Did the book accurately portray the Celts?
- KMSingh
- Posts: 56
- Joined: 07 Sep 2018, 12:30
- Favorite Book: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 16
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kmsingh.html
- Latest Review: McDowell by William H. Coles
- Reading Device: B00GDQDRPK
Re: Did the book accurately portray the Celts?
My only addiction is books.
- holsam_87
- Posts: 858
- Joined: 03 Feb 2018, 15:45
- Currently Reading: The Unbound Soul
- Bookshelf Size: 1691
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-holsam-87.html
- Latest Review: Herai by Aaron D Key
- Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG
“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
—J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
-
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 6473
- Joined: 10 May 2017, 19:49
- Currently Reading: The Savior
- Bookshelf Size: 530
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kdstrack.html
- Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy
- Linnea Tanner
- Posts: 104
- Joined: 13 May 2017, 15:49
- Favorite Book: Apollo's Raven
- Currently Reading: Shadow of the Raven (Book I of Sons of Kings trilogy)
- Bookshelf Size: 355
- Britty01
- Posts: 494
- Joined: 26 Apr 2018, 11:04
- Favorite Book: Will's Red Coat
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 80
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-britty01.html
- Latest Review: Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner
- Reading Device: B00KC6I06S
It is odd, but he asked for her in marriage to unite the two kingdoms so it was politically expedient for him to do so. Rhiannan's father would have to side with him in a major battle against other enemies, including the Catuvellauni. I think he was also afraid of the curse that Rhan had made when she was going to be executed. It would be his daughter that would kill him. I guess by his reckoning, the first two were no threat.gali wrote: ↑01 Sep 2018, 00:13 As far as I can tell, it seemed historically accurate. The author presented the Roman's mindset and policy perfectly. I am not so sure about the portrayal of the Celts, though. Their culture was well described, but some point bugged me.
Spoiler
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
I found it odd that two of the queen's daughters were from her lover, and that the king knew about it and accepted it just like that. One maybe, but not two, especially when the second one was born a few years after the marriage.
- Britty01
- Posts: 494
- Joined: 26 Apr 2018, 11:04
- Favorite Book: Will's Red Coat
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 80
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-britty01.html
- Latest Review: Apollo's Raven by Linnea Tanner
- Reading Device: B00KC6I06S
The book was fairly historically accurate. The map did place the tribes in the southern part of Britain which would be right. They were Iron Age people and traded their wares in Europe. Probably why Romans came to what they called Briton at the time. It seems they have been called Celts in more modern times, but it is quite possible that some did arrive from Europe trying to escape the Romans. So that is open for debate. They are not thought to have invaded in a large force like the Anglo-Saxons and eventually Romans did, albeit after 100 years. One of the Kings did exist according to historical records. They did believe in the power of Druids/Druidesses and took part in animal sacrifice. 24 AD is a reasonable time period based on what pieces of information are in the book. At that time the Romans had been sending forces to England about 80 years. It took almost another 20 years before they actually conquered much of England, not Scotland, hence Hadrian's Wall. I am not sure their women were really treated equally although the female princesses who were warriors might have stood a better chance. I think a lot of that has come from a more romantic period of history and myths told over time.
-
- Posts: 211
- Joined: 16 May 2018, 03:39
- Favorite Book: Angels & Demons
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 41
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amsula-2018.html
- Latest Review: The Traveler's Best Seller by Rick Incorvia
there's something wrong with your argument." ~ M. Saatchi
-
- Posts: 47
- Joined: 04 Sep 2018, 07:25
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 24
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bon0.html
- Latest Review: The Traveler's Best Seller by Rick Incorvia
-
- Posts: 77
- Joined: 14 Apr 2018, 20:29
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 36
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sharethegift.html
- Latest Review: Will of The Hill by Marshall Cobb
A good book on Celtic history is The Celts (A Lucid and Fascinating History) by Nora Chadwick (a Celtic scholar). I was fortunate enough to pick up a copy about 2 years ago.
- CommMayo
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 1648
- Joined: 22 Oct 2017, 14:19
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 80
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-commmayo.html
- Latest Review: Changed by Vicki Stiefel
- Reading Device: B00G2Y4WNY
Haha, this is an excellent point! Also, once you start to introduce so much mysticism and shapeshifting, focusing on historical accuracy is totally missing the point of the book.amsula_2018 wrote: ↑19 Sep 2018, 08:18 The book is fiction. Why is there a need to be historically accurate? For me, what matters in the books is if the readers enjoyed it and the message of the story.
- AliceofX
- Posts: 351
- Joined: 27 Feb 2017, 06:01
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 361
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-aliceofx.html
- Latest Review: The Demon of Decay by Alex C. Gates
- Reading Device: B00ICPVSYC
The author could have easily chosen to set the book in a made up fantasy world (and considering how much magic there is in the story it might have worked a lot better). Instead, she chose to set it in ours amongst people that once existed, and to me that carries an obligation to be faithful to who they were.amsula_2018 wrote: ↑19 Sep 2018, 08:18 The book is fiction. Why is there a need to be historically accurate? For me, what matters in the books is if the readers enjoyed it and the message of the story.
- CommMayo
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 1648
- Joined: 22 Oct 2017, 14:19
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 80
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-commmayo.html
- Latest Review: Changed by Vicki Stiefel
- Reading Device: B00G2Y4WNY
This, too, is a very valid point. When citing historical events and building a world in a past civilization, there are some expectations that what is portrayed is historically accurate. Perhaps it begs the question: Is this historical fiction or purely a fantasy book?AliceofX wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 08:47 The author could have easily chosen to set the book in a made up fantasy world (and considering how much magic there is in the story it might have worked a lot better). Instead, she chose to set it in ours amongst people that once existed, and to me that carries an obligation to be faithful to who they were.
- Zain A Blade
- Posts: 285
- Joined: 16 Mar 2018, 14:22
- Favorite Book: Find You and Find Everything
- Currently Reading: The End of the Beginning
- Bookshelf Size: 64
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-zain-a-blade.html
- Latest Review: Swordpoint by David Crane
-
- Posts: 34
- Joined: 09 Sep 2018, 07:28
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 17
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rodrigo-niguez.html
- Latest Review: Bluewater Walkabout by Tina Dreffin
-
- Posts: 211
- Joined: 16 May 2018, 03:39
- Favorite Book: Angels & Demons
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 41
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amsula-2018.html
- Latest Review: The Traveler's Best Seller by Rick Incorvia
Why is there a need for history to be accurate in a fiction book? It is created in an alternative world where there is magic.AliceofX wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 08:47The author could have easily chosen to set the book in a made up fantasy world (and considering how much magic there is in the story it might have worked a lot better). Instead, she chose to set it in ours amongst people that once existed, and to me that carries an obligation to be faithful to who they were.amsula_2018 wrote: ↑19 Sep 2018, 08:18 The book is fiction. Why is there a need to be historically accurate? For me, what matters in the books is if the readers enjoyed it and the message of the story.
there's something wrong with your argument." ~ M. Saatchi