The Children of Gods and Fighting Men - Forum discussion

Hello everyone,

I'm just saying hello and welcome! I delighted that you have joined. Please introduce yourself - and if you have any questions, please ask!!

I feel special, thank you for the invitation Shauna!

My name is Paula and I'm from the North coast of Spain which btw has celtic roots amongst other ancient cultures. It's the 1st of April and "The Children of Gods and Fighting Men" is still. my favourite book I've read in 2023 so far. I loved Fódla and Broccan with a passion, but also had a lot of intense fun with Gormflaith's comings and goings.

Slán for now!

Hi Paula!

I'm so delighted that The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is still your favourite book of 2023!! I wonder can it stay that way!!!

I've just handed in the copy edits for book 2 - so I wonder what you will make of that in September when it is released

Hi everyone.

I'm called Tessa - very inactive on goodreads and don't read a huge amount, but LOVED this book so much.

Can I ask you what book are you currently writing? And how long the series is going to be?

Tessa wrote: "Hi everyone.

I'm called Tessa - very inactive on goodreads and don't read a huge amount, but LOVED this book so much.

Can I ask you what book are you currently writing? And how long the series is..."

Hi Tessa. I'm nearly finished my draft of book 3.
In terms of series length, I've signed for a trilogy with Head of Zeus, but I want to write more. We shall have to see what they think once I've handed book 3 in.

Paula wrote: "I feel special, thank you for the invitation Shauna!

My name is Paula and I'm from the North coast of Spain which btw has celtic roots amongst other ancient cultures. It's the 1st of April and "T..."

Hi Paula!

I'm so delighted that The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is still your favourite book of 2023!! I wonder can it stay that way!!!

I've just handed in the copy edits for book 2 - so I wonder what you will make of that in September when it is released

Hello from the UK!

I absolutely adored Children of Gods and Fighting men. I devoured the book, and it just sent sparks of thoughts and creativity in my mind and made me want to visit the more rural Ireland that your stories explored, filled with myths! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

It is rare for me to be very drawn to both POVs in a book and I found both Fodla and Gormflaith so intriguing. It felt like both of then explored in their arcs different manifestations of female rage, something that immediately hooks me to be fair.

Ioanna wrote: "Hello from the UK!

I absolutely adored Children of Gods and Fighting men. I devoured the book, and it just sent sparks of thoughts and creativity in my mind and made me want to visit the more rur..."

Thanks Ioanna!! So lovely of you to say so. I wanted both the main characters to be different and very real in their own ways. I'm so glad this worked for you. I think you'll really like their character arcs in book 2!

Hello all! Thanks for the invite Shauna! we've chatted in Mark Lawrence's discord, and I don't tend to use Goodreads outside of reviews, but I enjoy these groups!
To everyone else, I'm Carlos, half Irish (from Dublin) and half Spanish (from Coruña, Galicia) so my Celtic roots are strong. Just as Paula said, the north of Spain has a lot of Celtic myth too.
Really enjoyed the books Shauna, and looking forward to seeing how you get on with the rest of the "trilogy?"

Carlos wrote: "Hello all! Thanks for the invite Shauna! we've chatted in Mark Lawrence's discord, and I don't tend to use Goodreads outside of reviews, but I enjoy these groups!
To everyone else, I'm Carlos, hal..."

Hi Carlos - yes, I only really use Goodreads for reviewing, but it's also a good way of connecting authors with readers - so giving this group a little go.

And ha - yes - I'm hoping that Head of Zeus let me extend the series... keep your fingers crossed for me!

Hello-

My name is Katie, and I live in northwest USA. I haven’t read CoGaFM yet, but definitely looking forward to it at some point this year!

Shauna wrote: "Hi Paula!

I'm so delighted that The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is still your favourite book of 2023!! I wonder can it stay that way!!!

I've just handed in the copy edits for book 2 - so I ..."

