Quill and the Last Generation

Drawing on the rich mythology of her homeland, Wales, CM (Caryl) Lewis’ new fantasy adventure is beautifully told, an atmospheric story full of dragons, magic and true heroism.

Twelve-year-old Quill does seem to be one of the last generation. No babies have been born for twelve years and there have been no summers either. With the world cold and weakening, a hero is needed, and Quill seems uniquely unlikely to fill the role. Slight, quiet, gentle, he’s teased by the other children in the village, and his over-protective father brings down more scorn on him. But Quill is the only one who can put the word right. To do that he must travel into the underworld and confront Arawn, the king of the dark, not just to bring back light and summer, but to enable the souls of the dead to once more find proper peace. Once in the underworld, he is befriended by shapeshifters, bonds with a powerful and beautiful water horse, learns to swordfight, and encounters all sorts of terrifying dragons. There are many challenges to overcome, but biggest of all is recognising and accepting his own strength, trusting the qualities that he learned from his parents and best friend, discipline, softness, humour; believing that to do good is the right choice, This is all delivered through a narrative that is filled with action and intrigue, set in a world that is elegantly described and defined by an author who knows just how to keep her young audience with her. This is magical storytelling at its very best.