A window into the ancestors of anyone of Scot-Irish descent Clans and Castles is the first book in the Checkmate Series

In 1608, William Neely left Wigtownshire, Scotland for Ulster. He was looking for his place in the world but what he found was the adventure of a lifetime.

Surrounded by powerful clans that had ruled Ulster for more than a thousand years, he came to know some of the most mighty chieftains of the time, including the formidable Cahir O'Doherty, who launched O'Doherty’s Rebellion with the burning of Derry and the killing of Sir George Paulet of His Majesty King James’ service. It would put in motion a chain of events that would transform Ireland and it would mark Cahir O'Doherty as the Last Gaelic Irish King in Ireland.

Cahir O'Doherty became the Lord of Inishowen as a teen after the death of his father. Known as The Queen’s O'Doherty due to his loyalty to Sir Henry Docwra and the English Crown, he saved his clan lands on the Inishowen Peninsula and his people from the fate that had befallen other Irish clans.

Peace would be short-lived, however, when Henry Docwra, Governor of Derry, was replaced by the ruthless Sir George Paulet, who ushered in a new wave of hatred for the Gaelic Irish. It would all come to a head on one fateful night when O'Doherty took the commander at Culmore Fort hostage along with his wife and son. Gaining access to the weapons at Culmore Fort, he led an invasion of Derry, burning the village to the ground. It would touch off a wave of events that would unite the major clans of Ulster, leading to a bombardment of Burt Castle, a counterattack in the Inishowen Peninsula and the burning of Ulster; a major battle at Kilmacrenan and finally a siege at Tory Island.

And when O'Doherty’s Rebellion was complete, it would usher in the age of The Plantation and mass immigration of Lowland Scots, encouraged by King James I to transform all of Ulster.

Clans and Castles is based on the life of the author’s ancestor, William Neely.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite

Checkmate: Clans and Castles by P.M. Terrell is a spellbinding novel that captures a historic moment in Irish history in the early 17th century, exploring the adventures of William Neely, who came to Ireland from Scotland in 1608 in the hope of fighting in King James’s army… Here is a tantalizing historical novel that plunges the reader into what life was like in Ireland at a period when powerful chieftains rose against each other, a captivating story with relevant historical and cultural references; it is the first book in the Checkmate series, and a great opening at that.

What immediately arrested my attention was the power of the prose. From the very beginning of the story, the reader is treated to gorgeous descriptions of the setting and the characters: The winds were fervent across the Irish Sea, pushing the waves into the shoreline with uncharacteristic intensity, stopped only by the jagged rock below before misting William Neely. The narrative is lyrical and the voice is irresistible. Yes, the prose sings in the reader’s ears like beautiful music and it is peppered with wonderful dialogues, which are well-composed to read naturally and to deepen the plot and conflict. P.M. Terrell’s characters are wonderfully developed and readers will love them. There is a lot of drama taking place throughout the narrative and the action is intense and unrelenting. Checkmate: Clans and Castles is a gripping treat for fans of historical novels, a well-crafted, not-easy-to-put-down story that will transport the reader into a turbulent period in Irish history.