Joseph Elliott (2)Critiques

There is always high expectations for the last book in a trilogy or series. Some authors fall under the pressure, and others do not. This book lived up to those expectations and more. I LOVED this entire trilogy. It was well written, cohesive, and the pacing was good. The characters were three dimensional and relatable.

I will forever recommend this book and series. 4/5 stars.

I had to catch up on these books to review and what a powerful book and ones I am sharing with friends

Trigger Warnings: anxiety, violence (war), death, homophobia (internal), sexism, misogyny, ritualistic self-harm

In the 3rd and final book of the Shadow Skye series, Agatha, Jamie, and Sigrid must do whatever it takes to stop the kings of Norveg and Ingland, who had joined forces to annihilate the people of Scotia. They turn to the Badhbh to help, but instead, he kidnaps Agatha and runs towards the kings. While Jamie and Sigrid try to unite the clans of Scotia and beyond their borders, Agatha receives unexpected support from people in Ingland.

What a way to end this wonderful trilogy! I had a hard time putting it down, I just wanted to revisit the trio and see what happens.

The multiple narrative voices of Agatha, Jamie, and Sigrid were still engaging and well characterized; I laughed, I gasped, I cheered. Agatha has always been my favorite but Sigrid and their moments too where I was laughing so hard. Jamie was and still is one of those characters I want to wrap up in a warm blanket and maybe give some hot cocoa to. These three characters are all teenagers, and they all went through so much. Jamie was always beating himself up over not being good enough and that’s a struggle that teenagers still go through to this day (and adults too to be honest)!

The characters were all together at the beginning, separated around Scotia and Ingland, and then brought back together again. Joseph Elliot did an amazing job at keeping every part of the story fascinating and engaging. I couldn’t read it fast enough to see how they all came back together to defeat the kings.

I can’t recommend this series enough - there’s diverse voices, mythical beasts, magic, LGBTQ+ romance, girls taking action, and so much more! I’ve been constantly trying to get the other two books into people's hands but now that the series is complete, I can really shove it into their hands and onto as many booklist recommendations as I possibly can! Please! Read this series!!

I received an advance reader copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This is the 3rd, and most powerful, volume in the Shadow Skye trilogy by Joseph Elliott. I read the previous two books--the second in the series was also sent to me by the publisher--and I've genuinely enjoyed them all. The setting is a medieval fantasy realm loosely based on England and Scotland. Three children work to unite Scotia and the Isle of Skye against a dark threat that looms above them all. These books are packed with action! There is darkness and death, but also a thread of fierce friendship and optimism. The humor is laugh-out-loud at times, too.

The three perspectives are fantastic and immersive. Jaime so desperately wants to protect his clan--and he is also wrestling with strange feelings for a dear friend. Sigrid is a girl of Norveg with a wonderful horse and a profound urge to do what is right, even when it is very difficult. Then there is Agatha. Oh, Agatha. It's fantastic to see a girl with Down Syndrome as a major character in a fantasy book. She is impetuous, brave, and loves her human and animal friends absolutely. Agatha gets to learn more about her family in this book. I won't post spoilers, but I will say that I love how it was handled!

The final battle in this book is long, intense, and makes this near impossible to put down. I was glad when everything came to a conclusion, but sad, too, because I love these characters so much.

Joseph Elliott’s exciting Shadow Skye trilogy concludes with The Burning Swift. It’s set among the inhabitants of a remote Scottish island, who face an impending invasion by Viking and English forces. The Burning Swift will be published in January 2022 by Walker Books US. Video review at https://youtu.be/XyKIF7DAKws

This 3rd book in the Shadow Skye trilogy brings the story of the people on the Isle of Skye to an exciting end. It includes a daunting war, interesting reveals in relationships and most of all a wonderful heroine by the name of Agatha, who rises above the normal expectations of her place in the world. Great adventure and probing of societal issues. Probably aimed at middle school readers. Wonderful cover art.

