The release of a debut novel is always an exciting thing. As anyone in the writing communities on social media can attest, the amount of emerging talent in the industry is amazing. That is why I jumped at the chance to read John De Búrca’s new release, The Last Five Swords. Thanks to John and the team at Perched Crow Press, I had the chance to read a pre-release copy. The Last Five Swords will hit retail shelves on 31 October.
The Last Five Swords is a fantasy novel with a strong Irish flavour, set in the “dying days of magic in Ireland”. The tale follows a motley crew of warriors and a Fae princess on their search for the greatest champion ever known, Fionn Mac Cumhal, so that he might once again salvage the land from the cusp of ruin.
The story is well-told, and incorporates all the components one would want to see in a fantasy tale set in a dark-age setting, such as Draíocht (magic), plenty of swords, and an unspeakable, ancient beast. These are placed into a well-imagined Ireland of darker times, rich in grit and brutality. The tale is action-packed, with a battle around every corner, all of which are portrayed with a level of detail and violence that drew me in as a reader.
One thing that made this novel particularly stand out was its use of the Irish language, Gaeilge. Gaeilge features throughout, in the form of key words such as character and place names and some concepts such as magic. A brief explanation is included in the beginning of the book, and as a non-Gaeilge speaker I did not struggle with these words – rather, I found they contributed to the world-building and atmosphere. Each chapter also begins with a short introductory paragraph, in both English and Gaeilge. I felt that this enhanced the authenticity of the tale, and it almost felt like I was hearing the story straight from the mouth of some Irish bard across a flickering fire.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and would like to congratulate John on a wonderful debut. What John has produced is a solid fantasy novel, and it would be a good addition to any bookshelf. I can’t wait to see what John has lined up for us next.
