The Winter Isles

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

I am Somerled. The summer warrior. What am I, if not a warrior

In twelfth-century Scotland, far removed from the courtly manners of the Lowland, the Winter Isles are riven by vicious warfare, plots and battles.

Into this hard, seafaring life is born a boy called Somerled. The son of an ageing chieftain, Somerled must prove his own worth as a warrior. He will rise to lead his men into battle and claim the title of Lord of the Isles - but what must he sacrifice to secure the glory of his name

The Winter Isles is an astonishingly vivid recreation of the savage dynastic battles of medieval Scotland: an authentic, emotional, powerful read.

Reviews

In Somerled... Antonia Senior has created a perfect hero for our times... This is passionate, wonderful, windswept writing, full of the wonder of hill and heath and sea... One of the must-reads of the year. -- Manda Scott
Senior's prose is beautiful and powerful, poetic and yet immediate... She has taken a Norse-Gaelic legend and made it ring true, which is no small feat... Fearlessly and deftly done. I loved this book deeply. -- Giles Kristian
Antonia writes so beautifully, so convincingly... Her prose is exquisite - lyrical, sensitive, constantly and delightfully surprising. Her characters are utterly believable, rounded, engaging and absolutely of their time... Antonia has proved herself once again to be in the very first rank of British historical novelists. -- Angus Donald
This book by @Tonisenior is magnificent! One of the best books I've read in the last five years. Magical. -- Ben Kane

Author Bio

Antonia Senior is a former staff writer for The Times. She is now a freelance journalist, and her columns, features and book reviews have appeared in a number of national newspapers. Antonia lives in London with her family. She has travelled extensively through Scotland's Highlands and Islands.