Circa 2200 BCE: Changes rocking the Continent reach Eire with the dawning Bronze Age. Well before any Celts, marauders invade the island seeking copper and gold. The young astronomer Boann and the enigmatic Cian need all their wits and courage to save their people and their great Boyne mounds, when long bronze knives challenge the peaceful native starwatchers. Banished to far coasts, Cian discovers how to outwit the invaders at their own game. Tensions on Eire between new and old cultures and between Boann, Elcmar, and her son Aengus, ultimately explode. What emerges from the rubble of battle are the legends of Ireland s beginnings in a totally new light.
I'm borrowing the summary about the book from Amazon, because at this point I am not sure if I will finish the book. Quite frankly it doesn't seem like the thing was edited at all!
There are just so many things that don't really jive for me. Boann and Elcmar are from two different peoples who the author portrays as very different yet when they marry, Boann alternates between fluid conversation with her new husband and thinking about how to learn the language he speaks. The whole of what I've read - which is maybe 24% (on Kindle) - seems to be the author indicating these people knew a lot, but at the same time not much. And the use of modern terminology is a bit odd. I mean I know the story is set too far back to know the vocabulary that people used that long ago, but I'm sure there are words that might be a little more... primitive... to be fitting.
Over all, I would have to say based on what I've read, this deserves only 1/5 stars. I'm sure there's a good story in there, but this author just isn't good at bringing it out.
Also, has anyone else ever encountered an author who wants to keep their sex a secret? I mean I understand authors using initials only - especially if they're writing in a genre typically dominated by either males or females - or if they have a rather common name but I have no clue whether this J.S. Dunn is a man or a woman. Even the author's website refers to the author as just "the author". Anyone else find that weird or is this more common than I know?