Druids

This book is in excellent shape, and the story is amazing! I've read it before, and wanted my own copy to read again before I read The Greener Shore.

Very well written. Gives a compelling look at Celtic/Druid or any culture that iis being conquered by another culture.

Being a huge fan of Celtic historical fiction, I've been reading Llywelyns' novels for decades. Have to say this one left me a bit flat due to the underdeveloped characters and thin plot. Background (Caesar's conquering of Gaul) is horrifyingly fascinating, but the story over this background was thin. I found it impossible to keep the dozens of tribes + their chieftains sorted and finally gave up, just mentally inserted -another tribe- every time another unpronounceable name came up. I just finished 'After Rome', which I enjoyed tremendously, and re-read 'Lion of Ireland' and 'The Horse Goddess' every so often because I enjoy them so much. Bit of a let down if I'm honest. :-(

The characters in stories by Morgan Llywelyn come to life.I have Celt ancestry, thus I enjoy reading historical fiction about the Celts.This story is about the ending of Free Gaul. Julius Caesar killed many people to romanize a good portion of Europe.A very good story with an excellent bibliography.

I found Druids to be a bit of a disappointment. It's been a little over a week since I finished it, and very little of the book has stayed with me. When I read it, I couldn't put it down, but that was mostly because I wanted to get through it and see if there was anything more interesting at the end. There wasn't, at least for me.The plot isn't bad, but it's not very deep. Young boy is raised to become a druid by grumpy older druid after showing he has the ability to bring the dead back to life, shows great power in a few things, less power in acquiring his current love interest, who happens to be a female druid. She snubs him, he learns more, and then he's sent off to study in other holy groves. As he's leaving, a band of female prisoners come in, and one decides she wants boy/druid. He leaves, meets up with friend he hasn't seen in a while, bard, and picks up an older dancer/slave while touring the area the Romans conquered. Comes back to his grove, becomes leader of the grove becuase grumpy druid was killer, and watches the Celts wage a huge battle against Julius Caesar, which they lose. Goes into the forest with a host of woman, and lives there.I'm pretty disappointed in this book, it gets three stars for not being terrible, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless you can check it out from the library.

I have read and enjoyed several of Morgan Llywelyn's books and wanted to read On Greener Shores. But I noticed that Druids is the first book in the two-book series, so read it first. It tells the story of a young boy living in pre-Roman Gaul who exhibits some amazing gifts and becomes an apprentice to the chief druid. I learned so much about the druids from reading this book. Unfortunately, the Romans eventually show up and the beauty of this clan's lives is trampled under the terror of Caesar's drive for power. The characters are complex and the story is compelling. I was sad to finish this fine book, but also anxious to get on with On Greener Shores, which I did immediately. If you like historical novels, I think you will like this one. There isn't much written about the druids, so I was very happy to find this very enjoyable book.

This book tells the story of a French tribe living in Gaul, the Carnutes. Their leader was a young druid, Ainvar. It takes place during the Roman Invasion, so, the writer gives us precise details of how tribes lived by that time. She also describes a part of druid rituals, including human sacrifices. Every tribe who didn't bend to Cesar, was murdered or made prisioner of Rome, Ainvar saw his people and friends slaughtered by the roman hordes, soon he would be the target. After the sacred druid refuge was burned, Ainvar and his family ran to the deep forest, and so they reached the sea, and there the boats to take them to Hibernia (Ireland).

The book, Druids, cost all of 1 cent. The only thing wrong with it was that someone had dropped it in the mud and the dust cover was dirty. I wiped it clean. The first pages are smudged. The book looks old, but I think no pages are missing. All in all, it's a great book in very acceptable condition. As long as the book is readable, I am happy with the purchase. The book arrived in a timely manner and was well-protected. I highly recommend this vendor and consider this buy an excellent purchase. Carolyn Norton

Morgan Llywellin is able to guide us into the long gone forest of the Carnutes. Reading this novel I felt like a celt, like a druid. Though there are one or two mistakes in the novel the basic facts are absolutly true and well emphazised. I love the way this story is told, vivid and extremly gripping. Thank you, Morgan!

