The Bonfires of Beltane by Mark E. Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story is set WAY BACK in time, before the Middle Ages, in ancient Ireland. The hero, Taran mac Teague, rebels against the Druids and their demonic gods. He’s banished from his clan’s island and set adrift to die at sea. But he calls out to the God he’s only heard rumors about, and he arrives on the mainland. He meets a stranger named Patrick who talks of a God who loves His people, a God who doesn’t require sacrifices, a God who sent His own sacrifice for all. We follow Taran as he travels with and learns from Patrick for years before being able to return to his own clan and bring the message of salvation to his people.
St. Patrick suffered much and yet survived to bring salvation to a barbaric people. The story is well-researched and written in story form that is easy to follow. There are a lot of words that I didn’t even try to pronounce. I read it as an e-book and I wish I’d had a paperback copy so I could have flipped back to the glossary at the back. For a better understanding of the language, I recommend a print version. But either way, it’s well worth reading!
Pegg Thomas 