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Druid's Brooch #1
Legacy of Hunger
When the magical secrets of The Emerald Isle beckon, will she survive answering the call?
Pittsburgh, 1846. Valentia McDowell wishes she could rest. Plagued by nightmares of her grandmother’s mysterious brooch lost in Ireland, the well-off woman grows more troubled when a fire ravages her family’s business. But as she buries herself in the rebuilding efforts, she can’t shake the sense that a powerful inheritance awaits her across the ocean… if she can weather the treacherous journey.
Horrified when the voyage claims her brother’s life and afflicts her with malaria, Valentia believes her grief will be for nothing if she returns from the famine-struck island empty-handed. But as she nears her gran’s birthplace and the last known location of the heirloom, the determined woman draws ever closer to a force beyond her imagination… and a battalion of deadly danger.
Can Valentia uphold a destiny she doesn’t yet understand without losing everyone she loves?
Legacy of Hunger is the sweeping first book in The Druid's Brooch historical fantasy series. If you like compelling female characters, immersive authenticity, and a dash of magic, then you’ll love Christy Nicholas’s transatlantic quest.
Buy Legacy of Hunger to trace a family treasure today!
Pittsburgh, 1846. Valentia McDowell wishes she could rest. Plagued by nightmares of her grandmother’s mysterious brooch lost in Ireland, the well-off woman grows more troubled when a fire ravages her family’s business. But as she buries herself in the rebuilding efforts, she can’t shake the sense that a powerful inheritance awaits her across the ocean… if she can weather the treacherous journey.
Horrified when the voyage claims her brother’s life and afflicts her with malaria, Valentia believes her grief will be for nothing if she returns from the famine-struck island empty-handed. But as she nears her gran’s birthplace and the last known location of the heirloom, the determined woman draws ever closer to a force beyond her imagination… and a battalion of deadly danger.
Can Valentia uphold a destiny she doesn’t yet understand without losing everyone she loves?
Legacy of Hunger is the sweeping first book in The Druid's Brooch historical fantasy series. If you like compelling female characters, immersive authenticity, and a dash of magic, then you’ll love Christy Nicholas’s transatlantic quest.
Buy Legacy of Hunger to trace a family treasure today!
Paperback
First published October 21, 2015
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About the author
Christy Nicholas
101 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 - 30 of 181 reviews
June 22, 2016
I loved this book. Christy Nicholas depicts the magic of Ireland so well—the sense that time and reality are mutable, that the land itself is a presence.
In 1846, that land is in trouble, victimized by a cruel economic system compounding agricultural failure. There’s food in Ireland, but it’s being sold abroad. Farmers unable to pay their rent are sent to workhouses or allowed to starve (if they’re not beaten to death first).
Wealthy, young American Valentia McDowell knows nothing of these problems when she sets out to find a talisman long held by her mother’s family in Ireland. She can’t explain why her quest is important, but the lure of the ancient penannular brooch is strong.
A catastrophic ocean voyage brings loss. Health shattered, she recovers at a spa, where she depends on the care of her servant, Maggie, and begins to shed her “proper” Victorian hauteur. It’s there, too, that she falls in love, makes her first connection with the Fair Folk, and meets the people who will become the family of her heart. By the time her quest continues, she’s well on her way toward her personal evolution.
Finding her relatives and the brooch isn’t easy. When she does, her transformation is complete. Valentia finally understands her destiny.
It’s hard to write about Legacy of Hunger without spoilers. So read the book. If you love Ireland, you’re in for a wonderful experience.
In 1846, that land is in trouble, victimized by a cruel economic system compounding agricultural failure. There’s food in Ireland, but it’s being sold abroad. Farmers unable to pay their rent are sent to workhouses or allowed to starve (if they’re not beaten to death first).
Wealthy, young American Valentia McDowell knows nothing of these problems when she sets out to find a talisman long held by her mother’s family in Ireland. She can’t explain why her quest is important, but the lure of the ancient penannular brooch is strong.
A catastrophic ocean voyage brings loss. Health shattered, she recovers at a spa, where she depends on the care of her servant, Maggie, and begins to shed her “proper” Victorian hauteur. It’s there, too, that she falls in love, makes her first connection with the Fair Folk, and meets the people who will become the family of her heart. By the time her quest continues, she’s well on her way toward her personal evolution.
Finding her relatives and the brooch isn’t easy. When she does, her transformation is complete. Valentia finally understands her destiny.
It’s hard to write about Legacy of Hunger without spoilers. So read the book. If you love Ireland, you’re in for a wonderful experience.
December 28, 2017
Valentia McDowell isn’t sure of a number of things. Living in 1846, she dreams of her grandmother’s brooch, not knowing just how important it will become to her. The story is very well-researched, focusing on 19th century Ireland and the crippling problems faced by the country during that time. Valentia, coming from money, knows nothing of the blight in Ireland at the start of her journey. Throughout her many trials and tribulations, Valentia becomes stronger until she finds herself at the end of the book.
I really did love this story though I’ll admit it was a little difficult for me to get into at the beginning. It’s obvious though that the author really did her research and this book is the beginning of what I’m sure is a wonderful series. Definitely recommended!
I really did love this story though I’ll admit it was a little difficult for me to get into at the beginning. It’s obvious though that the author really did her research and this book is the beginning of what I’m sure is a wonderful series. Definitely recommended!
December 18, 2018
This book, set in America and then in Ireland in 1846, is well researched and interesting from a historical setting perspective.
The main character, Valentia, embarks on a journey from her birth home in America to her ancestral homeland in Ireland. Valentia is determine to find her Irish family, the sisters of her grandmother who immigrated to America when she was young, and a brooch that her grandmother had left behind in Ireland. She sets off on her travels with her younger brother, Conor, and both of their servants and helpers. Illness strikes during their crossing of the ocean on board a ship and both Conor and his male attendant die and are buried at sea. Valentia, who has also been nearly fatally ill, and her maid, Maggie, are left to carry on alone.
Legacy of Hunger is the story of Valentia’s experiences in Ireland, starting with her convalescing at a health spa and continuing through her travels around Ireland in search of her family at a time when the land was in the grip of chronic famine. I enjoyed the history included in this story and learned a lot of information that I did not previously know about Ireland during the famine. It was heartbreaking reading about the indifference of the English landlords at this time of significant hardship for the local people.
The development of Valentia’s character as she experiences illness, hardship, romance an attempted rape is well done and I enjoyed her story although I did wonder whether some of her attitudes, thoughts and behaviours were feasible, given the time period and her sex and wealthy upbringing. The ending of the book was a bit of a let down for me and was not what I expected. The author introduced a lot of supernatural phenomena and paranormal experiences which, although these topics had been introduced to some extent earlier in the book, felt a bit out of context for me. I would have preferred the book to have remained firmly on the historical novel path and any folklore and supernatural myths and tales to have been incorporated in the context of stories told by the locals.
I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
The main character, Valentia, embarks on a journey from her birth home in America to her ancestral homeland in Ireland. Valentia is determine to find her Irish family, the sisters of her grandmother who immigrated to America when she was young, and a brooch that her grandmother had left behind in Ireland. She sets off on her travels with her younger brother, Conor, and both of their servants and helpers. Illness strikes during their crossing of the ocean on board a ship and both Conor and his male attendant die and are buried at sea. Valentia, who has also been nearly fatally ill, and her maid, Maggie, are left to carry on alone.
Legacy of Hunger is the story of Valentia’s experiences in Ireland, starting with her convalescing at a health spa and continuing through her travels around Ireland in search of her family at a time when the land was in the grip of chronic famine. I enjoyed the history included in this story and learned a lot of information that I did not previously know about Ireland during the famine. It was heartbreaking reading about the indifference of the English landlords at this time of significant hardship for the local people.
The development of Valentia’s character as she experiences illness, hardship, romance an attempted rape is well done and I enjoyed her story although I did wonder whether some of her attitudes, thoughts and behaviours were feasible, given the time period and her sex and wealthy upbringing. The ending of the book was a bit of a let down for me and was not what I expected. The author introduced a lot of supernatural phenomena and paranormal experiences which, although these topics had been introduced to some extent earlier in the book, felt a bit out of context for me. I would have preferred the book to have remained firmly on the historical novel path and any folklore and supernatural myths and tales to have been incorporated in the context of stories told by the locals.
I rated this book 3.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
December 22, 2018
LEGACY OF HUNGER by Christy Nicholas
The author has written several books in the Legacy series. This one is a quest or search for a family heirloom. Valencia and her younger brother Conor set off on a long journey on rivers and trains that eventually takes them to New York. I found this part interesting because of the etiquette and manners that were prevalent in those days. Brother and sister had been mesmerised by Grandma
Bridey and the tales and myths about Ireland. Maggie is Valencia's maid servant and plays an important part in the life of her mistress. There are detailed passages about choosing and buying clothes and I think some of these could be shortened or left out.
