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The Cold Ones: A Tale of Ancient Ireland

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Ireland in the Dark Ages is a land of extremes… clan versus clan, light versus dark…


Patricius is a man of God, a Christian bent on bringing a new Light of Faith to the remote land where he was once a slave. It is a harsh and primitive land, though, and he soon finds himself confronted with suspicious minds, dangerous foes, and unbelievable creatures that challenge the very heart of his Faith.

To save our world, Christian and Druid, human and fae, must unite, and wage an epic battle to drive the darkest of evils from the Emerald Isle, and from the World.

Where Old Gods meet New… a Legend is Born…

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2018

7 people are currently reading
12 people want to read

About the author

Gabriella Messina

34 books108 followers
Always a spinner of tales, Gabriella Messina’s journey as an author began in the realm of screenwriting. Whether writing fantasy or crime fiction, short stories, or full-length novels, Ms. Messina brings a fresh point of view and a pearl of snarky wisdom to her work, exploring science, justice, faith, and feeling in equal measure.

When not writing, she enjoys indulging in her favorite “guilty pleasures”: coffee and chocolate, watching car racing with her son, and spending too much time looking at music videos online.

You can find more information about Gabriella Messina and her writing at her website, www.gabriellamessinawrites.com.

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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog).
3,195 reviews94 followers
October 25, 2024
A beautifully written book that blends Celtic Mythology and Christianity seamlessly.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were fantastic and I connected easily to the main character.

His story was full of love, sorrow, loss, loyalty, friendship, and faith. I really enjoyed it.

The mythology and modern religion blends were what really sold the book for me as well. I loved that and the various creatures throughout.
Profile Image for Patricia.
1,828 reviews47 followers
October 22, 2024
Ireland during the dark ages is running on various extremes . clans versus clans . good versus evil and old ways versus the new faith. Patricious a man of God who was taken as a slave when he was younger is trying to bring the new faith to a world where old traditions and ways are ingrained into the fabric of the land . He finds himself in a world where things not as they seem and he comes up against dangerous enemies and things he can't explain and challenge the fiber of his very being .To save the world a Christian, a druid , a human and a fae must wage war to save them all
This is one of those books that when you start you will meet some of most interesting characters . Patricious is a man of faith that is true to his faith and can not be wavered in his convictions. But as he fights the battles both internally and externally he is kind of torn on what he sees and what he believes. Medb is a warrior and the queen of Ireland but through history she is much more and her husband. Lorcha a druid who is a foe but also a help to Patricious and his band as they battle the forces of evil. The characters are so very well written and complex . They jump out at you and pull you in to the story.
This is a book steeped in lore and history of things that went on in Ireland. I got so sucked into this read and the Celtic Mythology that embodies in the story. The characters are great and the story is entertaining and page turning . I think that your teen can read this book with no problem It is a fast entertaining read that you can read in an evening . So if you want a good read for your fall reading challenge check it out.
Profile Image for Missy Harton.
491 reviews8 followers
June 14, 2018
“It felt as if the hounds of hell were nipping at our heels...”

*****5 good vs evil dangerous mission stars*****

I’m not much into historical type reads, but decided to take a chance on The Cold Ones. My first taste at the creative style of Gabriella Messina was beyond enjoyable. The blend of characters and settings were beautifully detailed, bringing the scene vividly to life. A truly unique and captivating story that will keep you hungry for more! Amazing highly recommended read!
Kings and Queens, God vs gods, fae creatures, the undead, and the battle between good and evil are all intertwined and connected in this fascinating tale! Faith is tested as casualties fall. Will “all be well in the end?” Can the battle be won with the “greater power (of) love?
270 reviews17 followers
October 22, 2024
This story is a blending of magical creatures, sacrifice, monsters, and a great love story. The magic of Ireland meets the Christian God in a blending of understanding against a common enemy that while giving some religion is not obnoxious about it. The story is great and while it gives you a taste of fear for the monsters in the dark it's not overly detailed about it so I would recommend14+ ages. This was a good read and not super long. I was able to read this in one day but I'm a fast reader.
985 reviews15 followers
October 29, 2024
This story is a fascinating read having a bit of everything-romance, mythological creatures, interesting characters and a bit of history. Patricius' journey of spreading the Christian faith in Ireland mixed with Celtic myth is a quick-paced well-written tale. I love that the author included historical notes at the end. The descriptions of the monsters and the battles had my hair stand on end. I highly recommend this to fantasy lovers.
Profile Image for Cary.
Author 11 books20 followers
October 25, 2024
I love Celtic Mythology and I am a Christian Catholic. This writer found an amazing way to mix this so different ideas in a tale filled with extremely well developed characters, great pace, awesome story, and beautiful narrative. This is a book that will make you believe in Gods, Monsters and in the power of good. Do not miss this one
Profile Image for Christine VanBruggen.
81 reviews4 followers
March 17, 2018
Brilliant!

Absolutely brilliant! This is one of the best books I've ever read. Remarkably well written, addictive story, with fascinating characters. I highly recommend The Cold Ones.
Profile Image for Tresa.
395 reviews6 followers
October 27, 2024
Who wouldn't want to read a story involving Celtic Mythology with some monsters thrown in? Cold Ones is a tale of a mans past , which involved great sacrifice, love and so much more. Wonderful characters, and an engaging storyline.
Profile Image for Nikki Bao.
721 reviews8 followers
October 27, 2024
Patricius is a man of God who wants to spread his Faith through the land where he was kept as a slave. Otherworldly creatures as well as foes are testing his Faith. To save the world, different faiths and species must come together to defeat the common foes. Will they succeed?
Profile Image for Lisa.
16 reviews3 followers
May 23, 2018
This was a fabulous read. The author did her research and combined historical facts with fiction and it was seamless. Really enjoyed this.
Profile Image for Lori Hammons.
2,963 reviews30 followers
October 31, 2024
Mythology lovers will love this book based on a Celtic myth. Patrick is able to help a people save themselves and the world from annihilation. I very much enjoyed this story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews