt like such a big build up to one battle, but the final one felt almost tagged on to the end. That was minor though in the grand scheme of the book.
It was an easy and enjoyable read, with a nice writing style. The characters were likable, particularly Dosey and I think my only complaint was it felt like such a big build up to one battle, but the final one felt almost tagged on to the end. That was minor though in the grand scheme of the book.
June 15, 2017
A great read. Dosey and her grandfather unearth a war goddess during excavations of an ancient archeological site. Then they have to figure out what to do with her. A great mix of irish mythology and legend with a little romance. Adventure and laughter from beginning to end. Loved it! I received a free copy of this book and happily and voluntarily choose to leave a review.
November 7, 2017
Revised review - 03/08/2017: Recommend with reservations. Although I enjoyed the read as there was enough plot to keep my attention, I couldn't relate to some of the characters especially Dosey who was not consistent in her actions - one minute she was clever and inquiring and then naive and blind. I had to suspend my disbelief in a few places especially with the ending. However, I suspect that I am in a minority as almost everyone rated this book highly. (I will attempt to write a longer review to explain my mixed feelings.)
7 November 2017: Updated rating after reading a review that explained Dosey.
7 November 2017: Updated rating after reading a review that explained Dosey.
January 5, 2023
A call to arms and a goddess arises!
In this well-written novel, Christy Jackson Nichols’ descriptive writing creates a strong visual image of Morrigan as she stands proudly in all her glory. There are good character interactions. I am a fan of mythology and an ancient Irish goddess taking lessons in 18th-century etiquette and comportment from Theodosia and her grandfather was often humorous. I like how the story intertwines with the Irish history of the period. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.
In this well-written novel, Christy Jackson Nichols’ descriptive writing creates a strong visual image of Morrigan as she stands proudly in all her glory. There are good character interactions. I am a fan of mythology and an ancient Irish goddess taking lessons in 18th-century etiquette and comportment from Theodosia and her grandfather was often humorous. I like how the story intertwines with the Irish history of the period. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.
June 1, 2017
I wish this book was longer. I wanted to know what happened to the main characters after Dosey's grandfather died and how they got to China. Nonetheless a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2017
Excellent.
Well written and fast moving. I was sorry to see it end. I hope that there are more Morrigan stories in the future.
Well written and fast moving. I was sorry to see it end. I hope that there are more Morrigan stories in the future.
May 27, 2017
I love the way the author portrayed the characters and integrated them into her world. They are full of life and strong. The storyline was good and strong with many twists and turns. This authors writing is second to none and I cannot wait to read more from this author.
July 11, 2018
I'm a sucker for any story of co-mingling gods and mortals, and this tale was particularly fun.
Irish goddess of war, Morrigan, is awoken by the sharp yet innocent young Theodosia (Dosey for short) and her beloved grandfather, from a long sleep forced upon her by priests fearful of her power some centuries ago.
Morrigan and Dosey develop a wonderful "tough-love" relationship, which is my favorite aspect of the story. Morrigan becomes Dosey's mentor, advising her in the ways of men and women, sexuality and female power, as Dosey's own mother is mentally ill and unable to fulfill this role for her. Dosey, in return, coaches Morrigan on the strict social rules of 1800's Irish society, which, of course, provides plenty of humor.
The only aspect of the story I felt was a bit undeveloped came toward the end, where the fates of Dosey's mother and grandfather were told. The "wrap-up" of the tale seemed a bit rushed.
Overall a great read.
Irish goddess of war, Morrigan, is awoken by the sharp yet innocent young Theodosia (Dosey for short) and her beloved grandfather, from a long sleep forced upon her by priests fearful of her power some centuries ago.
Morrigan and Dosey develop a wonderful "tough-love" relationship, which is my favorite aspect of the story. Morrigan becomes Dosey's mentor, advising her in the ways of men and women, sexuality and female power, as Dosey's own mother is mentally ill and unable to fulfill this role for her. Dosey, in return, coaches Morrigan on the strict social rules of 1800's Irish society, which, of course, provides plenty of humor.
