Kennealy-Morrison, Patricia

The Deer's Cry (Keltiad/Patricia Kennealy-Morrison)

Average customer rating:

The Deer's Whimper
I think the Goddess is getting bored with her mouthpiece
Unmitigated Bilge
Good book, horrid cover
A disappointment

The Deer's Cry (Keltiad/Patricia Kennealy-Morrison)
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Manufacturer: HarperPrism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Blackmantle: A Triumph (Keltiad)
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ASIN: 0061050598

Book Description

For many centuries, an age of magic and peace has flourished in Ireland for the faerie race known as the Danaans. But an invader has now come to those shores who will conquer more fatally than any army, driving the Old Ways from the land forever. His name is Pátraic--and he will be the worst thing that ever happened to Ireland...

In the Earth year 453 by the Common Reckoning, a small fleet of ships left Ireland, carrying emigrants seeking a new home in a far land. But he seas they crossed were not the wild Western Ocean, nor were the ships they sailed the leather-hulled boats of later legend.

Those ships were starships; the oceans the dark starry gulfs of space itself. The new world they sought was a distant double-ringed planet, and though this great heroic voyage was indeed led by a man called Brendan, he was no Christian navigator-monk but the son of a mortal lord and a princess of the Sidhe. And when magic began to die in Ireland, he took the best of Celtdom to the stars.

In The Deer's Cry, eight book of her Keltiad series, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison takes us back to the distant days when Keltia was not yet, and weaves the tale of how it came to be...

Customer Reviews:

The Deer's Whimper.......2005-08-03

Let me state, first and foremost, this is the most egregious example of Mary Sue-ism I have ever read. It stinks; it wreaks; it screams Mary Sue. I didn't know you could do that with an entire book, not just a character. If you don't know what Mary Sue means, Google it and chortle.

The entire book reads like bad fanfic. While I can admire well done flowery prose, detailed descriptions and an attempt to differentiate the speech of an ancient people, the prose clunks along, a well-turned phrase suddenly crumpling into ungrammatical pain. The book is full of interminable descriptions with tongue-twisting dialogue even the characters would have protested if they could speak their minds. I would skip several paragraphs at once to get to the heart of a scene because her descriptions rarely had bearing on the action and were too boring/distracting to plow through. To publish such poor writing should be a crime.

There was nothing resembling tension, action, risk or excitement in this book. Ms. Kennealy is simply relating to her readers the events of the Celt's (Kelt's) immram from Earth and she's managed to strip every last hint of passion from it. Despite the fact her readers know it succeeded there's not the slightest bit of worry that some of the key characters may not make it. There is not the tiniest fear that their plans will be found out by Patraic or his followers and nefarious plots hatched to stop them. There is not the teensiest concern that a close friend might betray them. There is so little danger to the character's or their endeavor you wonder why you're reading it at all.

I honestly disliked the childish manner in which she portrayed both faiths. I'm a Pagan and even I found the way she treated Christianity to be offensive and rude, using the same hack arguments without thought. And she did equal disservice to her version of ancient Celtic faith (not that anything is actually known other than what little Irish monk-scholars recorded at the time) by holding it up as the one and far better faith. She becomes guilty of the hubris she decries in Patraic and his followers.

This book could have been so much better if Patraic were as sympathetic and admirable as Brendan and they had honest debates about the merits and flaws of each religion. But that would have taken away her cardboard cutout bad guy as well as her catalyst for the immram. Then Ms. Kennealy would have had to do something she seems incapable of - coming up with a better, more compelling reason for the Kelts to leave Earth. So, Patraic and his followers are brutish thugs and Brendan and the other Gael/Danaans proclaim themselves and their faith superior with a smirk and a wink. Yeah, that's mature.

If you need a Kelts in Space fix, go back and read her first three books. They are far, far better than this effort.