Agatha and Jaime make quite a duo in a mythic Scotland adventure. Agatha is a Hawk, a member of the clan who patrols the high walls of their island. She’s super proud of her job and works as hard as she can, though she still hears the whispers of clan members that say she only has that job because of the condition she was born with. Jaime is an Angler, a member of the clan who goes out to fish - but he hates the sea terribly. Even worse, he’s been chosen for a duty that the clan hasn’t even allowed in generations: marriage. The elders won’t say as to why they chose the arranged marriage to a girl in a neighboring clan, but there are always rumors.

After disaster strikes and the clan is kidnapped, Agatha and Jaime are the only ones left to travel across the haunted mainland of Scotia to Norveg with their captive deamhain - a prince of those who took their clan. With the help along the way from a clan of nomadic Highland bull riders and the animals who are drawn to Agatha’s incredible gift of communication, Agatha and Jaime must use their everything to save those they call family.

I devoured this book as quickly as I possibly could while still working and living everyday life. I was immediately drawn in by Agatha and her viewpoint of the world. Just how she approached any kind of roadblock, struggle, trouble in her way was a breath of fresh air. Sure, she might get mad, or hot and warm, but she tried her hardest to calm down and figure it out. Jaime was also a very captivating character. Poor guy was not built to be a seaman and the Elders make him an Angler. And, to top it off, his clan hasn’t had marriages in generations because they never saw the point, but now he has to?! None of that stops Jaime and he's on his way to save and rescue his friends and family.

I've been wanting to read more historical fiction books that weren't set in WWII (the time period I tend to gravitate towards), and by reading this, I can tell Joseph Elliott did his research in writing about historical, mythic Scotland.

I'm glad this is a trilogy and there is more to come from these characters. I've had this book on my shelf for a whole year and while I kind of rolled my eyes at myself for not reading it sooner, I waited long enough to read it that I now can read book two as soon as I can get my hands on it.

After returning to Skye, Agatha and Jaime, along with the rest of their clan, are staying with the clan they were rescued with, the Clan-na-Bruthaich, as the treacherous members of the Raasay clan refuse to give them their enclave?! back. Shortly after, another disaster strikes when the shadow creatures known as sgàilean escape from their stolen necklace prison. Agatha and Jaime, with the help of some allies new and old, must use their courage again to help aid in this new fight.

All the while, a girl named Sigrid, who's chained to the king as his 'new eyes', set sail from Norveg to the court of King Edmund of Ingland, where a dangerous alliance begins. Sigrid, who has an extraordinary memory and a tattoo of a 'neck snapped raven' on her face, works to free herself from the king. She too finds allies in those unexpected but also discovers enemies as well.

All three protagonists must use their special powers to save those they care about from the planes of vengeful monarchs.

As from the book before, I absolutely loved this book. I'm slightly glad I waited as long as I did to read the first one because I was able to get this book shortly after finishing it. Now though, I've got to wait for the third book and that's going to be a killer! I was so fascinated with the land of Skye and it's people, as well as those of the bull rider's clan. Even though it's mythical, this still isn't a time period I read about frequently so it's an adventure to go on.

Both Agatha and Jaime are characters that put a smile on my face. I wasn't even 'away from them' long between reading the first and second book, and when I was first reintroduced to them this time around, I couldn't help but feeling like meeting old friends. The same honestly goes for re-meeting Cray as well (the relationship between Cray and Jaime makes me giggle at their bantering).

We meet Sigrid in this novel. A young deamhan, her mother pays someone, essentially under the table, to tattoo a raven on her face. The tattooist doesn't have the best talent and makes her raven look like it's got a broken neck. You learn a lot about Sigrid within the chapters of this book, and man, did I quickly care about her and her wellbeing. Joseph Elliott sure does show you both sides of a coin doesn't he? The deamhan people are the ones who kidnapped and enslaved the clans of Skye, yet Sigrid's granpa has taught her that's not how it should be. The way Elliott wrote her language was also unique and, after getting use to it, was an interesting voice to hear while reading.

I do hope Sigrid is okay and gets to reunite with her granpa someday.

