Daughters of Nicnevin

Readers of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander will love this fantasy tale of folklore and witchcraft from Scotland.

 

Mairead and Constance, two powerful witches, meet in the early days of the 1745 Jacobite uprising. While the men of the village are away fighting, the villagers face threats from both the Black Watch and raiders, and the women are confronted with their vulnerability. They enlist the help of Nicnevin, fae queen of witches, to bring men made of earth to life to help protect their village. But just who do they need protection from? And what will happen when the village men return?

Winner of the Independent Publisher of the Year Award, 2024, FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress

Review

"Set against the evocative backdrop of Scotland in the 1700s, the Jacobite uprising and the witch trials, Daughters of Nicnevin is a haunting, ethereal tale of love, sisterhood and magic."

-- Helen Glynn Jones, author of The Last Raven

"Sweeping and evocative, Daughters of Nicnevin is lush, earnest, and painfully heartfelt. Every word etches truth in your soul: when it comes to Scottish history tinged with magic, there is no greater authority. Compelling and bone-shakingly real, Kinsella is a beautiful and singular voice."

-- David Green, author of the Empire of Ruin series

“With plenty of peril and a delicate romance, this enchanting book will sweep you away into a past that feels as vivid as the present.”

-- Charlotte Bond, author and podcaster

"A tale so powerfully bewitching I forgot reality, and at times even breathing, existed." -- Ida Keogh

"A compelling, cautionary tale of the desperate and powerless finding arcane magic to defend themselves. The best of intentions can’t save them from unforeseen consequences." -- Juliet E. McKenna

"A story of love, community and responsibility that weaves together the heartening and heartbreaking to spellbinding effect." -- Andrew Knighton

"[A] combination of sapphic romance and supernatural Highland folklore [...] The moody atmospherics are impressive and vibrant local color adds some fun." -- Publishers Weekly

“A superb slice of bygone Scottish life brewed with folklore and witchcraft into a fresh and fantastic read.” -- Cameron Johnston, Author of The Last Shield and The Maleficent Seven

"Weaving the language of fae and feminine power into its story of historical turmoil, this is a moving, involving novel about found family, consent, releasing fear, and community grit. [...] Two women combine their innate powers to protect a community in Daughters of Nicnevin, an arresting historical novel with a sapphic twist."

-- Foreword Reviews

About the Author

Shona Kinsella is a British Fantasy Award nominated author who lives and works in Scotland. Her works include the Vessel of KalaDene trilogy, industrial fantasy novella, The Flame and the Flood, and dark Scottish fantasy novella Petra MacDonald and the Queen of the Fae. She is the Chair of the British Fantasy Society.