I think the Goddess is getting bored with her mouthpiece.......2005-03-11

Once, and not so very long ago, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison wrote fascinating books setting the Kelts in space. She created one of the best-loved fantasy heroines in Aeron, and rewrote the Arthurian legend. Then she wrote the turgid Blackmantle. I hoped it was an aberration, a necessary cleansing of her memories and grievances that somehow missed the editor's desk, and looked forward to her next book.

The Deer's Cry is the story of Brendan the Astrogator, the Kelt who led his people to space, and it should be a rollicking, wild ride. Instead, Kennealy-Morrison puts the reader to sleep with an overlong volume of endless bickering between Brendan and Padraig, also known as St. Patrick, using their feud to symbolize the conflict between pagans and the Church. That, I could have handled; the pagan world's reaction to Christianity was not always awe and acceptance, and it would have been a treat to show some real arguments and debates between the two principals--if Brendan had been less self-righteous, or Padraig the least bit sympathetic. Instead, the characters are all drawn in black and white, the battle is overbalanced in favor of the pagans (who always manage to get in the last word), and everything about the Christians or the early Celtic Church is shown in the darkest light possible.

I'm not looking forward to another book in this planned trilogy. If this is the form Kennealy-Morrison plans to espouse from now on, I dread thinking about what her Gwydion trilogy will look like. For now, I'll keep my "Keltiad" and "Arthur" trilogies as an example of what Kennealy-Morrison can do when she's focused and uses an editor.

Unmitigated Bilge.......2002-06-01

This book is racist and full of screeching dogma. It's also badly written, with clunky prose and eleven-line sentences. The action has a pace like continental drift.

The least we could hope for is an interesting way to be offended, but nope. Don't waste your money. No worry you'd waste your time, because it's unreadable.

Good book, horrid cover.......2002-02-28

When I fist saw this book in the bookstore, it was filed in the "Romance" section, due to the cover art. Like "Blackmantle" before it, it has those horrible bodice-ripper-style covers that cause it's target audience to overlook it and mistake it for romance. Heck, not even the bookstores seemed to be able to place it properly.

That being said, it's actually a fairly good, (if occasionally preachy), story about the Celtic, (later Keltic) immagration from Earth to escape the religious prosectution of "St." Patrick and his followers. (which even other Christians suffered from, as witness the group that flees with the Kelts when they escape the Celtic lands.)

The main weakness isn't really the fault of Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, but of the publishers. Mainly that it's too condensed. Originally meant as the first of a trilogy like her "Aeron" and "Arthur" series, it was rewritten as a stand-alone by decree of her publisher, who then dropped her like a hot potato, (a fate hurting many of the mid-range genre writers anymore.) It would be nice to see this book rewritten as the first of a trilogy - and in the hands of a publisher that *wants* to try and sell a book and pubicize an author. Patricia Kennealy-Morrison's too good of a writer to deserve this fate.

A disappointment.......2002-01-28

I am a big fan of Patricia Kennealy's Keltiad series and very much enjoyed her other books, but this was a great disappointment. The author makes it very clear that it is her opinion that the bringing of Christianity to Ireland was a crime. It is a shame that the author allowed her feelings to get in the way of writing a decent book. There was a lot of potential of this book, but it was all wasted. If you wish to read a book by Patricia Kennealy - read one of the other books of the Keltiad.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely Fantastic !!
A must-read for Sci-Fi and Fantasy lovers alike
Insights on the Keltiad (no summarizing, no spoilers)
Insights on the Keltiad (no summarizing, no spoilers)
A good start - or middle..

The Copper Crown (Keltiad)
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451450507

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Fantastic !!.......2006-06-11

I just absolutely love this book ... all the books in this extensive series are fantastic. I wish Patricia Kennealy-Morrison would continue writing more books the series.

Her writing style is just so enthralling. I love the story and all the characters.

Aeron and Gwydion are the perfect heros/lovers and the whole fantasy world is just so loveable.

