Early in her latest novel of ancient Ireland, Julienne Osborne-McKnight's narrator says: "I listened to the words that everyone spoke around me, learned the languages of Greeks and Phoenicians, of Romans and Egyptians, badgered my father and mother for the languages of their homelands. I collected people through their stories and their behaviors and told myself the tales of their travels. In the stories, I belonged." Indeed, in "Song of Ireland," Osborne-McKnight's fourth novel, she once again returns to the theme of the power of stories. She also again calls upon her training as a folklorist to create a vivid, ancient world. "Song of Ireland" revolves around The Sons of Mil and their quest for the land, which will become present-day Ireland. They sail from Egypt to Inisfail, the so-called "Isle of Destiny" of Gaelic legend. Led by the Bard Amergin (the book's aforementioned narrator), they finally achieve this dream. They begin to live on this magical island, only to find out they are not alone. They are joined by the legendary Danu, a mysterious group of little people who have spawned much talk because of their mysterious powers. But a battle for the island is not the point of this story. Amergin, instead, proposes that his people and the Danu inhabit the island together. This is not to say tension and violence are completely avoidable. Osborne-McKnight draws up the action sequences, and throws in some magic and fantasy when necessary, to complement her excellent re-creation of everyday life in ancient times. All in all, Song of Ireland stands nicely alongside Osborne-McKnight's other tales of ancient Erin, which include "I Am of Irelaunde," "Daughter of Ireland" and "Bright Sword of Ireland." ($24.95 / 336 pages / Forge)