I have been interested in the Celtic Civilization since the 70s.The books I've read throughout the years on the Celts contain truths, puzzles and theoriesabout their culture, their maternal-Clan laws, and the laws of the Land.Morgan Llywelyn's ideas about the Celtsare a mixture of Celtic sugar and Roman-Christian sand.incomprehensible is that she continuous to keep the blatant lie alive that the Celtic Druidssacrificed human beings to supplicate some sort of deity/god/goddess "up there in the sky."This is utterly nonsensical, Celts did neither sacrifice animals nor human beings to anybody.The Celts abhorred capital punishment.Incredible too is that the author states that Celtic women were subservient to men.Fact is that before patriarchists destroyed the egalitarian, humane and intricate Celtic Law systemand true civilization, women were 100% sexually autonomous and materially independent from men,daughters inherited the Clan's homestead, everything in it, and the land pertaining to her Clan's district.All positions of importance in Celtic maternal-Clan republics, the highest offices in their Mother Goddessnature-religion, in matters of Justice, agriculture, industry, trade, and more, were held by women;the men were their agents, and helpers.Striking is that the author does not know that originally - all - druids were druidesses,and the queens of the Celtic Clans in their districts were women.A man became king only when he was chosen by the queen to be her guest-consort.He had no rights of inheritance of anything the queen and her Clan owned,a Clan's ancient territory/district/land being unalienable by law.All women had the right to end their relationship with a manwho was her guest-consort.She was never his property.The Celtic Laws on relationships between woman and man are humane,freedom loving and brilliant.These valid laws guarantee that women are not forced against their willto have too have many children, or children from one man only,guarantee economical stability within the live and let live societieswhere people value human felicity highest, the empirical mystic experience is explained,the transmigration of the soul taught, and all life and nature cared for and celebrated.Our present patriarchal laws are lawless still.The patriarchal tyrannical law system and economical robbery must be outlawed by the people.Therefore it is important to study pre-patriarchal valid humane laws so that we can replacecovert and overt fascist laws with certified humane laws.Last but not least, for thousands of years the Celts knew peace,they did not war among each other, nor raided neighboring countries.All started to go terribly wrong for the friendly Mother Goddess Civilizationwhen waves of patriarchal Asian peoples moved into the weaponless, flourishingpagan Middle & Near East and eventually into weaponless Celtic Europe.The immigrants had been displaced by a mega-earthquake in the Himalayas.They were homeless.Their priesthood and warlords declared war on the people of the Mother Goddess civilization,war on women, war on the sexual autonomy of women, war on the maternal-Clan economy.The Celts were forced to take up arms against these brutal raiders,big battles took place on Celtic soil and at sea.Big battles were won by the fearless Celts.Patriarchal brutality, deceit, their divide and conquer tacticscaused some Celts to start wars among themselves.Patriarchal-reformists have with brute force eliminated the happy,ancient Mother-Goddess Civilization.The patriarchal rigid nuclear family system is based on economical slavery, and plunder of nature.The lives of human beings, animals, nature herself is worth nothing in the patriarchal system,useful only for creating personal gain for the leaders of priesthoods, and the elite.Patriarchal laws are mindless and lawless, their economy and false religions have plungedHumanity into the spiritually, materially, intellectually, scientifically, artistically, all round poverty stricken,drenched in human & animal blood, pathologically fascist, savage patriarchal millennia.Nevertheless, I enjoy reading a good story, and did find in this book toosome more valid pieces of the Celtic puzzle.

Fascinating history but was a little disappointed with the storytelling. I expected way more details on the Druids and their practices and was a little let down with how unrealistic the development of the main Druid character was (he goes from uninformed rookie to absolute master in a few pages). I just felt like so much more could have been done with this story. But it was still a decent read and was an enjoyable glimpse into a very interesting point in history.

I read this book about 10 years ago in Spanish. I'm form the Caribbean. Now, I'm an English teacher and will use it as part of my reading material for advanced classes! I really enjoy this book!

Great book. Good condition