The Chronicles of Iona: Exile by Paula de Fougerolles
Length: 394 Pages
Publishing: 25th May 2012
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Iona-Exile-Paula-Fougerolles/dp/0615602541
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21654964-the-chronicles-of-iona
Blurb
The Chronicles of Iona: Exile tells the story of the Irish monk and Scottish warrior, Saint Columba and Aedan mac Gabran, who would band together to lay the foundation of the nation of Scotland. They were a real-life 6th-century Merlin and King Arthur and their story has never been told.
The book begins in 563 A.D. The Roman Empire is long gone, freeing the region of Scotland from the threat of imperial rule but opening it to chaos from warring tribes vying for control. Columba, a powerful abbot-prince, is exiled from Ireland to the pagan colony of Dal Riata on Scotland’s west coast for an act of violence. There he encounters Aedan, the down-and-out second son of the colony’s former king, slain by the Picts.
Together, this unlikely pair travels the breadth of a divided realm, each in search of his own kind of unity. Their path is fraught with blood feuds, lost love, treachery, dark gods and monsters, but also with miracles and valor. Beset on all sides, their only hope is to become allies—and to forge a daring alliance with the pagan Picts.
How Columba overcame exile and a crisis of faith to found the famous monastery of Iona (one of the greatest centers of learning in Dark Age Europe) and, from it, the Celtic Church in the British Isles; and how Aedan avenged his father’s death and became, against all odds, the progenitor of Scottish kings and the greatest warlord of his age, begins here.
For both, what begins as a personal imperative becomes a series of events that lead to the foundation of Iona and the kingdom of Scotland—events that literally change the world.
Saint Columba, an Irish monk, is a follower of the wrong god. The God he follows is loving and kind, whereas the gods that the others follow all have more insidious things that fuel them. He claims to have been chosen as a child by his God to be a monk, but his parents were very confused when he said that he felt immense love when he heard the voice. His people were used to gods who also reacted very visibly. A god might kill a neighboring family with plague for not giving the proper offering, or might speak directly to their followers. Columba’s god never did this, and yet Columba had dedicated his whole life to preaching his beliefs. That was until he killed someone and was exiled. Now, Columba and a Scottish warlord named Aedan, two outcasts, must travel through the war-torn land to try to find their next place to call home.
I love historical fiction so I knew I had to be a part of this tour! The books I read usually take place from the mid 1700s to late 1800s, so this was a tad further back than I usually go as it was set in the 500s. Nevertheless, this book truly showed that modern issues have been around in similar forms for many, many years.
Aedan’s story was one of political drama and forbidden love. His father was killed by the Picts and his colony stolen from him, driving Aedan on a path of revenge for his father’s life and family’s birthright. He has the misfortune to fall for one he cannot have, and she will be the one to constantly keep his mind busy whilst he goes on this journey with Columba. Columba’s story was more focused on religion, beliefs, and forging your own path. Columba has beliefs that he has held strongly since he was a young boy, but this was a time when the gods spoke in the forms of miracles or tragedies. His was rather silent as the pagan gods seemed to constantly be doing good or bad deeds towards their believers or nonbelievers. Whether those deeds were truly the actions of a god or the misinterpretations of an uneducated population, that was for Columba to see on his journey.
I found myself enjoying this book once i was around 30% of the way through. It was a slow start as I struggled to feel connected to the characters and the setting. This is definitely one of those books where you truly have to focus to become immersed in the story, which is something that I struggle with from time to time. I’ve been spoiled by fast 2-hour read romance novels, so slow burn novels take a minute for me to get into. Once the story picked up, I couldn’t put the book down. The battle scenes captivated me as I couldn’t wait to see who became the victor, and the romantic drama had me on the absolute edge of my seat. It took me a few nights of reading to get through this book (definitely used the highlight feature of my Kindle to keep track of important story bits!) but I felt so satisfied once I finished it. Hopefully someday soon I will get the chance to pick up the second book in the series to see how Columba and Aedan’s story continues.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an in-depth historical fiction novel.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 books.
About the Author
Paula de Fougerolles has a doctorate from the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, University of Cambridge, and has taught and published in the field. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Scotland and Ireland, including a prestigious year-long Thomas J. Watson Fellowship in which she criss-crossed Europe in search of the physical remains of the so-called Dark Ages–research which ultimately led to this award-winning historical fiction series. To learn more, visit www.pauladefougerolles.com.
Great review!