THE PRINCES OF IRELAND The Dublin Saga

The bestselling author of SARUM and THE FOREST takes on the massive history of Ireland from 430 to 1537 A.D. in a series of interconnected sketches that blend historical people with fictional characters. Some listeners may find this book less involving than his others, but narrator Richard Matthews does his best--which is very good--to keep us interested. He blends an attentive, well-paced narration in his attractive English baritone with a range of Irish accents that delineate character and class--everything from Druid priests to warrior queens to twentieth-century farmers experiencing potato famine. Matthews is particularly skilled at heightening the narrative drive of the story with an intense, dramatic reading that is never overdone. He makes this book well worth hearing, despite its daunting length. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]