The only aspect of the story I felt was a bit undeveloped came toward the end, where the fates of Dosey's mother and grandfather were told. The "wrap-up" of the tale seemed a bit rushed.
Overall a great read.
July 9, 2017
I had to drag myself away from this book several times to attend to life. It was riveting, never boring, and held my interest from beginning to end. And I couldn't wait to get back to it!
The characters were both fascinating and sympathetic. I felt invested in what happened to them. Christy Nicholas brought the characters and Irish history to life in a way that was entertaining and engaging. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and I loved it! I highly recommend this book.
The characters were both fascinating and sympathetic. I felt invested in what happened to them. Christy Nicholas brought the characters and Irish history to life in a way that was entertaining and engaging. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and I loved it! I highly recommend this book.
June 21, 2018
I honestly went into this book purely for the fact I love mythology. I am so glad I did! Where do I even start? A goddess of war should be enough to intrigue you. What I did enjoy were how well the characters worked together. It had me page turning as fast as I could manage. With witty humour, love and war. Now I need to read more by this author.
Read
December 10, 2022As I'm the author, I will tell a bit about the process of writing this book.
The storyline of waking an immortal or ancient entity isn't a new one, by any means. There's even a Tom Cruise movie coming out next month with a similar line. However, most stories of this type (there are exceptions) have the wakened entity as a monster of irredeemable temper. I wanted to show a Goddess willing to at least try to become 'modern'. Of course, 'try' is the operative word, here. And a 'modern woman' in 1798 is not exactly something an ancient war goddess would easily emulate.
I wasn't as intimately familiar with 1798 as I had been with earlier or later periods in Irish history, and had to do a lot of research into the politics and warfare of the time, as well as the personalities involved. It was fascinating research, and I do hope I did it justice.
While there are some strong sexual themes and strong descriptions of violence, any actual sexual activity in this book takes place off-screen.
Enjoy!
The storyline of waking an immortal or ancient entity isn't a new one, by any means. There's even a Tom Cruise movie coming out next month with a similar line. However, most stories of this type (there are exceptions) have the wakened entity as a monster of irredeemable temper. I wanted to show a Goddess willing to at least try to become 'modern'. Of course, 'try' is the operative word, here. And a 'modern woman' in 1798 is not exactly something an ancient war goddess would easily emulate.
I wasn't as intimately familiar with 1798 as I had been with earlier or later periods in Irish history, and had to do a lot of research into the politics and warfare of the time, as well as the personalities involved. It was fascinating research, and I do hope I did it justice.
While there are some strong sexual themes and strong descriptions of violence, any actual sexual activity in this book takes place off-screen.
Enjoy!
November 6, 2017
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
'Strongly recommended for anyone who is interested in Irish mythology,'
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
'Strongly recommended for anyone who is interested in Irish mythology,'
February 9, 2023
As this book begins on All Hallow’s Eve in 1796, you may believe you are only reading a horror story but as you turn the pages into October, 1797 you arrive at the country home of the Honorable Maurice and Catherine Mahon whom are currently residing at their London home but at this residence are Maurice’s elderly cousin, Reginald Latimer, his granddaughter, Theodosia “Dosey” Latimer, and her crazed mother, Ciara Latimer. Now the story begins to center around a doting grandfather and a devoted daughter who is betrothed to Cillian FitzSymons. Both Reginald and Dosey have an adventurous nature and soon they uncover a sleeping beauty or a nightmare depending on how one sees “her”. “Her” being Morrigan, the Great Queen and ancient goddess of war, of sovereignty, and of death, whom has been in prison within a cave for over thirteen hundred years and Reginald and Dosey have awakened her. And now the true adventure starts and you will turn the pages into romance, intrigue, mystery, history, religion, war, and even comedy. The author, Christy Nicholas, carefully and thoroughly developed her characters so that I knew them, the scenes and places were vivid before my eyes, the plot developed so that I felt I was carried right along with the characters as I flipped page after page until the last few chapters when I felt the tempo got rushed up and important details left out and I grew disconnected from the characters. So many questions were left unanswered. I would easily give this book above a 5 star rating if only the author would have slowed the ending down and been as thorough at the end as she was in the beginning. Without risk of spoiling the book’s ending, I missed an important character at the end, I wondered how the others got there, and I think the author missed a great opportunity by not including a very important romantic event that must have taken place. As is, this is still an intriguingly well written book, that will keep your interest as you continue to turn page after page with wonderful characters, informative historical events and tales of a goddess that’s over thirteen hundred years old, her devoted ravens, air spirits and Faeries.
