Mac Liam by Renee Vincent

Mac Liam, book 2 in the Emerald Isle Trilogy, is a historical romance that mixes Irish and Viking people, but in a good way. Read Marissa’s review of Raeliken here.

A tortured soul…
Breandán Mac Liam, the strapping young hunter from Ireland’s lush forests, is in love with Mara, an ineligible beautiful princess. For seven long years, he has been vividly haunted by her memory, taunted by the throes of his heartache. And not even the thought of her marriage to a Northman can extinguish the fierce, burning desire running rampant through his heart and soul.
An innocent heart…
Mara, the spirited Connacht princess, has no idea she is the object of the Irishman’s longing. She is living out her days on Inis Mór, raising a troubled son and trying to endure the cruel loneliness that afflicts her.
A deadly secret…
Ordered by the king on his deathbed, Breandán must return to Mara and bring her through the perilous lands of Connacht to fulfill her father’s last dying wish. But as their worlds collide, Breandán not only finds himself wrapped in the arms of Mara’s embrace, but thrown into a struggle to defend his honor.

Mara is the daughter of the Connacht king and the widow of the Viking Daegan. It has been seven years since the death of her husband. Mara still lives with his people on the island where Daegan formed an alliance with the Irish king, Nevan, many years ago. They have rebuilt since the attack that destroyed everything and took Daegon’s life. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t miss him, still loving him dearly. Of course, their son, now six, looking just like him doesn’t help lessen her loss. Everyone treats her like family, including the current leader of the Vikings on the island, Tait, acting like an overprotective brother and Nevan, a father-figure. Still she refuses to remarry, never having found a close connection to any man since her husband died.

Her son, Lochlann, may be the exact image of his father but he is undersized for his age compared to the other Viking children. This makes him have a harder time keeping up, trying to be better at everything than the other boys who are already bully him about his size. And of course, everyone tells stories about his great father, the former chieftain, is one more mixed shadow (loving his father, but living up to the Viking expectations) for Lochlann to live under. Mara is very worried about all of this for her son and trying to be both parents in a mixed culture is not easy for her.

Breandán has been in love with Mara since when he use to see her on the river Shannon even before her marriage to Daegon. But he was a simple hunter back then, while she was a princess. Now he may be a trader and hunter, may have moved up a little in the world, but Mara lives on the island with her son, and Breandán believes she remarried a couple of years after she husband’s death. He has been dreaming and pining for her all this time. Then messengers from the king come with new of his illness and threats that if Breandán doesn’t go fetch Mara to the king, the king will make treaties with the areas’ enemy (real bad guy). It’s not until the messengers mentions that Mara never remarried that he agrees to go after her.

When he gets to the island, he learns that he father has refused to see her all this time. No one, not even the messengers, know why. But it is obvious that this has deeply hurt Mara. Breandán tells her that he will let her choose without pressure about going to see her father. Even refusing to let the messengers tell about the threat to Breandán’s family/area. But it turns out Mara has learned something about her father’s character, because she asks him what got him to the island. Though Mara and Breandán have no clue, other’s around know that her father wants to tell a secret that will hurt her and try to keep her from going. But as her father is dieing, she wants to see him one last time. As they will be traveling through dangerous territory, a whole group goes. Even some who hate Breandán from things that happened when Daegan was alive. So the current threat is to both Mara and Breandán.

And while all this is going on, Mara is finding that her heart is not so dead after all, that there is still room in it for Breandán!

Mac Liam continues not only Mara’s story, but Daegan’s family’s story as well. We learn how the Viking and Irish on the island Daegan brought Mara to are getting on, how their family’s are doing. This book is somewhat different than this first in that the Vikings are now finding God and the sex is a little more detailed (in the side characters, not Mara), but the story, family ties, and history are just as strong if not better. I love that everyone is not perfect, that Locklann has some problems adjusting as all children do at some point. Breandán’s interaction with him is great (and don’t all parents complain about how kids will do things, like chore, for outsiders they won’t at home?) That Tait has anger issues (what good Viking won’t??) and is still having to learn to be a better leader. Good Leaders a made, not born; and that would be a job that one is always learning new parts of/about. Watching Tait become a better man is a wonderful thing to see, and I was glad he was able to do so, instead of being stuck in male-pride. That is something else I really like in Mac Liam, you really get to see how the characters grow up, what happens after the end (yes, the end of the first book), but I love seeing further stories.

Mac Liam is also a slightly different love story. Breandán and Mara have know each other in the past, but this is not a second chance love story. Breandán has loved Mara for years (and years), but it is not a hidden love, either. And there is almost an innocence at the start of this affair, her being shy, thinking she can’t think “that” way about him and such. One really great aspect is that Breandán never tries to become more then Mara’s first husband/love. Breandán recognizes she will always love Daegan, will always hold him in her heart and doesn’t have a problem with that. Not many men could accept this idea that their wife would still love and think of another (even if dead). Yet it is presented beautifully here.

Mac Liam, well, I will admit I was leery about reading this. After all the hype, I was worried I would end up being let down, as is often the case, especially with great historical romances. Boy, was I wrong this time! Mac Liam is everything one could hope for: great in the historical details, good romance, adventure and suspense to entertain, and even pulls off being as good as the first book (always hard to do). Renee Vincent has a talent, at least in these books, for placing us in the historical setting, explaining without lecturing or going over-board on the details and one comes out having learned about the time and people without realizing it. I am impressed that she also doesn’t use writing tricks like super characters, ie the heroine is a regular female for her time, and people die of mortal wounds when called for, even when we don’t want them to, luckily not in this book. I am very impressed with this series and can’t wait for the next book.