Rating: 
Summary: dissapointed in female character development
Review: Llywelyn weaves a wonderful tapestry of magic and history in this novel. Finn is brought to life as a real, feeling man while still heroic and larger than life. It's a brisk read and you'll find yourself pulled gently along for hours and you won't even realize it. It would have been easy to portray Finn as a figure of existential angst, not unlike Percival in Hunter's "Percival and the presence of God" (a very good book in it's own right), but Llywelyn allows the magic to manifest for both the reader and Finn so that we are never obliged to be skeptical of what we read. This book has fired me up to read more about Irish myths and legends. Definitely a fine novel!
Rating: 
Summary: A Sweetly Nostalgic and Heroic Tale
Review: Llywelyn weaves a wonderful tapestry of magic and history in this novel. Finn is brought to life as a real, feeling man while still heroic and larger than life. It's a brisk read and you'll find yourself pulled gently along for hours and you won't even realize it. It would have been easy to portray Finn as a figure of existential angst, not unlike Percival in Hunter's "Percival and the presence of God" (a very good book in it's own right), but Llywelyn allows the magic to manifest for both the reader and Finn so that we are never obliged to be skeptical of what we read. This book has fired me up to read more about Irish myths and legends. Definitely a fine novel!
Rating:
Summary: A man's book every woman will love!
Review: Morgan Llywelyn is rightly called the High Priestest of Irish history. Her ability to call up a dazzlingly beautiful image of old Ireland into the mind of her readers is simply unparalleled. One quickly finds themselves, as if from a nearby ridge or tree branch, observing the struggles and joys of Finn Mac Cool's life. Once finished, you will feel as if you know his spirit better than any who knew him. No fewer than four of my family members have devoured this book and others are eager for thier turn. It was the first of Morgan Llywelyn's books to enter my home, but certainly not the last. She is a true Bard. May her writings be always within my grasp!
---K. Shanklin
Rating: 
Summary: Legends don't always make good novels...
Review: Ploddingly dull rendering of the Irish folk tale/saga of that great war leader Finn MaCool. Novelizations of such myths have burgeoned since Tolkien made fantasy respectable but merely retelling old tales in this form does not guarantee their staying power. This one attempts to make the eponymous hero of this legendary cycle a modern, psychologically troubled leader of men, trapped in a fantasy world of his own making (but which may yet be real!), pining for a mother who abandoned him & a loving wife who may have done the same (or been spirited away by fairies -- take your pick). MacCool grows from a precocious teen warrior to a life-weary war-leader, all the while jousting w/his comrade & competitor Goll MacMorna & his just but calculating king, Conor. It doesn't work as a novel but warrants an average rating of three stars because the narrative is competently done -- and obviously (see the other reviews on this page) some people do like it. Though I have to wonder how much of their praise is for the novel & how much for the idea itself, a Gaelic legend offered up in modern form for lovers of things Irish (I like that stuff myself, by the way). But such ethnic fervour ought never to get in the way of a fair assessment of literature. -- Stuart W. Mirsky
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!!
Review: The legend of Fin MacCool is known throughout Ireland. This incredible book takes you through the life of one of Ireland's greatest warriors. It gives you wonderful insight into how a man becomes transformed into a legend in his own lifetime. An absolutely brilliant read from start to finish!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!!
Review: The legend of Fin MacCool is known throughout Ireland. This incredible book takes you through the life of one of Ireland's greatest warriors. It gives you wonderful insight into how a man becomes transformed into a legend in his own lifetime. An absolutely brilliant read from start to finish!
Rating:
Summary: An compelling and accurate retelling of a great Irish legend
Review: This book continues the tradition Morgan Llywelyn has set with her other books on Irish legend. It brings the legend of Finn Mac Cool alive, interesting and exciting while providing an excellent glimpse into the lives and ways of the Irish during this time. The story of Finn Mac Cool is one of a young man from one of the lowest classes of Irish society, driven by ambition and strength to rise above his birth and bring to his people new respect and status. The legend of Finn Mac Cool is full of mythological elements, and Llywelyn incorporates these very well, so that the reader never feels as if they are reading a fantasy adventure. There are many fascinating conflicts and layers in this book and within Finn Mac Cool himself. Finn's constant battle of wits with the king, his enemies, and the wise but dangerous Goll Mac Morna serve to heighten his inner struggles over race, class, and success. For the casual reader, this book will serve as a rousing tale of Irish lore. For the more serious reader, or lover of Irish history, it will serve as a fascinating character study and glimpse into Irish past.
Rating:
Summary: A very delicious book
Review: This book I think captures the characteristics of the Irish in all respects, those percieved and those that are actually true. With the typical finesse of Morgan Llwelyn, she has pulled together the classical elements of a race of Warriors, Bards, Leaders, and Lawyers all in one book. With the humor of Finn added as the special spice, I think anyone would truly devoured this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I've Read since Lion of Ireland
Review: This is one of my favorite Authors, if you are Irish, or of that line, buy all of her books right now and save yourself from having to come back over and over like I did. Loved them all so much I bought new copies just to have them. A little bit of reality and history, with a novel built around them. Her style is hard to find anywhere. By the luck of the Irish we got her!
Rating:
Summary: This book was great!
Review: This was one of those books that you can't put down. When I was reading this book, if anyone interupted me, I would bite their head off. I felt like I was there, experiencing everything Finn did. This book gives a real feel for Ireland.
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