I’m an ARC reviewer: reading for the enjoyment, reviewing so that others may know what to expect and authors may be helped.
I’m an ARC reviewer: reading for the enjoyment, reviewing so that others may know what to expect and authors may be helped.
June 14, 2018
This is my 2nd delighted read of this author, the 1st being book #4 on her Druid's Brooch series: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... . Nicholas displays a deft knack of drawing-in young readers, what with short sentences and plentiful--if familiar--adjectives. Not until mid-3rd-chapter did I find a few adjectives of the 3-syllable type...but that's perfect for middle-schoolers. This one begins a bit like the classic "Sleepy Hollow" followed by the bit more-involved "Fall of the House of Usher," what with the delirious madwoman.
I didn't feel quite as entranced by this opening as I did with the Brooch book though, perhaps as that is for a more high school/late teen readership I think, whereas this is for younger readers, imo. In both, herbology is an enjoyable vocation of a major character, and I applaud how likeable Nicholas' treatment of this is.
I note this in contrast to the similar subject in the "Outlander" 1st novel, where pagans are all bloodthirsty, nefarious plotters and the main heroine is basically a shallow pervert. Thank you Christy for having more respect than that for your source material, rather than the crappy 70's films "Outlander" reminds me of: "Race with the Devil" and "The Wicker Man" being among the worst. Her pronunciation lists are also a nice bonus.
I didn't feel quite as entranced by this opening as I did with the Brooch book though, perhaps as that is for a more high school/late teen readership I think, whereas this is for younger readers, imo. In both, herbology is an enjoyable vocation of a major character, and I applaud how likeable Nicholas' treatment of this is.
I note this in contrast to the similar subject in the "Outlander" 1st novel, where pagans are all bloodthirsty, nefarious plotters and the main heroine is basically a shallow pervert. Thank you Christy for having more respect than that for your source material, rather than the crappy 70's films "Outlander" reminds me of: "Race with the Devil" and "The Wicker Man" being among the worst. Her pronunciation lists are also a nice bonus.
February 1, 2023
A young lady in late 18th century Ireland had few options. Get married, or risk being alone and living in poverty.
Dosey comes from a good background, but she doesn't love those options. Initially, the idea of marriage to her betrothed was fulfillment of a dream. But she still wants to hunt and engage in the academic pursuits of her grandfather. In such a pursuit, they uncover an ancient goddess, who they try to fit into society life.
This is a story of a goddess (the Morrigan), but more important, Dosey. She must learn to harness the power of being a woman and figure out her path.
Dosey comes from a good background, but she doesn't love those options. Initially, the idea of marriage to her betrothed was fulfillment of a dream. But she still wants to hunt and engage in the academic pursuits of her grandfather. In such a pursuit, they uncover an ancient goddess, who they try to fit into society life.
This is a story of a goddess (the Morrigan), but more important, Dosey. She must learn to harness the power of being a woman and figure out her path.
January 30, 2023
A well written book from an author that can mix past and present and make this an outstanding book. Characters that take you into their lives to make this a special story.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 23 reviews