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Morgan Llywelyn

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Red Branch Paperback – December 30, 1989

by Morgan Llywelyn (Author)

4.5 80 ratings

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"Powerful . . . A lusty, poetic and legendary world based on Ireland's mythical warrior-hero Cuchulain." The New York Times Book Review
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.

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"Powerful . . . A lusty, poetic and legendary world based on Ireland's mythical warrior-hero Cuchulain." The New York Times Book Review
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.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ivy Books (December 30, 1989)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 080410591X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0804105910
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,438,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,441 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
- #28,628 in Epic Fantasy (Books)

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4.5 80 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

80 global ratings

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Wandering Soul

Another GREAT book by Llywelyn!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2001

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You walk across a lonely glen in Ulster. In the middle stands a solitary stone jutting magnificantly into the air. What stories this stone must have if only it could tell them!
Morgan Llywelyn has told the stories of this stone and what it has seen. She takes you back over 2000 years to Ireland of ancient times. A time when when people were able to harness the spirits and powers of nature.
Llwelyn tells the story of a young boy in Ireland destined to become the Champion of Ulster, Cuchulain the Hound of Ulster. Cuchulain is blessed/cursed with extraordinary warrior skills and defends Ulster with all his heart.
The story brings you back to a time when being a warrior was to be noble, and power was vested in those that could win battles and bring home the spoils. We see the interaction between Connor Mac Nessa and his Connaught rival, Maeve. Years of rivalry between these two provinces result in fierce battles where the Hound proves his worth.
Take a step back into time with this incredible book. You won't be able to set it down once you begin!

14 people found this helpful

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Groovy girl

at the time it was a library book and it was a wonderful read. Fast forward to 2017

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2017

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I read this book in he 90's. at the time it was a library book and it was a wonderful read. Fast forward to 2017, I made a statement that reminded me of that great novel and had to read it again. I was able to purchase a new hardcover from amazon and enjoyed it all over again. It's a great Irish folklore written awesomely! I would recommend it for anyone who loves Irish folklore.

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2012

From my blog:

A friend lent this book to me after I had finished the latest book in Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle. He thought that it would fit nicely with the story behind the legend theme, and it definitely is in the same vein. Red Branch, however, has a very different feel in other ways and is much more classic ancient story.

Title: Red Branch
Author: Morgan Llyweln
Pages: ~500 (paperback)
Setting: Ancient/mythical northern Ireland, magic and magical people and gods all exist, but for the most part that is in the background
Premise: Setanta (who later goes by Cuchulain) is a warrior from Irish myths and this is the story of the boy who becomes a man who becomes a legend. He has a bit of magic in his blood and some parent issues, but a goddess (not exactly the one that I would want around) takes him under her wing (haha, pun) and follows him as he becomes the legend that has been remembered as one of the oldest stories in existence.

Strengths:

A very realistic portrayal of the main character with all the strengths and weaknesses that a well-rounded character has.
Beautiful writing and style
Well rounded "villains" and secondary characters as well
Deliciously ambiguous and human villains, there really aren't even villains here since we get to know the "bad guys" hearts and motives as well
Who doesn't love guy love between friends?
I think that the legend and myths are followed fairly accurately, though I haven't researched this part

Weaknesses:

Compared to the fast pace of modern fiction, the book does feel a bit slow and windy at times
This can be considered and strength or weakness depending on who you are, but the end of the book has a ton of tear-jerking moments
Women have a rather secondary role in the culture, which can be a bit frustrating if you want a strong female character (who isn't a crazy death goddess)
There isn't really an over-arching plot besides the story of Cuchulain's life (which works for me, but adds to the windy nature)

Summary: I really enjoyed this book, though I think it's important to understand going into it that it is a slower pace. It is honestly rather relaxing for most of the story (until the crying parts) and a nice story, though it is definitely not a page-turner and you could get bored if you were trying to read it on a plane or something equally distracting. I recommend this as a going-to-sleep book.

More reviews at[...]

2 people found this helpful

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DMoore

My favorite super-hero

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2014

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I have read other Morgan Llywelyn books, but never got the joy out of them that I got from this story. The author takes me to ancient Ulster, and makes Cuchulain my friend and companion in every page. I lost my original copy, so ordered another from here. I've read this book many, many times; and love it more with every reading.

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2020

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Great book. Love this author

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Roman

Better than you expect!

Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2011

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I was very pleasantly surprised. I had always had trouble keeping all these legendary characters apart. Not only has this novel helped with it, but it has also entertained by mixing magic, love, and beautiful celtic culture. I liked it so much, in fact, that I have ordered another of her novels.

One person found this helpful

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BG

ALRIGHT

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2013

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got this because i needed it for class. hard to read as the text is heavily celtic influenced. but as a story, its pretty cool and catching. worth the read if its for class

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Siobhan OLaoghaire

strands of the Ulster cycle woven together seamlessly

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2006

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This book weaves together the many stories that comprise the life of Cuchulain and the other warriors of the Red Branch. Llywelyn, as usual, shows great skill in telling this story, as well as injecting the book with a feel of what Ireland was like during this long ago time.

7 people found this helpful

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