Isles of the Earthbound
By E A Underwood
(2 customer reviews)
Publication Date: 28 Sep 2024
£9.99
Categories: Fantasy and Horror
ISBN: 9781835740453eISBN: 9781835741726
Description
Circa 500 AD. Daring seafarers from the West Coast of Scotland have made a voyage of discovery deep into the Atlantic to a land they name Tìr-ùr. Bountiful, verdant, seemingly empty and ripe for the taking. That is until they encounter the earthbound, a race possessed of some characteristics the colonists find profoundly unsettling.
Off the coast of this new land, on the fortress island of Tèarmann, a young woman, Fìrinn, awaits her arranged marriage to Amrhan, a charming and fascinating nobleman newly arrived from the distant homeland. The only child of the leader of the settlers and his earthbound wife, Fìrinn is unsure of her place in the world. When she discovers some disturbing truths about her husband-to-be, she is compelled to flee Tèarmann, seeking refuge with her mother’s people.
Isles of the Earthbound is the story of a defiant young woman forced to make crucial choices, but also a powerful evocation of the natural world in all its aspects, both the joyful and the terrible.
E A Underwood lives on a smallholding in the Blackdown Hills in Somerset. When not writing stories or growing food, she can be found wandering along rivers, across the moors, in the woods or by the sea. Always fascinated by stories of mythical lands, Isles of the Earthbound is her first novel and the result of musings on what might have happened if our ancestors had actually discovered such a place.
Reviews
Tasha Wright - 28 Oct, 2024
An immersive read with a dark edge. The author has mined a wealth of British and Irish mythology to create a story that takes the reader on a journey through stunning, well realised locations. We follow Fìrinn, a young woman reeling from grief, as she find resilience and strength among her mother’s people in an untamed land. The book also explores the wonder and complexity of our relationship with our natural world. It is an engaging and emotive example of historical fantasy with a message to us all about caring for our own very magical, very real world under threat.
Will Andrew - 24 Oct, 2024
This is a compelling and beautifully observed novel about a young dual-heritage woman finding her place in a dangerous and unforgiving landscape. Caught between the political machinations of a Celtic-esque group of iron age colonists trying to expand their hold and the indigenous people who just want to be left alone, Fìrinn's search for identity and freedom is well realised, and her character is fantastically written. In fact, all of the characters are well written and believable and the story is fast-paced and gripping.
A real star in this novel is the landscape itself, which is so beautifully described. This is important because the environment, and the character's relationships with it, are central to the novel. I really loved this book, and am looking forward to seeing what this talented author writes next!
