The Golden Strangers

Celtic Tetralogy #1

by Henry Treece, Michael Moorcock (Introduction), James Cawthorn (Illustrator)

Britain Invaded at the Dawn of Time

Set in the grey, twilight world of the Stone Age, when the line between magic and reality was less easily drawn - and more easily crossed - than it is today, this novel tells of the 'Barley Dream', that web of ritual and human sacrifice without which the corn could not be made to grow.

Garroch, young chieftain of a primitive and taboo-ridden community, turns back for a while the invasion of the fair-haired strangers from the north. But when he falls under the spell of the sensual Isca, the princess who rides with them, the Barley Dream is threatened by the magic of the Sun...But THE GOLDEN STRANGERS is no romance. Poetry and violence are equally matched in it: and through a stark and unmitigated realism Henry Treece conveys what it must have been like to 'believe in magic'.

...one of the best as well as one of the strangest historical novels I have ever met. - Rosemary Sutcliff

Cover Illustration: Michael Heslop

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, British Literature, Historical

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Henry Treece (1911-1966) was a British poet and writer, who also worked as a teacher and editor. He wrote a range of works but is mostly remembered as a writer of children's historical novels.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical or, more properly, pre-historical fiction -- the setting is the British Isles way, way, way back when; the native inhabitants are dark-haired and use stone tools (shades of Robert E. Howard's Picts, although given a much more sympathetic treatment), but then from across the sea come blond-haired invaders with their copper swords ...

Less action than one might expect, given the description (although there are some moments of it), but with an excellent sense of place & time and a portrait of what these people's lives were like back in the day.

(n.b. This was written in the 1950s and I have no idea how well the scholarship holds up; but it's still a good read)

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved the viking books written by this author years ago and was lucky to get a copy of this one which covers the late stone age/early bronze age. i would say it is suitable for teenagers upwards if you enjoy historical fiction.

[Pradeep Jayatunga · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best historical (prehistorical to be exact) fiction novels I have read and I'm an avid fan of the genre. A powerful story written in a way that leaves the memories of the emotions in your mind long after the details of the story is forgotten.

[D-day · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020 re-read
Really a great book to remind oneself that however troubled we believe our times to be, we really are living in the best time period in History. The Golden Strangers is set when life was nasty, brutish and short, full of violence, superstition and death. Death by disease, starvation or murder. Which really is most of human history in all but a few places.

But why is it on a top 100 Fantasy list if it takes place in the real world? Like most pre-science societies, superstition isn't superstition, it's magic. And if one believes something to be true for that person it can be true. Even in recent times there have been many documented cases where a Shaman has cursed someone and even though doctors can find nothing physically wrong with the cursed person, the person dies anyway because he believes the curse.

Anyway well worth the read if you can find it.

Original review
Excellent novel about Celtic tribes (The Golden Strangers) invading Britain in the 3rd century BC as seen from the viewpoint of the indigenous inhabitants. It is an uncompromising look at the violent and superstitious nature of a society living at subsistence levels with stone age tools when confronted with a more technically advanced society (the Celts having metal tools and weapons).

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was quite surprised by this one. For a historical novel written in 1956, the story of the conflict between Bronze Age Britons and technologically-superior invaders from the Continent is pretty brutal (and probably pretty honest as well, as far as we can know). It would appeal to fans of Jack Whyte and Morgan Llewellyn's historicals - if you can find it!

[Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite having one of the worst covers I've ever seen (I think the illustrator was confusing Vikings and Celts there!) this was a pretty enjoyable look at the posited Celtic "invasion" of Stone Age Britain - I think there may even have been some Neanderthals wandering around in the story.

I like Treece's language, but ... the characterization is pretty minimal and some characters that were interesting like Brach and Rua (and later on Gwenna) are only around for a dozen pages and then disappear. While I appreciate the minimalist approach from the perspective of my wrists and hands (why IS most historical fiction these days at least 500 pages if not more?), I think things could have been fleshed out a lot more in this one!

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the writing. The story? I'll just say it was different but fits what the author was trying to do with prehistoric time. The author imagined life back then! And I finished it even though I almost gave up twice. Others may really enjoy such a story.

[Jeff Goostrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very evocative

[Marcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating portrait of Bronze Age Society - Treece captures both the Malthusian brutalities as well as the complex and ever-present spirituality that shaped the lives of Britain's Early European Farmers.

A beautiful and poetic look at the end of a civilization and one man's doomed struggle against the tides of history.