This series has been creeping up in my Top 5 YA Series list. I'm excited and I can't wait until Book #3 to see where Joseph Elliott takes these characters.

Middle grade fantasy with a unique lead character ( she has downs syndrome), who can also communicate with animals.
Set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, two children go on a journey to save their clan. This book had it all from dark moments to humor.

The Broken Raven takes place soon after the events of The Good Hawk. Jaime and Agatha return, as do several secondary characters from the first volume, and Elliott introduces new primary and tertiary characters as well. Chief among them is the Norvegian Sigrid, whose life is changed dramatically by Jaime and Agatha's actions in the previous book.

All three protagonists are true delights. The have such unique personalities and motivations, and believable individual strengths and weaknesses that get them into some pretty hair-raising situations. You really feel like you know these people and there were points where I had to put the book down because I was so worried about what might happen to them.

Which is another one of Elliott's strengths. This is a world with stakes: death and danger are commonplace, and there are no guarantees that they're survivable. This isn't to say that these elements are overdone or included for shock value; far from it. Elliott handles them deftly, and readers will fear for the characters and cheer all the more whenever they triumph.

Elliott expands on the excellent worldbuilding of the first novel, too, treating readers to more fascinating details about the people, animals, societies, and places that populate these alternate British Isles.

This book is much more of a bridge volume than its successor, which is a slight disappointment. But the stakes for everyone are very high at its conclusion and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

I was sent a galley of this book from the publisher.

In this second book in the trilogy, Agatha and Jaime are home on the Island of Skye again, but all is not well. A rival clan has taken over the holding. Their own clan is forced to share a village with other people, and the confines are causing tensions to escalate. When the shadow creatures that helped them defeat the Norveg are released on Skye, everyone on the island is in peril. Agatha does her part to help at home--in her wonderful Agatha way--while Jaime ventures to Scotia to seek out the maker of the shadows. Meanwhile, a third child is introduced: Sigrid of the Norveg. Enslaved to her king, she is taken to Ingland, where the royals plot to put an end to the Scotian menace once and for all...

This book is quite fun but I had to remind myself to regard this as a secondary world setting, not something that was historical with magic and alt history. This is its own world. If you get too caught up in wondering about the geography or how a grown man can ride an elk, the joy will be lost. There's a lot of joy here, too, dark as the tale can be at times. I continue to adore Agatha--it's wonderful to see a child-hero inspired by children with Down syndrome! She's impulsive and brash but always means well, and I enjoyed seeing her friendship with Aileen develop. Jaime's adventure is wonderful; readers of the first book will be happy to know that Cray returns! The new perspective, Sigrid, is great, adding more humanity to the 'bad guys' of book one.

This is fantasy-adventure book is a very fast read. There is death and danger at every turn, but there's also a pervading sense of friendship and hope. I would have loved these books at age 12, and I still love them now.

A young adult fantasy that takes place in an alternative British Isles of the past. The novel is told by three voices all teenagers. This is the second in a series but reads well as a stand alone book as I read it as an ARC. The primary story involves people reclaiming their homeland which in this instance is the Isle of Skye. There is a steady dose of adventure and danger but you always get the feeling that things will work out which they do. Easy to read and I feel it will be enjoyed by its target young adult audience.

The Broken Raven takes place shortly after the events of The Good Hawk – Jaime, Agatha, Clann-a-Tuath, and Clann-na-Bruthaich are all struggling in various ways with their return home. Through the trials of attempting to regain their enclave from the Raasay people, Jaime and Agatha rely upon faces we’ve encountered before and new ones. I was glad to see the Bo Riders return, although not to the extent of the first novel. I was able to read the second book just as fast as the first; the action was reasonably constant, and switching between POV’s and their situations wasn’t grinding. There are a couple of other things I am interested in learning more about: the King of Norveg’s brother and the role he might play and the history of Skye and Inglund, specifically what the King of Inglund did to his own realm to achieve his goal.

