AWAKENING THE GODS (RISE OF THE CELTIC GODS) by KRISTIN GLEESON – Review by Sherry Sharpnack

Awakening the Gods by Kristin Gleeson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novel is going to be hard to review w/o spoilers, b/c a major plot twist happens very early in the story…
Saoirse has a university degree, but has been fired from her job as a barista. The only thing that truly makes her happy is playing her flute in musical sessions at a local pub. She has no family to turn to for help w/ rent or a new job, as she has no relationship w/ her father; he only paid for her succession of boarding schools.
Then a few things happen for Saoirse: she flirts w/ Luke, one of the musicians at the sessions, for the first time; she meets Smithy, a fiddler, at this same session, and their music weaves together, lifting them both up. Saoirse’s father also dies unexpectedly — and she finds out she has a grandmother! Her grandmother invites her to visit, and since Saoirse is jobless and soon to be homeless, she takes the woman, Anna, up on her offer.
Saoirse moves in w/ Anna, who lives on a tidy farm in a village filled w/ quirky characters. And – lo and behold! – Smithy lives in the same village! As his name suggests, he is a blacksmith, making blades of nearly magical capability. Or… are they actually magical? What’s up w/ Maura the neighbor? And what does Anna know about Saoirse’s past and her real parents? It seems that Maura and Anna have been around forever… have they?  There are a number of plot-twist revelations, and Saoirse has to accept who she really is, and that she might be Smithy’s only hope.  Then the ending sets us up for Book #2 in the series, which I will have to read when it comes out!
This book came along at a propitious time, as much of my non-fiction reading of late has been the stories about ancient Irish deities. I would suggest that one read the pronunciation guide for the Irish language and author’s notes BEFORE reading the novel; they are at the end of the novel, at least in the Kindle edition, so look for those first. I might even suggesting looking up some of the deity stories on-line before reading the novel, so that one can really appreciate what Saoirse is up against. 4 stars.

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