The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle

“His grandfather chuckled. ‘Start filling it up, lad. That is your greatest responsibility. To live a life of breathless wonder, so that when it begins to fade from you, you will feel the shadow of happiness still inside you and the blissful sense that you laughed the loudest, loved the deepest, and lived fearlessly, even as the specifics of it all melt away'” (Doyle 2018, p. 248).

I really, really wanted to like this book, but it simply wasn’t my personal cup of tea. It’s a good story with adventure, folklore, and fun characters, but I found myself zoning out a lot while I was reading. Though there have been middle grade books I’ve really enjoyed, part of the reason I might not enjoy this book is that it seems to be geared towards middle school boys. It’s told from the point of view of a young boy named Fionn, an 11 year old boy who lost his father at a young age and has just moved to an island with his annoying older sister. Because of this, the book seems far more tailored towards the experiences of a young boy, which I am very much not. Regardless, there were some things I enjoyed, and I can easily recognize the appeal this book would have towards its intended audience.

The Storm Keeper’s Island follows the story of Fionn Boyle, a young boy who has been sent to a mysterious island that he has heard stories about his entire life. Though Fionn’s entire family is full of brave, sea-faring adventurers, Fionny is terrified of the water. When he arrives on the island, however, he quickly learns that Arranmore Island holds many secrets, including those of the mysterious Stormkeeper, who controls the island’s weather and chronicles the memories of every storm he witnesses in unique candles. He also happens to be Fionn’s own grandfather. An evil and ancient enchantress, Morrigan, has been stirring lately, and it’s up to Fionn to unravel the mysteries of the island before evil can take hold.

Like I said before, I really wanted to like this book. It has a really cool premise, and while I don’t know much about the subject, it seems to draw very heavily from Irish folklore. Morrigan and Dagda make an appearance, and the magic seems tied primarily to the sea and the weather. While I can’t speak for whether or not Catherine Doyle portrayed this folklore accurately, I really enjoyed the cultural aspects of the book. It really felt to me like there were ancient forces at work, and that everyone on this island held deep ties to one another because of this shared culture. The plot was extremely interesting, and I loved how the candle at the beginning of each chapter got smaller and smaller as the novel progressed and it burned down to a nub. Considering the use of candles as memories in this book, it was a very nice touch.

I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Fionn, his grandfather, and later his deceased father, as I could feel the importance of family ties to these characters. I can see a lot of young boys relating to the pain of losing a father at an early age, and his emotional reunion with his dad might provide a lot of catharsis for anyone going through such a loss. It also felt like Doyle was going for a sort of fantasy Alzheimer’s as Fionn’s grandfather lost his powers, which was both heart-breaking and an excellent way to incorporate a very real illness into a fantasy situation. Though Fionn’s sister really annoyed me, I also liked the dynamic between her and Fionn, as I could feel the genuine affection they had for one another throughout the book. As someone with a younger brother, I really related to both their bickering and concern for one another.

One character I could not stand, however, was Bartley, though I believe that was intentional. He’s stubborn, pig-headed, arrogant, and completely entitled, and it irritated me that Tara (who was otherwise described as being very intelligent) went along with him in order to look “cool.” Though she learns her lesson in the end, I couldn’t help wanting to punch her every time she did something awful or sided against her brother. Bartley’s grandmother was also horrible, bullying a literal child because she didn’t get her way years ago and craves power. Most of that family was terrible, to be honest. I did, however, really like Shelby, who proved to be a good friend to Fionn when his own sister was being brainwashed. Their friendship seemed really sweet, and as this seems to be the first in a series, I hope it develops further in future novels.

