Too Long a Sacrifice

I rather groaned at the beginning with its rather idealised Celtic setting of Olde Ireland. But once we get into the action and our heroes are zoomed forward into 1970s Belfast I warmed to it. I winced at the occasional solecism - a character goes "down Falls Road" from the RVH to Milltown, another complains about Monaghan having been partitioned from Ulster, Newgrange is shifted north of Dundalk (though I'd allow this for artistic reasons) and a Peace People march is confronted by a Loyalist counter-demonstration - but I thought the author was relatively evenhanded in her treatment of all sides and her portrayal of the awfulness of violence.

The writing is solid and pleasing, the ideas are good, and the basic plot is well told. Broxon has thought deeply about her subject and done good research, giving especially the modern parts of the book a ring of truth. My only wish is that she had better developed the archetypal characters so that there was greater impact on me as a reader as their subplot unfolded. My impression, too, is that the Horned God and Goddess bit is borrowed from Wicca, and is not actual Celtic mythos. Nevertheless, recommended for those interested in Ireland and Irish history, as well as in the struggle for peace.

An Irish healer and her husband, a bard, are cursed and fated to live with the sidhe until released into the twentieth century, where powers greater than they involve them in the Troubles.