Catherine is the author of the award-winning middle grade Storm Keeper trilogy and the YA Blood for Blood trilogy and with The Lost Girl King she is back in familiar middle grade territory with a story steeped in Irish mythology.
Bookish sensible Liam, aged 11, and impetuous adventurous Amy, aged 10, are parked with their grandma who lives in Connemara for the summer holidays. It rains a lot. During a walk out they discover the gateway to the land of Tír na nÓg, the Irish Otherworld, replete with the Dullahan, fearsome headless horsemen, the Fianna, equally fierce warriors who are sworn to protect the land and Pookas, people who have been turned into animals by malign magic.
Liam gets himself captured by the Dullahan and is imprisoned in the castle ruled by the lost girl king. The real power is wielded by an evil mage who has harnessed the sun to halt time and thus become immortal. Nothing and no one ages in the land of Tír na nÓg. Meanwhile Amy has befriended Jonah of the Greencloaks, a band in training to join the Fianna. She is determined to rescue her mild older brother and, in a splendid role reversal, sets off on a train of spectacular adventures to do just that. Meanwhile Liam is not passively waiting for rescue but struggles to overcome his fears and win his freedom.
There is a complex mystery surrounding the lost girl king which is gradually unravelled with plenty of clues along the way with the whole fantastical adventure coming to a satisfying conclusion. Catherine’s inventiveness doesn’t flag while deftly incorporating much picturesque Irish folklore. She keeps the action cracking along at a fast pace with the indomitable Amy leading the way most of the time. An enjoyable read for lovers of fantasy and folklore.
Catherine is the author of the award-winning middle grade Storm Keeper trilogy and the YA Blood for Blood trilogy and with The Lost Girl King she is back in familiar middle grade territory with a story steeped in Irish mythology.
