When I first requested this book, I was not aware that this was formerly known as Aoife of Leinster. I previously read that book and thought I was picking up a sequel! Below I will add my review from when I read the initial nontraditionally published edition.

As someone who studied abroad in Ireland in college, and comes from an Irish family, I was immediately interested in getting my hands on an Irish historical novel. Wow. This did not disappoint. Medieval Ireland? Sign me up for book two of the series. The research and care bleeds through the pages. The banter and dialogue were fantastic, the setting was beautiful, and I got a history lesson. Would recommend to historical fiction fans looking to branch out to other areas of the world, as I don’t often see this neck of the woods represented.

The Price of a Throne
by Sean J Fitzgerald
Politics, they say, makes strange bedfellows, and for Aoife, the fate of her noble clan may depend on her betrothal to Norman warrior, Strongbow. Strategy, alliances, some subterfuge, and bloody battles are employed to attempt to help her father reclaim his kingdom of Leinster. Large risks for large gains.
I learned some of history not usually taught, the unsung influence of female leaders, historical rights of women in Ireland, the logistics of war horses and armor. I came to admire Aoife, her brothers, and allies. I didn’t like the ending, but then, I suppose I wasn’t meant to.
Previously published under the title Aoife of Leinster: The Price of a Throne.
Book 1 of The Hiberno-Norman Chronicles

The Price of a Throne is the story of a real life Irish woman, Aoife MacMurrough, wife of Strongbow. The book was clearly well-researched and the author had a lot of understanding of the Irish political situation during this time. However, I felt that the book had uneven pacing and I struggled with the focus on the political or battle situations and then the romantic or dramatic areas. I did enjoy learning more about this area of history, but some areas were harder to get through than others.

I love historical fiction .. I low reading about strong women … having recently visited Ireland, I was so interested in learning more about its history .. so I was so excited about this book but honestly it just didn’t work for me .

Aoife just came across as a young girl pretending to be a grown up ; we rarely saw Strongbow which was a missed opportunity.. the main story read a bit like a soap opera .. and the rest was just being told Irish history vs being shown through character and plot . I know others have read and loved this - so maybe it’s just me and my expectations that didn’t align

2.5 🌟

12th-century Ireland, this is a story based on the daughter of the deposed King of Leinster, Aoife and what a great book it is. A story of struggles, strength, resilience and how Ireland was shaped by the events of this time. It is a history lesson in the best possible way.

The story is full of emotion, struggling through conflict, change and hard times. It is a well written and researched book and one that flows easily with wonderful and rich descriptions which will capture your imagination and take you on a journey. This book kept me reading and I hope to read more as this is I believe the 1st book in a series. Now I can't wait to see what happens next.

A wonderful, rich, emotional and strong story that will capture your since of adventure and wonder.

Thank you NetGalley and Book Whisperer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

An intriguing novel, highlighting a period history and ancient Irish law that is not typically represented in historical fiction. A good job of developing a story of just what would you do if you were divided between family and the people you were born to protect as royalty. Overall an interesting read.

Beautifully written. Cohesive and researched well. We need more books like this. I fell in love with how strong and brave these characters are

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sean J Fitzgerald for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Price of a Throne coming out September 18, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really love historical fiction! I thought the writing was really good. It felt well-researched. I’m obsessed with medieval Ireland. I loved the political intrigue and wars. I think Aoife was a really strong character. I would definitely read more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys medieval history!

The Price of a Throne is a beautifully written story that revolves around Aoife, the daughter of the King of Leinster and her journey to rescue her brother and return to her homeland.
The first character that stood out to me was Donal, Aoife’s other brother. He stood out to me in the first half of the book, but I felt like he soon lost his spotlight. As Aoife began to shed her innocence and naivety, she stole the show. I loved her development and how she became ruthless while still holding on to her honor. I can’t say much about Strongbow and Myler- I liked them both even if they weren’t fleshed out well enough.
Even though it was to serve the purpose of the battle, I strongly disliked the animal cruelty.
Also, it was a little weird that one of the characters used the word “ok” as it feels too modern.
I felt no mercy for Aoife’s dad; the story tried to redeem his character, but it was pointless in my viewpoint. He was too far gone.
Montmorency was so villainous that I had to close the book whenever he was mentioned. It takes a lot of skill to flesh out such a vile character that is believable at the same time.
I enjoyed the story immensely, even if I am not a fan of battle stories, especially if they’re rooted in reality. However, this intrigued me and I will certainly look into the history behind this.

Thank you netgalley and the author for the ARC!

