Fionn Boyle, Storm Keeper of Arranmore, is facing the fight of his life. The terrifying all- powerful sorceress Morrigan has been raised from the dead and has sealed off the island from all help. Fionn is the only thing that stands between her and a dark future. He's got to find a way to defeat her. But there are some terrible choices in store for Fionn as the dark sorcerer begins to take his nearest and dearest for her own. With only two candles left to burn, will Fionn master his powers in time to stop her?
The Storm Keepers' Battle by Catherin Doyle is the fitting conclusion to the Stormkeeper trilogy. I have enjoyed this series since the first book came out a few years ago. I love the community on Arranmore and the creative take on magic that these books takes.
This book, the conclusion to the series is a fast paced adventure and spends less time setting the scene and developing the characters than the previous books because it doesn't need to. Anyone reading this book will probably have read the previous two and will no doubt have loved them and know a lot about the characters and the history of the island already.
In this story we find Fionn in slightly dire straights. Morrigan is waiting to make her move with her brothers and the island feels like it is under siege, meanwhile Fionn is still having trouble getting the hang of his Stormkeeper powers and feels like the worst Stormkeeper in history. He is joined by his usual friends and family, which form his support network but is still coming to terms with his Grandfather's passing. This relationship, which we saw in the first two books, felt like the heart and soul of the story and I really felt Fionn's loss in this book.
I don't want to go into the events of the story too much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Suffice to say, this is fast paced and throws you into action quickly. It was hard to put this book down at times and there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns that left me reeling and wondering what was going to happen. You get to see more of the Arranmore community in this book and there are some parts that were rousing in one moment and heartbreaking in the next.
If you have enjoyed the first two books you will love this one. I was very satisfied by the conclusion, in particular the way the characters have developed over the three books. I feel like I went on a journey with Fionn Boyle and his friends and watched them grow up and find themselves and find their place in their community.
This series is a perfect for Y5 or 6, it is filled with magic and adventure and their is enough threat to wonder at times whether the characters will survive unscathed or not. Morrigan and her followers are suitably sinister and make great antagonists.
The book is published on the 4th March 2021. There are some links below should you want to buy it.