Review of Dark Queen of Donegal
Posted: 05 Sep 2023, 14:38
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dark Queen of Donegal" by Mary Pat Ferron Canes & JR Foley.]
Dark Queen of Donegal is a book by Mary Pat Ferron Canes and JR Foley. Set in the late 16th century, it tells the story of Ineen Macdonnell, a Scottish woman married to Hugh O'Donnell, the Irish king of Tyrconnell. During their reign, conflict exists between their people and the English monarchy. This has led to considerable losses in lives and resources on both sides. After failing to send their pledges to Queen Elizabeth I, Red Hugh is captured and imprisoned at Dublin Castle to stop an old prophecy from being fulfilled. Queen Elizabeth realises that stopping Ineen would definitely put a stop to, or at least slow down, the rebellion in Ireland because the latter has both Scottish mercenaries and Irish forces at her disposal. Ineen decides that she must do everything in her power to ensure her son is safely returned home. Will Red Hugh be rescued in time to fulfill the prophecy of old, or will he fall victim to the cruelty of the English? Find out more by reading this intriguing piece.
This book has a lot of positive aspects. The main premise is introduced promptly by the authors, and I found myself quickly becoming engrossed in the story. The themes presented in the book address significant issues that can still be found in today's society, like oppression and the misuse of power and authority. In this book, the English Queen and her troops take all necessary measures to keep Ireland under their rule. Red's mother fights to fulfill the prophecy. However, the English oppose this decision because they support the system of primogeniture.
The book has minor punctuation errors, so I believe it was professionally edited. The foreign terms and phrases were explained by the authors to avoid any confusion. I got to learn a little bit about the ancient traditions and customs of Ireland, for instance, the custom of not waiting for official wedding announcements because an informal alliance sufficed for a couple to be betrothed. This is proof of proper research and expertise on the authors' part. Also, the family tree placed at the beginning of the book was enlightening, and I love that all the time skips in the book were properly indicated.
The book was written from an omniscient point of view, and its characters were well-written and extremely realistic. I respect how the main characters remained unified in the face of danger and struggle while having flaws in their unique ways. For many reasons, Ineen is my favorite character because she stands out in the best way possible. The plot of the book revolves around the tough decisions she had to make. Despite all the odds, she never once considered giving up. Even when her husband was indisposed, she stayed strong and kept herself motivated by relying on her Christian faith and remaining positive even when things got difficult. She never hid behind her title and even joined her men to fight. Despite her flaws, she was unique and selfless; as such, she is a wonderful role model for mothers everywhere.
I found nothing negative about the book. I consider it a fantastic body of work, and the authors did a great job conjuring up an exciting adventure. As a result of the reasons listed above, I have decided to give this book a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and adventure books. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys tales of war with a touch of romance.
******
Dark Queen of Donegal
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Dark Queen of Donegal is a book by Mary Pat Ferron Canes and JR Foley. Set in the late 16th century, it tells the story of Ineen Macdonnell, a Scottish woman married to Hugh O'Donnell, the Irish king of Tyrconnell. During their reign, conflict exists between their people and the English monarchy. This has led to considerable losses in lives and resources on both sides. After failing to send their pledges to Queen Elizabeth I, Red Hugh is captured and imprisoned at Dublin Castle to stop an old prophecy from being fulfilled. Queen Elizabeth realises that stopping Ineen would definitely put a stop to, or at least slow down, the rebellion in Ireland because the latter has both Scottish mercenaries and Irish forces at her disposal. Ineen decides that she must do everything in her power to ensure her son is safely returned home. Will Red Hugh be rescued in time to fulfill the prophecy of old, or will he fall victim to the cruelty of the English? Find out more by reading this intriguing piece.
This book has a lot of positive aspects. The main premise is introduced promptly by the authors, and I found myself quickly becoming engrossed in the story. The themes presented in the book address significant issues that can still be found in today's society, like oppression and the misuse of power and authority. In this book, the English Queen and her troops take all necessary measures to keep Ireland under their rule. Red's mother fights to fulfill the prophecy. However, the English oppose this decision because they support the system of primogeniture.
The book has minor punctuation errors, so I believe it was professionally edited. The foreign terms and phrases were explained by the authors to avoid any confusion. I got to learn a little bit about the ancient traditions and customs of Ireland, for instance, the custom of not waiting for official wedding announcements because an informal alliance sufficed for a couple to be betrothed. This is proof of proper research and expertise on the authors' part. Also, the family tree placed at the beginning of the book was enlightening, and I love that all the time skips in the book were properly indicated.
The book was written from an omniscient point of view, and its characters were well-written and extremely realistic. I respect how the main characters remained unified in the face of danger and struggle while having flaws in their unique ways. For many reasons, Ineen is my favorite character because she stands out in the best way possible. The plot of the book revolves around the tough decisions she had to make. Despite all the odds, she never once considered giving up. Even when her husband was indisposed, she stayed strong and kept herself motivated by relying on her Christian faith and remaining positive even when things got difficult. She never hid behind her title and even joined her men to fight. Despite her flaws, she was unique and selfless; as such, she is a wonderful role model for mothers everywhere.
I found nothing negative about the book. I consider it a fantastic body of work, and the authors did a great job conjuring up an exciting adventure. As a result of the reasons listed above, I have decided to give this book a perfect rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and adventure books. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys tales of war with a touch of romance.
******
Dark Queen of Donegal
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon