This interesting historical fantasy is a happy marriage of the Roman Britain of Trajan/Hadrian [2nd century AD] with Irish legendary figures such as Cuchulain [CA HU LIN] and the Irish fairy folk sidhe [pronounced SHEE] taking part, both influencing the plot in both Roman Britain and in Ireland. A band of Roman soldiers goes to fight in Ireland. The author has melded the two disparate elements quite well through the story of Lugh the Harper and his Roman soldier friend, Karus. I enjoyed the story plus the author's supplementary material. ( )

This is the second book about Lugh Mac Romain and I haven't read the first, at least partly because Patricia Finney says in the introduction that it would work as a standalone. I must agree with her but there are enough details about the plot of the first, [Shadow of Gulls], that it will be a long time before I try to track down and read a copy. That said I really enjoyed this story with its fusion of history and mythology.

It is the second century AD and the setting is Britain and Ireland. There is a good mix of historical and mythological characters and Finney's invented main character links the two in a very readable and enjoyable manner.

Unfortunately there are no more books about Lugh and I would have liked to follow his story further. Maybe I need to search out her Elizabethan novels written as Grace Cavendish or P. F. Chisholm. ( )