A must-read for Sci-Fi and Fantasy lovers alike.......2005-12-15

From the moment I picked up the first book in the Keltiad, I was swept away into Kennealy-Morrison's vivid and imaginative world. The seamless blend of science and magic, coupled with a historically believable view of the Keltic civilization had me craving more even after finishing all three books.

Insights on the Keltiad (no summarizing, no spoilers).......2002-12-28

This book is highly creative and original, and especially engaging if you are already familiar with the Celtic civilization (the real one of history). When Kennealy builds her setting she does it inventively and expansively. I especially liked the blurring between magic and technology, leaving both entertwined and barely separate. Her scenes are beautifully described, as I think Kennealy is quite good at describing physical things. (When describing abstract things, she got a bit unclear, but not badly so). Don't read this book if you don't like deciphering foreign names(give 'Sanchoniathon' a try). While there is a handy pronunciation guide, the Gaelic-based names do not at all sound like what they look like. Another slight deterrent is the huge host of characters. This confusion is conveniently compensated by decent character guide, but there were times when there were so many characters I got lost. Also, the complexity of the plot is a bit daunting, but very interesting once untangled. This is not a book for skimming. Read it only if you feel like and are able to concentrate and remember. Kennealy also has a very distracting (at least to me) habit when she switches scenes: a spurt of dialogue or action that has no meaning at first, then attains meaning when she finally backs up and adds context with the past participle--leaving you slightly confused until she clarifies with a "So-and-so had arrived some moments before..." There is also an element of transparency to the text and lack of true depth, but that was curiously not a discouraging factor at all. The characters have an odd habit of laughing at anything unexpected, unusual, wierd, grave, emotional, tense or threatening. So the "unexpected laugh" became quite expected, to my slight annoyance. It wasn't so bad that the language was stilted, flavored highly by wordy old english, but it was stilted inconsistenly, which was what got to me. The characters where not as highly/deeply developed as I'd like them to be, but still realistic, entertaining and diverse. But these faults are all very tiny indeed compared to the message of the story. Overall, the book was highly enjoyable. While I was not very swept emotionally, the scope of the book itself is breathtaking and powerful. Aeron (the protagonist) is an admirable and more than adequate main character. If I had to describe the book in one word, I'd choose "Engaging". This book's most commendable aspect is its appeal to wide audiences: historical fiction, fantasy, scifi, and technological buffs alike. Overall, a very good read, and very recommended.

Insights on the Keltiad (no summarizing, no spoilers).......2002-12-28

A good start - or middle.........2002-02-28

While this is the first published of the Aeron series, it's really the second in terms of chronology, after The Silver Branch. This book deals with the discovery of Keltia by Earth - several thousand years after the Kelts fled Terra to seek their own path on other worlds. The reunion of Kelt and Terran has some major political fallout, and fantasy myth and ancient culture is woven well with Science Fiction. A very good read.

Average customer rating:

Not what I was hoping for.
a magnetic book
The best Arthurian tales out there
Arthur, as the once and _truly_ future king.
Kennealy-Morrison at her best

Hedge of Mist
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

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The Deer's Cry: A Book of the Keltiad
Blackmantle: A Triumph (Keltiad)

ASIN: 0061056049

Amazon.com

In this third volume of the <B>Tales of Arthur</B> series, Taliesin Glyndour, chief poet of Keltia, reveals the climax of the epic of Arthur, his sister Morgan, his beloved Gweniver, and the quest for the Graal -- and finally brings his own Triad to triumphant completion.

Book Description

In this third book in a dazzling trilogy, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison takes her space-going Arthurian legends to a moving and triumphant conclusiona Graal Quest unlike any other.

The final novel in this sequence of Kennealy-Morrison's highly acclaimed science-fantasy series, The Keltiad.

For fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Arthurian fantasy, The Mists of Avalon.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I was hoping for........2003-03-14

It grieves me to say some of this stuff, seeing as how this series came very highly recommended from a friend (who told me to read the Arthur books, then the Aeron books, and finally the two standalones--and, given the kind of reviews Blackmantle is getting from you, my dear fellow reviewers, I do NOT think I shall be reading that one).

This is a series that simply didn't work for me. I've been told that Kennealy considers this to be a sci-fi series more than a fantasy, and yet, there isn't any actual science in them. Ships and the rare computers are controlled by crystals. Horses still seem to provide 99.9% of transportation. Bedding is made of fur. There are no paternity tests, apparently (an important plot point). This is not a scientific world. It is a fantasy, pure and simple.

Also, there are no surprises. Kennealy invokes "dan" (karma, fate, doom, whatever) at every corner, meaning that each and every major plot point is revealed well before it becomes an issue. I found myself rolling my eyes, wondering what the Kelts would think of us Terrans, who aren't given the opportunity to know EXACTLY what we'll be having for breakfast in forty years, much less EXACTLY how long we'll live, who we'll marry, what the names of our grandchildren will be, what our great and mystical destiny will be...

My friend was excited to tell me that there was no Lancelet figure in this series. Well, excepting Keils, there wasn't...but Lancelet is an important part of the Arthur legend. A very, very important part. Because, you see, it is mostly as a result of the whole Gwen/Lance thing that Arthur nanced off to get himself killed, and Camelot fell.

Last major gripe: there is no character development anywhere here. Oh, sure, characters grow up, and grow older, but they don't change must. (Okay, okay, Gweniver changes a bit, over the course of her hundred or so year lifespan.) No, Taliesin is the same person at 100 that he was at five. Donah and Loherin and Tarian and all these other character appear and move offstage without the reader ever having any insight into their being.

All of that said, there were some wonderful parts in this trilogy: the Yamazai were extremely cool, as was the whole "Hedge of Mist" idea, the idea of Taliesin's mother being from earth...probably the scene that moved me most was Arthur and company's demise, which I will not spoil for those of you intent upon reading this book.

Taliesin is a great character, and a great narrator, tempered by humor and anger and love and loyalty, and one is left with the impression that there could be no better bard to tell this story. If only the whole first HALF of this book didn't feel like such a death march to the end...

a magnetic book.......2002-11-13

i couldn't put this book down for 2 days. the story of taliesin is a new one and the male point of view for kennealy is also new. this is much better than even "the hawk's gray feather" "the oak above the kings".

you'll love it. don't try to start one without having both of the others with you.

The best Arthurian tales out there.......2002-02-07

This entire trilogy is wonderfully written and the tales are vibrant with imagery. A must read for anyone. One warning once you go keltiad you never go back. :) Any book by Patricia Kennealy-Morrison is a must own.

Arthur, as the once and _truly_ future king........1998-11-04

In her final book of the "Tales of Arthur" trilogy, Patricia Kennally uses the rich Arthurian legend to its best advantage, spinning it lightyears away 1,000 years in the future. Though her first two books of this series utilized the Arthurian legend, the scope of the myth was not fully tapped into until this book. I had the great fortune to be reading this book at the same time as _La Morte de Arthur_ by Thomas Mallory, and the connections between the two struck me almost every page. Kennally is a master at symbolism and archetypes, and the joy of recognition hits often in this retelling that adds, not detracts from the Arthurian legend.

Kennealy-Morrison at her best.......1998-03-25

When, upon finishing the first two books of this trilogy, I realized I had lost my prized copy of the third, I went into a frenzy; upon finding it, I read it without stopping. (Kennealy-Morrison's works are best read, by the way, with Enya's "The Celts" CD on endless loop in the background.) Despite the thickness that has earned these books the name of doorstoppers and the rather unscientific science, not to mention the highly unorthodox retelling of the Arthurian myths, I fell in love with these books both as an admirer of the Tales of Aeron and as a follower of Arthuriana in all its different forms. No matter what else there is to say, there's no doubt that the first book will hook you on the series, the second will draw you deeper in, and the third will leave you with a glowing sense of completion. If you've never read any of Kennealy-Morrison's works before, I recommend starting with this trilogy, going on to the Tales of Aeron (which should be read in chronological order: Silver Branch, Copper Crown, Throne of Scone), and then waiting--impatiently, as every fan is--for Blackmantle to come out in paperback. If you insist on chronology, of course, Blackmantle should come first, but I personally wouldn't put off this experience for anything.

