Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Book Review from Feathered Quill Book Reviews
Reviewed by Pamela Victor
If you’ve read the first three books in Kathleen Cunningham Guler’s Macsen’s Treasure Series, you will not require any encouragement to pick up the fourth book in the series, A Land Beyond Ravens. No doubt you already are hooked on the action and intrigue surrounding fifth century spy Marcus ap Iorwerth. However if you haven’t yet discovered the series, A Land Beyond Ravens should be on your map if you enjoy fantasy and the Celtic legendary history of King Arthur. In fact even if your book genre interests extend beyond those categories, you may still want to sink your teeth into Guler’s series. For although A Land Beyond Ravens is classified as historical fiction, it gracefully incorporates other genres, such as mystery, romance, action-adventure, and fantasy. If you are a fan of Diane Gabaldon’s Outlander series, then you will enjoy the same scrumptious mix of historical context, exciting escapades and tender moments in A Land Beyond Ravens.
As the high king Uther’s health deteriorates, cunning spy Marcus ap Iorwerth wrestles with rogue king Cadwallon over control of the kingdom. Marcus is an expert swordsman and spy with keen intelligence, plus he’s a romantic who is utterly devoted to his wife Claerwen. In a phrase, Marcus ap Iorwerth is a fifth century James Bond, and he must utilize all his many skills to make sure Uther’s secret son, Arthur, succeeds his father as king. Unbeknownst to Cadwallon and the others of the kingdom, Merlin the Enchanter has been grooming the boy Arthur for just this eventuality. But perhaps the young man is still too immature to hold such a weighty position while fending off others who will fight to the death to usurp his power? Add to the mix, a land battle between the Britons and the Saxon, throw in a dash of religious inquiry as the “new” Christian religion becomes introduced to the primarily Druid kingdom, and then sprinkle a generous serving of a love story about the affection, respect and honor shared between two strong people, and you have the zesty ingredients for A Land Beyond Ravens. As Marcus ponders, “So many years had passed, waiting for the moment. But it had to be the right moment. Arthur may be good – he had just proven he understood tactics well – but that could have been luck alone. Arthur was still so young…And time was running out…”
As readers piece together clues, the suspense surrounding Arthur’s possible ascension to the throne easily maintains interest throughout this well-paced novel. The story is chocked full of tasty morsels of period details, and the addition of the Welsh language lends historical veracity and flavor. Guler’s solid descriptive writing style gives good weight to both details and plot as she integrates neat summaries of the plotlines of earlier books in the series. In a clever manner, the author creates individual books that can stand alone as well as a series. As Guler writes in the author’s note, “I wished to portray a period of history through the eyes of people who could have lived then and set the events that led to Arthur’s rise to power as an influence upon their lives. Each book in the series can be read alone; the prominent characters, chronology, themes and background tie them together.”
However if you enjoy one book in this The Macsen’s Treasure Series, Merlin himself couldn’t stop you from hunting up the rest.
Quill says: A must-read for fans of Celtic history with a taste for intrigue, romance and swordplay!
http://www.featheredquill.com/reviews/historical/guler.shtml
If you’ve read the first three books in Kathleen Cunningham Guler’s Macsen’s Treasure Series, you will not require any encouragement to pick up the fourth book in the series, A Land Beyond Ravens. No doubt you already are hooked on the action and intrigue surrounding fifth century spy Marcus ap Iorwerth. However if you haven’t yet discovered the series, A Land Beyond Ravens should be on your map if you enjoy fantasy and the Celtic legendary history of King Arthur. In fact even if your book genre interests extend beyond those categories, you may still want to sink your teeth into Guler’s series. For although A Land Beyond Ravens is classified as historical fiction, it gracefully incorporates other genres, such as mystery, romance, action-adventure, and fantasy. If you are a fan of Diane Gabaldon’s Outlander series, then you will enjoy the same scrumptious mix of historical context, exciting escapades and tender moments in A Land Beyond Ravens.