So why didn’t I enjoy this book? It has great writing, interesting characters, and a really cool fantasy premise deeply rooted in folklore. It has the components of many books I really love, but for some reason it fell flat for me. I could easily see a child (male or female) picking this book up and really engaging with the story and characters, but for some reason I found it to be… difficult to stay engaged in as I read. I would start a chapter and completely zone out, having to go back and re-read what just happened because I was so distracted. It was also really hard for me to stay invested in the plot, even though I found the idea to be intriguing. I have never before seen candles that reveal a memory when burned before in fiction, and I thought their descriptions sounded really cool, each one totally unique based on the memory contained. Though the plot was confusing at times (multiple memory threads coming together, random and inconsistent rules for the candles, etc.), I don’t think this is the reason I didn’t enjoy the book. I honestly believe it’s simply because I am not the intended audience for this book. While I can sometimes really enjoy books for which I am not the intended audience (after all, I read a lot of YA), something about this book fell flat for me.

Despite my lackluster response to this book, I would still recommend it to those who love fantasy and adventure, especially middle grade readers. This book is very clean and innocent; I don’t even think there’s a single curse word to be found. It is also billed as being a good choice for fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, and I can definitely see a few parallels. I believe this would be a good fit for the middle school boy who has read every popular fantasy and wants something new, as this title is certainly unique. So… in the hands of the right audience, I think this book has a lot of potential… It just wasn’t particularly memorable for me. I look forward to reading Catherine Doyle’s future work, however, as I enjoy her writing style and think she has created a very unique fictional world. I’m hoping next time she will write a book I can truly fall in love with. Until then, this one will (unfortunately) be among the more forgettable works I’ve read.

Reference:

Doyle, C., & Bragg, B. (2018). The storm keeper’s island. London: Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

“I am always surprised to discover that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light” (Kemmerer 2019, p. 246).

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve posted here! I apologize for my absence; between my work at the library and my personal life, I’ve had very little time for reading, and finding a book worthy of this blog has been difficult. Fortunately, the dry spell ends here, as this book was an absolute delight from beginning to end! While I had a few minor issues with it (I will get into those a little later in the review), I really enjoyed it overall. The characters are interesting and believable, the plot is suspenseful, the romance is realistic, and the political intrigue kept me up wanting to know what would happen to the kingdom of Emberfall next.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely has an interesting premise, mixing our reality with that of a fantasy kingdom in another dimension. Harper, a teenage girl with cerebral palsy, has known nothing but hardship for the past few years. Her father walked out on her and her brother, leaving them to deal with vicious debt collectors who will stop at nothing to get back the money he “borrowed” years ago. Her mother is dying of cancer, and her brother Jake is forced to do unspeakable things to make enough money to support them and keep them safe. Meanwhile, in the land of Emberfall, Prince Rhen and his kingdom have been placed under a nasty curse by an enchantress named Lillith. The curse forces the inhabitants of the castle to relive the same season over and over again, turning Rhen into a vicious beast if he isn’t able to find love in that time period. Though Rhen has tried and tried again to break his curse, every attempt has ended in failure… Until the day he sends his captain of the guard and most loyal friend Grey to Harper’s world. When Harper is accidentally taken while trying to protect another innocent girl from Grey, she begins to change Rhen, Grey, and their wounded kingdom. Will her efforts be enough, or will Emberfall and her family be doomed to misery forever?

I don’t even know where to begin with this story, so I’ll start with my favorite part: the friendship between Grey and Rhen. So often in literature, we see men being depicted as stoic and tough, never needing to lean on anyone for support, and certainly not another man. Grey and Rhen, however, have formed such a strong bond that they’re nearly brothers at the start of the story (ironic if you’ve read the ending), and sometimes the only one the other man can lean on in times of crisis. Just as it’s important for girls to see positive friendships being portrayed in literature, it’s important for boys to see the value of strong friendships, to know that it’s okay to be vulnerable and show emotions when necessary. Kemmerer does an excellent job conveying this, and I can’t wait to see where she takes this friendship next.

