A Storm Upon Ulster

by Kenneth C. Flint

Reviewed by Coral

Meave, Queen of all of Ireland except Ulster, has been insulted. Wishing to trade with a minor Ulster king, to bring his bull - said to be the greatest in all of Ireland - to her herd for a year, instead she is offered a challenge: if she wants the bull, she can come and take it.

Not one for insults, Meave gathers to her the largest army Ireland has known, planning to invade all of Ulster and bring them under her banner.

But Fergus, an exiled Ulsterman and now one of Meave's highest champions, believes that all is not how it appears. He suspects that Meave's High Druid Calatin has a hand in this war. But can he prove to Meave that Calatin is working towards his own ends before the druid destroys them all?

I didn't really enjoy this book.

I never really understood why Meave was considered to be the High Queen, when it was her husband who was really in charge. He should have been giving the orders, but was conveniently absent through most of the book.

Meave was a terribly written character. Calatin was always able to talk her into bending to his will and manipulate her into doing what he wanted. It's worse because everyone is saying what a good person and a good queen she is, when all I see is a weak queen who is too easily tricked by words.

And Calatin wasn't written any better. Cliché of every other "evil druid".

And the book ends before we get any real fall out to any of the various plot points. Does Meave ever come to realize how she's been played by Calatin? No idea, because it just ends.

Grade: C