In Somerled, the boy with integrity and a fighting spirit, who grows up to be a leader of men, Antonia Senior has created a perfect hero for our times: caught between the old gods and the new, Somerled and those who love him show us ourselves, reflected back in a simpler, harsher world. This is passionate, wonderful, windswept writing, full of the wonder of hill and heath and sea. If you care about Scotland, if you care about life, this is an anthem to passion and the duties of power. Wonderful. One of the must-reads of the year. -- Manda Scott
Senior's prose is beautiful and powerful, poetic and yet immediate... She has taken a Norse-Gaelic legend and made it ring true, which is no small feat. The historical setting of twelfth-century Scotland and its islands is incredibly well-evoked... Fearlessly and deftly done. I loved this book deeply. -- Giles Kristian
Antonia writes so beautifully, so convincingly about the west coast of Scotland in the 12th century that the reader is instantly whisked back to those stormy days of Viking-style raids, Celtic marriage alliances, heroic warriors and hardy women and their battles to live and love and prosper on the watery edge of the world. Her prose is exquisite - lyrical, sensitive, constantly and delightfully surprising. Her characters are utterly believable, rounded, engaging and absolutely of their time... Antonia has proved herself once again to be in the very first rank of British historical novelists. -- Angus Donald
A spirited narrative that combines the violence and energy common in such sagas with a subtlety that is much rarer -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *
Scottish history, rebooted... The world as described here is brutal, violent and dangerous but Senior finds moments of tenderness and humanity in her characters, making them sympathetic and surprisingly modern-and the action is as fast-paced as a thriller. * The Times *
There's passionate love and battlefield gore, and everything between... It is epic historical fiction to perfectly suit modern tastes. -- Ronald Frame * Sunday Herald *
Vivid and enjoyable... skilfully mixes fierce dynastic warfare with a personal tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice. -- Nick Rennison * BBC History Magazine *
A gripping read * Scotsman *
Scotland's sea-streaked, windswept history roars out of the pages of former Times journalist Antonia Senior's second novel like a wave of salt and blood... It's vicious, bloody, full of profanities - and completely gripping. * Sun *