The sea journey across the Atlantic is dramatic and sad. When Valencia reaches Galway she soon learns about the famine, the arguments about home rule and the Ulster Plantations. Although she is weak after her ill health, she has several admirers including a rich landowner. There are visits to Faery circles in the near countryside, superstitions, magic stones and disappearances. The disaster and desolation of empty farms, the potato blight and the workhouse are brought to life by this talented writer.
I really enjoyed reading this book but you will have to read it yourself to find out whether she finds the brooch or not. The epilogue is useful in setting out the date when home rule was achieved in 1895.
The author has written several books in the Legacy series. This one is a quest or search for a family heirloom. Valencia and her younger brother Conor set off on a long journey on rivers and trains that eventually takes them to New York. I found this part interesting because of the etiquette and manners that were prevalent in those days. Brother and sister had been mesmerised by Grandma
Bridey and the tales and myths about Ireland. Maggie is Valencia's maid servant and plays an important part in the life of her mistress. There are detailed passages about choosing and buying clothes and I think some of these could be shortened or left out.
The sea journey across the Atlantic is dramatic and sad. When Valencia reaches Galway she soon learns about the famine, the arguments about home rule and the Ulster Plantations. Although she is weak after her ill health, she has several admirers including a rich landowner. There are visits to Faery circles in the near countryside, superstitions, magic stones and disappearances. The disaster and desolation of empty farms, the potato blight and the workhouse are brought to life by this talented writer.
I really enjoyed reading this book but you will have to read it yourself to find out whether she finds the brooch or not. The epilogue is useful in setting out the date when home rule was achieved in 1895.
March 29, 2017
First off, I love the book cover. This book gave a unique outlook of Ireland and the struggles it went through for self governance. It also tells of Valentina’s search for her grandmother’s family, and her little jaunt of falling in love with someone that was already taken. She had many adventures, such as; her trek into the magical realm through the stones and brooch; her mishap with hungry, angry people suffering from near starvation and those being mistreated by the army of the day.
This story of tells of her adventures both on sea and on land, and most of all, her growth from a young lady filled with lofty restriction of class, to one that found her way and friendship. She became a champion for equality and a helper for those in lesser positions. This book was well crafted and shows Valentina’s emergence from her social cocoon. There was one instance of a typo, where the word ‘to’ was left out but it didn’t take away from the tale.
This story of tells of her adventures both on sea and on land, and most of all, her growth from a young lady filled with lofty restriction of class, to one that found her way and friendship. She became a champion for equality and a helper for those in lesser positions. This book was well crafted and shows Valentina’s emergence from her social cocoon. There was one instance of a typo, where the word ‘to’ was left out but it didn’t take away from the tale.
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July 27, 2019
My reviews are honest & they contain spoilers. For more, follow me:
Legacy of Hunger book 1 of Druid’s Brooch is the first book I read by Christy Nicholas. I came to know about the author from a few blog tours I hosted of her books in this series and have always been rather intrigued by the covers... then I read the blurb of book 1 and found it to be a freebie so I grabbed it. TBH it was quite an unexpected journey!
Legacy of Hunger is an odd book. Slow and kind of gloomy but not at all unpleasant. The writing and the research was pretty fair and I enjoyed the pace. But the story was slow-moving and dark because of the subject matter which it centered around. The story is set in 1846, begins in America and ends in Ireland. The heroine (I’m not even sure if I should call her as such… she definitely was the only main character) Valentia had always been moved by the stories her Irish maternal grandmother had told her when she was young. She was fascinated by everything it entailed; the magic, the myth and everything in between. But what Valentia found the most intriguing was the story of an abandoned brooch—a family heirloom—that was left behind when she left Ireland many years ago. Now there was no saying if the brooch even existed or not. What I could gather from the vague recollection of Valentia of her now deceased grandmother, is that she may have encouraged her to look for it. But whatever the reason was, Valentia, now at 23 or 24, wanted to go visit Ireland. If only her ancestral land was her only interest here, that would’ve sufficed. However, Valentia was so obsessed with a drawing of the brooch she was given that she was totally ready to go on a wild goose chase in a land completely unknown to her.
Of course it was helpful that Valentia’s father Padraig, who descended from Irish immigrants himself, was pretty wealthy and her parents despite their misgivings, supported her idea. Her father was going to finance the journey and any funds necessary in Ireland. I’ll tell you that there were precious few narratives of her life in America and her family there. All I could gather from the first chapter before she set sail to Ireland where the rest of the story is set is that she has quite a few brothers and sisters, though only one, the youngest Conor, made an appearance. Majority of them were married and moved away or living with their own families. Valentia was never interested in American men, though she wasn’t brave enough to say anything to her dragon of a mother Majesta. Conor was going to accompany Valentia to protect and guide her in this mad journey.
I think the foreshadowing of the story began as the ship set sail and Valentia saw her parent standing on the bank, bidding them goodbye. As they, alongside the land she’d so far called her home, became smaller and smaller, Valentia panicked a little. She thought, would she ever see her parents again? To tell you the truth, for some reason that scene gave me the chills. And though the journey for the first part was quite uneventful, the second part was absolutely devastating. Valentia journeyed with Conor, his valet and her lady’s maid Maggie. The ship was also known to have been carrying immigrants and Valentia was aware of them. Though being born in a rich family she didn’t have to communicate with the lowest of the low, their plight on the ship and the stories she begin hearing about Ireland stuck with her. It also had borne a new obsession; to do something if she was able to when she reached Ireland. But what could she really do? Valentia had no idea.
Then malaria struck, and with that a big chunk of the crew members and passengers went down. It took many families; sometimes a few members, sometimes the whole family. Valentia lost Conor, never having a clue as she was also fighting for her own life. For some reason, Maggie was spared of it so she was able to take care of them as best was possible for her. Then Conor’s valet also died. Maggie was helpless, miserable being quarantined. She didn’t know whether she actually could save Valentia or not.
Thankfully, Valentia bounced back, though not the way I may have made it sound like. She was still ill but she survived and reached Ireland in a daze. In a complete disbelief that she’d lost her mischievous younger brother that she’d loved so much. Grieving his loss, and despairing that she couldn’t do anything for him. I couldn’t even imagine! It broke my heart.
In Ireland, as she began gaining her health back, Valentia also began making inquiries about her family, often with Maggie’s help. She made a few Irish friends as well who wanted to help her find her family too. The first were two men she met at an Inn she was staying at; a middle-aged man called O’Brien and a younger man named Michel. While looking for her relatives, she also began learning more about the ongoing famine that was plaguing the whole of Ireland that’s also known as the Irish Potato Famine or The Great Hunger (1845-1849) and how people were either succumbing to hunger and dying or leaving the country to seek a better life elsewhere. It seemed like both O’Brien and Michel were working to protest the wrongs. They were very involved with the internal politics. With their encouragement, Valentia begins to also become involved in the whole mess.
Valentia developed a lasting friendship with both men, though she never really took to O’Brien because he was older and gruff and she probably felt intimidated by him. However, Michel was much closer to her age and very charming and poor Valentia began losing her head. It could’ve been the beginning of a romance. Unfortunately, Michel was a married father of 3 and he had no intentions of leaving his wife. I praise him for that, and was shaking my head the whole time as I read just how Valentia thought she was in love with Michel and tried to convince him to......I don’t know what she had in mind. I don’t think she even knew what she wanted. Did she want him to cheat on his wife? Leave his wife for her? Good thing that Michel was the one with a level head and told her firmly that if there was a way they could be together, he would’ve but it couldn’t be.
A heartbroken Valentia decides that it was better she doesn’t have any close contact with Michel any longer. As she nursed her broken heart she finally begins her journey AKA the wild goose chase in a coach and a man hired by Michel for protection. Kevin, a big, strong and canny Irishman turned out to be just the kind of protection Valentia needed. He was very smart and was charming enough to wheedle out information without looking suspicious. Of course, the moment Kevin saw the young, red-haired Maggie, he knew he’d found the woman he wants to settle down with. But what I found hilarious was Maggie’s demeanor around him. She was quite unimpressed by Kevin and would show it too, though not in a cruel way. I knew these two were meant to be and I was quite right. :D
Back to Valentia and her journey. It’d prove to be the greatest experience that she’d would ever experience. The things she’d see and endure; her recurring illness and her broken heart that now grieved the loss of both Conor and Michel. No, Michel wasn’t dead but he was good as dead to her at that moment. He kept himself pretty aloof and his notes, if they ever came to her, were very distant. This journey is what dominates the whole story showing you the evils of Potato Famine and suffering of the folks around. But even in all that hullaballoo, Valentia didn’t lose the focus of her journey; to find her family and inquire about the brooch. But why was she so crazy about finding the brooch? Valentia didn’t know. She, though, had had a few out-of-this-world experiences in Ireland that can only be termed as ‘magic’. She saw and felt things when she went to the sacred grounds that were the portals connecting this world and the world of the Fair Folks, also called the Fey. These experiences kind of made her even more determined to find the brooch having an intuition that she must’ve had a calling of sort. In a way, it turned out to be true. The brooch did have special power and Valentia would find surprises after surprises waiting for her when she finally tracks down the elusive thing.