As the high king Uther’s health deteriorates, cunning spy Marcus ap Iorwerth wrestles with rogue king Cadwallon over control of the kingdom. Marcus is an expert swordsman and spy with keen intelligence, plus he’s a romantic who is utterly devoted to his wife Claerwen. In a phrase, Marcus ap Iorwerth is a fifth century James Bond, and he must utilize all his many skills to make sure Uther’s secret son, Arthur, succeeds his father as king. Unbeknownst to Cadwallon and the others of the kingdom, Merlin the Enchanter has been grooming the boy Arthur for just this eventuality. But perhaps the young man is still too immature to hold such a weighty position while fending off others who will fight to the death to usurp his power? Add to the mix, a land battle between the Britons and the Saxon, throw in a dash of religious inquiry as the “new” Christian religion becomes introduced to the primarily Druid kingdom, and then sprinkle a generous serving of a love story about the affection, respect and honor shared between two strong people, and you have the zesty ingredients for A Land Beyond Ravens. As Marcus ponders, “So many years had passed, waiting for the moment. But it had to be the right moment. Arthur may be good – he had just proven he understood tactics well – but that could have been luck alone. Arthur was still so young…And time was running out…”
As readers piece together clues, the suspense surrounding Arthur’s possible ascension to the throne easily maintains interest throughout this well-paced novel. The story is chocked full of tasty morsels of period details, and the addition of the Welsh language lends historical veracity and flavor. Guler’s solid descriptive writing style gives good weight to both details and plot as she integrates neat summaries of the plotlines of earlier books in the series. In a clever manner, the author creates individual books that can stand alone as well as a series. As Guler writes in the author’s note, “I wished to portray a period of history through the eyes of people who could have lived then and set the events that led to Arthur’s rise to power as an influence upon their lives. Each book in the series can be read alone; the prominent characters, chronology, themes and background tie them together.”
However if you enjoy one book in this The Macsen’s Treasure Series, Merlin himself couldn’t stop you from hunting up the rest.
Quill says: A must-read for fans of Celtic history with a taste for intrigue, romance and swordplay!
http://www.featheredquill.com/reviews/historical/guler.shtml
Monday, March 30, 2009
A Land Beyond Ravens: Book 4 of the Macsen's Treasure Series
WINNER! of the 2010 Colorado Book Award!!!
"...intriguing and suspenseful..."
-- Sharon Kay Penman, NY Times bestselling author of Here Be Dragons and Falls the Shadow
"...intricately crafted language alive with authentic detail..."
--Jen Delyth, artist and author of Celtic Folk Soul, Art, Myth, and Symbol
"...fast-paced and surprising..."
--Mark Adderley, author of The Hawk and the Wolf
BUY FROM AMAZON.COM
Mysterious dreams. A lost grail. Secret hoards of wealth. A country ruined by lies and betrayal.
And one brief, shining chance to build a golden kingdom…
No one in 5th century Britain knows more secrets than master spy Marcus ap Iorwerth, and that makes him a dangerous man. It also makes him a hunted one. For nearly three decades he has manipulated stubborn, irascible kings and warlords in a quest to not only unite them against foreign invasion but to stop them from destroying each other as well. And along with his beloved wife Claerwen, he has followed a greater, even more perilous pursuit—to forge a clear path for the fulfillment of Merlin the Enchanter’s famed prophecy that one day a great king will take command, the king known as Arthur of the Britons.
Now, with Arthur at last on the brink of adulthood and already showing great promise as a leader, Marcus discovers that the emerging Christian church is gaining enough power to dangerously shift control of Britain. At the same time Claerwen, gifted with second sight, is plagued with strange dreams that connect inexplicable doom to both Arthur and a long lost grail sacred to Britain’s high kings. As foreboding mounts, Marcus struggles to prevent the church from crushing Arthur’s chances of becoming an effective king. But how he goes about it sets up the very doom that Claerwen sees. Will she be able to stop him? Or will her visions send Marcus to his own doom as well?
"...intriguing and suspenseful..."
-- Sharon Kay Penman, NY Times bestselling author of Here Be Dragons and Falls the Shadow
"...intricately crafted language alive with authentic detail..."
--Jen Delyth, artist and author of Celtic Folk Soul, Art, Myth, and Symbol
"...fast-paced and surprising..."
