Iron Dramatis Personae

Here’s a list of the main characters in Iron.

Historical Figures

Agricola—A Roman soldier and politician who conquered Northern Britain and Wales. Born to a political family of senatorial rank in France, Agricola began his military career as a Banded Tribune under Governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus. Tacitus claims Agricola invaded Ireland, the central premise of The Iron Between trilogy.

Suetonius—Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, known in the histories as Suetonius–not to be confused with the historian of the same name–was governor of Britannia during the Boudican revolt. He is most known for defeating Boudica’s army despite overwhelming odds in favour of the Iceni queen.

Catus Decianus—The Procurator of Britannia during the Boudican revolt; when Nero ordered an investigation into the cause of the rebellion, Decianus fled to Gaul, providing this author with the premise for Hammer, the first book in The Iron Between trilogy.

Domitian—The youngest son of Emperor Vespasian; when Vespasian was declared emperor, Domitian was in Rome and seemed to have taken some responsibility for the state’s government.

Mucianus—The man Vespasian nominated as his deputy during his absence, possibly causing friction with his youngest son, who had assumed the role.

Other Main Characters

Quintus—A fictional Tribune who is my right-hand man for Agricola.

Sucaria—A druidess of the Menapii clan from Gaul who seeks revenge for her son’s death during the Boudican uprising.

Clíodhna—A Christian caught in Rome during the year of the four emperors. On hearing of her father (Genonn’s death), she must return to Ynys Môn, but events overtake her.

Genonn—A druid and father of Clíodhna. When civil war breaks out in Rome, Genonn sets off to rescue his daughter, despite having no idea how.

Fedelm—A druidess, leader of the Elder Council on Ynys Môn, wife of Genonn and mother of Clíodhna.

Calgacos—The bodyguard of Sucaria.

Gul—The bodyguard of Clíodhna.

Double Date

Congratulations to our authors, John De Búrca and Micheál Cladáin, on their double-publication day.

The Music of Swords

It tells the tale of how the fearsome Síor Feargach comes into being. We can’t deny our bias, but neither can we ignore the sheer mastery of our very own storyteller, John De Búrca. The Music of Swords is a masterpiece.

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Iron

It tells the tale of a young Irish woman stranded in Rome during the year of the four emperors. It was a time of civil war and murder. It was a time when Christians were fed to the lions to appease the masses and take their minds off their hunger.

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Publication Day Treat

As a great deal for publication day, get the first book in The Iron Between series for free. A celebration of all that’s great in the Irish Historical Fiction scene—The Last Hammer.

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5⭐️ Review of Hammer

Cathie Dunn – Author of historical fiction

I must admit I’m not overly familiar with the period of the Roman invasion of the British Isles (other than through Nancy Jardine’s fabulous novels), and even less so with the politics of the regional tribes across the isles, but you don’t need much knowledge of it in order to understand the intriguing plot of Hammer. 


We meet Genonn, an ageing druid who wishes for nothing more complicated than retire to the Cuala Mountains (modern day Wicklow – a stunning area!) to live out the rest of his days in peace. But first, he has to track down a warrior, Oengus, accused of killing a clan chief’s two sons 10 years earlier. When he finds him, he discovers that Oengus carries with him the Hammer of the Gods, Lorg Mór, stolen when the boys were killed. Was it proof of Oengus’ guilt?

After a decade of absence, the men return to meet the Elders who are now led by the former wife of Genonn, the mother of his daughter, Cliodhna. The Elders send him to the tribes of what is now south-eastern England to deliver Lorg Mór to Boudica, to help them to victory – and to suss out what these Romans are up to.

Along the way, we have murder, with dangers lurking everywhere as tribes and enemies mistrust each other. We watch Boudica’s triumphs before her final battle, Roman advances, personal betrayal, and – lastly – Genonn’s revenge. 

Told from the points of view of Genonn, and the Roman Agricola, we discover different sides of the conflict that erased many of the ancient British tribes, killing or assimilating them. Not only that, but the ancient ways of life are threatened. 

Hammer is a story full of tension. The pace is a little slow to start with, but picks up soon enough when it sends us on our way. Unexpected twists, changes in loyalty, and a few surprises make this a riveting read. You’ll find intrigues galore, and not just political. Personal vendettas, infiltration, and deception keep you turning the (virtual) pages. 

The characters are clearly defined in their roles, but are often able to look outside their own world to see how the advance of the Roman armies change life in the British Isles beyond any recognition. It is also a time of change in religions, with the old Celtic Gods succumbing to the threat of the Roman Gods – and, in addition, the new movement surrounding the so-called Son of the One True God. A melting pot of trouble!

A gripping adventure, very well researched and written, Hammer is a must-read for fans of historical fiction set in ancient times. Highly recommended.

Foreword: A Technical Approach to Novel Writing

Writing is hard. Writing, is hard. Writing: it’s hard. From early on in one’s writing journey, speed bumps, pitfalls, and diversions can stifle creativity and cast a shadow over the work.

Writing is hard. It’s easy to include purple prose, adjectives, POV issues, plot holes, passive writing, and using a go-to word or phrase 437 times over the course of a novel. The list of potential writing slip-ups is long indeed. Writing stories means long hours dedicated to one’s craft, with little chance of success. It’s difficult, at times, to remember why anyone does it at all.

Writers are hard work. They are hard to fathom, hard to direct and most certainly, their work can be hard to edit. Writers, with the best will in the world, will lose track of their story and not notice it’s happened. We can leave cringe-inducing spelling errors in a passage of work that we have declared polished. Though most committed writers work hard, writers are hard work.

Editors are not always the same. For each whimsical writer devoted to an arc or a vision, there is an editor. This editor may or may not be as devoted to the work. There are disgruntled ex-writers, non-gruntled non-writers, and gruntled writers looking for a side project. The term editor covers as broad a range of skills as the term writer does. As a result of such a variance, writers need to be choosy. In the editing process, it seems evident that too many chefs crowding around the work surface will ruin the souffle. There needs to be an established trust that allows an exchange of ideas. A creative safe space where two heads are better than one. Editors are sometimes different.

Consider expertise. The nature of expertise in a creative writer is an ethereal question. Many debut writers, breaking many “rules”, have garnered great success. Other experienced writers have struggled to achieve any success.

Expertise as an editor is a different business entirely. A critical gaze is vital in the latter stages of any creative writing project. Yet, not all editors possess the skills to work on many project types. The writer must seek out the expert for their expertise, yet, one writer’s expert is another writer’s speed bump. Expertise in the art of writing is what’s called for.

In buying A Technical Approach to Novel Writing, you have unlocked a resource that provides just that. Over long years, Phil has built up expertise and experience in various genres and styles. He is a writer himself, a publisher, a ravenous reader and, as you will discover, a storyteller. This book gives a refreshingly enjoyable guide to writing. It will make as much sense for writers as it will for editors. Phil guides with the steady hand of an expert, using step-by-step instruction, anecdotes, excerpts and more. The art of writing is on display, and Phil explains the mechanics in a way that will assist the most basic beginner through to the most wizened, world-weary wordsmith.

That writing is hard will never change. It’s why few of us out there manage to achieve our writing goals. There are ways for us to make the process easier. Expanding our expertise is one surefire way to accomplish that. A Technical Approach to Novel Writing will develop and extend your writing expertise. Read it, use it, and reread it.

In doing so, you can lower those speed bumps, fill in those pitfalls, and lessen the diversions on the road to success.

John De Búrca

Preorder: A Technical Approach to Novel Writing