The story had everything but romance. I went in expecting at least a little bit of it and came back disappointed. It’s more of a historical fantasy with the smatterings of a few almost-romances, adding in a touch of magic to make it pop. There were times I thought Velentia was being rather irrational, if not downright callous. She loved flirting like any other girl of her age, and along the way, had met a few men other than Michel. It always felt like she was never really interested in any of them, though she had led them to a merry chase. It also felt like she was still in love with Michel but wasn’t interested in moving on. I’ll give the only example of ‘romance’ that saddened me to no end, because I still feel the total burn I felt while I was watching it unfold...
On the way to the aforementioned ‘wild goose chase’ Valentia finds that both her grandmother’s sisters are still alive. One turns out to be Cruela De Vil and the other the Charming Old Lady. When she was visiting Cruela De Vil AKA Eithne’s house and finally introduced herself, she also met one of her cousins named Donal. Poor Donal didn’t have a strong personality and was always manipulated by his grandmother, who was the only family member he had left until meeting Valentia. I felt that the constant manipulation and pressure from Eithne to find a wealthy wife led Donal to have some sort of psychological issues. After all, Eithne was a piece of work. He hid it well and I thought he was a pleasant young man. But then, he had to go fall in love with Valentia. Though Eithne was already plotting for Donal to marry Valentia for her money, Donal, maybe for the first time in his life, was not happy with his dearest grandmama’s interference. He wanted this to work without any deception. To his delight, Valentia agrees to be courted by him for a few weeks, then only to reject him in a panic when he finally gathered the courage to propose. Marriage didn’t seem like the right thing when she had other pressing matters to attend to, namely to find the brooch in question. And it was just too much. Donal was left sad and hurt. He still didn’t snap though, even when Valentia left to track down the other sister Esme. She was by then certain that Eithne didn’t have the thing she coveted the most at that moment.
For a few weeks, because it took waaay longer to track down Esme, Valentia had the chance to think about Donal and felt bad for him. But it was pretty obvious she felt no strong pull towards him. Somehow Donal finds her again to bring her some of her correspondence that arrived after she left. He also wanted to tag along, mainly to help her through the rest of her journey. Times were bad and Valentia already knew firsthand how bad it was. British soldiers were patrolling the pathways and things could get out of hand at any moment. Still, Valentia was irritated at Donal’s insistence. She thought him to be a nuisance until she relented thinking of the danger. When, in one of their many journeys, a mob of hungry people descended on them stealing everything, Valentia was happy that there were extra hands like Donal to help and protect. Like she, for the first time, felt that Donal was useful for something.
Frankly, on many occasions before and after that, to me it felt like Valentia was only checking whether Donal could benefit her in any way. Hell, she didn’t even trust him enough to confide him about the brooch yet she considered marriage with him and accepted his wish to court her! Wtf was she thinking?! Why led him to believe she cared then kick him out of her way when she felt he’d only be a burden? OMG!! She treated him thus until the day he went mad. I won’t go into the details of what happened cause that was one of the most crucial moments of the story, but Donal simply snapped when he found that all along Valentia was only searching for the brooch and she had no interest in him in any shape or form. I’m not saying he didn’t have his own issues but I knew the poor man felt betrayed and absolutely devastated. From his grandmother to Valentia who, I believe, he really loved; both women totally consumed by the need to possess the bloody brooch!!! It was such a mess that simply made the whole story bitter for me. Damn it but I was rooting for Donal!
So I found that there’s nothing but tragedy where ‘romance’ part of the story is concerned. At least Valentia’s romance. She never marries, as we find in the end, so I guess that should be the answer to all of my questions. My only solace was to see Maggie and Kevin’s romance blossom, leading to their marriage.
Another thing that bugged me to no end was, while she was searching for Esme, Valentia finds her only daughter Katie mentally unstable and living in inhumane conditions. Then we find Esme, living in a charming seaside cottage a few miles away from there. Like wtf? When Valentia told her about Katie, it seemed like Esme kind of remembered that she even had a daughter. Huh?? :/ Why wasn’t Katie with her to begin with??? I know she married and moved away with her husband, who then died. But it seemed like Esme had no idea where her daughter was, most importantly wasn’t bothered much about her until she was informed of Katie’s sad state. Really weird.
While searching for other books in the series, I found that Druid’s Brooch has all sorts of different stories set on different eras; all centered around that brooch. It doesn’t follow the usual patterns of a series. The next book is about Esme’s life and what happened to her and Eithne after their parents left for America. I’m not sure I want to read that because there were vague allusions of those incidents in this book too. For me, the story kind of ended with Valentia. The epilogue just made me sad. Valentia never marrying, spending her whole life in Ireland fighting for good causes. She never saw her parents again.
And there was no mention of Donal anywhere.
In conclusion, even though I enjoyed the historical parts, can’t say I enjoyed all of it. It had moments of both happiness and extreme sadness. Legacy of Hunger had a storyline that integrated history with magic which made it a slightly different read than what I usually read. It’s why I don’t regret reading it. I’d recommend if what I mentioned above doesn’t bother you as much as it did me. 3.5 stars.
Legacy of Hunger book 1 of Druid’s Brooch is the first book I read by Christy Nicholas. I came to know about the author from a few blog tours I hosted of her books in this series and have always been rather intrigued by the covers... then I read the blurb of book 1 and found it to be a freebie so I grabbed it. TBH it was quite an unexpected journey!
Legacy of Hunger is an odd book. Slow and kind of gloomy but not at all unpleasant. The writing and the research was pretty fair and I enjoyed the pace. But the story was slow-moving and dark because of the subject matter which it centered around. The story is set in 1846, begins in America and ends in Ireland. The heroine (I’m not even sure if I should call her as such… she definitely was the only main character) Valentia had always been moved by the stories her Irish maternal grandmother had told her when she was young. She was fascinated by everything it entailed; the magic, the myth and everything in between. But what Valentia found the most intriguing was the story of an abandoned brooch—a family heirloom—that was left behind when she left Ireland many years ago. Now there was no saying if the brooch even existed or not. What I could gather from the vague recollection of Valentia of her now deceased grandmother, is that she may have encouraged her to look for it. But whatever the reason was, Valentia, now at 23 or 24, wanted to go visit Ireland. If only her ancestral land was her only interest here, that would’ve sufficed. However, Valentia was so obsessed with a drawing of the brooch she was given that she was totally ready to go on a wild goose chase in a land completely unknown to her.
Of course it was helpful that Valentia’s father Padraig, who descended from Irish immigrants himself, was pretty wealthy and her parents despite their misgivings, supported her idea. Her father was going to finance the journey and any funds necessary in Ireland. I’ll tell you that there were precious few narratives of her life in America and her family there. All I could gather from the first chapter before she set sail to Ireland where the rest of the story is set is that she has quite a few brothers and sisters, though only one, the youngest Conor, made an appearance. Majority of them were married and moved away or living with their own families. Valentia was never interested in American men, though she wasn’t brave enough to say anything to her dragon of a mother Majesta. Conor was going to accompany Valentia to protect and guide her in this mad journey.
I think the foreshadowing of the story began as the ship set sail and Valentia saw her parent standing on the bank, bidding them goodbye. As they, alongside the land she’d so far called her home, became smaller and smaller, Valentia panicked a little. She thought, would she ever see her parents again? To tell you the truth, for some reason that scene gave me the chills. And though the journey for the first part was quite uneventful, the second part was absolutely devastating. Valentia journeyed with Conor, his valet and her lady’s maid Maggie. The ship was also known to have been carrying immigrants and Valentia was aware of them. Though being born in a rich family she didn’t have to communicate with the lowest of the low, their plight on the ship and the stories she begin hearing about Ireland stuck with her. It also had borne a new obsession; to do something if she was able to when she reached Ireland. But what could she really do? Valentia had no idea.
