Red Branch

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Summary: The Hound of Ulster
Review: If you are a reader who is interested in myth, legends or ancient history, this is a book for you. Morgan Llewelyn combines all three to write what I feel is her best work. You wont be able to put it down. The legend and story of Cuchulain truly come alive in this epic tail. If you liked Lion of Ireland and Pride of Lions then you will love Red Branch.

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Summary: Truely touches the heart of the Irish.
Review: If you like Irish or Celtic legend you will love this one. Llwelyn does a great job of combining legend and history. It makes the average person wonder if the legend of Cuchulain and Maeve could have taken place, as we Irish know it did. Llwelyn draws the reader into a spell which does not release until you days after you finished. If you enjoy this one read "BARD" or "Druids".

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Summary: A great read - you don't have to be a Celtic fan to love it
Review: Morgan Llewelyn is decidedly the modern Bard of the Celts. Compelling and alive with vibrant, accurate descriptions of the lay of the land and the ambience of the era, Red Branch is still Llewelyn's best book to date. While there is plenty of action to keep even casual readers engrossed, my favorite sections of the book center on the young Setanta, his feelings of bewildered isolation and his curiosity about his mother's dreamy half-life. Also wonderful are the rawness of emotion the author paints around the deaths of those closest to Cuchulainn - even when his heroic heart is breaking, his courage and ambition shine through, making the Hound of Ulster at last a very real and human being.

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Summary: 'An average telling of a great legend'
Review: Morgan Llywelyn has definitely profited by the latest craze in all things Irish. Her books are right popular with thousands of people. Too, she definitely does her research - the contents of her books are taken straight from ancient poems and legends. In my opinion, however, she does a mediocre job in the re-telling of stories such as Cuchulain's saga. If you want to read about Cuchulain, read the 'Tain!' Or, read Padraic Colum - a noted author who has been writing long before Llywellen ever came into the picture. Another thing that bothers me about Llywellen's writings are her explicit sex scenes. Are these really needed, or does she throw them in just to capture the reader's attention? When reading about the greatest of all Irish heroes, I don't greatly care to know about his sexual conquests. Is this some way to convey the human side of a legendary hero? Heroes of old don't need to show a human side! Furthermore, I laugh aloud when I read Llywelyn's descriptions of battles and combat. Maybe I am a little biased, but I find much mirth when women writers try to accurately depict the blood and gore of swordplay. Bah! If you want to read about the clanging of swords in ancient Ireland, read a Robert E. Howard tale. Suffice it to say, Llywelyn's stories read like 20th century, soap operas staged in first-century Ireland. Bah!

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Summary: What can I say?
Review: My goodness, I am at a loss for words. I read the reviews before mine, and they all felt the same as me; great book! It has everything, and it was written perfectly. Congratulations Morgan Llywelyn!

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Summary: Captivating jurney into Ireland's mythical history
Review: One can almost belive that they are sitting in the hall of Ulster's King listining to the Bards tell the tale like it had just happened. I can still hear the war cry of the Champion of Champions, Cuchulain, as he single handedly conqured an army. The devistating power of Deirdre's perfect beauty and a Kings ultimate betrayal, highten the experence. Mogan Llywelyn stole the Emerald out of the Island and polished it with Red Branch

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Summary: Red Branch
Review: Re-telling of the tales of the mythical Irish hero Cuchulain. Historical fiction, except its myths not history being re-wrote. This book kept me captivated from beginning to end, I don't know if I've ever got through a 500 page book as fast I got through this one.

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Summary: This is the best book that I have ever read!
Review: Red Branch is amazing. Never has a book sucked me in like this one did. Unlike many authors who skip the details which make a story truly real, Llywelyn tells a tale that presents Cuchulain as both a larger-than-life hero and a real person at the same time. I felt the glory of living during that time as well as the pain. Truly a great book.

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Summary: Red Branch; a legacy to all fantasy/historical fiction works
Review: Red Branch was the best novel I have ever read, Morgan Llwelyn was my favorite author before, but I had no idea she could write like this. Please I urge all to take this book, and if you enjoyed it as much as I have, try Fion MacCool, The Elementals, or Druids.

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Summary: This book was excellent! Five stars isn't enough!
Review: The Red Branch made me laugh and cry, it really has an emotional bearing in the readers. The style of writing that Morgan Llywelyn uses in this novel is so exquisit and explicit! Morgan Llywelyn is obviously a gifted writer. I can't wait to read the next novel I have of hers "Lion of Ireland." I'm so excited! I know she will not let me down! Thank you Morgan!