This book is nearly three separate journeys – though their paths do merge. While unexpected, it was a welcome change that each protagonist stood on their own without the other main character’s support. It also allowed other side characters to shine and fill out the story more than they did in the previous book. I feel like Agatha took a backseat in this book and the trials she faces in this book were just less even though she grew as a person and learned some important lessons along the way. Jaime seems to have fallen into melancholy and believes he should look and feel more like a hero than he does – he doesn’t seem to realize that cunning counts as well. The Broken Raven also introduces a new main character – Sigrid, a young dreamhain from Norveg. She is rough and callused, it took me a little while to appreciate her, she became my favorite – I grew to enjoy her point of view and her often comical descriptions of things. Even though she was dealt a terrible hand she is willing to accept it for now without letting it destroy her outlook on life. If I were in her place, I would have more than likely made the same choices.

The ending of The Broken Raven was as unexpected as it was sudden. I knew the book wouldn’t solve everything, alas I wasn’t overly happy with the state of the issues at the end. I will wholeheartedly and anxiously be awaiting the final book in the trilogy, and even with the ending, I am excited to see what transpires. I would highly recommend this book (and series) to those who enjoy neurodiverse characters, mild LGBTQ+ elements, found family, fantasy/historical fantasy, middle grade, and animals. I would also recommend starting with The Good Hawk (you can read my review on the blog as well) – quite a bit of background information would be lost starting with this book first. A big thank you to Candlewick Press, Joseph Elliot, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of The Broken Raven – all opinions are my own.

While The Good Hawk was not my first book this year with a neurodiverse protagonist it was harder to follow Agatha’s narrative until you grow accustomed to it. Agatha has the very ability that I always wanted to have since I was little – to talk to and understand the animals around us. While Agatha is different from anyone in her clan that certainly does not make her less than in any way and to those who doubted her place within the clan, she goes above and beyond to prove that she does belong. She has a kind heart even though her temper can get the best of her and nearly dogged in her loyalty. Jaime is the best kind of person for her to befriend and the events throughout the novel highlight their relationship even as it grows.

The world-building in The Good Hawk is fairly narrow but that’s honestly because both Agatha and Jaime have never ventured far from their home – until their forced to. What we do see is their world view widening while welcoming those who are foreign to them. The nomadic bull riders were an instant favorite and it was interesting to see just how different their customs were when compared with what Agatha and Jaime grew up with. The land is brutal, mysterious, and a little bit haunting – especially the mainland of Scotia. I believe that the history hinted at in this book will be broadened by the second book in the series The Broken Raven.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique book and eagerly look forward to reading the second which I will also be reviewing soon. I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy neurodiverse characters, mild LGBTQ+ elements, found family, fantasy/historical fantasy, middle grade, and animals. *Rounded from 4.5 stars*

As with this first book, this is a wonderful read for a young fantasy reader. The characters are wonderful and the world he writes is also great!

This is the second book in the trilogy and I would highly recommend both to young reader! (

The Broken Raven is book two in a trilogy, and you definitely want to read The Good Hawk first. The Good Hawk introduces us to Agatha and Jamie and their world. But even though they've rescued their kidnapped clan and returned to the Isle of Sky, they haven't managed to reclaim their homes yet. Tensions rise between their clan and their host clan, culminating in the release of the shadow creatures, who are no longer under any orders to spare their clan after the death of the Mad Queen. Once again, it falls to Agatha and Jamie to fight for their friends and their home. We're also introduced to Sigrid, a member of the clan who kidnapped Agatha and Jamie's clan in book 1, and an even greater threat that will loom over the Isle of Sky in the third book.

Once again, the action is nonstop. The characters have several quests to fulfill over the course of the book, and make old allies and new. I was excited that we got to spend some time with Cray and the Bo Riders again, and learn more about the King of England's motivations for spreading the plague. This book expanded the world and left plenty of unanswered questions for the third book.

The Broken Raven picks up soon after The Good Hawk. Jamie and Agatha’s problems have changed but haven’t diminished as they and their clan have returned to the island of Skye, but are unable to go home.

