Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of the Picts

by Bryan E. Canter

Summer, 367 A.D. In a land of mystery and enchantment, in an age of Celtic gods, Highland warlords, Roman legions, and powerful druids, a young Pictish healer finds herself embroiled in an epic struggle between gods and men.

The Celtic tribes of the lands we now know as Scotland and Ireland conspire to assault Hadrian’s Wall and drive the Romans out of Britain forever. But in order for the warriors to achieve victory in the military campaign, the druids must first gain ascendancy over the new Roman god.

Amid clandestine preparations for war, Flora is yanked out of her peaceful, ordinary world and thrust into a spiritual battle of mythic proportions. In order to save her family, her clan, and her people, she is called upon to sacrifice not only her life, but her very identity. Feeling trapped in a web of manipulation and deceit, she struggles to discover the true reality of who she is and who she will become.

Set in the Scottish Highlands, this story brings to life an age and a people that have remained veiled in the mists of time. Based on extensive research into the archaeology, culture, and geography of fourth-century Scotland, Daughter of the Gods explores the mysterious people knowns as the Picts—a collection of tribes so determined to retain their freedom that they dared to defy the mightiest army the ancient world had ever known.

This is not, however, primarily an action adventure tale, but a profoundly provocative saga for readers who like to think deeply about their own individual role within the interpersonal, cultural, and spiritual realities of our world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Ebooks, Scotland

486 pages, Paperback

Published May 12, 2021

About the author

Bryan E. Canter is an author, independent publishing consultant, and retired Army officer with overseas tours in Iraq, Korea, and Okinawa. He has degrees in engineering physics, religious studies, and tele-communications. His love of literature prompted him to complete a Masters-level "great books" program at St. John's College.

As an international speaker and educator, Bryan has addressed large groups and conducted training seminars in venues across the USA, Nicaragua, India, Scotland, the Middle East, and Japan.

Bryan helps authors navigate the complex world of independent publishing as a book and audiobook publishing consultant for My Word Publishing. Additionally, he is an Amazon Ads specialist with the Successful Writer Marketplace.

Bryan lives full-time in a motorhome with his beautiful wife, Dawn, visiting historic sites and enjoying the amazing natural beauty of the United States. They especially enjoy hiking together to high mountain lakes in the Western ranges, and Yosemite is their favorite place of all.

Connect with Bryan on his website: bryancanter.com


Reviews

[Bryan Canter]

Greetings to my readers. I don't want to give the book a rating. I'll leave that to you. But I wanted to share some of my thoughts.

The book changes dramatically after the first five chapters. The beginning is the setup for a different kind of experience later on. My editor's comment about this was "I hope people don't give up at the beginning because this book is so worth reading." (These were her words, not mine.)

One reviewer commented on what she called "paranormal" aspects of the book. Readers of historical fiction may not be accustomed to encountering the strong religious beliefs of past cultures. This novel does, indeed, incorporate a great deal of Celtic mythology, including a number of Celtic gods/goddesses, as well as mythological beliefs and folklore. But these beliefs are all thoroughly researched and are authentic to the time period (albeit from Irish and Welsh sources as the Picts had no written language.)

I spent six months in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland researching the 4th century Pictish people. I also spent weeks walking the terrain where the story takes place. The customs and folklore reflected in the novel are as authentic as I could make them.

At the end of the book there is a link to a special website where I am posting articles and photographs about the history, mythology, and geography of Flora's world, so readers will be able to discover which elements of the novel were true and which I made up for the sake of the story.

Thank you for your interest in Daughter of the Gods and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read from Bryan E Carter and certainly wouldn't be my last - I was really intrigued when I picked up this ARC and it was immensely descriptive and thought provoking - It follows the journey of Flora , from the Picts to where she is acclaimed to be a goddess in order to help her people.

This occurs in 367 A.D and deals with the early Christians - a marvelous insight into the early discussions and fears about the Nailed God - When I read this phrase, it didn't srike me as Jesus but looking from that perspective (more pagan rituals and gods) - it struck me after a couple of pages.

I really found a lot of topics to help me understand this book and I must say it was thought provoking.