Another thing I really enjoyed was how realistic the romance was, especially since it took a surprising backseat to the rest of the action. I love romance as much as the next person, but it was so refreshing to see Rhen and Harper become friends and allies first, only really beginning to feel things for one another when a strong bond of friendship is formed. Beauty and the Beast retellings are often accused of promoting Stockholm Syndrome, but this novel turns that idea on its head, even making a joke about Stockholm Syndrome at one point in the book. While this romance begins to blossom, the plot focuses much more on Emberfall and helping Rhen’s people than it does on what’s going on between him and Harper, and I really appreciated this. Rhen is far from a fairy tale prince: he’s been stuck ruling a dying kingdom on his own with little support, and the novel really makes an effort to show that there is a lot of responsibility involved in being in charge of other people. Others I’ve talked to felt like the politics of Emberfall bogged down the narrative, but I thought it made it far more interesting than another cut-and-dry love story. The romance is certainly there, but the real conflict is focused on much more than what’s going on between Rhen and Harper.

While I’m praising this book, I also have to mention the fabulous LGBT+ representation. Not only does Harper find out that her brother is dating another boy, but Jake is also dating an African American doctor named Noah. Noah is represented as being strong, smart, and capable, and the two have an incredibly sweet romance that I absolutely loved. Much like Harper and Rhen, their romance takes a backseat to the more important things going on in the story, but I loved that they were included without it becoming an issue that the plot had to focus on. Even when they arrive in Emberfall, Grey makes a single joke about “the healer’s concubine,” and otherwise not a single character bats an eyelid. As I’ve said in many other reviews, casual representation is SO important, and it made me really happy to see it included in a crossover between fantasy and realistic fiction.

On the subject of representation, Harper is a kick-butt heroine who just so happens to have cerebral palsy, causing her to have a slight limp when she walks. Despite this, Harper is tough as nails and quick on her feet, never letting the fact that she’s differently-abled hinder her in any way. She learns to throw knives, shoot a bow and arrow, and is exceedingly skilled at horseback riding, making her fit in perfectly with the other characters in this fantasy universe. There’s even a subplot about having to prove to her brother that she can take care of herself, as Harper has spent her whole life being treated like a fragile doll that needs to be protected. I don’t know much about cerebral palsy myself, but the author mentions in her Author’s Note that Harper’s experience only represents one of many, and that there is no blanket way to describe what it’s like having CP. Once again, Kemmerer proves that she’s unafraid to sprinkle diversity into her books in a realistic way, and I appreciated her ability to do so.

My only real issue with this book was the plan that Harper and Rhen concoct, as it’s the most unrealistic thing about the entire narrative. I found myself feeling frustrated with them throughout the book, as I knew that eventually their charade was going to fall apart. At one point, the two decide to parade Harper as the princess of another kingdom (Disi, like Washington, DC – get it?!), promising an alliance between her kingdom and the kingdom of Emberfall. The glaring problem with this plan is that there is no such kingdom, and Harper does not have an entire army of people at her disposal as she claims. While everything works out in the end, I can’t help feeling that there should have been some consequences for telling such a massive lie, especially when the people of Emberfall were willing to put their lives on the line while waiting for this supposed backup. Even though fantasy doesn’t necessarily need to be realistic, I felt that this plan wouldn’t have worked even in the context of a fantasy universe, where battle strategy is still really important to the plot. This is only a minor gripe, however, as no book is entirely perfect, and this in no way hindered my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

Like I said before, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would have finished it much sooner if I had more free time to read. Once I got going, it was very hard to put down, as the novel is paced in a way that keeps you wanting to read on to find out what happens next. The characters are fun and interesting, and each of them will tug at the reader’s heartstrings and really make you care about what happens to them. Based on the way this book ended, I can only assume (and hope) that there will be a sequel, and I can’t wait to read it when it comes out. This book inspired me to read more of Kemmerer’s work, as I really enjoyed her writing style and attention to detail. This is easily one of my favorite retellings of Beauty and the Beast, and I will definitely be recommending it to any teens who want to read more modernized fairy tale adaptations.

Reference:

Kemmerer, B. (2019). A curse so dark and lonely. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.