Seekers of the Chalice

by Brian Cullen

Overview

In the time when gods and men walked the earth along with demons, the Chalice of Fire, the symbol of peace for Ulster, is stolen from the Red Branch by Bricriu Poisontongue. A small band of Seekers sets out to recover and return the Chalice to the Red Branch to restore peace to the Ulster kingdom.

The Seekers are a group of two elves, Bern and Lorges; Cumac, the son of Cucullen, the greatest Red Branch warrior; Fedelm of the Sidhe; Tarin, the Swordwanderer; and the wizard-druid, Seanchan. Together they must make their way through the world brought as Maliman, the evil wizard, uses his powers to stop them as he seeks the Chalice himself to bend its magic to his will.

The Seekers battle their way through the creatures of darkness that threaten to conquer the world. But they are determined to bring light back from darkness and restore the land that has fallen into ruin and decay with the theft of the Chalice.

An epic tale that brings to mind the works of J.R.R.Tolkien, David Gemmell, and R.A. Salvatore, Seekers of the Chalice is the first book of a trilogy that explores the ongoing battle between good and evil in a land that is teetering on darkness.



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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466848023
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/11/2013
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
File size:	624 KB

About the Author

BRIAN CULLEN is a former professor of classic literature who lives near Lunenberg, Massachusetts and in Ireland. He lives alone in a house filled with books and music in a world of his own creation. Seekers of the Chalice is his first novel.

BRIAN CULLEN is a former professor of classic literature who lives near Lunenberg, Massachusetts, and in Ireland. He lives in a house filled with books and music in a world of his own creation. Valley of Shadows is the second in the trilogy that began with Seekers of the Chalice.

Editorial Reviews

Cullen's freshman effort, the first in a fantasy trilogy loosely based on the ancient Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge, fails to do justice to its inspiration. When Bricriu Poisontongue is tricked into falling into a dung heap, he retaliates by stealing the Chalice of the Just. This opens the Great Rift, setting evil free from the Otherworld. Handsome Cumac, son of the mortal hero Cucullen and the love goddess Fand, is sent to Earth to regain the chalice. Cumac searches for Bricriu, gaining renown and a band of Otherworldly heroes along the way. Bricriu must content himself with the company of a hag who, bemoaning her lost beauty, sings: "But now, my bony arms/ Are not worthy of my charms/ And I do not any longer seek/ Youths to favor with my charms." Though former literature professor Cullen has an obvious understanding and love of myth and legend, his characters feel flat, their motivations petty and their adventures repetitive and predictable. (Feb.)

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Publishers Weekly

When Bricriu Poisontongue steals the mystical Chalice of Fire, given to Cucullen, leader of the Red Branch warriors, by the gods as a symbol of peace for Ulster, a group of heroes, led by Cumac, the goddess-born son of Cucullen, sets out to recover the precious artifact. Their journey takes them through the Otherworld and into the Earthworld, where they encounter magical creatures, battle temptations from those who would deter them from their quest, and find their way to the place where the Chalice now rests-just beyond their reach. Cullen's debut captures the feel of Celtic mythology as its heroes travel from adventure to adventure and learn from their mistakes. Richly detailed and filled with poems and stories that add an authentic feel, this series opener belongs in most adult and YA fantasy collections.

—Jackie Cassada

Library Journal