One of the things that makes this novel so interested is the intricate history of the Catholic church and the Celtic mythology/lore. Even though Tompkins did a nice job with staying true to the authenticity of Celtic mythology, I found that I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decipher the names and understand some of the lore. I am NOT up on any of my Celtic mythology and I was distracted by many of the characters names in the book.

This book was a little convoluted for me for one simple reason….all the Celtic names and lore. Loyalties are tested, betrayals sown, and the coming war will have repercussions that ripple centuries later, in today’s world-and in particular for a young graduate student named Sara Hill. But increasingly he finds himself torn between duty and his desire to understand the magic that has been forbidden.Īs kings prepare, exorcists gather, and divisions widen between the warring clans of Ireland, Aisling and Jordan must come to terms with powers given and withheld, while a world that can still foster magic hangs in the balance. Jordan, the Vatican commander tasked with vanquishing the remnants of otherworldly creatures from a disenchanted Europe, has built a career on such plots. But within medieval Ireland interests are divided, and far from its shores greater forces are mustering.īoth England and Rome have a stake in driving magic from the Emerald Isle.

What became of magic in the world? Who needed to do away with it, and for what reasons? Drawing on myth, legend, fairy tales, and Biblical mysteries, this book imagines answers to these questions, sweeping us back to a world where humans and magical beings co-exist as they had for centuries.Īisling, a goddess in human form, was born to rule both domains and-with her twin, Anya-unite the Celts with the powerful faeries of the Middle Kingdom. Mark Tompkins has crafted a remarkable tale-a feat of world-building that poses astonishing and resonant answers to epic questions. It introduces us to unforgettable characters who grapple with quests for power, human frailty, and the longing for knowledge that has been made taboo.

It’s being market to fans of Deborah Harkness’s All Soul’s Trilogy so of course when I saw it, I was excited to read something that promises so much! This book has only recently been on my radar.

The last days of magic by mark tompkins