Then malaria struck, and with that a big chunk of the crew members and passengers went down. It took many families; sometimes a few members, sometimes the whole family. Valentia lost Conor, never having a clue as she was also fighting for her own life. For some reason, Maggie was spared of it so she was able to take care of them as best was possible for her. Then Conor’s valet also died. Maggie was helpless, miserable being quarantined. She didn’t know whether she actually could save Valentia or not.
Thankfully, Valentia bounced back, though not the way I may have made it sound like. She was still ill but she survived and reached Ireland in a daze. In a complete disbelief that she’d lost her mischievous younger brother that she’d loved so much. Grieving his loss, and despairing that she couldn’t do anything for him. I couldn’t even imagine! It broke my heart.
In Ireland, as she began gaining her health back, Valentia also began making inquiries about her family, often with Maggie’s help. She made a few Irish friends as well who wanted to help her find her family too. The first were two men she met at an Inn she was staying at; a middle-aged man called O’Brien and a younger man named Michel. While looking for her relatives, she also began learning more about the ongoing famine that was plaguing the whole of Ireland that’s also known as the Irish Potato Famine or The Great Hunger (1845-1849) and how people were either succumbing to hunger and dying or leaving the country to seek a better life elsewhere. It seemed like both O’Brien and Michel were working to protest the wrongs. They were very involved with the internal politics. With their encouragement, Valentia begins to also become involved in the whole mess.
Valentia developed a lasting friendship with both men, though she never really took to O’Brien because he was older and gruff and she probably felt intimidated by him. However, Michel was much closer to her age and very charming and poor Valentia began losing her head. It could’ve been the beginning of a romance. Unfortunately, Michel was a married father of 3 and he had no intentions of leaving his wife. I praise him for that, and was shaking my head the whole time as I read just how Valentia thought she was in love with Michel and tried to convince him to......I don’t know what she had in mind. I don’t think she even knew what she wanted. Did she want him to cheat on his wife? Leave his wife for her? Good thing that Michel was the one with a level head and told her firmly that if there was a way they could be together, he would’ve but it couldn’t be.
A heartbroken Valentia decides that it was better she doesn’t have any close contact with Michel any longer. As she nursed her broken heart she finally begins her journey AKA the wild goose chase in a coach and a man hired by Michel for protection. Kevin, a big, strong and canny Irishman turned out to be just the kind of protection Valentia needed. He was very smart and was charming enough to wheedle out information without looking suspicious. Of course, the moment Kevin saw the young, red-haired Maggie, he knew he’d found the woman he wants to settle down with. But what I found hilarious was Maggie’s demeanor around him. She was quite unimpressed by Kevin and would show it too, though not in a cruel way. I knew these two were meant to be and I was quite right. :D
Back to Valentia and her journey. It’d prove to be the greatest experience that she’d would ever experience. The things she’d see and endure; her recurring illness and her broken heart that now grieved the loss of both Conor and Michel. No, Michel wasn’t dead but he was good as dead to her at that moment. He kept himself pretty aloof and his notes, if they ever came to her, were very distant. This journey is what dominates the whole story showing you the evils of Potato Famine and suffering of the folks around. But even in all that hullaballoo, Valentia didn’t lose the focus of her journey; to find her family and inquire about the brooch. But why was she so crazy about finding the brooch? Valentia didn’t know. She, though, had had a few out-of-this-world experiences in Ireland that can only be termed as ‘magic’. She saw and felt things when she went to the sacred grounds that were the portals connecting this world and the world of the Fair Folks, also called the Fey. These experiences kind of made her even more determined to find the brooch having an intuition that she must’ve had a calling of sort. In a way, it turned out to be true. The brooch did have special power and Valentia would find surprises after surprises waiting for her when she finally tracks down the elusive thing.
The story had everything but romance. I went in expecting at least a little bit of it and came back disappointed. It’s more of a historical fantasy with the smatterings of a few almost-romances, adding in a touch of magic to make it pop. There were times I thought Velentia was being rather irrational, if not downright callous. She loved flirting like any other girl of her age, and along the way, had met a few men other than Michel. It always felt like she was never really interested in any of them, though she had led them to a merry chase. It also felt like she was still in love with Michel but wasn’t interested in moving on. I’ll give the only example of ‘romance’ that saddened me to no end, because I still feel the total burn I felt while I was watching it unfold...
On the way to the aforementioned ‘wild goose chase’ Valentia finds that both her grandmother’s sisters are still alive. One turns out to be Cruela De Vil and the other the Charming Old Lady. When she was visiting Cruela De Vil AKA Eithne’s house and finally introduced herself, she also met one of her cousins named Donal. Poor Donal didn’t have a strong personality and was always manipulated by his grandmother, who was the only family member he had left until meeting Valentia. I felt that the constant manipulation and pressure from Eithne to find a wealthy wife led Donal to have some sort of psychological issues. After all, Eithne was a piece of work. He hid it well and I thought he was a pleasant young man. But then, he had to go fall in love with Valentia. Though Eithne was already plotting for Donal to marry Valentia for her money, Donal, maybe for the first time in his life, was not happy with his dearest grandmama’s interference. He wanted this to work without any deception. To his delight, Valentia agrees to be courted by him for a few weeks, then only to reject him in a panic when he finally gathered the courage to propose. Marriage didn’t seem like the right thing when she had other pressing matters to attend to, namely to find the brooch in question. And it was just too much. Donal was left sad and hurt. He still didn’t snap though, even when Valentia left to track down the other sister Esme. She was by then certain that Eithne didn’t have the thing she coveted the most at that moment.
For a few weeks, because it took waaay longer to track down Esme, Valentia had the chance to think about Donal and felt bad for him. But it was pretty obvious she felt no strong pull towards him. Somehow Donal finds her again to bring her some of her correspondence that arrived after she left. He also wanted to tag along, mainly to help her through the rest of her journey. Times were bad and Valentia already knew firsthand how bad it was. British soldiers were patrolling the pathways and things could get out of hand at any moment. Still, Valentia was irritated at Donal’s insistence. She thought him to be a nuisance until she relented thinking of the danger. When, in one of their many journeys, a mob of hungry people descended on them stealing everything, Valentia was happy that there were extra hands like Donal to help and protect. Like she, for the first time, felt that Donal was useful for something.
Frankly, on many occasions before and after that, to me it felt like Valentia was only checking whether Donal could benefit her in any way. Hell, she didn’t even trust him enough to confide him about the brooch yet she considered marriage with him and accepted his wish to court her! Wtf was she thinking?! Why led him to believe she cared then kick him out of her way when she felt he’d only be a burden? OMG!! She treated him thus until the day he went mad. I won’t go into the details of what happened cause that was one of the most crucial moments of the story, but Donal simply snapped when he found that all along Valentia was only searching for the brooch and she had no interest in him in any shape or form. I’m not saying he didn’t have his own issues but I knew the poor man felt betrayed and absolutely devastated. From his grandmother to Valentia who, I believe, he really loved; both women totally consumed by the need to possess the bloody brooch!!! It was such a mess that simply made the whole story bitter for me. Damn it but I was rooting for Donal!
So I found that there’s nothing but tragedy where ‘romance’ part of the story is concerned. At least Valentia’s romance. She never marries, as we find in the end, so I guess that should be the answer to all of my questions. My only solace was to see Maggie and Kevin’s romance blossom, leading to their marriage.
Another thing that bugged me to no end was, while she was searching for Esme, Valentia finds her only daughter Katie mentally unstable and living in inhumane conditions. Then we find Esme, living in a charming seaside cottage a few miles away from there. Like wtf? When Valentia told her about Katie, it seemed like Esme kind of remembered that she even had a daughter. Huh?? :/ Why wasn’t Katie with her to begin with??? I know she married and moved away with her husband, who then died. But it seemed like Esme had no idea where her daughter was, most importantly wasn’t bothered much about her until she was informed of Katie’s sad state. Really weird.
While searching for other books in the series, I found that Druid’s Brooch has all sorts of different stories set on different eras; all centered around that brooch. It doesn’t follow the usual patterns of a series. The next book is about Esme’s life and what happened to her and Eithne after their parents left for America. I’m not sure I want to read that because there were vague allusions of those incidents in this book too. For me, the story kind of ended with Valentia. The epilogue just made me sad. Valentia never marrying, spending her whole life in Ireland fighting for good causes. She never saw her parents again.
And there was no mention of Donal anywhere.
