[Cadfael]

Has anyone read these books? What do you think?

I know they have been available in Australia for some time, they have just been released in the UK. I am only halfway through book 2 (of a trilogy). The are based on Celtic folklore.

[wolfshead]

I keep looking at these books but haven't made up my mind yet. what do you think sio far? Upon leafing through, i saw a couple of things I didn't like--the saxons made out to be totally horrid, denerate barbarians who ritually killed a horse, which horrified the Celts involved, who then gave a peace and love, we-are-one-with-the-earth and would never be so barbaric type sermon (unlikely since the ancient Irish celts themselves had a ritual where their sacred king MATED with a white mare which was then sacrificed and boiled into a broth!) Then there was a woman in it called Caitlin, which is a MODERN name, the Gaelic rendering of Kathleen. I've seen this name used quite a few times in 'celtic fantasy'. Quite often the authors don't even seem to realise it's properly pronounced 'Katch-leen' and NOT Kate-lynn, which is a North Americanism.

[Cadfael]

I have not so for come across any ritual killing of a horse. As regard the name Caitlin, the author has place a list of the names with their pronouciation at the end of the book, for this name he has put Kaytlin or Kotchlin. Also... I can find no references to this being an acurate work or history of the Celts, it is purely a work of fiction, albeit based on Celtic folklore. However, I cannot dimiss that maybe the author is trying to put a point across

However, the story is good. It is not the best writing style I have read, but I can forgive this because the plot is very involved, the characters well fleshed out, and it is a fantasy book because there is magic used throughout the book.

The Saxons so far have been treated as the bad guy, but not the only bad guy. The saxon at this time in history had been invited to settle in England by Vortegern (sp), and they had developed quite a cultured civilization on the English mainland, but they did do sporadic raids into Wales, and across the sea into Ireland, eventually some of them settled in Ireland and that again, gave them the opportunity to bring some of their more genteel customs to the country. We must remember this book is writen from the viewpoint of the Celt living in Ireland at the time, and thus the Saxon coming over to rape and pillage did not endear them to the Celts. Also, history has recorded that many Kings used the Saxons as mercenaries, because they were the best fighting force at the time, what I am saying is... when at home the saxon warrior may have been a totally different man when out earning his wages.