A must read for people who are interested in early Scottish & Celtic History and the Romans !

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

History Between the Beats Of A Raven's Wings🐦

ADULT Historical Ancient Scottish Highland Adventure 🔪with Romance💕 This book is rife with paranormal elements

I wanted to like this book, but Flora💃💋, the main character in The book , spends the first 20% of the book lost in a schizophrenic nightmare 🌙 dream world where all kinds of horrible things go on all around her. It is one disaster after another that she must drag herself through and survive. She is a healer and was out collecting plants 🌱when she disappears. She is gone a whole month but only remembers a few days of it. Where has she been?

Then she finally wakes up about a week after being found, and her mother and sister are so petty. Her sister is stuck on marrying a certain handsome warrior,🐺🍆⛲💪🔪 but he has already chosen Flora💃💋.. And after Flora's week in a coma, that is all her sister cares about! She blames Flora💃💋 for stealing him from Her!

The language used in the dialogue is way too modern, with words, phrases and terms from the 20th century used. This was probably the most disappointing aspect of the novel.

The Druids show up after hearing about Flora's ordeal, and whisk her away. After that, the book goes off on a paranormal tangent.

Some hardcore slice🔪 and dice🔪 editing would vastly improve the book.

The book is way too long and drawn out, and actually became boring.😵 It took forever for anything to happen because pages and pages were taken up by descriptions of the countryside, and flashbacks to Flora's earlier life. If you are into intense detail, and a glutton for disaster and punishment, you will love this paranormal adventure of 4th century Scotland.

The book is an epic of epic proportions, of that there is no doubt. But is it a success or an epic fail?

ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
I Also got this ebook with KU.

This is the author's first effort that I could find. I wanted to love💕 the book, but other than the extensive and wonderful 🌎world building, it was , frankly, boring.
There is some good stuff in the novel, but it gets lost in all the overly wordy and tedious descriptions of every little part of Flora's dreams and life.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this book at first but I was soon drawn in by the mystery surrounding Flora... as the reader you're thrown into sudden adventure, Flora trying to escape from an unknown enemy not knowing the difference between dream and reality and hearing a disembodied voice calling to her... The beginning of this story was indeed very intriguing.

However the reason I would give it four stars is that I tend to nitpick at books and although I know I enjoyed the book, I'm still fairly sad about the ending. (Kinda has romeo juliet vibes; a despairing end)

Maybe I was also a bit disappointed when Domhnull expressed his love for Serlaid rather than for Flora. I think the writer could have done more to give the readers doubts about Domhnull rather than randomly add in that he actually never cared for her. It was just kind of a surprise to be honest and then after that there wasn't much feeling to the book, she's all alone and I suppose in the end, she doesn't even truly believe that her gods are real but still she sacrifices herself because she has nothing else to give. Well i hope they all died. (I mean the people who basically drowned her... also my future self is very sorry for being dramatic haha).

Actually, I could totally see another book being a sequel to this and I would definitely read it! I have to say that the book was very well written and I enjoyed it a lot, but right now, I'm still calming down from the depressing end...

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mostly good story gets caught up in its own complexity from time to time. The central question - is the character Flora, or Fiona, or Brigid - weaves skillfully, but the supporting characters don't always support well. None are clear, and the conspiracy-theory thread gets long. Still, a novel of the Picts is what it truly is, and a novel of self-discovery what it *almost* is.

Four stars is generous, but three is too few. With an editor and copyeditor, it would easily have gotten four. Word misuse and apostrophe misuse is inexcusable, minor discrepancies (Drib and Drab use scrapers, then towels, then scrapers again) detract but not inexcusably. (Also an AF vet, I clearly remember when my *editor* changed the word "soul" to "sole" - from correct to incorrect.)

The book demonstrates a mastery of the current thinking on Celtic religious tradition and even more so (to a distracting extent, in my mind) of the "nailed god". I'll be interested in seeing if Canter's other books also overstress the Christian while fully incorporating the non-Christian.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a slow reader, so I decided to listen to the audio version....... WOW!!! I was totally hooked from the first chapter.

