Many readers have asked me, “Dalriada, what’s that? How do you say it again?”

The name is pronounced, “DAL-ree-ah-duh.” Though the lands once known as Dalriada hold a rich history, the name Dalriada is familiar to relatively few. I find this is true even when speaking to my friends in the UK … and that’s precisely where Dalriada existed! Yes, from the late 5th century to the middle of the 9th century, Dalriada occupied what is now known by all as present day Scotland, or at least the western half of today’s Scotland. These lands were first inhabited by migrants from Ireland who named their land Dalriada, after the Dál Riata clan, who were among the first to settle the region. The other half of Scotland, the eastern half, held the name Pictland. This region was named after the fierce Picts, known for their usual custom of body painting, a custom often practiced by their warriors. Existing as two clan-based nations occupying the northern portion of the great island of Britannia, the people of Dalriada and Pictland were often adversaries, wanting little to do with one another. In time however, this all changed. The change came when a particular man, rising from the simplicity and obscurity of small Dalriadan clan, captured the heart of his people through tumultuous, rare, and gripping deeds of courage—courage steeped in love and honor. This would-be hero “fought the good fight” and persevered through treachery and fury, fulfilling the destinies of both Dalriada and Pictland in the forging of a new nation … the nation we know as Scotland.

The tale is epic, intricate, and profound … and it’s found between the pages of my first novel in the Dalriada trilogy, The Dawn of a King. Give it a read and tell me what you think.