In conclusion, even though I enjoyed the historical parts, can’t say I enjoyed all of it. It had moments of both happiness and extreme sadness. Legacy of Hunger had a storyline that integrated history with magic which made it a slightly different read than what I usually read. It’s why I don’t regret reading it. I’d recommend if what I mentioned above doesn’t bother you as much as it did me. 3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2018
I couldn’t put this book down. Not only had it wonderfully vivid descriptions that made me hold my breath, it also is set during the potato famine in Ireland, which was a truly trialing time for many Irish people and their families. Sometimes, I felt like I was there with Valentia and her friends.
The characters, Val, Maggie, Kevin, and Pat were great. There was plenty of character development and trickled in fantasy, lore, historical facts to keep me interested as well.
This is definitely a story worth reading!
The characters, Val, Maggie, Kevin, and Pat were great. There was plenty of character development and trickled in fantasy, lore, historical facts to keep me interested as well.
This is definitely a story worth reading!
July 5, 2018
A Lovely Novel
By Linda Lee Greene on July 5, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Legacy of Hunger: Druid's Brooch Series: #1 by Christy Nicholas is a story rich in both American and Irish history, broadened in scope with a touch of fantasy. A coddled but restless Ohio farm-girl embarks on a quest to discover family roots and a talisman in Ireland, and along the way finds herself and a future she never imagined. That Nicholas studied her subject well and immersed herself in deep research shines through in this lovely novel. Well done.
By Linda Lee Greene on July 5, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Legacy of Hunger: Druid's Brooch Series: #1 by Christy Nicholas is a story rich in both American and Irish history, broadened in scope with a touch of fantasy. A coddled but restless Ohio farm-girl embarks on a quest to discover family roots and a talisman in Ireland, and along the way finds herself and a future she never imagined. That Nicholas studied her subject well and immersed herself in deep research shines through in this lovely novel. Well done.
August 16, 2018
The story is well written but didn't grab at me. I found the juxtaposition of the quest for a broach against the backdrop of death and starvation hard. The quest itself was interesting but with that backdrop felt childish and unimportant. For me, I struggled to get into the story or care enough about the outcome for it to work for me.
That being said, the historical references were interesting, and the quest did show a truth, that many lives and adventures carried on despite the great hunger. The main character showed huge development, and I enjoyed the cast around her.'
That being said, the historical references were interesting, and the quest did show a truth, that many lives and adventures carried on despite the great hunger. The main character showed huge development, and I enjoyed the cast around her.'
May 24, 2016
A compelling tour of 1840s Ireland
Author Christy Nicholas obviously loves Ireland, Irish legends and the period of history she has chosen to write about, the 1840s in Ireland, the time of the potato blight and much suffering in the Irish common people. Whenever her clean, spare prose turned to Irish faery tales, or descriptions of the land and people, I could see and feel a warm glow on the page as her love for the time and people shone through. There is much to enjoy and savor within these pages, especially for those drawn to the period and the place.
And so I settled in for the story, now on a ship, now in a bumpy carriage, now running from men who would do heroine Valentia harm. Sad things happened, tragic circumstances arose. These tragic events did not rise to the level of drama, in the sense of a purposeful hero pursuing a meaningful end and meeting powerful resistance. They were just sad, tragic distractions on a single-minded journey.
Valentia had goals and motivations aplenty, and Nicholas crafted in her a subtle and nuanced character who did grow and evolve on her bumpy journey. And yet, as a reader, although I rather liked Valentia, carefully drawn flaws and all, and I was perfectly happy to join her on that journey, eventually I found myself waiting for The Story, the heart of her journey, to begin, and it never did, or not in a satisfying way for this reader. When we arrived, rather abruptly, and in strangely summarized form, at the end, I was startled to discover no real hook into the next book in the series, where perhaps The Story proper could begin now that the world and main character had been so carefully drawn.
I struggle to explain what was missing for me, for Valentia did all the things a good hero should do, persisting in the face of obstacles, developing kindness and compassion to overcome defects in her upbringing and blinkers in her world view. She was active, not passive. She made the choices about her journey, not the men or the servants or the mentors she met on her path. If I attempt, imperfectly, to summarize my feeling as a reader, it is that I was a passenger on someone else’s long and circuitous and often colorful and interesting journey, but I never knew where we were going or precisely why, and neither did Valentia, other than her quest to find an old brooch. And that is a terrible summary, for it was clear from the beginning that we were going to Ireland to search for grandmother’s brooch, which may or may not have magical powers, and that is precisely what we did, no matter the many obstacles. I just found myself wanting more powerful motivation than a comfortably raised young woman’s whim to go in search of an old brooch.
I’ve heard it said that “Satisfaction is Reality divided by Expectations,” and perhaps therein lies my personal difficulty with this finely wrought yet ultimately dissatisfying work, the expectations I brought to the read. I was never quite sure what to expect, although I had been told to expect a historical fantasy, a genre I much enjoy. One of the challenges of the genre is the balance between historical and fantastical elements. Nicholas went heavy on the historical side, which I quite enjoyed by the way, and the care she took in her research shows, with slight hints of the fantasy that burst into full view only at the very end. That is fine, and a perfectly acceptable decision for a creator to make, and yet I found it a bit confusing as a reader, for I found myself waiting for the “fantasy stuff’ to begin and start driving the story but it never really did. The author created a kind of glass pane and distance between the reader and the experience of magic, in that the legends were told and described, as though a scholar were explaining to the reader bits of Irish faery legend, rather than allowing the reader to experience them in person as occurred only very occasionally in the book. Rather we were treated to small bits of Irish faery legends here and there in conversation and a few magical moments, but the fantasy never really took root but felt pasted on at the end. I wonder if a stronger choice in either direction might have been less confusing for readers and avoided some of that impatient waiting feeling I experienced, either light up the fantasy side faster and bigger earlier, or tell a straight historical fiction tale without the magic.
Recommendation: for readers who wish to learn more about Ireland of the 1840s, this is a thoroughly researched and lovingly drawn sketch of Ireland in that time. It lacks drama as a story, although the journey is an interesting and informative one, and the main character appealing in her very human mix of virtues and flaws.
Author Christy Nicholas obviously loves Ireland, Irish legends and the period of history she has chosen to write about, the 1840s in Ireland, the time of the potato blight and much suffering in the Irish common people. Whenever her clean, spare prose turned to Irish faery tales, or descriptions of the land and people, I could see and feel a warm glow on the page as her love for the time and people shone through. There is much to enjoy and savor within these pages, especially for those drawn to the period and the place.
And so I settled in for the story, now on a ship, now in a bumpy carriage, now running from men who would do heroine Valentia harm. Sad things happened, tragic circumstances arose. These tragic events did not rise to the level of drama, in the sense of a purposeful hero pursuing a meaningful end and meeting powerful resistance. They were just sad, tragic distractions on a single-minded journey.
Valentia had goals and motivations aplenty, and Nicholas crafted in her a subtle and nuanced character who did grow and evolve on her bumpy journey. And yet, as a reader, although I rather liked Valentia, carefully drawn flaws and all, and I was perfectly happy to join her on that journey, eventually I found myself waiting for The Story, the heart of her journey, to begin, and it never did, or not in a satisfying way for this reader. When we arrived, rather abruptly, and in strangely summarized form, at the end, I was startled to discover no real hook into the next book in the series, where perhaps The Story proper could begin now that the world and main character had been so carefully drawn.
I struggle to explain what was missing for me, for Valentia did all the things a good hero should do, persisting in the face of obstacles, developing kindness and compassion to overcome defects in her upbringing and blinkers in her world view. She was active, not passive. She made the choices about her journey, not the men or the servants or the mentors she met on her path. If I attempt, imperfectly, to summarize my feeling as a reader, it is that I was a passenger on someone else’s long and circuitous and often colorful and interesting journey, but I never knew where we were going or precisely why, and neither did Valentia, other than her quest to find an old brooch. And that is a terrible summary, for it was clear from the beginning that we were going to Ireland to search for grandmother’s brooch, which may or may not have magical powers, and that is precisely what we did, no matter the many obstacles. I just found myself wanting more powerful motivation than a comfortably raised young woman’s whim to go in search of an old brooch.
I’ve heard it said that “Satisfaction is Reality divided by Expectations,” and perhaps therein lies my personal difficulty with this finely wrought yet ultimately dissatisfying work, the expectations I brought to the read. I was never quite sure what to expect, although I had been told to expect a historical fantasy, a genre I much enjoy. One of the challenges of the genre is the balance between historical and fantastical elements. Nicholas went heavy on the historical side, which I quite enjoyed by the way, and the care she took in her research shows, with slight hints of the fantasy that burst into full view only at the very end. That is fine, and a perfectly acceptable decision for a creator to make, and yet I found it a bit confusing as a reader, for I found myself waiting for the “fantasy stuff’ to begin and start driving the story but it never really did. The author created a kind of glass pane and distance between the reader and the experience of magic, in that the legends were told and described, as though a scholar were explaining to the reader bits of Irish faery legend, rather than allowing the reader to experience them in person as occurred only very occasionally in the book. Rather we were treated to small bits of Irish faery legends here and there in conversation and a few magical moments, but the fantasy never really took root but felt pasted on at the end. I wonder if a stronger choice in either direction might have been less confusing for readers and avoided some of that impatient waiting feeling I experienced, either light up the fantasy side faster and bigger earlier, or tell a straight historical fiction tale without the magic.
