Sinead O'Hart

Irish Fantasy

The old magic is in danger and with it the future of Ireland, maybe even the world. Rosaleen Darke is an ordinary schoolgirl, but sometimes it's in the humble things that magic can be found.
An ancient object of power, a few magical sweets, an enchanted hammer, a school bully in bunny slippers, a giant elk, a last stand.
Will they be enough?

Sinead O'Hart imbues a clear love for Ireland and her mythology in every chapter of this book. Young readers will be introduced to a cast of characters and places, all of whom have a bearing on the culture and history of Ireland. I can picture kids searching the library for books of Irish lore after finishing The Silver Road, and that's a wonderful image.
The book is peppered with words and phrases in the Irish language, adding a rich cultural layer to the relatively simple narrative.
O'Hart weaves environmentalism into the story through references to the current climate crisis, and I think that it is very much in keeping with the Irish tradition of respect for nature, and the importance of protecting the land.

On the one hand, this book achieves what many have tried and failed to – portraying the main character, Rose, as a very ordinary and magically useless young girl. On the other hand, when I read pure fantasy I want a lot of escapism, and that was only delivered at the very end of the book. I related to Rose, but I was frustrated by that. I didn't want her to be quite so ordinary when it came right down to it. I wanted her to stand up to Emer, or tell someone what was happening with her. I wanted her to keep the tathlum safe, and learn how to be magical from Grace and Nellie. But alas, It matters not what I wanted, because this is not my story. There is of course a lot to be said for the story of an ordinary, messy girl finding the inner strength to stand against evil, despite having none of the knowledge or experience required to do so. She presents the idea that maybe we could all be brave, if push came to shove.
My final criticism is that for me personally, I hated the timeline of the Emer story. It gave me the same emotional feelings as if Harry Potter had not managed to leave the Dursley's abusive household until the very end of the book. I understand that Emer relates more obviously to the character of Malfoy, but the fact is that we were given no initial breakthrough in this book. She starts out being terribly bullied, and that just carries on throughout the story. Maybe if there had been something else at the start, something that Rose really conquers and gets past it would have been fine. But instead I felt this sadness and anger at the bullying from the beginning, and for me at least nothing broke that feeling until the end.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed this immersive story of magic breaking into modern day Ireland. I enjoyed the ancient characters being brought to life as well as the new creatures and stories created by the author. I find myself more interested than ever in ancient Irish folklore, and look forward to reading more.… (mais)

Orphan Tess is happy at Ackerbee's Home for Lost and Foundlings, with her best human friend Wilf and her best animal friend, her pet tarantula Violet. She loves science and conducting experiments and with her makeshift lab space, she has everything she needs, except for answers about her parents; who they were and where she comes from. When a stranger appears at the orphanage claiming to be a long lost relative, Tess's life is turned upside down. Can Tess stop a terrible chain of events from rocking not just her world, but further afield as well...?… (mais)