Druids

Druids is an historical fiction book about the Roman conquest of Gaul (modern France) from the point of view of the Gauls. Specifically from the POV of a druid named Ainvar, who shrugs off the expectation he’ll become a warrior like his father and brothers, and instead embraces his talent for magic. Llewelyn toes the line between full fantasy magic and magical realism. It’s unclear whether actual magic is happening, or if it’s just Ainvar’s interpretation of natural events and feelings, and I love this. This book very nearly brought me to tears, a rare feat as I am not a crier (except when the anxiety hits), and was one of the first books to make me seriously emotional. The characters just feel like such real people and when - spoiler alert - one of my favorites met a tragic end, it was like losing a friend. I’m sure the author has taken some creative liberties with history and the handful of actual historical figures that make appearances, but it’s clear she’s done her research and there’s no obvious anachronisms that stood out to my casual history buff knowledge.