I got to almost 30% when I decided to soft DNF. I like that a lot of historical facts were included in the plot to help support the storyline. However, some of these facts seemed to distract from what was happening and I often found myself losing interest and focus. Because of the lack of emotional investment, I decided to put down the book for the time being. For this reason, I did not provide my feedback on Goodreads. Please note that the star rating below is only reflective of the 30% I read and may not be an accurate depiction of what I would have rated the book if I would have completed reading it.

I enjoyed this book and learned more about the history than I was expecting to. My ancestors are Irish as far back as it goes, so it was really good to learn more about characters I had only fleetingly heard about over the years. It was clear that the author had spent a lot of time researching this part of Irish history. I felt the book really brought Aoife’s story to life. She was an impressive and formidable protagonist who it was really easy to connect with and empathise with.. My only criticism really is that the ending was a bit disappointing. The story seems to come to an end very abruptly and didn’t seem in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book.

The book has a compelling start but becomes dull in the middle. I loved the ending though. Apart from the pacing issues the writing is captivating.

“We do not choose our provenance, but our duty is written in our blood.”

Wow. I loved this. Based on a true story, Aiofe, Princess of Leinster, must ruthlessly strive to restore her family’s kingdom in medieval Ireland. Aiofe and her family flee to Wales, and there, form an alliance with a Norman lord and warrior, known as Strongbow to plan revenge on those who took their kingdom.

From the first page I could not put this down. The true historical facts and events are expertly woven within the story, keeping me aware of the historical context of the events happening, whilst also keeping the story alive. The characters have so much depth, and I felt very invested in Aiofe’s story.

“My story is one of betrayal, hatred, rage, revenge and sorrow, but it is also one of love, passion, joy and happiness.”

The Price of a Throne is fast-paced, and adds a deeply human element to the historical events it is portraying. It is a story of duty, family, loyalty and love, but also of the ruthless and difficult decisions that must be made for a family’s survival. I can’t wait to read more from the series.

This is such a compelling story! It is well written and clearly very well researched. I loved getting to know Aoife and the complex political landscape she was apart of. There were so many times I found myself cheering for her and preparing for war right along side her. It is not an easy read however. There is so much information, it can feel overwhelming. I will be recommending this to my more “serious” reader friends!

Fantastic read! I don't often read stories set in Ireland, they are traditionally set in Scotland or England but I really enjoyed the different setting as well as the historical lessons in the book. There may have been a bit too much backstory in some places but I love history so it was right up my alley.

That being said, the story line was phenomenal and kept my attention the entire read. The characters truly came to life and brought your own emotions out. While some of the historical tidbits made me cringe, the reader gets a real feel for just how deeply these characters felt for their families and friends as well as the unjust treatment of people in the 12th century. I cannot wait to read the next book and find out what happens with Aoife, Strongbow, and Myler. I am grateful we got the true story behind the King's dark history with O'Rourke's wife so that I could really truly cheer for Aoife's entire family. But please for the love of everything would someone just go ahead and poison Montmorency?!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

”The Price of a Throne” by Sean J Fitzgerald

Sean J Fitzgerald brings out the themes of power struggles, treachery, and atonement brilliantly in the colorful medieval background of the novel entitled “The Price of a Throne”. It began focusing on Prince Corin, a hardworking yet shameful man who wants to make the kingdom’s throne his own by overcoming the political color. This work’s plot is pronounced and painted graphically, taking the readers through the lives of the characters where any move matters.

The characters in the novella “The Price of a Throne” are well-developed and depict dynamic personalities oriented predominantly by their interests and sins. The way uncertainty gives way to conviction in Prince Corin is portrayed well, so the character transformation of the main hero, who is a leader, is quite tangible and touching. The main characters are surrounded by cohorts and opponents, which provide the readers with the complexity of the story, full of intrigue and doubtful intentions.

Fitzgerald is a fantastic prose writer; the battles are described vividly, the court politics are conveyed, and one’s internal struggle is portrayed. The main events are rich and follow one another quickly while the reader is kept captivated by secret affiliations and treasons. The author is thus able to paint a picture of a very active character but can interpose short periods of reflection amidst all the political goings-on.

‘The Price of a Throne’ can be pinpointed to Fitzgerald’s work and his twisting themes of duty, honor, and the unseen sacrifices involved in war amidst a kingdom on the edge of a war. The ethical issues that the protagonists of the novels are confronted with are timelessly significant, giving the readers a portion of food for thought about the price of the desire to rule and the hardships that one has to go through.

All in all, “The Price of a Throne” is an exciting read for all lovers of epic fantasy and all things political. The author, Sean J Fitzgerald, has done a brilliant job in making the narrative interesting with an exciting plot, good characterization, and outstanding world creation, making the audience look forward to the next part of the series.