Review of Dark Queen of Donegal

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Theresa Moffitt
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Review of Dark Queen of Donegal

Post by Theresa Moffitt »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dark Queen of Donegal" by Mary Pat Ferron Canes & JR Foley.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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Dark Queen of Donegal by Mary Pat Ferron Canes and JR Foley is a fascinating book of historical fiction. The story begins in 1586 and focuses on the relationships between England, Ireland, and Scotland. Ineen Dubh is a woman of Scottish nobility. She is the second wife of an Irish king named Hugh O’Donnell. Although her husband has an older son named Donal, she believes her son, Red Hugh, should be her husband’s successor to fulfill a prophecy. When the story begins, the English army has killed Ineen’s brothers and their families, along with thousands of other Scottish people. Although Red Hugh is young, he wants to fight the English to avenge the deaths. Ineen reminds him of the prophecy and the importance of his future role in leading his country.

The story goes back and forth between Ineen and her family in Donegal, Ireland, and Queen Elizabeth I in England. Queen Elizabeth does not have a high opinion of Ireland or Scotland. She is aware of Ineen and her influence in Ireland and Scotland. To control Ineen, Queen Elizabeth has Red Hugh kidnapped and held prisoner in Dublin Castle. The Queen believes that Ineen will become a loyal subject to keep her son safe. The story follows Ineen and her husband as they try to use their influence to free their son. Ineen also uses her network of spies to determine if her son is safe and what the English are planning.

I enjoyed reading this book. The story is riveting, especially since it is based on historical facts. The book contains conspiracies, disloyalty, murders, and battles. Readers will be fascinated by the degree of detail provided by the authors. Their research and analysis of this time in history brought the story and characters to life. I enjoy reading historical fiction, so this book was enthralling for me. I found it difficult to put down. I especially liked how the chapters provided different points of view. Readers can understand the perspective of the Irish and Scottish people in contrast to the perspective of the English people. The characters seemed realistic for that time in history.

What I liked most about the book was the focus on Ineen Dubh and her place in history. She was a strong and passionate woman. She fought for her people and her family. She is a historical figure that many readers may not be familiar with. She is a significant figure in history, and the authors tell her story beautifully in this book. What I liked most about this book is that it has a strong female character at its core. So often, women and their contributions can be overlooked. The authors showed her tenacious nature and love for her people. She never lost sight of her goal to keep her son safe and fulfill the prophecy. There was nothing that I disliked about this book.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical novels. Readers with an interest in Irish or Scottish history would also enjoy reading this book. I only saw two errors in the book, so I believe it was professionally edited. I give it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I would not rate it any less than a perfect score because it is a fascinating account of an important figure in history.

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Dark Queen of Donegal
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Stephanie Stones
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Post by Stephanie Stones »

Historical fiction books are definitely for me and this is a book that contains that genre. I would love to check out this book
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Post by holywriter »

Great review! I love how you highlighted the historical accuracy and attention to detail in the book. It's always impressive when authors put in the effort to research and bring a story to life.

I can tell you're really passionate about historical fiction, and your enthusiasm shines through in your review. It's wonderful to see readers who appreciate the genre and can recognize the significance of historical figures like Ineen Dubh.
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Triciat50
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Post by Triciat50 »

I was immediately attracted by the title of the book since my family can be traced to County Donegal in Ireland. I also love historical novels like this, that revolves around an actual real woman (usually overlooked in history) and follow the story from her viewpoint. Thank you!
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