Eyes of the Seer

Ashley
York
Genre: 
Historical

Astrid barely looks at Marcan, though he has been in love with her for years. She sees him as her brother, King Diarmuid’s, best friend. She dreams of marrying Padraig and uniting the two clans to please her mother. After Padraig nearly rapes her, Astrid starts looking at Marcan in a new light. As she remembers the kind things he has done for her, she realizes she’s in love with him. This is unacceptable to her mother, Beibhinn. Faolan is a warrior who also looks out for Astrid because he too, loves her, but is not above betraying her secrets to her mother. How can Astrid and Marcan escape the tangled web that is their lives so they can be together?

“Eyes of the Seer” is a fascinating novel featuring a medieval couple who keep getting thwarted when it comes to getting together.  The male main characters are brilliant and they shine throughout the piece. Astrid, however, is too afraid of conflict and goes along with her mother’s wishes too easily. It makes one doubt how deep her love for Marcan flows or how much she trusts him. Faolan, Beibhinn, and Padraig have very little depth to them even though Beibhinn has quite the backstory. There is a lot of repetition in the story about why Astrid needs to marry Padraig, which slows down the pace of the story. Murder, mayhem, and power struggles abound in this intense medieval story of love crafted by author Ashley York.

Belinda Wilson