Finn Mac Cool

By: Morgan Llywelyn

Narrated by: Mil Nicholson

Somewhere in the shadowy borderland between myth and history lies the territory of Finn Mac Cool. Mightiest of the Irish heroes, leader of the invincible army of Fianna, he was a man of many faces: warrior, poet, lover, creator, and destroyer. Finn Mac Cool is a man taken from one of the lowest classes of Irish society, driven by ambition and strength to rise above his birth and bring new respect and status to his people.

He had it all and lost it all, but in the end he gained immortality. Finn Mac Cool is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and awesome adventure.

©1994 Morgan Llywelyn (P)2020 Tantor

Wonderful Story

Another Beautifully told tale by Llywelyn! I have never been disappointed by this author’s work and words! Bravo 👏

Voice actor?

Very strange choice for a voice actor. He gives young Finn the voice of a 70 year old man with loose dentures and COPD.

gripping narrative and historical descriptions

portraying the characters quite well, the reader is drawn to an intense world of warrior's path, and gains of knowledge.

Irish legends brought to Life

The Author does her legendary character proud - weaving an excellent tale perfectly with some humor overlaying a sad tale of lost love.

A thrilling tale of passion, honor, and .......the Law?

A literary adaptation of the ancient Gaelic legend Fionn mac Cumhaill this story delivers on every front. There is a lot of details about the Brehon Laws and how the ancient legal scholars of Erin applied their understanding of "Natural Law" as a guideline for society. These details can be a little overwrought in the narrative but ultimately prove central to the development of the story as many times the characters are called to weigh their passion (particularly for revenge) against the legal solution (almost always some form of compensation) that emphasizes de-escalation. The Finn character is a very multilayered character that you end up loving and hating depending on the situation. I'm not sure if this is how the ancient Gaelic tales portrayed Finn but this modern adaptation that recognizes the impact of the legal code on the society would affect human relationships and situational perspectives is well done. Finn is the protagonist of the tale but while the author makes him a relatable protagonist there are no punches pulled in the recognition that Finn was a warrior in crueler and more violent times and that affects even his understanding of "right and might" that might disturb enlightened modern readers.

9.8/10. Near perfect save for the occasional background noise in the narration but Mil does a really good job of evoking the grandma storyteller. It's not the most conventional kind of narration but I can tell they were really going for some authenticity with the narration so props for that.