STRANGE DAYS. MY LIFE WITH AND WITHOUT JIM MORRISON.

Average customer rating:

Strange times

STRANGE DAYS. MY LIFE WITH AND WITHOUT JIM MORRISON.
Patricia (Jim Morrison) Kennealy
Manufacturer: A Dutton Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWU3FC

Customer Reviews:

Strange times.......2007-03-30

I-slept-with-a-rock-star stories are a dime a dozen in the rock bio world, and it takes something unusual to make the storyteller seem like anything but a groupie. Patricia Kennealy-Morrison has something all right, but her obnoxious attitude and sketchy details make it hard to regard "Strange Days: My Life With And Without Jim Morrison" as much more than a curiosity.

Kennealy-Morrison was a journalist/editor working for Jazz'n'Pop magazine in the late 1960s. She was sent in to interview legendary rock bad boy Jim Morrison of the Doors, and was immediately impressed by him (the feeling was mutual, she says). They soon struck up a friendship, then became lovers while remaining on opposite sides of the United States.

Morrison and Kennealy-Morrison wed in a witch handfasting some months later, despite the fact that Morrison was still with his longtime lover Pamela Courson. Kennealy-Morrison chronicles the remainder of their increasingly volatile relationship, her abortion, Morrison's mysterious death in Paris, and the production of the distorted movie adaptation by Oliver Stone.

Never has so much been written over so little. Not very often, anyway. Morrison's brief involvement with Kennealy-Morrison is blown up into an affair to rival Guinevere and Lancelot -- and yes, that's her own comparison. What an unbiased reader sees is a rather average rock romance, full of the necessary sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. And lots and lots of Kennealy-Morrison's everyday life.

Kennealy-Morrison has a curiously self-centered view of the world: whenever anybody is less than friendly to her, they must be upset over her gender, brains, religion or relationship with Morrison. Her attitude (a bull getting ready to charge at a matador) wears thin quickly.

She heaps scorn on almost all rock'n'roll stars, on any girl who slept (or wanted to) with Jim, on any friend of Pamela Courson's, on Doors fans, on rock audiences... pretty much everybody. Special vitriol is reserved for Pam. Rather than take Morrison to task for his behavior, Kennealy-Morrison vents on the pleasant, clueless Courson.

While Kennealy-Morrison is clearly knowledgeable, she seems to use her IQ solely to set herself above the groupies. She lacks the class, wisdom and vibrance of other rock paramours like Marianne Faithfull, or the sweetness of Bebe Buell. If this book is anything to go by, her intellect is stagnant and unsophisticated, and her personality is childish (she beats a groupie for coming on to Jim). In fact, her claims that she's a strong, decisive, take-no-guff woman becomes funny when you see that she was allowing a ridiculous amount of guff from Morrison.

There's no denying that Kennealy-Morrison is a talented writer. At times her lyrical, detailed writing makes this seem almost like a novel. It's especially vibrant during scenes like Doors concerts and the famous Woodstock. But too often her words are used as arrows rather than paintbrushes.

"Strange Days: My Life With And Without Jim Morrison" is a weird read. In the end, it's hard to see it as anything but Kennealy-Morrison's side of the story, but without any wisdom brought by time and thought. This is not the place to look for the "real" Jim Morrison.