Recommendation: for readers who wish to learn more about Ireland of the 1840s, this is a thoroughly researched and lovingly drawn sketch of Ireland in that time. It lacks drama as a story, although the journey is an interesting and informative one, and the main character appealing in her very human mix of virtues and flaws.
Want to read
February 10, 2020EReaderCafe
February 16, 2017
Christy Nicholas’ story follows her heroine Valentia McDowell, an adventurous young woman from a wealthy Ohio farming background, on a journey from America to visit her grandmother’s homeland, Ireland. Valentia hopes to reconnect with any family she might find and is also on a quest to find a family heirloom, a mystical brooch.
The imagery and sense of place, Ireland in the potato famine of the mid-Victorian era, is wonderfully realised, and the story setting is rich, detailed and engaging. I would love to have given this book a 5 STAR rating, but by the end I couldn’t help thinking that this is a novel ‘sitting on the fence’, and having trouble deciding whether it is an impressively researched historical piece, or a Celtic Fantasy based within a turbulent historical period. Some readers will be satisfied with the richness of detail and the smaller personal dramas that play out within the structured restrictions of the society of this time and place, but I feel others may be a little disappointed by the inconsistency of the Fantasy thread running through the story.
The imagery and sense of place, Ireland in the potato famine of the mid-Victorian era, is wonderfully realised, and the story setting is rich, detailed and engaging. I would love to have given this book a 5 STAR rating, but by the end I couldn’t help thinking that this is a novel ‘sitting on the fence’, and having trouble deciding whether it is an impressively researched historical piece, or a Celtic Fantasy based within a turbulent historical period. Some readers will be satisfied with the richness of detail and the smaller personal dramas that play out within the structured restrictions of the society of this time and place, but I feel others may be a little disappointed by the inconsistency of the Fantasy thread running through the story.
May 21, 2018
Legacy of Hunger (Druid's Brooch #1) by Christy Nicholas was an tale of finding yourself, finding family, and understanding that life isn't about what we have.
The book was beautifully written, strong and engaging. It had this soft, pleasant tone that matched the journey that Valentia invokes on. The are so many up downs and moments where you have to put the book down just to process, this isn't a bad thing. With so much, I can't, no I won't get into the story as anything will spoil this unique read.
I will tell you that this book is worth your time to pick up and read. The magic, the history and the path that's opens to us, is otherworldly and special. Though there are sad bits, this book has a almost calming feeling that keeps you reading, and hooked. Before you know it, you're at the last page wondering where the time went.
Take my high recommendation that you will be captured by this books spell, take my word that you will get lost and feel almost saddened that you had to leave.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
The book was beautifully written, strong and engaging. It had this soft, pleasant tone that matched the journey that Valentia invokes on. The are so many up downs and moments where you have to put the book down just to process, this isn't a bad thing. With so much, I can't, no I won't get into the story as anything will spoil this unique read.
I will tell you that this book is worth your time to pick up and read. The magic, the history and the path that's opens to us, is otherworldly and special. Though there are sad bits, this book has a almost calming feeling that keeps you reading, and hooked. Before you know it, you're at the last page wondering where the time went.
Take my high recommendation that you will be captured by this books spell, take my word that you will get lost and feel almost saddened that you had to leave.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
June 19, 2018
This book really strikes a pet peeve of mine. If you're going to write a period piece, write a period piece. This wasn't a story about 1846 - it was a story with modern day people stuck with mid-19th century technology and costumes. There was not one character in the entire book with a mindset that would be appropriate for the time frame depicted. Yes, it's offensive to modern sensibilities, but if you haven't got the intestinal fortitude to write a real period piece, write a fantasy about somewhere else, not the Earth (specifically the US and Ireland of 1846). The Seneca Falls conference was still two years in the future for crying out loud. Worse, the story relies upon the people *not* behaving as they would have in 1846.
I found the climax unsatisfactory, with too much 'tell' voice and not enough 'show' voice, as if the author became tired of the story before finishing. I have zero interest in continuing with the series.
I found the climax unsatisfactory, with too much 'tell' voice and not enough 'show' voice, as if the author became tired of the story before finishing. I have zero interest in continuing with the series.
Read
November 20, 2022Since I am the author, I shall write about my inspirations.
I began with wanted to showcase the stark realities of the Great Hunger of 1846 in Ireland. So many people left Ireland during that time, I decided to tell the story of someone going BACK to Ireland, to search for her family, and finding herself smack dab in the middle of a horrible time. She takes that horror and transforms it into something she needs to do, something she can take as her own to help in her little way.
Some of the character names and details I took from my own family's genealogy. The main character, Valentia, grew up near Canton, Ohio, on a large dairy farm. My own ancestors did the same, and the name McDowell is one of my own ancestors'. Some of her brothers' first names - Hiram, Emory - are my great-grandfathers' names.
Enjoy!
I began with wanted to showcase the stark realities of the Great Hunger of 1846 in Ireland. So many people left Ireland during that time, I decided to tell the story of someone going BACK to Ireland, to search for her family, and finding herself smack dab in the middle of a horrible time. She takes that horror and transforms it into something she needs to do, something she can take as her own to help in her little way.
Some of the character names and details I took from my own family's genealogy. The main character, Valentia, grew up near Canton, Ohio, on a large dairy farm. My own ancestors did the same, and the name McDowell is one of my own ancestors'. Some of her brothers' first names - Hiram, Emory - are my great-grandfathers' names.
Enjoy!
November 24, 2018
I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I was interested in this one because I have Irish ancestry and because of the reviews that this was a well researched book. It really was. The history was well researched and included things even I didn't know about that time period in Irish history.
What I really liked was the character development. I wasn't quite sure I was going to like Valentia at first, but she continues to grow from a spoiled child to a strong woman throughout her journey in this book. You can see little inklings of this from the way her relationship with her servants start to change.
All in all, an enjoyable read
What I really liked was the character development. I wasn't quite sure I was going to like Valentia at first, but she continues to grow from a spoiled child to a strong woman throughout her journey in this book. You can see little inklings of this from the way her relationship with her servants start to change.
All in all, an enjoyable read
October 21, 2019
Another book I have mixed feelings about. The first part of the book I found a bit dry and slow. It wasn’t until about the last 50 pages that I really felt interested and curious about where the plot was going. The book also felt a bit incongruous at times since a wealthy lady is travelling across a country plagued by famine, and so the quest to find the brooch seems almost frivolous. That being said I liked that the loose ends were tied up at the end of the book but it still set up for another adventure. So all in all I’d say it was an okay read.
December 12, 2017
This a captivating tale that I couldn’t put down. The author has crafted a tale that is richly nuanced and multi-layered. With a historical setting, an adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic, there is something for everyone. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received a copy of this book from the author, my review has been voluntarily submitted.
I received a copy of this book from the author, my review has been voluntarily submitted.
August 23, 2019
This is intriguing if you are like me and enjoy reading anything Irish related. It's an okay summer, light read. I have already started the next one in the series, which is a prequel to Legacy of Hunger and am happy to see that Legacy of Truth has better writing, more robust drama, and good, solid character development.
January 24, 2020
Great story
I couldn't put this one down! Lots of surprises at every turn. Fascinating characters on a great quest. I recommend this book!
I couldn't put this one down! Lots of surprises at every turn. Fascinating characters on a great quest. I recommend this book!
abandoned
January 14, 2016I'm not connecting with this story at the moment, so I'm going to stop and maybe come back to it at a later date. Stopped at 10%.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2018
This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"....an excellent job developing the story by painting detailed descriptions of the characters themselves, their past, and their present. "
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs
"....an excellent job developing the story by painting detailed descriptions of the characters themselves, their past, and their present. "
March 2, 2017
“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you.” Walt Whitman
New York Author/artist Christy Nicholas, aka Green Dragon, has lived in Michigan, Florida, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and now lives in Corning, NY. She hails from a family of artists and in addition to her success as a writer (the DRUID’S BROOCH TRYPTICH, GUIDES TO IRELAND and to SCOTLAND, a contemporary story about her parents BETTER TO HAVE LOVED, and the upcoming THE ENCHANTED SWANS), Christy is well known and respected for her beaded jewelry, photographs and digital art which she shows and sells at local art and craft shows, as well as sending her art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad. All of this she accomplishes while be a dedicated CPA!
