Red Branch by Morgan Llywelyn

Rating: 5.0

What it's about:
In a land ruled by war and love and strange enchantments, Cuchulain — torn between gentleness and violence, haunted by the croakings of a sinister raven — fights for his honor and his homeland and discovers too late the trap that the gods have set for him in the fatal beauty of Deirdre and the brutal jealousy of King Conor.

My thoughts:
Red Branch is a well written novel about "Ireland's mythical warrior-hero Cuchulain." It brings Cuchulain to life and sets him up in the company of enemies, friends, lovers and even an ancient goddess in the form of a raven. The story starts out when the child Cuchulain is know as Setanta. The man who Setanta believes to be his father is a warrior of the Red Branch, the army of the King of Ulster. Because Setanta feels entitled to be with the Boys' Troop in training to become Red Branch, he runs away from home to find Emain Macha...the stronghold of the King. He finds the stronghold and the course of his life is set in motion. Along the way Setanta becomes a man, earns the name Cuchulain (hound of Cullen), trains with a warrior woman on the island of Skya, becomes the champion of Ulster and all the time is followed by a mysterious raven.

Cuchulain is an absolutely enthralling character. He is kind and sensitive but when the Rage overtakes him....woe to his enemies. He turns into a kind of berserker and is virtually unstoppable. Red Branch is filled with intriguing characters. There is Emer, Cuchulain's wife, who reveals in her own way what true love really means. The deep friendship between Cuchulain and Ferdiad is stunning in it's passion. Laeg is exceptionally loyal and faithful in his role as Cuchulain's charioteer. These characters and many, many more fill the pages of this book with life and make Red Branch a wonderful read.