Morrigan's Brood - Softcover

Dunbar, Heather Poinsett; Dunbar, Christopher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1937341003 ISBN 13: 9781937341008

Publisher: Triscelle Publishing, 2011

Synopsis

I am a child of the Goddess Morrigan... I was born in the land of Éire... And my heart blazes with its fury... I have lived through the ages... I seek to right those who have wronged... I am the Maintainer of the Balance... The Balance must be maintained Evil reigns throughout much of the western world in the mid sixth century. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, a group of blood-drinkers called the Lamia begin the search for a long, lost relic that will restore power to the Roman Empire. After traveling much of the known world, the Lamia discover the relic’s location: Ireland. The Lamia invasion forces win a foothold on the Island of Éire and hasten their search for this most important relic. Standing in their way is an outcast Roman general from many ages before, a Briton who would rather tell bawdy jokes than fight, and a young woman who has found her newly acquired lands under siege by a manipulative Lamia seeking vengeance against his oldest foe. They are not alone. The Lamia are not the only blood-drinking line on earth. A race called the Deargh Du, who draw their lineage from the Goddess Morrigan, will rise up and face the challenges of those who would tip the balance. Join the Journey, the first in a series of stories revolving around the Deargh Du through the ages.

About this title

From the Author

This is where our story begins.  A single Heather Poinsett goaded a single Christopher Dunbar into helping her polish up her manuscript for a vampire novel set in the modern day with flashbacks to the ancient world.  After finding two or three agents and / or publishers willing to read her manuscript, she sent it in.  Two different people told her the same thing... lose the modern setting and stick to the ancient world.  Then began a year of scrapping and re-envisioning.  Instead of being the owner of a rare books store in the modern era, Maél Muire (pronounced "mal mure") became the only daughter of a deceased Chieftain of a small coastal village in northwestern Ireland in the 6th century CE.

We made considerable changes to characters, plot, setting... everything.  We wrote and we wrote and came up with something like 1,200 pages for our manuscript; book page count exceed 700 pages.  The decision was made to split the manuscript into two... Morrigan's Brood and Crone of War.  More is told about splitting off Crone of War on that book's page.  Unfortunately, the beautiful cover Khanada Taylor had designed for the 700 page book fit Crone of War, so we needed a new cover for Morrigan's Brood.  Luckily, the back cover art looked so cool that we asked Khanada to brighten it up a bit, add more color, and then use it for the cover of Morrigan's Brood.

I will offer a bit of a heads-up for this book.  If you became infatuated with the book after reading the prologue, you may become a little disappointed through the next few chapters, which explain the animosity between two of the main characters, Marcus Galerius Primus Helvetticus and Mandubratius, as well as how they both arrived in Ireland.  I mention this because many readers have commented about the Roman chapters, or the Man chapters, as some of our female readers have expressed it, saying they were odd, out of place, considering what the Prologue and the rest of the chapters were about.  Still, if you manage to muddle through the Roman chapters, you will find that later in the story... in the series, actually... that those Roman chapters were quite necessary and informative.

My co-author and I hope you enjoy the beginning of your journey and will continue on through the next books of the series.

From the Inside Flap

The Druid Grove near Loch Garman

     Ruarí stood in the middle of the grove and gazed down upon the unseeing eyes of the hare.  The animal's body rested on top of the granite altar.  The hare's blood pooled on the altar and began to drip to the earth in offering.  The animal had made no complaint or sudden movement as the druid sliced through the soft part of its neck.
     Ruarí thanked the hare once again for its sacrifice, and then he turned his gaze skyward.  He could see the red from the fires set by the Romans tingeing the sky, making it appear that the clouds bled blood as red as the hare's.  "Triple One, hear our lament," intoned Ruarí.  "Phantom Queen, we ask for your vengeance against the invaders of your land."
     He raised his hands over his head while holding the bloodstained sacrificial knife.  "Hear our pleas, Morrigan, and come forth to bring sorrow to those who bloodied our clansmen."  He then set the knife on the altar.
     Ruarí could hear his students, who were led by Suibhne, repeat his call.  The elder druid lowered his gaze to his oldest student.  After the two men made eye contact, Ruarí nodded to the younger man.  Suibhne then lit sprigs of herbs he had gathered earlier and passed the burning twigs to each druid.  As Suibhne walked along the circle of druid students, Ruarí continued the summoning.
     "Badhbh, battle raven, we call you forth."  The others continued to chant with him.  Soon, the hairs on the back of Ruarí's neck prickled up as he began to feel energy flow through the circle.  Sensing it was time to unite with the others, Ruarí joined the circle.  The students on either side of him released their burning herbs and clasped hands with him.  Then in turn, each druid student dropped his or her burning herbs and joined hands with the next, until the entire circle was joined as one.
     All eyes gazed skyward as clouds gathered and swirled into a dark circle, spanning out from directly above the grove.  A cone formed at the base of the clouds, and soon strong winds whipped at the clothing of the druids.  Small trees and branches lifted from where they lay and scattered beyond sight.  Lightning shattered the darkness, and thunder boomed with deafening ferociousness.  Such was not a natural storm in these parts.  Only the wrath of a deity could spring such a torrent.

About this edition

• Publisher: Triscelle Publishing
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1937341003
• ISBN 13: 9781937341008
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 312
• Editor: Aalderink Sarah E.
• Illustrator: Taylor Khanada, Hartley Dayna