Average customer rating:

another winner from PKM
Interesting despite itself
Keeps you glued to the page
An excellent conclusion to the trilogy about Aeron

The Throne of Scone (Keltiad)
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Silver Branch (Keltiad)
The Hawk's Gray Feather (Keltiad)
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ASIN: 0451450515

Customer Reviews:

another winner from PKM.......2002-02-07

The Throne of Scone is the conclusion to the series of Aeron Keltaid books and proves its ending is as entrancing as the beginning. The whole trilogy should be read, though you could still just read this and have an enjoyable read. It's awesome and per usual with PKM you have brilliant characters and luscious descriptions of the settings (makes you want to move to keltia). This book also makes you wish Aerons saga could just go on and on --it's that good! Well worth the trouble to get yourself a copy.

Interesting despite itself.......2001-05-13

I know I had read and enjoyed this (and its antecedent "The Copper Crown") before, so I read both again. Memory is not perfect, though. Though the conceit itself is interesting (Celts in Space!), and though this book is better-written than "The Copper Crown," Kennealy-Morrison is completely at a loss when it comes to describing action, location, a character's appearance (beyond the most superficial descriptions), or much of anything else. The faint whiff of racism doesn't help, either. These books are simply badly written, and much less appealing now that I'm now longer so starry-eyed about "the magickal Celts" as I once was. O.K. for a lark, but I'd check 'em out from the library rather than buy them.

Keeps you glued to the page.......2000-05-12

The Throne of Scone is an excellent conclusion to The Copper Crown, keeping you glued to the pages as you read. I would suggest that it's better to read the Silver Branch as the last of the three, even though chronologically it takes place earlier; I believe the author wrote it after Copper Crown and Throne of Scone, and you understand the detail more when you know more about Aeron's future.

An excellent conclusion to the trilogy about Aeron.......1998-09-14

An excellent conclusion to the "Aeron" series. The main protagonists are joined by a supporting cast of very interesting characters. The story provides an interesting answer to the age-old question of Arthur's fate, whether posed on Earth or Keltia. Good must triumph and evil fail, but it takes the class of a writer like kennealy to make the old story worth reading again...& again...& again. Buy it.

Average customer rating:

Not her best, but worth a look
HAHAHA...oh boy...
Will Read Her Next Book Too
Dark "Blackmantle"
Let It Go, Sister!

Blackmantle: A Triumph (Keltiad)
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Manufacturer: HarperPrism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

The Deer's Cry: A Book of the Keltiad
Hedge of Mist
The Silver Branch (Keltiad)
The Oak above the Kings (The Tales of Arthur, Vol 2)
The Hawk's Gray Feather (Keltiad)

ASIN: 0061056103

Book Description

Once, in Keltia, a woman dared to wrest back from the Lord of Death himself the greatest treasure of all: her beloved mate . . .

It is a time when the star-kingdom of Keltia is plagued by the Firvolgi, an ancient alien race. Yet along with a problem, the gods have sent a solution: Athyn Cahanagh, born orphaned on a battlefield, becomes High Queen and drives the invaders out. Athyn--now known as Blackmantle--and the great bard Morric Douglas fall in love and wed, ascending the Keltic throne as king and queen. But the lovely, dissolute courtesan Amzalsunëa vows she would sooner kill her onetime lover Morric than see him with Athyn--and she keeps that vow.

But Athyn has sworn an oath too, one of love and vengeance. Taking the Low Road that only those mighty in magic may tread, she journeys to the Otherland, to find her lost lord and bring him home...

"A splendid tale."<BR>--Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

Not her best, but worth a look.......2006-03-26

If you enjoy Kennealy's prose as much as I do, then it's worth the read. If you're concerned about the "autobiographical" elements that the other reviewers are so obsessed about, then avoid the book. Kennealy is obviously using her writing and her Keltic world as a forum to work through some very traumatic events, whatever the "truth" of them were. I, for one, think that this book should be looked at more for its literary merits than its supposed autobiographical truths or un-truths. Most of us weren't there, so we don't actually know.

