A.G. Rivett’s The Shareg summons a world that draws from 11th century Britain. It’s a landscape full of conflicting political and spiritual allegiances, framed in a fantasy and time-travel story.
The action takes place on the island, where John Finlay, a man who once lived in contemporary London, has accidentally travelled through time. Now known as Dhion Ma’Phadr or “The Seaborne,” he has carved out a life in this unfamiliar medieval world.
Dhion is now a smith in the township of Caerpadraig, which faces a leadership crisis when its chieftain, or “shareg,” cedes the title in the wake of health issues. When Dhion’s name arises as a potential replacement, he and other Caerpadraig residents find themselves in conflict with the new Archpriest and his black-cloaked “pelerines,” who have been sent to eradicate Fincara’s long-held traditions, a mix of Christianity and their pagan past.
Soon Mother Morag, Caerpadraig’s spiritual leader, comes up against the Archpriest’s misogynistic standards. Meanwhile, Dhion finds himself confronting threads from his old London life, events that reach back to the trilogy’s beginning and build to a climax that leaves the Island forever changed.
There’s enough background here for those who haven’t read the first two instalments, although the prior stories underpin the present book. (The Seaborne tells of John’s coming to the Island; The Priest’s Wife focuses on Morag’s journey from widowhood to spiritual leadership.)
Rivett infuses his imagined world with rich detail and careful research. The Shareg’s central conflict takes its cues from the historical battle between Roman and Celtic Christianity, and the author skillfully expands on those elements, offering a story with genuine heart and compelling characters.
Casual readers might find the story’s density a bit challenging: It’s thickly packed with language, geography and other details pulled from 1,000 years ago. But committed readers, particularly lovers of British history, will find it immediately engaging and immersive.
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