The Children of Gods and Fighting Men Recap: Where Gormflaith and Fódla Stand Before Book 2

Full spoilers for The Children of Gods and Fighting Men. This recap covers the first Gael Song novel and the setup for The Words of Kings and Prophets.

The detail I’d keep in mind before starting The Words of Kings and Prophets is that both women head toward Brian Boru’s court with secrets they can no longer keep entirely to themselves. Gormflaith has agreed to marry Brian after learning her son already accepted the match. Fódla has saved Brian’s son Murchad with forbidden magic, and Tomas’s crow was there to see it. If you remember the battle but have forgotten how it brought both women to Munster, here’s the short version.

Who are Gormflaith and Fódla?

Gormflaith and her brother, Máelmórda, are the last two Fomorians. Their fire magic would expose them to the Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who believe they wiped out the Fomorians. When the book opens, Gormflaith is focused on securing Dublin for her son Sitric. Máelmórda wants Leinster for himself and revenge for their people.

Fódla is a Descendant healer. After the council banishes her sister Rónnat for becoming pregnant by a mortal, Fódla promises to raise Rónnat’s son, Broccan. Tomas, her former lover and the father of her late daughter, allows her to care for the boy in exchange for spying on Brian Boru, king of Munster. Fódla joins Brian’s household as a healer.

Why Gormflaith marries Brian Boru

At Glenmama, Brian defeats Sitric’s forces. Sitric flees, and Gormflaith stays to negotiate. Brian initially proposes two marriages as part of Sitric’s restoration: Sitric to Brian’s daughter Sláine, and Gormflaith to Brian’s son Murchad. When Murchad refuses the match, Brian offers to marry Gormflaith himself.

Gormflaith agrees after she discovers that Sitric has already consented. The deal helps him regain Dublin and gives Máelmórda a path to the kingship of Leinster. Máelmórda also believes that living in Munster will put his sister close enough to locate the Descendants’ stronghold.

That last point changes how I’d read the marriage. Brian sees a way to keep Sitric in line and contain Gormflaith’s ties to Olaf Tryggvasson. Máelmórda sees a chance to continue an older war. And for Gormflaith, the arrangement comes with a personal cost. She spent years putting Sitric’s future first, and he has just used hers to secure his own.

What happens when Fódla saves Murchad?

During the fighting at Glenmama, Máelmórda wounds Murchad with a poisoned blade. On Dalkey Island, Fódla realizes ordinary treatment cannot save him. She uses her gift despite the council’s rules. The island also strips away the spell that makes her appear scarred, and Senna, Tomas’s crow, sees her there.

The scene I’d pair with Dalkey Island is Lonán’s death. At Glenmama, Fódla hesitates to use her magic while Senna is overhead, and Lonán dies. By the time she reaches Murchad, she has already lived through the cost of obeying the council. She also fears another war if Brian’s son dies, with Broccan among the people it would put at risk. This time she acts.

Fódla plans to return to Killaloe after bringing Lonán’s belongings to his widow, Sadb. She fears Tomas may be waiting for her when she gets back. The last warning comes from Rónnat, who tells Colmon that war is coming and that he could be the one to harm or save Fódla.

What to remember before The Words of Kings and Prophets

• Gormflaith enters book two as Brian’s queen. Her brother hopes she’ll find the Descendants in Munster, and her fire magic is still a secret.
• Fódla enters book two as a healer trying to protect Broccan. Saving Murchad puts her at risk with the council, and Senna gives Tomas a way to learn what happened.
• Tomas is the person to watch. The sequel’s setup brings him to Brian’s court, where Gormflaith has reason to fear a Descendant and Fódla has reason to fear this particular one.

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• Revisit book 1, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men (paperback)
• Continue with book 2, The Words of Kings and Prophets (hardcover)

For more from Lawless, see how she returns to medieval Ireland in Son of the Serpent.

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