[Book review] The Raven Queen by Jules Watson

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Celtic mythology has long provided fertile ground for fantasy novels.  The rich history, coupled with Druid mysteries, lends itself well to telling a good story.  And these novels are often researched just as well as ones with a straight historical perspective.  Jules Watson’s recent book, The Raven Queen, blends history and myth to paint a portrait of Maeve, the warrior queen of the Iron Age.

                                        

When Maeve flees to her home of Connacht, abandoning her husband King Conor of Ulster, she knows that she’s breaking the alliance between their kingdoms.  But she also knows that Conor has ambitions beyond his own lands—he wants to rule all of Erin as high king.

Maeve’s father’s death throws the kingdom into turmoil over who should rule, but Maeve knows that they must all pull together, and quickly, if they wish to avoid being overthrown by Conor.  Proving herself in battle and showing her cunning and quick wit, she steps into the role of ruler.  But her relationship with the blind druid Ruan forces her to confront all that is unworthy and dark in her soul, and Maeve soon finds that being a queen may demand more than she is able to give.

Initially, I had a hard time getting into this book.  The narrative jumps back and forth between Maeve and Ruan, and it wasn’t immediately apparent how the two storylines related.  Plus, Maeve’s part in the tale is full of activity and physical struggle, while Ruan’s story is a lot of mystical communion with the Sidhe at an isolated lake.  While the two plots do come together, it takes about 100 pages for the novel to settle into its rhythm.

But once it does, it’s a compelling book.  It’s especially poignant to watch Maeve’s struggles to command her people as a ruler when it’s usual for a man to be the reigning monarch.  And in fact, Maeve goes through a trial of sorts in which she both is and isn’t queen.  The political maneuvering caused by this situation, and the actions that Maeve must take to secure her kingdom’s safety, are nail-biters.

As for the other characters, I liked the dichotomies they presented.  Older warriors seem more inclined to accept Maeve on the strength of her actions than the younger ones.  Maeve works to get people to see past her fiery reputation while dealing with a daughter who is all too much like Maeve herself.  Druids are just as involved in politics as anybody and yet still bend to the will of the gods.  When they all interact, it makes each character complex, just as real people who hold differing and sometimes contradictory beliefs. 

The author provides an essay at the end in which she outlines what she drew from myth and what came from history.  This allows readers to not only get a better sense of how the book was put together, but also gives a portrait of the country as it was so many centuries ago.  She also, thankfully, provides a pronunciation guide to the names and places.

Although slow to start, The Raven Queen redeems itself in a story of passion, battle and mystery.  Maeve is a character to admire, both for her strength and for the very human weaknesses that she conquers.  As we celebrate this Saint Patrick’s Day, pick up this novel and relive the early days of Erin’s glory.

This book was provide by the publisher.