--Mark Adderley, author of The Hawk and the Wolf
BUY FROM AMAZON.COM
Mysterious dreams. A lost grail. Secret hoards of wealth. A country ruined by lies and betrayal.
And one brief, shining chance to build a golden kingdom…
No one in 5th century Britain knows more secrets than master spy Marcus ap Iorwerth, and that makes him a dangerous man. It also makes him a hunted one. For nearly three decades he has manipulated stubborn, irascible kings and warlords in a quest to not only unite them against foreign invasion but to stop them from destroying each other as well. And along with his beloved wife Claerwen, he has followed a greater, even more perilous pursuit—to forge a clear path for the fulfillment of Merlin the Enchanter’s famed prophecy that one day a great king will take command, the king known as Arthur of the Britons.
Now, with Arthur at last on the brink of adulthood and already showing great promise as a leader, Marcus discovers that the emerging Christian church is gaining enough power to dangerously shift control of Britain. At the same time Claerwen, gifted with second sight, is plagued with strange dreams that connect inexplicable doom to both Arthur and a long lost grail sacred to Britain’s high kings. As foreboding mounts, Marcus struggles to prevent the church from crushing Arthur’s chances of becoming an effective king. But how he goes about it sets up the very doom that Claerwen sees. Will she be able to stop him? Or will her visions send Marcus to his own doom as well?
Friday, October 5, 2007
The Anvil Stone: Book 3 of the Macsen's Treasure Series
Available from Amazon.com
In fifth-century Britain, only a few souls believed Merlin the Enchanter’s prophecy, that the “once and future king” called Arthur would one day rescue them from fierce and deadly Saxons. In a world where “king” simply meant “warlord,” many wondered: would there even be a Britain left for Arthur to rule once he was born and old enough to wield a sword of his own?
One man refused to let that dream fade into nightmarish despair…
“Freedom is all that matters.” So says spy and master of disguise Marcus ap Iorwerth of his greatest dream. For years, he has courageously struggled to unite Britain’s feuding internal factions and derail the ever-encroaching Saxon threat that has made his homeland a deadly place.
So when a mysterious stranger delivers a gruesome, bloodstained effigy fashioned to look like him, Marcus immediately knows it’s both a warning and a challenge. He and his wife Claerwen—whose gift of second sight makes her a target as well—run headlong into the daunting fray. Rival factions are instigating war both among themselves and with the Saxons, and while Marcus sets out to quash their treachery, Claerwen discovers another crisis. Those same factions have mounted a desperate search for one of Britain’s most cherished symbols—a magnificent sword of the ancient high kings that has been lost for decades. She knows the sword must be found; it is part of Britain’s future and will pass to a great king called Arthur who has been prophesied to come. With battle about to erupt all around, Marcus learns the stranger, an assassin bent on killing him, may be one of the last sources that could lead him and Claerwen to the sacred sword.
Recipient of:
2006 Colorado Independent Publishers Book Awards ("Evvy" Award), 3rd Place, Fiction Category
2007 Eric Hoffer Book Award, Notable, Fiction Category
2007 Independent Publisher Book Award ("IPPY" Award), Bronze Medalist, Fantasy Category
In fifth-century Britain, only a few souls believed Merlin the Enchanter’s prophecy, that the “once and future king” called Arthur would one day rescue them from fierce and deadly Saxons. In a world where “king” simply meant “warlord,” many wondered: would there even be a Britain left for Arthur to rule once he was born and old enough to wield a sword of his own?
One man refused to let that dream fade into nightmarish despair…
“Freedom is all that matters.” So says spy and master of disguise Marcus ap Iorwerth of his greatest dream. For years, he has courageously struggled to unite Britain’s feuding internal factions and derail the ever-encroaching Saxon threat that has made his homeland a deadly place.