This book is masterfully written...... and the narration is incredible! The combination of a brilliant story with truly expert narration, takes you into another time and place, and vividly brings to life the interplay of the natural world and the spiritual realm, as experienced by the ancient Pictish people of Scotland!

A fascinating and compelling read....... This story would honestly make an incredible movie!

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I listened to...... the imagery, character dialogues, story line, and plot twists all mingle together into a truly compelling and thoroughly enjoyable story!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I binge read this excellent book over a couple of days. The author immersed me in a world that I was unfamiliar with and had my pulse racing from the very first page. Even beyond the suspense aspect, it was fascinating learning about the beliefs, customs and living conditions of that time period. It would have rated 5☆ for me with better editing.

[Cindy Milz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of the Gods is a dramatic historical fiction account of the pagan beliefs of the early Scots amid the tyranny of Rome. The author gives vivid details which capture you from the first chapter. This is a page turner which will leave you thinking and rethinking, trying to guess the direction it will go next, and wondering how it will all piece together right up to the end. It is a book that cannot be conveniently set down once you finish it, but continues to play over in your mind as you contemplate the depth of spiritualism that was steeped in this ancient culture, the webs of deceit concocted within these beliefs, and the countless lives that were sacrificed for the "good of the clans and country." . There are surprises lurking throughout the tale!

[Ravenluna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its super confusing at first

I was unsure of what I was reading at first since it turned out to be a vision. But once your past that it all makes sense and comes together in a story I was riveted by. Flora is a wonderfully written character who's given a very tough decision, betrayed by her betrothed and mother. She had no one she can count on yet she sacrifices her life to save them even though because she is deep down a good person. I really wnt to read more about Flora and what happens next because I am hooked now!

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute 5 stars for this one! The author of Daughter of the Gods has obviously done his research, he writes with amazing detail and crafts a story that is impossible to put down! It's difficult for me to find time to read these days, but I made plenty of time for this book. The characters are interesting and there are twists and turns that you just don't expect, making for a very enjoyable read. Loved it!

[Merilee Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad and powerful

This book is about an ancient sacrificed person accepting and going into the sacrifice. It is a sad story and it seems like it could be based on remains found by archeologists.

[Ceitag · Rating 1 out of 5]

Needs a lot more research

I have a keen interest in the Picts and thought I would give the book a try. I will confess, I am a bit of a stickler for historic accuracy and I realise how difficult it can be for an author from another country to catch the essence of another culture in the present, far less their history.

This book was filled with blatant inaccuracies- we don't have ground hogs in Scotland or locusts. (We do have swarms of midges!). The main character is called Flora, a Latin name that only began to be used in Scotland during the 16th century.

Alas I didn't make it to the end of the first chapter.

[Fi Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The characters are interesting, believable with well rounded characters. Following Flora’s story and her progress and change was very interesting. The inclusion of historical fact throughout the book added to the interest.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way Bryan E Canter created this world, it was what I was looking for in a historical fantasy novel. The characters worked in this time-line and did everything that I wanted from the description. It left me wanting more and I'm glad I got to read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Kakolewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-rending

The first part of the book was hard to get through because it was just flashes of things, and it didn’t seem to be the beginning of a story for a while, but once you get past that it is truly a beautiful town, and I am grateful to the author for telling it. It is terribly sad, but at the same time terribly true for the time it was written in.

[Bryce Caustic]

Outstanding read incredible characters who you enjoy and watch grow. Couldn't put it down

[Kimberly McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for a variety of reasons. After a grand tour of Ireland last year, one of the things I left with was a deep love for their female goddesses, which still exists there to this day. The crosses of St Brighid were everywhere.
I love the folklore and the kinship it shares with the aspects of the Greek and Roman stories of Gods and Goddesses, and understand its role as a reflection of the culture. Stories of Brighid especially won my heart due to her aspect as a healer. The book brought out the many complications that accompany a healer’s world. It also held my attention profoundly from beginning to the very end with shifts and changes as they were revealed from the main character’s viewpoint. The suffering that the main character undertook throughout the story gave one a desire to continue and riveted the focus on Flora throughout. Well detailed and as if you were there. I would highly recommend a read!

