Nothing tugs at my heartstrings like mythology, and throughout the process of writing #theCollapse, I’ve discovered a bit of a passion for lesser known pantheons. I’m equally as prone to disappearing into a black hole of Wikipedia pages as I am to vanish into a well-written fantasy or historical fiction set against these beliefs, which is what brought me to the Irish “Otherworld” over the weekend.

“New ideas wither, where Old Gods reign…”

Due to the kind heart of the author, L.M. Riviere, I was given a sneak peak at the first ten chapters of her upcoming release, ‘The Sons Of Mil’; Book One of ‘The Innisfail Cycle.’ As a foreigner to pre-Christian Irish myth, it took me a minute to acclimate to my new surroundings. Beautiful descriptions of Innisfail lay nestled amongst the lovely (and sometimes unintelligible) traditional Irish names and titles, but it was the story that allowed me to get my bearings in Gaelic Ireland.

Thus far, The Sons of Mil follows Ben Maeden, a disgraced antihero of sorts and my new #ManCrushMonday. Despite copious amounts of alcohol (uishge, as I have now learned to call it) and his best efforts to the contrary, Ben can’t help but be a decent guy. This character flaw (be still, my heart) comes in handy for Una, recent escapee (and badass) from a matriarchal city with a hefty price on her head.

At ten chapters in, the plot and political intrigue continue to develop, but ultimately what has my interest is how easily digestible this new (old) world has become. For anyone who enjoys an epic adventure through a culture heavily inspired by Gaelic myth, I’d highly recommend checking it out! And check back for an update on my thoughts once my copy comes in and I can (finally!) finish it.

Have you been to Ireland? Are you interested in more book reviews? Leave a reply in the comments!