So when a mysterious stranger delivers a gruesome, bloodstained effigy fashioned to look like him, Marcus immediately knows it’s both a warning and a challenge. He and his wife Claerwen—whose gift of second sight makes her a target as well—run headlong into the daunting fray. Rival factions are instigating war both among themselves and with the Saxons, and while Marcus sets out to quash their treachery, Claerwen discovers another crisis. Those same factions have mounted a desperate search for one of Britain’s most cherished symbols—a magnificent sword of the ancient high kings that has been lost for decades. She knows the sword must be found; it is part of Britain’s future and will pass to a great king called Arthur who has been prophesied to come. With battle about to erupt all around, Marcus learns the stranger, an assassin bent on killing him, may be one of the last sources that could lead him and Claerwen to the sacred sword.
Recipient of:
2006 Colorado Independent Publishers Book Awards ("Evvy" Award), 3rd Place, Fiction Category
2007 Eric Hoffer Book Award, Notable, Fiction Category
2007 Independent Publisher Book Award ("IPPY" Award), Bronze Medalist, Fantasy Category
In the Shadow of Dragons: Book 2 of the Macsen's Treasure Series
Available from Amazon.comIt is said that long before the Dark Age king of the Britons called Arthur was ever heard of, his golden reign was prophesied, and after decades of invasion and civil violence had wracked post-Roman Britain, his presaged leadership offered a rare promise of future peace. Events leading to that time—some of them full of hope, more often full of sacrifice—inevitably began to fall into place…
When the mysterious druid Myrddin Emrys—known in legend as Merlin the Enchanter—is certain the high king is in imminent danger of yet another assassination attempt, he summons iron-willed spy and master of disguise Marcus ap Iorwerth to unearth the conspirators and destroy their plots. Marcus reluctantly agrees to help after his wife Claerwen, driven by her otherworldly gift of visions, insists that she must accompany him on the quest.
It is soon discovered that Pascentius, the youngest son of an earlier and well-hated king, is allied with dreaded Saxon mercenaries and readily poised to reclaim his father’s throne. But before Marcus and Claerwen can spoil his plans, a second conspiracy of personal revenge closes in on them. Falsely declared fugitives by the very ones they had sought to help, they become trapped in a labyrinthine intrigue between their accusers and the traitors. In a desperate race against time, they must endure hardship and profound personal loss, while pushing Britain towards freedom, peace, and the future called Arthur.
Recipient of the 2002 Colorado Independent Publishers Book Award for Fiction ("Evvy" Award)
Into the Path of Gods: Book 1 of the Macsen's Treasure Series
Available from Amazon.com
They placed themselves into the path of gods, the gods of the ancient Celtic people: a man of incorruptible courage, a woman with the ethereal gift of visions, and the mysterious druid who became known in legend as Merlin the Enchanter…
In the war-torn fifth century, after the end of Roman rule and before King Arthur’s rise to power, spy and master of disguise Marcus ap Iorwerth diligently works to place the rightful high king in control of Britain. One of his duties, discrediting brokers of foreign mercenaries, leads him to Claerwen, an ethereal woman whose gift of visions draws him into the path of gods, a destiny as unshakable as the love they come to share.
In time, they realize Claerwen has inadvertently become ensnared in a lethal conspiracy to locate the priceless sacred symbols of Britain’s high kings. Known collectively as Macsen’s Treasure and lost for decades, the symbols have become the target of a mazelike network of unknown enemies seeking power. Claerwen knows nothing of the treasure and Marcus makes every effort to protect her, but he is betrayed and disappears. Alone and homeless, Claerwen must decide whether to believe what everyone tells her, that Marcus is dead and she should go into hiding, or to follow her instinct and the path of gods on a daunting quest to find him and the truth of Macsen’s Treasure.
In time, they realize Claerwen has inadvertently become ensnared in a lethal conspiracy to locate the priceless sacred symbols of Britain’s high kings. Known collectively as Macsen’s Treasure and lost for decades, the symbols have become the target of a mazelike network of unknown enemies seeking power. Claerwen knows nothing of the treasure and Marcus makes every effort to protect her, but he is betrayed and disappears. Alone and homeless, Claerwen must decide whether to believe what everyone tells her, that Marcus is dead and she should go into hiding, or to follow her instinct and the path of gods on a daunting quest to find him and the truth of Macsen’s Treasure.
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