A Holland Reads: The Taking of Ireland by Anna Markland

Title: The Taking of Ireland

Author: Anna Markland

Release Date: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Anna Markland

Genre: Historical Romance

Long ago, in a time of myth, a prince sailed from Galicia to Inisfail seeking revenge for the murder of his uncle by the High King…

Sibrán expects to encounter an opposing army but instead is greeted by a beautiful woman who appears to be accompanied only by her faithful wolfhound. Aislinn bids him welcome, but he suspects she is a sorceress sent to kill him by the very king he plans to slay.

As they journey to the Fort of Kings, events prove that Aislinn does indeed possess powers beyond those of an ordinary human, yet he cannot deny he is inexorably drawn to her. He believes Destiny has brought him to Inisfail, but can he persuade Aislinn that she too is destined to play a role in the establishment of a new kingdom? Or will she remain forever the slave of the tyrant Moqorr who claims to be King of the Otherworld as well as Inisfail?

Perhaps they are all under the evil king’s spell.

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Meet the Author:

I’m a Canadian author with a keen interest in genealogy. I write medieval romance about family honour, ancestry, and roots. My novels are intimate love stories full of passion and adventure.

Passion conquers whatever obstacles a hostile medieval world can throw in its path. My page-turning adventures have earned me a place on Amazon’s All-Star list.

Besides writing, I have two addictions-crosswords and genealogy, probably the reason I love research. I am a fool for cats. My husband is an entrepreneur who is fond of boasting he’s never had a job.

I live on Canada’s scenic west coast now, but I was born and raised in the UK and I love breathing life into the history of my homeland.

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Guest Post:

My story was initially inspired by the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland), a collection of poems and prose narratives that purports to be a history of Ireland and the Irish people from the creation of the world to the Middle Ages.
The earliest version was compiled in the 11th century (probably by Christian monks) and tells of Ireland being settled (or taken) six times by six groups of people.
My story centers on the last two groups, the Tuatha Dè Danann, who in the Lebor represent Ireland’s pagan gods, and the Milesians who sailed from Galicia and represent the Irish people, the Gaels.
Most scholars regard the Lebor as myth rather than history, and it was perhaps an attempt to reconcile native Irish myth with the Christian view of history.
I often base my plots on actual historical events, but this tale didn’t provide such a framework, which left my imagination free to soar into the realm of the mythical and magical. It was a scary journey into the unknown at first, but one I thoroughly enjoyed once the ideas began to flow and I got to know my characters.
Bear in mind, however, that my Tuathans and Gaelicians are figments of my imagination and are not meant to be a literal interpretation of the pseudo-historical peoples in the Lebor.

“Myth is more potent than history.
Dreams are more powerful than facts.”
~Robert Fulghum