Island of Shadows

The myth-shrouded British Isles at the end of antiquity, the world of the Celts and their ancient customs, the world of the Romans, whose world-ruling empire is slowly crumbling, the world of the gradually emerging Christianity. A time of pagan rituals, the first churches, and the birth of legends. This is where the story of the druid priestess Eimhir unfolds. Through her eyes, we witness the clash of completely different traditions and interests within a single land, a clash that will inevitably set the course for future development and change the old world forever.

 As an educated druidess, Eimhir seizes the opportunity to influence the course of events and tries to preserve the ancient heritage of her country in an ever more turbulent whirlwind of events. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish allies from enemies, to honour oaths and commitments, and to decide whose side to be on. What plans do the gods have for Britannia? And can this battle be won by human strength at all?

 Diana Míčková's debut novel, Island of Shadows, is a historical saga that draws on the author's expert knowledge and is at the same time a very readable work written in almost poetic language.

Diana Míčková is an Egyptologist, focusing mainly on ancient Egyptian religious texts, mythology and magic, and she is also dedicated to the ancient art of memory. In addition to Egyptology, she has also studied classical philology and archaeology as well as ancient history. She is the author of numerous scholarly publications and lectures on ancient Egyptian language and literature at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. Island of Shadows is her prose debut.