Hag of the Hills by J.T.T Ryder is the first book in The Bronze Sword Cycles. It is a prehistoric fiction novel. Now I am aware the average person may read that and think something like. ‘Oh geez, it’s a novel about cave dwellers?’ Don’t be silly. It simply takes place in a time before history was recorded in the written word. The story follows Brenn, a young man living in Celtic society, as he tangles with ancient mythical beings as they try to take over the island of Skye.
Hag of the Hills is an exciting story full of all the battle rage and drama one would expect of a historical fiction novel taking place in prehistoric times. The locations, history of the various people, and descriptions of their clothing are well researched, and the author has spent more time making sure that his book holds up in the hands of history lovers. Not only are we provided with a wonderfully researched world, but they also provided us with a guide at the start of the book explaining how to pronounce the various names of locations, beings, and people in the book. This comes in handy if you are not learned ancient Celtic languages and myths, as many of the pronunciations can be complicated.
Hag of the Hills is a must-read for fans of historical fiction. Pick up this story and look around the ancient world that J.T.T Ryder has displayed for us. You will love it.