The Cross of Ciaran by Andrea Matthews

The Cross of Ciaran by Andrea Matthews is a paranormal romance novel about an archaeologist named Caitlin O’Connell who discovers the fifteen-hundred-year-old tomb of Ciaran, a disgraced pagan priest. Matthews expertly weaves dual timelines into her story’s fabric with it flipping back and forth between the 1960s and fifth century Ireland- a period of time we get to explore through Ciaran’s eyes that’s filled with magic, betrayal and religious and political intrigue. This ancient world that Matthews has crafted is intricate with its Celtic and Pagan influences, and is teeming with life with Matthews’ use of Latin and Gaelic. The frequent flashbacks to this time long past allows readers to understand and sympathise with Ciaran as they show his experiences spanning from when he was a young boy to the events in his life that ultimately domino into his untimely and frankly horrifying and unwarranted death. It is truly astounding how attached I became to some of the characters from this age-old past who have been dead for centuries at the primary time period the book takes place and who we’re only shown glimpses of from Ciaran’s memories. This is a testament to the absolute life that Matthews breathes into her characters who actually transcend the confines of mere characters to become full-fledged and fleshed-out people and friends who you come to care for as much as Ciaran does.

The book’s heroine and resident spunky professor, Caitlin, is also a delight to read about. The only woman in a field dominated by men, you won’t find Caitlin resigning herself to the shadows of her male colleagues- rather, Caitlin makes it a point to thrust herself into the light with her absolute love and passion for her line of work. Her dedication to her profession and her absolute giddiness and excitement at new discoveries practically leaps off the page and is so infectious, you will feel as animated as she does. Caitlin’s chemistry with her colleagues is strong and is laden with the sense of the prior adventures and experiences that Caitlin has undeniably had with them. You aren’t just told of the bond that Caitlin has with them- you can feel it too.

It would be an injustice, however, to not mention what is by far the novel’s most compelling pairing which is between Ciaran and Caitlin themselves. It turns out that a man and woman out of time- the former literally and the latter spiritually- makes for a potent combination and this is in no small part a credit to Matthew’s beautiful descriptions. Her writing has almost a lyrical quality to it in the way that it ebbs and flows from one sentence to the next and is so vivid and visceral that, upon reading it, I felt like I was physically inside the book itself, witnessing the events of the story.

Overall, The Cross of Ciaran is one that you will not want to miss if you want a rich historical romance with an abundance of both heart and heartbreak.

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