Focusing her triptych Druid’s Brooch on life in old Ireland Christy’s warm obsession with that country is apparent in the facts and the details and the style and flavor of this solid book. Christy generously offers a pronunciation guide for the Irish/Gaelic terms used in the story, a gift that suggests the reader enjoy the pleasures of reading portions of the book aloud. She also offers a Foreword that further draws the reader into her well-scripted story – ‘Celtic legends are full of heroic deeds, rewards, and punishments. In order to obtain any true reward, the hero must often pass a series of progressively difficult tests. This is true of the gods and future kings, humble adventurers, and young women in love. It is a theme that runs throughout the mythologies of Ireland and beyond. Throughout their lives, people discover childhood dreams are too ambitious for a single lifetime. Once in a long while, a dream actually does come true, and that’s when it gets dangerous.’
Immediately upon opening this first installment in the ’Druid’s Brooch Series’ we are delivered a magnet of a sentence – ‘Grandmamma’s brooch haunted Valentia’s dreams.’ We are in Pennsylvania in 1846 and our heroine Valentia is struggling: ‘Even as she relaxed at afternoon tea with her mother, the lace doily reminded her of the delicate intertwining design of the brooch. That, in turn, reminded her of the task she had fixed her mind upon. She was tired of always settling for the smallest bits of the good things in life. Perhaps it was time to take larger chunks. Valentia’s corset pinched as she leaned towards the tea tray, reaching for a large cake on the upper tier. “Control yourself, Valentia, or you’ll end up looking like one of those Pittsburgh steel workers.” Majesta McDowell was always aware of appearances. From the servant’s area, one of the maids sniggered. Grimacing at her mother, Valentia reached for a much smaller piece when she heard shouts, but not the normal sound of a foreman yelling at his workers. It sounded like panic. Several patrons stood to look out the plate glass window of the café. Though she was tall for a woman, all Valentia could see were the backs of strangers, and occasionally someone running in the street. A sharp crack accompanied a muffled explosion. Clouds of dust billowed, and Valentia fought her rising dread. People in the café jammed the door, trying to escape. Valentia, her mother, and their maids, Sarah and Maggie, pushed out of the stifling building. Panicked voices screamed amid crashes, all from a street not far away, in the direction of the Monongahela House Hotel.’
The synopsis maps out the story of this volume – ‘Ireland is no promised land in 1846. It is wracked by a crippling potato blight, and people are dying. But Valentia McDowell doesn’t know that. From her father’s prosperous farm in Ohio, young Valentia is haunted by tales of an abandoned family and a lost heirloom. She travels to her grandmother’s homeland with her brother, Conor, and two servants, to find both. Her delight in the exciting journey on one of the first steam ships to cross the Atlantic is shattered by a horrible tragedy. What she encounters upon her arrival in Ireland is both more and less than she had hoped. Valentia finds both enemies and allies, amid horrors and delights, and a small bit of magic. She finds a richer heritage than she had ever imagined, but it comes with a price. When she finally reaches her goal, a terrible price is demanded. She must pay or forfeit, and both decisions have strong consequences for her and her friends.’
Rare as leprechaun thoughts, this story literally sings and likely will be a book to which the reader will return often to capture the magic Christy has woven. Grady Harp, March 17
New York Author/artist Christy Nicholas, aka Green Dragon, has lived in Michigan, Florida, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and now lives in Corning, NY. She hails from a family of artists and in addition to her success as a writer (the DRUID’S BROOCH TRYPTICH, GUIDES TO IRELAND and to SCOTLAND, a contemporary story about her parents BETTER TO HAVE LOVED, and the upcoming THE ENCHANTED SWANS), Christy is well known and respected for her beaded jewelry, photographs and digital art which she shows and sells at local art and craft shows, as well as sending her art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad. All of this she accomplishes while be a dedicated CPA!
Focusing her triptych Druid’s Brooch on life in old Ireland Christy’s warm obsession with that country is apparent in the facts and the details and the style and flavor of this solid book. Christy generously offers a pronunciation guide for the Irish/Gaelic terms used in the story, a gift that suggests the reader enjoy the pleasures of reading portions of the book aloud. She also offers a Foreword that further draws the reader into her well-scripted story – ‘Celtic legends are full of heroic deeds, rewards, and punishments. In order to obtain any true reward, the hero must often pass a series of progressively difficult tests. This is true of the gods and future kings, humble adventurers, and young women in love. It is a theme that runs throughout the mythologies of Ireland and beyond. Throughout their lives, people discover childhood dreams are too ambitious for a single lifetime. Once in a long while, a dream actually does come true, and that’s when it gets dangerous.’
Immediately upon opening this first installment in the ’Druid’s Brooch Series’ we are delivered a magnet of a sentence – ‘Grandmamma’s brooch haunted Valentia’s dreams.’ We are in Pennsylvania in 1846 and our heroine Valentia is struggling: ‘Even as she relaxed at afternoon tea with her mother, the lace doily reminded her of the delicate intertwining design of the brooch. That, in turn, reminded her of the task she had fixed her mind upon. She was tired of always settling for the smallest bits of the good things in life. Perhaps it was time to take larger chunks. Valentia’s corset pinched as she leaned towards the tea tray, reaching for a large cake on the upper tier. “Control yourself, Valentia, or you’ll end up looking like one of those Pittsburgh steel workers.” Majesta McDowell was always aware of appearances. From the servant’s area, one of the maids sniggered. Grimacing at her mother, Valentia reached for a much smaller piece when she heard shouts, but not the normal sound of a foreman yelling at his workers. It sounded like panic. Several patrons stood to look out the plate glass window of the café. Though she was tall for a woman, all Valentia could see were the backs of strangers, and occasionally someone running in the street. A sharp crack accompanied a muffled explosion. Clouds of dust billowed, and Valentia fought her rising dread. People in the café jammed the door, trying to escape. Valentia, her mother, and their maids, Sarah and Maggie, pushed out of the stifling building. Panicked voices screamed amid crashes, all from a street not far away, in the direction of the Monongahela House Hotel.’
The synopsis maps out the story of this volume – ‘Ireland is no promised land in 1846. It is wracked by a crippling potato blight, and people are dying. But Valentia McDowell doesn’t know that. From her father’s prosperous farm in Ohio, young Valentia is haunted by tales of an abandoned family and a lost heirloom. She travels to her grandmother’s homeland with her brother, Conor, and two servants, to find both. Her delight in the exciting journey on one of the first steam ships to cross the Atlantic is shattered by a horrible tragedy. What she encounters upon her arrival in Ireland is both more and less than she had hoped. Valentia finds both enemies and allies, amid horrors and delights, and a small bit of magic. She finds a richer heritage than she had ever imagined, but it comes with a price. When she finally reaches her goal, a terrible price is demanded. She must pay or forfeit, and both decisions have strong consequences for her and her friends.’
Rare as leprechaun thoughts, this story literally sings and likely will be a book to which the reader will return often to capture the magic Christy has woven. Grady Harp, March 17
July 18, 2017
Legacy of Hunger by Christy Nicholas is set in Ireland during its famine, and combines history with fantasy...a wonderful combination when it comes to stories set in the Celtic countries. It is the first book in a three-book series.
Valentia is an independent young woman who travels to Ireland in search of her family and a brooch she has only seen drawings of. Perils await as she travels overseas and visits her ancestral home. I don't want to say more about this because I don't want to include any spoilers.
Nicholas paints a moody picture of Ireland in its dire straits. Valentia, daughter of a civic-minded mother, immerses herself in the politics of the time and does her best to support those who struggled wherever she could. As she faces challenges both at sea and in Ireland, she matures in a natural, organic way.
Though there's plenty of drama to be had, Nicholas is not graphic or over the top in her descriptions, and I like her approach. Though I like the Outlander books, for example, they are sometimes more graphic and gratuitous than I would like. Also, the fantasy element is subtle and gradual, and Nicholas includes some interesting details of Irish folklore. As a student of Irish history and folklore myself, I appreciated some of the details she included, and she did so in a way that didn't disrupt the story itself.
A few elements near the end feel as if they are wrapped up a bit too quickly, but this is a minor detail. I am eager to continue reading the rest of the series.