So, in that respect, my thoughts:
Kennealy's prose is as lush as ever, but some of her characters are rather flat. If these people do represent people Kennealy knows/knew, then I can imagine it would be difficult to get into the characters' minds enough to flesh them out as much as is usual for Kennealy, but still. I never felt that Morric was worth the trouble of bringing him back, although the occasional excerpts of his poetry helped, somewhat. Athyn did seem rather too vengeful. We see some of this kind of vengence in the Aeron series, but the characters dealt with their own actions in a more acceptable manner. At least Aeron feels the repercussions of what she does.

I would recommend the Aeron and Arthur series much more strongly than this book. They're better examples of what Kennealy can do. I hope to see more work of that caliber soon.

HAHAHA...oh boy..........2006-03-21

As we can see, Athyn is a sole loser...yeah she slept with her dream man only because he was famous and she thought that she could control him. If he was a normal guy with a small band, she would be trying to kiss up another rocker...its just a matter of fame and fortune. Its a dirty buisness. I mean I guess it is ok to write how you feel about things, but do you have to be pathetic and use symbols and goths and goblins to do the storytelling. Why doest she say it straight out...not only will it make her seem like a confident (but still a jealous person), I will respect her just a little more if she wrote "My journals" rather than some fantasy island book. But at the same time, she is not special at all..there were others like Nico and Janis who had strong feelings about Morrison too. I dont think she understood that Morrison had liked and loved many, but he wanted to get away from it all by leaving with his soul mate, not you honey. In other words, if he did love you then I think you would have been there with him. Her character is revealed most indefinetly and Patricia should just suck it up and move on. Her writings are boring and unenjoyable. I understand that in the 60s gothica and all this celtic stuff was new, but even then it was still dumb because it was like a game. If there were witches and goblins, I would have seen one by now. I like bashing on fools, what can I say. This book gave me an opportunity to do so. I first thought Ill give this book a chance, but her intentions to kill the girlfriend is just sadistic..I mean come on and take his name off your name too...there is no purpose of it being there I mean no one really cares about your experiences with the Lizard king...It is about the music. Take a hike.

Will Read Her Next Book Too.......2005-12-18

Since I've never been a fan of the Doors, nor do I know much about Jim Morrison's life (and no, I've never seen the movie either)...I did not see the connections between the author's life with JM, or the love-triangle implied therein by the characters in the book. It is with that in mind that I feel I can give an impartial review of this title. It took me a good full chapter to actually get into the cadence of her prose, but once there the story went quickly. I did find the frequent "Keltic" words distracting and tended to pull me completely out of the story. I found the characters sympathic, though I would have liked have seen the story divided equally from both Athyn and Morric's POV's. There were too many magnificent happenings (meeting the faerie-folk, and a ghost horse kind of capped it for me) for one book no matter how lengthy that book happened to be, but I suppose I understand the need for them as plot device. Over all it wasn't a bad read. I read The Copper Crown several years ago and remember it being better. I will read the next book, though, as I don't believe in judging an author solely on the merits or faults of one book.

Dark "Blackmantle".......2005-06-22

As Patricia Kennealy-Morrison will tell anyone who listens, she once was briefly wed to Doors frontman Jim Morrison. But she rewrites her own love life in "Blackmantle," a messy and rather dizzying fantasy novel, which is too vengeful and wild to be enjoyable in its own right.

Imagine her autobiography "Strange Days," but with a lot more murder.

Athyn was born on a battlefield to a dying mystery woman, and was brought back home as a foundling by one of the surviving warriors. Years later, she is cast out of her family's home by her cruel foster brother, and goes on to become a legendary brehon. Then she discovers the shocking truth -- she is actually the hereditary queen of Keltia.

