Heroes of Light and Shadow

Stories in which ordinary kids turn out to be anything but are endlessly satisfying, and Oisin Ryan’s adventures, steeped in magic and Irish myth, are particularly enjoyable. They all begin on a school trip to the museum in Dublin, where he overhears three suspicious looking characters planning a burglary that night. The museum staff won’t believe him, so Oisin returns alone at midnight – the first sign he might have more to him than people expect – at which point the men transform into terrifying horned monsters. In the resulting fray, Oisin is despatched with an axe, only to wake up in his coffin. It most circumstances, that would be the end of the story, but Oisin is a) not mortal and b) rescued from his grave by a man claiming to be his uncle. Fionn MacCool, for that’s who this is, is delightfully relaxed about allowing his young nephew to accompany him and his allies as they try to work out what the monsters (Fomorians) were after, and how to stop them. It means he has a ringside seat as they race to decode ancient messages, track down clues and confront even more terrifying creatures including – memorably – the Morrigan. If it sometimes feels Oisin is too much of an observer, that all changes in the final scenes, and anyway, who wouldn’t want to be that close to his Uncle Fionn, wonderfully insouciant, and always ready with a wry comment or witticism, even as he’s knocking out the bad guys, a kind of magic James Bond if you like. This is a clever use of Irish legends and as stories of magical young heroes go, definitely amongst the best. If you don’t know much about Irish myth, that won’t be a problem, though you’ll likely be inspired to find out more. The ending sets the stage perfectly for more adventures, and they won’t come soon enough for readers.