Jules Watson

Stand-alone historical fantasies:

The Swan Maiden — (2009) Publisher: In this lush, romantic retelling of one of the most enduring Irish legends, acclaimed Celtic historical author Jules Watson reignites the tale of Deirdre — the Irish Helen of Troy — in a story that is at once magical, beautiful, and tragic. She was born with a blessing and a curse: that she would grow into a woman of extraordinary beauty — and bring ruin to the kingdom of Ulster and its ruler, the wily Conor. Ignoring the pleadings of his druid to expel the infant, King Conor secrets the girl child with a poor couple in his province, where no man can covet her. There, under the tutelage of a shamaness, Deirdre comes of age in nature and magic. And in the season of her awakening, the king is inexorably drawn to her impossible beauty. But for Deirdre, her fate as a man's possession is worse than death. And soon the green-eyed girl, at home in waterfall and woods, finds herself at the side of three rebellious young warriors. Among them is the handsome Naisi. His heart charged with bitterness toward the aging king, and growing in love for the defiant girl, Naisi will lead Deirdre far from Ulster — and into a war of wits, swords, and spirit that will take a lifetime to wage. Brimming with life and its lusts, here is a soaring tale of enchantment and eternal passions — and of a woman who became legend.

The Raven Queen — (2010) Publisher: In this dazzling retelling of one of Ireland’s most stirring legends, acclaimed author Jules Watson brings to life the story of Maeve, the raven queen, who is as fierce as she is captivating. She was born to be a pawn, used to secure her father’s royal hold on his land. She was forced to advance his will through marriage — her own desires always thwarted. But free-spirited Maeve will no longer endure the schemes of her latest husband, Conor, the cunning ruler of Ulster. And when her father’s death puts her homeland at the mercy of its greedy lords and Conor’s forces, Maeve knows she must at last come into her own power to save it. With secret skill and daring, Maeve proves herself the equal of any warrior on the battlefield. With intelligence and stealth, she learns the strategies — and sacrifices — of ruling a kingdom through treacherous alliances. And to draw on the dangerous magic of her country’s oldest gods, Maeve seeks out the wandering druid Ruan, whose unexpected passion and strange connection to the worlds of spirit imperil everything Maeve thought true about herself — and put her at war with both her duty and her fate.

The Raven Queen

Jules Watson’s The Raven Queen is a historical fantasy based on the ancient Irish legends about Queen Maeve. Red-haired and fiery-tempered, since childhood Maeve has resented being used by her father, King of Connacht, as a political tool. He has sent her as a peace-bride to acquire alliances with various neighboring warlords, but Maeve doesn’t tend to actually foster peace anywhere she goes. In fact, she has just returned home to her dying father after running away from her third husband, the powerful King Conor — an action that will surely bring Conor’s wrath against Connacht at a time when they do not have a strong leader. As expected, when her father dies, Maeve, her brother, and other relatives begin vying for the throne of Connacht as they simultaneously brace for an invasion by King Conor.

Despite her admirable independence and courage, Maeve is not a likable heroine. You might argue that, based on the legends, she is not meant to be, but even a villainess can be a great heroine if the author can persuade the reader to believe it (and I’ve been persuaded many times). But there was no reason to sympathize with Maeve. For most of the story she was whiny, petulant, impulsive, mean, and bitter. She complains that her father used her body to make alliances, but then she offers her body when she needs an alliance. She hates men and marriage, but she uses men and marriage to get the power she wants for herself. And why does she want this power? She tells us she wants her people to be free, but it’s hard to believe that when we see her behave so selfishly and ruthlessly. I thought she’d make a terrible queen and likely a worse ruler than at least one of the alternatives would, so I couldn’t route for her, which kind of ruined most of the plot for me. Maeve became more likable by the end of the book, but by that time it was too late for me to start cheering for Maeve.

The Raven Queen might have gotten away with such an unpleasant heroine if its style had made up for it. Unfortunately, this was not the case — there was little beauty in it. Short choppy sentences and paragraphs became irritatingly rhythmic, and word usage that was slightly “off” jarred me out of the story occasionally. As just one example, I found the constant use of the word “rutting” to be ugly and coarse (e.g. “She had gone too long without the release of rutting...”). Sounds like animals, not people. A bit more attention by the editor could have easily fixed this small but insidious problem.

Readers who don’t mind an unlikable heroine (who does get better by the end of the book) and can overlook some editorial negligence will enjoy The Raven Queen more than I did. The story is fast-paced and includes some lively characters and plenty of action. Readers might also like to know that Jules Watson’s novel The Swan Maiden is a companion story — it tells that tale of Deirdre and Naisi.
—Kat Hooper