The account of the Celtic high king, Art MacMurrough, follows historical record, as does the military strategy relating to England’s King Richard II and his designs on Ireland. All named English and all but one French characters are historical figures, as are the Vatican’s legate and popes. Medieval architecture, clothing, weapons, and food, as well as laws and customs, are rendered as accurately as the old records allow. While historical characters appear, their words and actions are products of imagination.