During this time, she also falls in love with famed bard Morric Douglass. Eventually the two are married, as Athyn drives out the Firvolgi invaders. But the beautiful junkie Amzalsunëa is still obsessed with Morric, and poisons him when he comes to comfort her. Now Athyn goes on a rampage against anyone who wronged Morric -- and then goes into the underworld itself, to challenge the god of death.

At first glance, "Blackmantle" sounds like a sci-fi version of the Orpheus legend. But it becomes clear after a short time that this is a therapy session put to paper, where Kennealy-Morrison can get revenge on all the people in her life who have ticked her off, then live happily ever after with an idealized, faithful Morrison. It gets a little stomach-turning, in more than one way.

It certainly doesn't help that Athyn -- Kennealy-Morrison's glorified alter ego -- is such a nasty person. At one point, she skins and debones several men for trivial slights; she also hunts down and beheads Morric's ex-girlfriend, who is a parodic copy of Morrison's longtime girlfriend Pamela Courson. Not to mention the brutal racism toward the Incomers, whose sole flaw seems to be that they are not Kelts. By the last third of the book, it's hard not to wish that a meteor would crush Athyn.

Kennealy-Morrison has an admittedly pretty style, with plenty of description and some truly interesting scene, particularly her vision of the Underworld. It does get a bit exaggerated in its faux-Celtic (faux-Keltic?) atmosphere at times. Unfortunately, it's bogged down by too much talking from Athyn, too much adoration of the plastic Morric, and too much sneering at the absurd parody of Courson.

Reality and fantasy collide with a nasty splat in "Blackmantle." In the end, it seems merely like a way for Kennealy-Morrison to get back at Courson and the Doors in fiction, as she could not do in life.

Let It Go, Sister!.......2003-08-06

This women mentions the fact that she "knew" Jim Morrison at every opportunity. It's clear that she adores name-dropping, something that makes her look like more of a groupie than just one more of Morrison's women. So he "married" her in a Celtic ceremony (legal? no.). Whoopdeedo. It was 30 years ago. Morrison had loooooootttssss of ladyfriends, not to even mention Pamela Courson, whom he appeared to be the most devoted to. She needn't feel so special.

Patricia Kennealy"-Morrison?" If anyone can use hyphenated names so freely, then my new name is Eviepants Kennedy! Guess what? I once saw JFK Jr. in an airport! We were married a year later in an unrecognized, unpublicized ceremony involving bat blood and Tootsie Pops.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic !!.......2006-06-11

I just loved this book ... and all the books in The Keltiad series. PKM is a very talented writer - this story is just so creative, the description of Keltia and all the worlds is so clear, and the characters are so well defined you feel you almost know them. The storyline is quite complex yet so effortlessly comes together and I loved the rituals and blend of magic/futuristic elements giving a fantastic story and ending.

This story can appeal not just to sci-fi readers - anyone who loves a great adventure story would love it.

Please PKM ... continue writing more books in the series. It's just great.

A Satisfying Ending.......2002-02-28

The mythic quest - in space this time. Following the clues written by Keltia's greatest Bard, Aeron goes off to gain the tools and knowledge needed to reclaim the Keltic throneworld - and gains allies and an empire in the process.

This Whole Series Rocks!.......2001-08-07

Loved it! This book proves what many readers know but seldom see; a book CAN have complex characters and plot; one doesn't have to be sacrificed for the other. Plus detailed cultures, and lots of action. You get a real FEEL for the places and the people. Character and location names were a bit difficult, but don't let that faze you; read it!

The Throne of Scone.......2000-09-08

I thought this was a great follow up to the previous book, the copper crown. Aeron's journey ties this trilogy and the tales of Arthur trilogy together while advancing the story. I can't wait for the next Aeron book.

Average customer rating:

The Hawk's Gray Feather
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Manufacturer: New Amer Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRRTZG

The Oak Above the Kings: a Book of the Keltiad, Book II

Average customer rating:

The Oak Above the Kings: a Book of the Keltiad, Book II
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HFHKM4

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