[Steve Gnatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel of questions

I don't believe that I have ever read a book that relied on rhetorical questions as much - perhaps even to a fault. However, once you get used to them, they do sort of fit into the "questioning" persona of the main character. Flora, or Fiona, or Brigid - you have to get used to all three identities for this young woman - seems haunted by spirits. The first quarter of the book is made up mostly of her weird visions that make little sense. By about the middle of the book things get a bit clearer - and the patient reader is rewarded with some pithy moral messages. Christianity versus Paganism plays a larger role towards the end but I never really felt that there was a satisfactory resolution to the tension there. Overall, a worthwhile read for historical fiction readers.

[Sharan Stanwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 for descriptions of scenery

I really wanted to love this book. But I had difficulty immediately due to the (male) author's continual use of rhetorical questions to fill the pages, rather than dialogue and interplay between well-developed characters. Maybe I am too sensitive, but for a man to be describing a female character constantly wondering if she's losing her mind, rather than acting as a logical human being, I find is too insulting.
The plot having Flora constantly running across the landscape, from disaster to disaster, gets old very quickly. The research flaws other reviewers have pointed out are correct and flaw this work.
However, the author is excellent at descriptions. But I have to give up a third of the way through. This is not worth my time.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story follows a young girl named Flora as she comes into the knowledge of who she really is. Her people say she was chosen by the gods to transform into a goddess, but she was the one to ultimately choose. Her journey was filled with trauma, enlightenment, danger, great loss and a destiny she could not run from. Good read with surprising twists throughout.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linzi Day]

I found this so hard going I'm putting it aside for now. I do really wish that writers would listen to their editors (he says at some point that his editor asked him to cut a lot/most of the first bit).
I'm confident that there is a great book in here - but 4 hours into it - we haven't got there yet and I have a busy month so maybe I can get back to it at xmas.

[A. Lorna Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I'm up in the air about this one... I enjoyed the historical aspect, but it was extremely descriptive to the point of being too wordy at times. I liked the premise, but I don't think this is going on me "re-read" list.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled with this one and I'm sad to say I still haven't finished it. I was really looking forward to reading this as well but I got bored of reading 5 chapters of flora wondering about by herself and still having no clue as to what was going on. Maybe I will try reading it again at some point in the future cos I have read good reviews about this book.

[Tracy/Tyler Reitmann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried, really I tried

I’ve only given up on 2 books without finishing. The last one before this was over 3p years ago. Gave it 100 pages that covered 3 days in her life, alone, traversing the Highlands alone, a few experiences (tragic, scary yes but fleeting). I just couldn’t continue. I did jump ahead and peek but seemed it was more of the same.

[Tonya Johansson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was confused. Sometimes even going back and having to re read. But, I am happy to say every word written, and read, was well worth the late hours. Characters are well thought out. I was personally invested in Foina. I wanted to skip ahead to see the ending. I didn't. And I am glad I didn't.
Standing ovation for Canter.

[Stasia Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic

I liked it but in the beginning I thought was taking forever to go nowhere. Great world building. Wonderful insight into Scottish life before Christianity arrived there.
I imagined lots of endings, none like the real one.
I started to enjoy it more when it became more real.

[Patricia Chodak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravery and Fear in a young woman

Flora was brilliant, intuitive, caring and a true warrior for life. She was pushed & pulled to be the person this Era and community needed to deal with the invasion of another culture.
She was used but did it do any good?
The inevitable still came to pass

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and the only reason why I made it to chapter 6 was because of the narrator. The beginning was incredibly slow. A lot of the book was repetitive but the cadence and story telling style of the narrator kept me going. The premise of the book was good and intriguing but it just moved too slowly with too many of the same thoughts repeated over and over again.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daughter of the Gods kept me interested from the start. Beautifully and sensually written. A memorable and inspirational historical fiction.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Eirlys · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story

I loved this book because it drew me into the very heart of the story. I felt as if I wasn't reading a story, but instead I was experiencing it. The clashes of cultures and beliefs were complicated, and yet quite simply logical.