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Review: The Storm Keeper’s Battle by Catherine Doyle

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The Storm Keeper's Battle by Catherine Doyle

Storm Keeper’s Battle (Storm Keeper #3)
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury
Published December 28, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Storm Keeper’s Battle

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?

In the thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Storm Keeper’s Island series, evil sorceress Morrigan rises, and Fionn and his friends must use their wits to save Arranmore Island’s future.

“Fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson can add Fionn Boyle as a generous and brave hero from the Emerald Isle.” –SCHOOL LIBRARY CONNECTION on THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND.

My Review

Confession: I learned that THE STORM KEEPER’S BATTLE came out in the UK in March, so I ordered a copy and read it long before the US release date. This is something I’ve never done before, but I seriously could not wait to read this book all the way until October. So technically I read the UK release of the book, but I waited to post my review until close to the release date here in the US.

I have too many favorite things about this book. The friendships between Fionn, Shelby and Sam. The way it again ties together all these moments in the island’s past and Fionn’s role in those events. The memories of and presence of Fionn’s grandfather. I may have sobbed through a couple of scenes.

At the beginning of the book, I’ll admit I was a little nervous that it would be tons of chapters of Fionn and friends stumbling around looking for clues and killing time until the final battle with Morrigan. But as the trail of breadcrumbs began to take shape pretty quickly and the stakes continued to go up higher and higher, I felt like I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I got completely lost in the story and couldn’t stop reading until I reached the very last page.

This is one of my favorite series ever. I want to have ten children so that I can read these books aloud to each one of them. I love the story of courage, family, friendships, and community. And I love the magic and the candles and the way that love speaks across time. It’s so, so good.

If this is the first you’ve heard of the Storm Keeper books, please check out my review of THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND, the first book in the series as you’ll definitely want to read that one first.

If you liked THE RAVEN HEIR by Stephanie Burgis, definitely check out the Storm Keeper series!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Characters are Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used twice.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
An evil sorcerer gathers the souls of others to her, making a cape from them and controlling their bodies, commanding them like an army. Fionn also has some magical abilities. He has candles from his grandfather which allow him to visit other times in the island’s history.

Violent Content
Situations of peril and battle violence. Fionn and his allies must battle a sorceress and her powerful, Titan-like brothers.

Drug Content
Fionn’s uncles drink wine and share stories with the family.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Review: The Lost Tide Warriors by Catherine Doyle

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The Lose Tide Warrior (The Storm Keeper’s Island #2)
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 14, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About The Lost Tide Warriors

In the brilliant sequel to The Storm Keeper’s Island, winner of the Books are My Bag Readers Award, Fionn Boyle finds himself at the heart of the fight for the island’s survival.

Fionn Boyle has been Storm Keeper of Arranmore for less than six months when thousands of terrifying Soulstalkers arrive on the island. The empty-eyed followers of the dreaded sorceress, Morrigan have come to raise their leader and Fionn is powerless to stop them. The Storm Keeper’s magic has deserted him and with his grandfather’s memory waning, Fionn must rely on his friends Shelby and Sam to help him summon Dagda’s army of merrows.

But nobody else believes the ferocious sea creatures even exist. And how can he prove he’s right without any magic? As Fionn begins his search for the lost army, the other islanders prepare for invasion. The battle to save Arranmore has begun.

My Review

Oh. My. Gosh. Reading this book, I laughed out loud. I ugly cried. It was a wild ride all the way through, and I loved every minute of it.

While Fionn wrestles with his unresponsive magic and his fears about failing the island, he’s surrounded by spunky, quirky characters. So there’s this constant balance between serious and silly that I thought really worked.

I love the way the whole community was involved in the battle to save the island. This isn’t one of those books where the hero has to go solo despite everyone telling him to go to bed or stop pestering them with prophesies of certain doom. Fionn definitely fights his own battles, but the community rallies around him. I found that really refreshing and awesome.

Altogether, this is a totally worthy sequel to THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND, which was one of my favorite books last year. I can tell this is a series I’m going to be talking about and recommending far and wide.

If you liked A SNICKER OF MAGIC by Natalie Lloyd or THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage, or you are breathing and love a good story, please add this series to your reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 9 up.

Representation
Characters are Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two instances of mild profanity, but used more in a classical sense? Like “such and such will damn the island forever.”

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Fionn has been chosen as the island’s new Storm Keeper, which means he should have a kind of elemental magic. He’s also having nightmares in which an evil sorceress visits him. She is awake and gathering followers to her so that they can perform a ritual to raise her. Her followers, called Soul Stalkers are sort of like zombies that gather on the island. Fierce mermaid-like creatures called Merrows are supposed to answer to the Storm Keeper’s call and defeat the Soul Stalkers.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some graphic descriptions of shark-toothed Merrows and Soul Stalkers battling.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE LOST TIDE WARRIORS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle

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The Storm Keeper’s Island
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 22, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND

When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet …

Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn’s grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise.

But, deep underground, someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island’s next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.

My Review

The Storm Keeper’s Island is my favorite book that I’ve read for far this year. It’s definitely one of those books whose characters stay with you and has that extra sense of magic. Fionn and his grandfather (and even his know-it-all sister) had me hooked from their earliest scenes.

Fionn chases after his older sister on a hunt for a secrete cave which, once a generation, grants a wish. Tara’s snooty boyfriend means to use it to call himself the next Storm Keeper. But all Fionn wants is to bring his dad back. The only problem is the cave lies hidden somewhere on the edge of the island, and Fionn is terrified of the ocean. So right away there are huge stakes, and lots happening between rival families on the island. Fionn’s grandfather, Malachy, has this super quirky, ridiculous feel to him, but you never doubt his love for his family.

I won’t give anything away, but the climax of the story totally got me. Oh. My. Gosh. All the weeping. I think I cried for like 25 pages. In a good way. Such a good way! So many things snapped into place and happened the way they really had to, but it made for such a powerful confrontation and strengthened the story’s focus on the value of family connections and sacrificial love.

I totally recommend THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND. If you liked THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage or BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD by Monika Schröder then definitely check out THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND.

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Takes place on a small island. Everyone is Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The Storm Keeper has a certain kind of magic power. He can capture a storm and particular memory of something in a candle that can be burned and re-experienced. See violent content for more.

Violent Content
Fionn witnesses a battle between Dagda, the island’s ancient protector, and a sorceress who seeks to destroy it. Seeing this confrontation sparks a connection between Fionn and the sorceress– like she knows he has a special calling on the island, and she wants to steal his power.

Drug Content
None

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Affiliate links appear in this post.