Review of Dreams of Fire by Shauna Lawless – 3.5 Stars

Dreams of Fire, the prequel to Shauna Lawless‘s Gael Song trilogy, is a compact, yet compelling introduction to a world shaped by myth, magic, and the ever-present tension between warring immortal factions. At just 105 pages, it might be short in length, but it offers a surprisingly rich and immersive reading experience—one that has definitely earned this series a bump up on my TBR list.

The immortals of Ireland renew their ancient warfare as the new generations come to terms with their place in the world. Part of Shauna Lawless's critically acclaimed Gael Song series, Dreams of Fire introduces medieval Ireland as it was a century before The Children of Gods and Fighting Men.

Rónnat and Fódla are Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann. They live a peaceful life with their aged warrior father in the north of Ireland. The Fomorians – age-old enemies of their kind – are thought to be battle-vanquished, for no conflict has been fought between their immortal races for generations.

But rumours of war and endless shifting allegiances mean that the Descendants' position is not secure in the mortal world. There are powerful voices among the Descendants who want their kind to dwell permanently in strongholds hidden from mortals – threatening Rónnat's love of freedom.

And the Fomorians, though greatly reduced in number, are far from vanquished. Led by their mighty prince, Balorach, the remaining Fomorians, with their gift of fire-magic, seek to destroy the Descendants.

The Descendants have the advantage of their own magical powers, and mighty warriors defend them... but if they cannot be beaten, why do the voices Rónnat hears on the wind speak of death and destruction?

Opinion

Without having yet read the Gael Song trilogy, I picked up Dreams of Fire curious to get a taste of Lawless’s world, and I wasn’t disappointed. The story follows Rónnat and her younger sister Fódla, Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who live a quiet life with their aging warrior father in medieval Ireland. From the outset, Rónnat stood out to me as a protagonist I could root for—pragmatic, wary of strangers, and fiercely protective of her sister. She isn’t naive or blindly heroic, which I appreciated. Instead, she moves through the story with a clear sense of purpose and growing awareness of the dangers surrounding her people.

One of the strongest aspects of the novella is how well it introduces Lawless’s mythologically infused world. Drawing from Irish mythology, the narrative weaves in the history and lore of the Tuatha Dé Danann and their age-old enemies, the Fomorians, with ease and clarity. Despite my limited prior knowledge of this mythology, I never felt lost. The way the magical systems and immortal legacies were explained felt natural—never info-dumpy or overwhelming. I can already tell that this groundwork will make for a smoother entry into the full trilogy when I get to it.

The pacing of Dreams of Fire is another point in its favor. There’s no lull in the narrative, nor does it ever feel rushed—quite a feat in so few pages. Lawless manages to balance character development, plot movement, and world-building with skill. The sisters’ lives change drastically over the course of the story, and those changes are handled with emotional weight and narrative tension.

That said, the novella does feel like exactly what it is: a prequel. While it offers a complete and engaging arc, I occasionally found myself wanting more depth—more time to explore the characters’ emotions, more layers to the political and magical conflicts, more space to linger in the world. This isn’t necessarily a flaw, but rather a reflection of how invested I became, and how much potential I see for a deeper dive in the full-length novels.

Conclusion

All in all, Dreams of Fire is a strong and satisfying entry point into Lawless’s mythic Ireland. It has me eager to continue the journey with The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, and I’m excited to see how the foundations laid here develop across the trilogy.

About Shauna Lawless

Shauna Lawless is an author and lover of Irish history and mythology.

She lives in County Down with her husband, three boys, and her lovable sproodle, Chewy.

Her new book, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, is a historical fantasy which was released in 2022. The sequel, The Words of Kings and Prophets, was released in 2023 and the final book in the trilogy, The Land of the Living and the Dead, was released in 2024.

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