I have preordered it on Blackwell's it's cheaper than any other English bookshop online because the shipping costs are free to the EU (Bookdepository raised the prices so they're actually including the shipping in there)

Shauna wrote: "Tessa wrote: "Hi everyone.

I'm called Tessa - very inactive on goodreads and don't read a huge amount, but LOVED this book so much.

Can I ask you what book are you currently writing? And how long..."

Where do I sign?

¡Hola Carlos!

Paula wrote: "Shauna wrote: "Hi Paula!

I'm so delighted that The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is still your favourite book of 2023!! I wonder can it stay that way!!!

I've just handed in the copy edits for..."

Oh brilliant - I'll make a note of that so I can say to people that they are the best value for EU purchases!

Katie wrote: "Hello-

My name is Katie, and I live in northwest USA. I haven’t read CoGaFM yet, but definitely looking forward to it at some point this year!"

Oh brilliant - so glad you are giving it a go! Waiting to read is sometimes a good thing - it means you don't have to wait as long for book 2 to come out.

Shauna wrote: "Paula wrote: "Shauna wrote: "Hi Paula!

I'm so delighted that The Children of Gods and Fighting Men is still your favourite book of 2023!! I wonder can it stay that way!!!

I've just handed in the ..."

I don't know if buying in Irish bookshops would be even more affordable. I don't know how Brexit affected the Republic of Ireland.

I am Donna and I live in Colorado. Absolutely loved CoGaFM and am so excited for book 2!! Hello to everyone here!!

Donna wrote: "I am Donna and I live in Colorado. Absolutely loved CoGaFM and am so excited for book 2!! Hello to everyone here!!"

Hi Donna!! Lovely of you to join the group and say hello! So glad you enjoyed CoGaFM!

Hi! I'm Patrícia and I'm from Portugal. I have yet to read TCOGAFM but it's on my tbr and I'm hoping to get to it soon (I saw this group and joined so I could get into all discussions once I read it). Nice to meet everyone! And thank you Shauna for creating this group (and for writing the book) <3

Patrícia wrote: "Hi! I'm Patrícia and I'm from Portugal. I have yet to read TCOGAFM but it's on my tbr and I'm hoping to get to it soon (I saw this group and joined so I could get into all discussions once I read i..."

No worries at all Patrícia! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

Hi everyone!
Thanks for the invite Shauna! My name is Heike and I'm from Germany. I absolutely loved CoGaFM and I can't wait to read The Words of Kings and Prophets

Hi all, I am Keith from Cork in Ireland. Also on ML's discord but don't talk much. Loved the book and can't wait for more. It has gone more interested in Irish history which I shamefully had only scraped the surface in before

Heike wrote: "Hi everyone!
Thanks for the invite Shauna! My name is Heike and I'm from Germany. I absolutely loved CoGaFM and I can't wait to read The Words of Kings and Prophets"

Thanks so much Heike! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! My mum and dad lived in Germany for a few years before I was born - delighted that my book has made its way over there!

Keith wrote: "Hi all, I am Keith from Cork in Ireland. Also on ML's discord but don't talk much. Loved the book and can't wait for more. It has gone more interested in Irish history which I shamefully had only s..."

Oh hi Keith - ha no worries at all - you are probably fed up of me then - I talk a lot on his discord!
I'm so glad you are enjoying the Irish history element. I've enjoyed so much bringing this era of Ireland to life. It's rarely used in literature and I have no idea why. It's so exciting.

Hi! My name's Aisha (from the FF discord ahahaha). I can't tell you how glad I was to have discovered COGAFM on there!! It is honestly one of my favorites that I've read this year. Definitely looking forward to book 2 (also, are you going to have ARC sign ups and where can I find it?)

aisha wrote: "Hi! My name's Aisha (from the FF discord ahahaha). I can't tell you how glad I was to have discovered COGAFM on there!! It is honestly one of my favorites that I've read this year. Definitely looki..."

Hi Aisha! Lovely to see you here from the FF discord! I'm so glad you discovered and enjoyed my book!!

