Sunday, September 27, 2015

Fergus the Great by Daniel Duffield- Review

Title: Fergus the Great
Author: Daniel Duffield
Pages: 180 pages
Published: July 12th 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Source: author, owned book
Links: Author website, goodreads

Dovsfield is anointed by the Stone of Destiny at Tara to be high king of Eriu land. Immediately, he has to flee Eriu to escape from Coirpre, the current high king who wishes to kill Dovsfield. Then Dovsfield travels to Alba to seek refuge and help from Evenus, king of the Scotti. Yona knows of an ancient prophecy that she is to marry an Eriu prince. She loves Dovsfield and believes him to be that prince. Driven by her pride, she ignores the prophecy and chooses a different path across the Big Water to return to her tribe. From Alba, Dovsfield returns to Eriu to lead a revolt against Coirpre with the help of a young priest named Patricus and a new kingdom called Dal Riata is born. It is in this new kingdom that prophecies are fulfilled and the destinies of all are determined.
I finished this series that I have been reading for a few years now. So I am glad to be able to finish it. I think this book series was a really good start for it being Duffield's first time publishing. I would imagine that trying to get your book out there and read would be tough.  I think of how hard it is to get my blog up and going to attract readers and try to get people to discover my blog.  It is hard work.  So I have no idea how someone would get publicity for their book.  My mother knows the author of this book so that is how I was able to come across the book series. 

I think what I love most about the book is that I could tell the author really is passionate about the history and story of Fergus the Great.  I wish I was more interested in the history of my own people (I am French and German).  Duffield takes the time to really do research for his book including a map and a fantastic cover.  For a self published author I think these are great details that add to the book.  The first and third book covers give nods to each other and I hope in future editions the second book's cover matches too. Interesting fact to those who may not know but Fergus the Great is the father in the Disney movie Brave! Until I read this book I had no idea the Disney character was based off a real person.


This book follows the characters we have come to know throughout the entire series.  I loved revisiting them. I was only a little disappointed in the end of the story.  I felt like it was left a little too much in the air.  The adversary that we were chasing through the whole book goes on his way and we never really find out if they come back, or just stay away and the war is won?  I only say that because through out the books these two groups would fight, retreat, fight and retreat so I was unsure if this would happen again.  It almost seemed like it was set up for another book in the series though I was pretty sure this was going to be just a trilogy.  I looked on the author's site and can't tell if this is the final book in the series or not?

Really this book is fun... the whole series is fun.  Yes I do think you can tell reading that the author is new and it's apart of some huge publishing company with tons of editors on staff. The story is engaging and interesting so really in the end that doesn't matter.  It makes me wish I had some sort of story inside me waiting to hit the pages.  Alas... I have never been a writer.



Check out my reviews of book one and two:

Niall and the Irish Pirates by Daniel Duffield
Sons of Niall by Daniel Duffield

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