Kelley's Realm of Writing: Picts

Friday, December 11, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite fantasy book

Favorite book

The Last King by Robert E. Howard

Amazon description:

From Robert E. Howard’s fertile imagination sprang some of fiction’s greatest heroes, including Conan the Cimmerian, King Kull, and Solomon Kane. But of all Howard’s characters, none embodied his creator’s brooding temperament more than Bran Mak Morn, the last king of a doomed race.

In ages past, the Picts ruled all of Europe. But the descendants of those proud conquerors have sunk into barbarism . . . all save one, Bran Mak Morn, whose bloodline remains unbroken. Threatened by the Celts and the Romans, the Pictish tribes rally under his banner to fight for their very survival, while Bran fights to restore the glory of his race.

Lavishly illustrated by award-winning artist Gary Gianni, this collection gathers together all of Howard’s published stories and poems featuring Bran Mak Morn–including the eerie masterpiece “Worms of the Earth” and “Kings of the Night,” in which sorcery summons Kull the conqueror from out of the depths of time to stand with Bran against the Roman invaders.

Also included are previously unpublished stories and fragments, reproductions of manuscripts bearing Howard’s handwritten revisions, and much, much more.

There are very few books about the mysterious Picts of ancient Scotland. I’m a fan of Conan the Barbarian and decided to read this one about Bran Mak Morn, the leader of the Picts, a race that had descended into darkness and barbarism. Highly recommended.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

Friday, October 09, 2015

Favorite Friday: Sharing a favorite Romans vs. Picts movie

Favorite movie: Centurion

Product Description

AD 117. The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in the face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying Picts. Quintus Dias (Fassbinder), sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' (West) legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader Gorlacon. But when the legion is ambushed on unfamiliar ground, and Virilus taken captive, Quintus faces a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines. Enduring the harsh terrain and evading their remorseless Pict pursuers led by the revenge hungry Pict Warrior Etain (Kurylenko), the band of soldiers race to rescue their General and to reach the safety of the Roman frontier.

I really like this movie. My favorite scene is when the Roman legion marches into the mist-filled forest of Caledonia (Scotland) and the Picts attack. It gave me goosebumps. I loved Michael Fassbender as the centurion who survives being captured and pursued by the savage Picts. Olga Kurylenko does a great job as Etain, a frightening Pict warrior driven by revenge against the Roman soldiers. Highly recommended to anyone interested in this time period.