I think there will be arcs for bloggers/Bookstagrammers etc - and also if you are on Netgalley. Do you do anything like that?

Shauna wrote: "aisha wrote: "Hi! My name's Aisha (from the FF discord ahahaha). I can't tell you how glad I was to have discovered COGAFM on there!! It is honestly one of my favorites that I've read this year. De..."

Netgalley is the best option if you're not a bookstagram/blog/youtube/tiktok influencer (more than 5K-10K followers?), big accounts are more likely to be sent ARCs from publishers because their network reach is wider. Also if you are asking for physical press copies bear in mind that the publisher might only send them to people living in the country where the book is being published. They sometimes make exceptions, but don't get your hopes too high

Paula wrote: "Shauna wrote: "aisha wrote: "Hi! My name's Aisha (from the FF discord ahahaha). I can't tell you how glad I was to have discovered COGAFM on there!! It is honestly one of my favorites that I've rea..."

I totally agree. I use Netgalley to get the arcs I want. It seems the best way to get knew books - however, you need to keep your reviewing % high otherwise they don't give you more books.

Hi all, I’m Úna. I’m Irish and now live near Lusk (the site of the terrible raid on the monastery!). My partner is Swedish so love that this book dives into the Viking settlements and the differences with the native Irish. SO looking forward to the next instalment, I’ve been recommending it to everyone who will listen!

Úna wrote: "Hi all, I’m Úna. I’m Irish and now live near Lusk (the site of the terrible raid on the monastery!). My partner is Swedish so love that this book dives into the Viking settlements and the differenc..."

Oh that's so perfect! And how interesting that you live close to Lusk. Was there any scene that in particular grabbed your attention regarding the differences between the two cultures?

Hello everyone, I am in Bangkok Thailand by way of Los Angeles California. Picked up The Children of Gods and Fighting Men after so many people I followed on Booktube and Twitter gave rave reviews. I try to get as many people as I can to read this great tale. Looking forward to book#2.

Hello! My name is Sarah. It looks like I'm the first Canadian to pop in here and introduce myself. I loved book 1 and can't wait for book 2. I will definitely be keeping my eye out on NetGalley for an eArc. I also have a Booktube channel in case anyone wants to check it out. The name is Bright and Bookish.

Hi I’m Allie and I’m also from Washington State :) I am usually on discord but I’m excited about this little group. I love historical fiction in general and I loved The Children of Gods and Fighting Men and book 2 is coming out right around my birthday :D

Kelly wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm Kelly and thanks so much for the invite! I'm really looking forward to updates on the series, it's been one of my favorites this year (or maybe last, I read too much but I'm almost..."

Hi Kelly - Lovely of you to say hello! So glad you enjoyed my book! You sound like an eclectic reader - a bit like myself. I like a good thriller or romance every so often!

Stephen wrote: "Hello everyone, I am in Bangkok Thailand by way of Los Angeles California. Picked up The Children of Gods and Fighting Men after so many people I followed on Booktube and Twitter ga..."

Thanks so much for telling everyone to read my book!! And wow - I'm so jealous you are in Thailand. It's spring time in Ireland and it's still freezing! What I wouldn't do for a bit of heat! So glad you picked up the rec on Booktube. Was it the Brothers Gwynne by any chance? I think their video really helped me get a lot of visibility.

Allie wrote: "Hi I’m Allie and I’m also from Washington State :) I am usually on discord but I’m excited about this little group. I love historical fiction in general and I loved The Children of Gods and Fightin..."

Hi Allie - I did think of setting up a discord, but just wasn't quite sure how to do it - or how to moderate it. So glad I decided to do a Goodreads group instead. A wee bit different to discord and it was really easy to set up.

And so glad you are looking forward to book 2!

Sarah (Bright & Bookish) wrote: "Hello! My name is Sarah. It looks like I'm the first Canadian to pop in here and introduce myself. I loved book 1 and can't wait for book 2. I will definitely be keeping my eye out on NetGalley for..."