On a personal note, Legacy of Hunger appealed to me because of my own work on Factory Girl, my WIP that combines historical fiction with fantasy. LoH is set in Ireland, while Factory Girl is set in Scotland, and we are both drawing from similar sources. Since I don't normally delve into fantasy realms in my work, it's an uncomfortable area for me, and Legacy of Hunger had the effect of giving me "permission" to continue with my revisions and to explore a path I hadn't expected to travel.
Valentia is an independent young woman who travels to Ireland in search of her family and a brooch she has only seen drawings of. Perils await as she travels overseas and visits her ancestral home. I don't want to say more about this because I don't want to include any spoilers.
Nicholas paints a moody picture of Ireland in its dire straits. Valentia, daughter of a civic-minded mother, immerses herself in the politics of the time and does her best to support those who struggled wherever she could. As she faces challenges both at sea and in Ireland, she matures in a natural, organic way.
Though there's plenty of drama to be had, Nicholas is not graphic or over the top in her descriptions, and I like her approach. Though I like the Outlander books, for example, they are sometimes more graphic and gratuitous than I would like. Also, the fantasy element is subtle and gradual, and Nicholas includes some interesting details of Irish folklore. As a student of Irish history and folklore myself, I appreciated some of the details she included, and she did so in a way that didn't disrupt the story itself.
A few elements near the end feel as if they are wrapped up a bit too quickly, but this is a minor detail. I am eager to continue reading the rest of the series.
On a personal note, Legacy of Hunger appealed to me because of my own work on Factory Girl, my WIP that combines historical fiction with fantasy. LoH is set in Ireland, while Factory Girl is set in Scotland, and we are both drawing from similar sources. Since I don't normally delve into fantasy realms in my work, it's an uncomfortable area for me, and Legacy of Hunger had the effect of giving me "permission" to continue with my revisions and to explore a path I hadn't expected to travel.
January 12, 2018
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Legacy of Hunger
Author: Christy Nicholas
Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 19 readers:
18 would read another book by this author.
13 thought the cover was good or excellent.
19 felt it was easy to follow.
18 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
9 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘Richly written with plenty of pace. Enjoyed it very much.’ Female reader, aged 42
‘Strongly-plotted, historical novel. The author knows her history and presents the reader with a satisfying setting for the characters to play in. But the plot is the best part. Clever, tons of twists, powerful ending.’ Male reader, aged 54
‘The magical elements were really well-handled. The journey was a bit slow for me and the cover was very non-descript, but, all in all, I enjoyed it very much indeed.’ Female reader, age 62
‘Powerful and enthralling. Pacing needs work in parts. Cover also a little bit bland. I read it under three days. The characters were interesting and worthy, and the hardship they suffered was excellently described.’ Male reader, aged 55
To Sum It Up:
‘A powerful, even enthralling, historical novel. A finalist and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Legacy of Hunger
Author: Christy Nicholas
Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 19 readers:
18 would read another book by this author.
13 thought the cover was good or excellent.
19 felt it was easy to follow.
18 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
9 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘Richly written with plenty of pace. Enjoyed it very much.’ Female reader, aged 42
‘Strongly-plotted, historical novel. The author knows her history and presents the reader with a satisfying setting for the characters to play in. But the plot is the best part. Clever, tons of twists, powerful ending.’ Male reader, aged 54
‘The magical elements were really well-handled. The journey was a bit slow for me and the cover was very non-descript, but, all in all, I enjoyed it very much indeed.’ Female reader, age 62
‘Powerful and enthralling. Pacing needs work in parts. Cover also a little bit bland. I read it under three days. The characters were interesting and worthy, and the hardship they suffered was excellently described.’ Male reader, aged 55
To Sum It Up:
‘A powerful, even enthralling, historical novel. A finalist and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
June 6, 2024
This book is hard to categorise. It starts as historical fiction, then I thought it might become a romance, and then it also turns to fantasy/supernatural.
Valentia has decided to travel from her home in the USA to Ireland, to seek out her relatives, in particular, her grandmother's family and to find if the brooch her grandmother spoke of still remains in the family.
The problem is that it is 1846, and the journey involves a precarious sea voyage and lands her in an Ireland that has been ravaged by famine due to the failure of the potato crop.
There are hardships and losses as she continues on her quest and much desperation to be witnessed.
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫.
I did enjoy reading this, but I feel like the varying elements of the story - historical, romance, fantasy - could have worked together but needed to be melded together more.
Valentia has decided to travel from her home in the USA to Ireland, to seek out her relatives, in particular, her grandmother's family and to find if the brooch her grandmother spoke of still remains in the family.
The problem is that it is 1846, and the journey involves a precarious sea voyage and lands her in an Ireland that has been ravaged by famine due to the failure of the potato crop.
There are hardships and losses as she continues on her quest and much desperation to be witnessed.
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫.
I did enjoy reading this, but I feel like the varying elements of the story - historical, romance, fantasy - could have worked together but needed to be melded together more.
July 16, 2017
An enjoyable read I'd recommend to historical fiction fans and readers interested in Irish history and geography.
Relying on the cover the book I was expecting more of a paranormal read but I was pleasantly surprised by the read I discovered. A wealthy American woman, Valentia is drawn to Ireland, the country her grandparents fled. She travels with a small group of people she comes to look upon as friends across the country looking for remaining members of her family and a brooch her grandmother talked about.
The author weaves ancient tales and a touch of the paranormal with an intriguing story that doesn't flinch away from the hardships and horrors of a starving population due to the potatoe famine, the class structure and womens' limited role in society and politics at the time.
The strength of the read for me was the artful way old legends were used in the main story line and the vivid descriptions of the scenery. I felt the characters, although distinctive weren't always as believeable as they could have been.
Overall, a well-researched, very enjoyable and intriguing read.
Relying on the cover the book I was expecting more of a paranormal read but I was pleasantly surprised by the read I discovered. A wealthy American woman, Valentia is drawn to Ireland, the country her grandparents fled. She travels with a small group of people she comes to look upon as friends across the country looking for remaining members of her family and a brooch her grandmother talked about.
The author weaves ancient tales and a touch of the paranormal with an intriguing story that doesn't flinch away from the hardships and horrors of a starving population due to the potatoe famine, the class structure and womens' limited role in society and politics at the time.
The strength of the read for me was the artful way old legends were used in the main story line and the vivid descriptions of the scenery. I felt the characters, although distinctive weren't always as believeable as they could have been.
Overall, a well-researched, very enjoyable and intriguing read.
May 20, 2018
Legacy of Hunger: Druid's Brooch Series: #1 by Christy Nichols is the first book in her Druid's Brooch series. This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it. I can't wait to read other books by this author. I enjoyed this author's writing style as it was creative and easy flowing. She pulled me into a journey of finding a heritage that was never expected. Valentia sets out on a journey to Ireland in search of an heirloom and stories that are haunted by her family. What she finds when she gets there is not what she expected. What price will she have to pay to find the answers she is looking for? Are the consequences she may have to pay worth finding what she is looking for? I enjoyed the characters in this book but Valentia is my favorite. I enjoyed seeing her exciting for her new journey but yet confused on why this is so important to do. I enjoyed watching her over come everything that life has to throw at her. She just grew so much from beginning to end of the book. There are a lot of other characters in this book that are supportive and great also. I highly recommend this book. Find out how the price of finding heritage and an heirloom could mean to Valentia.
June 15, 2023
✨Arc Review✨
This girl can not catch a break from the start of the book you instantly feel for Valentia. This book took awhile to hook me in 41% to be exact from then it picks up and held my attention. Chapter 13 (Courting) should likely have a trigger warning as it hints to a s3xu@l @ssault it doesn’t go into detail but I could see it triggering some. The twist I truly didn’t see coming though honestly I should’ve! Lol 😂 Such a great ending too; to see all her hard work had paid off really made the read!
This girl can not catch a break from the start of the book you instantly feel for Valentia. This book took awhile to hook me in 41% to be exact from then it picks up and held my attention. Chapter 13 (Courting) should likely have a trigger warning as it hints to a s3xu@l @ssault it doesn’t go into detail but I could see it triggering some. The twist I truly didn’t see coming though honestly I should’ve! Lol 😂 Such a great ending too; to see all her hard work had paid off really made the read!
July 18, 2017
I was provided an opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback (via the author).
3.75 stars. Well written, engaging read. It was easy to get swept up into the story. However, for me, it felt like it was missing something.. like it never quite reached the usual climax of the story. That could be me though, as it was a little outside my usual preferred reading but I enjoyed accompanying Valentia on her journey.
3.75 stars. Well written, engaging read. It was easy to get swept up into the story. However, for me, it felt like it was missing something.. like it never quite reached the usual climax of the story. That could be me though, as it was a little outside my usual preferred reading but I enjoyed accompanying Valentia on her journey.
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