A bard with an ability he doesn’t understand. A wise woman with power she never wanted. Each has a quest and they’ll need each other to succeed. Diarmuid is not a typical bard. His tales aren’t about hope and heroism, but instead they reflect the darkness he feels inside. When he inadvertently brings his imaginary muse to life, everything she knows comes from Diarmuid’s melancholic tales. … Diarmuid’s melancholic tales. Desiring her own life, she leaves Diarmuid and sets out to live in the only way she knows how.
Brigit tries to be a good wise woman like her mother, but feels like she’s wasting her life dispensing charms and cures. She spends her days longing for danger and adventure. When she encounters a fey and becomes the victim of a cruel curse, she gets more adventure than she ever wanted.
As the pair cross paths, they soon realise that the only way to succeed in their quests is to join forces. Together, they discover the true nature of Diarmuid’s bond with his muse. While the world will never be safe with her loose in it, destroying her could have fatal consequences…
Muse is the first book in a series of historical fantasy novels set in pre-Roman Britain. For readers who like lush historical backdrops with a fairytale feeling, a fantasy quest and characters who fight their destiny.
more
Muse is the first book in a series and I am almost finished with the 3rd. It is a unique story with an original plot, interesting characters, and great description. So much of scifi/fantasy regurgitates the same themes and coming of age characters making this story really stand out from the crowd. The story is a bit dark and twisty, and things are not all wrapped up in a bow at the end, but you will be captivated all along the way and enjoy the ride. There are a few rough patches, and some repetitive passages to plod through, but for the most part the writing keeps you moving right along with enjoyable prose and delicious descriptions. Recommended!
A lovely celtic fairytale with several twists! Beautiful narrative with intriguing characters – writers, be careful what you imagine…
I really loved the Medieval feel to this book. The details of this fantasy world were good, with great characters. The ending was a surprise for me. The pacing was a bit slow for my taste, but I would recommend this book to anyone who love fantasy.
I just enjoyed getting into the story line. Toward the end I had a hard time putting it down. Fun read.
By itself it is a very enjoyable story.Read all 3 in the trilogy and it is so much more interesting as you get the events from other points of view.
definitely enjoyed it.
This was a very good book three in the series. It is the story of the sickly sister from book one. Recommended.
This was an extremely complex and thoroughly entertaining. A great twist on some of my much loved Celtic folk tales. Very original and innovative. I was really sucked into this story and I just couldn’t put it down. Lots of fast paced action and really likable characters who work together to complete a quest that changes them all. Brilliantly done!!!
A nice good vs evil plot in a fantasy setting. There were unexpected twists that added interest and a bit if a chill. An engaging book. Definitely an author I will watch for in the future.
I read all three of the first books of this series one after the other! I look forward to her 2017 release of Swans. Bring it on! 🙂
A simple story that nevertheless posses some depth of characterization.
.
Unusual but ending was a let down
Muse is an awesomely entertaining read. In a world where you think you will never again find a plot that you haven’t either read in a book or watched in a movie, suddenly Muse appears. Great action, great characters. 5 stars!
Finding beauty in a dream is easy. Waking up and holding on to the beauty is a gift.
heavy read, starts out slow but picks up.
Engaging fantasy- would read the next one.
I couldn’t find anything to like about the main character. Normally that kills a book for me, but the supporting characters were engaging enough to hold my attention.
Interesting and strange! Definitely original.
I enjoyed the book overall once I got past the opening chapters. The lack of proper editing interrupted the flow to often. Words misplaced in a sentence were the common issue. Nevertheless there were areas I couldn’t put down and enjoyed very much. The end was abrupt but knowing there is a second book makes that palatable. I wish the main character had been broadened out a bit more. He supposedly learned a great deal about his powers yet never used that information very effectively i.e. another tale might have shown his brother injured, healed and returning home from the wars etc. instead of dead. I am curious about how the second book continues the tale but I’m not sure I will purchase it.
I usually don’t buy books that aren’t priced at at least $10 because in my experience they’re pretty bad. This is an exception. It started out well, with an intriguing premise, meta-themes about the power of story-telling, and pretty good writing (i.e. no gratuitious description–most of the time it was innocuous and in at least one point even served the plot and characterization!). Unfortunately, while it was entertaining, it never really engaged me. There was a romance that was too easy (even if it did provide some nice will-they-or-won’t-they tension) and, most frustratingly, lots of people NOT TELLING EACH OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Exhibit A: Druid brother doesn’t tell bard brother what the heck is going on. This is somewhat excusible because he’s forbidden by vague druid rules. Exhibit B: Wise-woman mother doesn’t tell her wise-womanish daughter about her visions regarding daughter. Maybe excused because the visions might not have helped? Exhibit C: Entire family neglects to tell bard son that the stories he tells might come true. The father tries to hand-wave it at the end by apologizing and saying that he didn’t really know how the power worked, but a lot of deaths, not to mention a psychopathic muse brought to life could have been avoided had they just informed him. The psychopathic muse is my favorite character. She’s not evil, per se. She just lacks a consciense and her twisted ethics are informed by the bard protagonist’s stories that don’t end well. She wants freedom and to “save” others and is in love with the bard that created, freed, and then trapped her again, which makes her the most complex and faciniating character despite (or maybe because) we don’t get many chapters from her point of view. This series and author have potential, but I don’t think I’d read this particular book again, though the other books in the series may be different.