I confess to ignorance about early 16th century Ireland and base my scanty knowledge of Brehon law on the novels of Peter Tremayne and this new series. It certainly seems to be enviably sensible in most respects, and when reading these books, set in an almost idyllic setting, the word "cozy" is never far from my mind. Whether I am reading cold fact, wishful fantasy or somewhere in between is a matter for conjecture. Mara and her school, her two suitors and the other characters are enjoyable to read about, and very much a product of their surroundings. This is a tortuous plot, and I certainly didn’t guess it all, but it does almost fill the pages of what is a fairly long book and kept me entertained. The English are shown as being a bad lot, and there is a foreshadowing of what is to come for Ireland that makes me think of Conquistadors and pre-Columbian civilizations. Reading this is like having a warm bath, although not as much as the first book My Lady Judge (also reviewed on this site). The author has wisely let a little cold water in this time...