A final battle is coming.

I wanted to take a few moments to dive a little deeper into my favorite part of Celtic mythology, the Book of Invasions, because it is the foundational myth for the Last Battle of Moytura series.

The Book of Invasions is among the oldest of the myths. Much of the book describes the arrival of powerful beings, the Tuatha de Danaan, to Ireland. They fight two epic battles before being driven under the hills by the Milesians, credited as the first humans to arrive on Ireland, or as it was called then, Inisfáil. It is as close as Celtic mythology comes to a creation story. And yet, in true Celtic form, it leaves the tale unfinished.

It has been said that the Celts had no myth telling how the world was created because creation has never really stopped. From a few notes, the Oran Mór (the Great Song) creates and is creating endless forms, new ideas, and re-ordering the world. At the same time, there are cycles that have a definite end. In myth and fairy tales, things are often completed in threes. It is the third prince who kisses the hag, the third daughter brave enough to go on a quest, and the third event which completes a cycle of tales.

The Book of Invasions presents a series of wars only two-thirds complete. In the first Battle of Moytura, the Tuatha defeat the oldest inhabitants of Ireland, the Fir Bolg. In the Second Battle of Moytura, they defeat the oppressing Fomorians. That got me thinking a third and final battle is required to complete the trilogy.

The Tuatha were the most powerful race Ireland has ever known, and yet when the Milesians arrive, they retreat beneath the hills with the Sidhe (fairies). I always wondered why, what might prompt their return, and how would they respond to the world as it is now? After all, the world is in need of a new mythology.

Those questions formed the seed for the Last Battle of Moytura. The Tuatha and the Fae return from the Underworld to reclaim the world above from those who rule it: us.

I hope this insight into the background for the series has piqued your curiosity.
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That tomboy little girl I used to be dreamt up stories about the fairies and gods returning and taking me on grand adventures. As an adult I get to enjoy the excitement of extending the Book of Invasions to Portland, OR. Wait. Oregon? Isn’t this a Celtic story, why are there fairies in Oregon?
Spoilers…

You can get the first book in the series, Hunted by Fae, in libraires and at almost any online retailer!