Daughters of Fire - Barbara Erskine

The Romans are landing in Britannia.....

Cartimandua, the young woman destined to rule the great tribe of the Brigantes, watches the invaders come ever closer. From the start her world is a maelstrom of love and conflict, revenge and retribution. Cartimandua's life becomes more turbulent and complicated as her power grows, and her political skills are threatened by her personal choices. She has formidable enemies on all sides as she faces a decision which will change the future of all around her.

In the present day, historian Viv Lloyd Rees has immersed herself in the legends surrounding the Celtic Queen. Viv strggles to hide her visions of Cartimandua and her conviction that they are real. But her obsession becomes ever more persistent as she takes possession of an ancient brooch that carries a curse. Bitter rivalries and overwhelming passions are reawakened as past envelops present and Viv finds herself in the greatest danger of her life.

There's also a slightly different synopsis here.


With the mix of Celtic history and spirituality, spirit hauntings etc etc it was almost a foregone conclusion that I would like this book but I wasn't prepared for being totally hooked by it. Normally I'm just a bedtime reader, preferring to leave days free for house jobs, stitching, cardmaking, the occasional visitor and the like, but not with this book: any spare few minutes and out it came. I needed to know what happened next, so very little else got done until I'd read it all.

This was my first Barbarar Erskine book - it certainly won't be the last. Thanks for introducing her books to me. :0)

Julie: I'll get it ready for posting but it may have to wait until next weekend before it goes to the PO - depends how work goes for DH. ;0)