Hi Sarah - yes keep an eye out for Netgalley - it should be up soonish! I will put a shout out to the group when its up to let everyone know.

Also amazing that you have a booktube channel - I'm going to go and check it out now.

P.S. me and my husband lived in British Colombia for a year. I love Canada!

Shauna wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Hello everyone, I am in Bangkok Thailand by way of Los Angeles California. Picked up The Children of Gods and Fighting Men after so many people I followed on Booktub..."

Funny story: My friend Elena and I buddy read your book. We had wanted to read a book together since forever so last December we agreed that each of us would suggest two books and of them four we would choose one. Guess what happened? without previous warning the both of us suggested your book at the same time. I had learnt about it from Johan (Library of a Viking on youtube) and Elena learnt about it from Badger reads (I don't know her name, sorry) also from youtube. I knew about the brothers reading your book later, when we had already read it.

Thank you Shauna for the invite!

I absolutely loved The Children of Gods and Fighting Men I discovered you through The Brothers Gwynne and did a buddy read with a Goodreads group. We have a buddy read spot ready for your next book!

Karen ⚜Mess⚜ wrote: "Thank you Shauna for the invite!

I absolutely loved The Children of Gods and Fighting Men I discovered you through The Brothers Gwynne and did a buddy read with a Goodreads group. ..."

Oh this is soooo exciting!! It's always a worry with a sequel that people will forget about it and not bother to read it.

The Brothers Gwynne strike again - those boys are the best. I love their channel so much - it was such a surprise when I went to watch their latest video and my book was there.

Paula wrote: "Shauna wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Hello everyone, I am in Bangkok Thailand by way of Los Angeles California. Picked up The Children of Gods and Fighting Men after so many people I foll..."

Oooh - I'm going to look up Badger Reads now, Paula. Thanks for letting me know.

You and Elena made such a huge difference to my book. My book went to number 1 on my Amazon category in Spain for days after your reviews. Goes to show how important word of mouth is. Thanks so much!!

Shauna wrote: "Paula wrote: "Shauna wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Hello everyone, I am in Bangkok Thailand by way of Los Angeles California. Picked up The Children of Gods and Fighting Men after so many..."

aww I'm blushing. Well we want to do the same with the next book. So this is your blessing to us. Thank you!

Paula wrote: "Shauna wrote: "Paula wrote: "Shauna wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Hello everyone, I am in Bangkok Thailand by way of Los Angeles California. Picked up [book:The Children of Gods and Fighting Men|60387416..."

awww - thank you so much

Hi all, and thank you for the invite Shauna! I’m Damian and I’m from England, happy to be here.

I had been meaning to read CoGaFM last year, but my ever increasing TBR got in the way. I finally got around to reading it last month and it completely blew me away! Easily one of my favourite books of the year so far, and such an astonishing debut. As I’m sure is the case with most others, Gormflaith was the standout character for me and had quickly become one of my favourite in fantasy.

Extremely excited for book two!

Thanks Damian!

I also have the biggest TBR! I’m so glad my book made it to the top of yours - and that you enjoyed it.

I’m proofreading some fun Gormflaith chapters right now. I think if you liked her character, you’ll be intrigued to see what gets up to next!

Thank you for the invite 🖤

No worries at all Kerrie-Ann - thanks for joining!

Thanks so much for the invite, Shauna! I first heard of The Children of Gods and Fighting Men through Karen, we buddy read it together and it was love at first read so waiting until September to read book #2 is pure torture! 😅

✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) wrote: "Thanks so much for the invite, Shauna! I first heard of The Children of Gods and Fighting Men through Karen, we buddy read it together and it was love at first read so waiting until September to re..."

WHOOP! WHOOP!

Hi everyone! My name is John, and I'm a professor at Penn State University in the US and also a reviewer for Grimdark Magazine. I'm Irish on my mother's side of the family and love the combination of Irish history, mythology, and fantasy in The Children of Gods and Fighting Men. Thanks to Shauna for inviting me to join the group. Nice to meet you all!