A new protagonist is introduced in Sigrid; a girl who belongs to the people who kidnapped and enslaved their clan to begin with.
The world is greatly expanded in this latest book. We get to see a lot more of the characters from the first book while meeting new ones and visiting new lands.

--
More to Come

A story that began with The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott, continues in The Broken Raven, second book in the Shadow Skye Trilogy. This series is a work of historical fantasy for Young Adults, set among the Celts of the Middle Ages during an era of Viking invasions along Scotland. Video review at https://youtu.be/2uQ6n2ZQhIM

I love this trilogy so much, and I can’t believe I have to wait until 2022 for the third book. The Broken Raven is the second book in the Shadow Skye trilogy and pretty much picks up where The Good Hawk left off, with the addition of a third view point character, Sigrid, a twelve year old Norveg girl.

Jaime and Agatha have freed their clan and are back on Skye but not home, they are sheltering with another clan, which has mixed feelings about hosting them. Not to mention that Queen Nathara’s necklace went missing at the end of the first book, and it contains all of the shadow creature from the fight in the mountain. There is also the new threat of creatures send by the king of Inglund. Jaime and Agatha must figure out what they can do to help, Jaime searching for the mage who created the shadows with the help of the Bo people once more, while dealing with the traumatic memories of the events of the first book, and Agatha breaking the rules to do what’s right. Sigrid is tied to the Norveg king, and overhears his plan to ally with Inglund to wipe out Scotia once and for all. But she is closely watched, so what can she do with that information?

I really enjoyed the addition of Sigrid, and getting to see some side characters from the first book again (Cray!) The Good Hawk was the first time I ever read a fantasy with a main character with Down Syndrome and I love that Agatha is strong and capable and smart, and that people who judge her are called out for it, and also proven wrong. I definitely recommend this trilogy if you are looking for good fantasy that is different than the standard YA fantasy. Also the covers are amazing. I can’t wait for the final book!

The Broken Raven (Shadow Skye, Book Two)
By Joseph Elliott
2021

A LibraryThing Early Reviewers book - Advanced Reading Copy.
This sequel takes place soon after the first novel. The main characters and their clan have escaped the Norveg/Norse and are back on the Island of Skye. At the moment, they are sharing the settlement of another clan, since the invaders still hold their home. Taking their home back won't be easy. A new character is also introduced to the plot, a young Norse girl with an amazing memory.
I don't want to go further into the plot, as to prevent spoilers.
This second volume of the series was a lot of fun to read. The language is beautiful, and Sigrid is a great addition to the cast. I look forward to seeing how everything turns out in the third book.
4 stars
Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Excellent
Recommended: Yes
Level: High School

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, and honestly chose it because the cover looked cool and it had the word "hawk" in it (yes, really; my obsession for birds knows no limits). When I first started reading, I'll admit my heart sank a bit; I couldn't STAND the writing style of the first chapter, and thought it was a huge downgrade from the elegance of the last book I read. After choosing to stick with it anyways, I learned that Agatha, the brave and spunky female lead, has Down's Syndrome, and thus thinks differently from the other characters in the book. Almost immediately, my impression of the writing style went from apprehensive to amazed. Elliott made a brilliant choice in choosing to represent Agatha's inner monologue the way he does, and its made even better when you learn that he himself works with neurodivergent children. Agatha is a protagonist I have never seen in a YA novel, and I applaud Elliott for his inclusivity and innovation.

Anyways, enough of my gushing. Let me explain the plot of this book first. The Good Hawk focuses on the stories of two characters who could not be any more different. Agatha is a Hawk, sworn to protect her clan from attack at all costs. Unfortunately, Agatha is also treated differently by the rest of her clan because of a condition she was born with, making others see her as lesser and incapable. Jaime is an Angler, though he did not choose this path; he would much rather work with the Wasps, working with his hands to build and repair things.

When Jaime is told he has been betrothed to a girl from an enemy clan to forge an alliance, he fears the clan will turn on him, as marriage has been forbidden in their clan for many years. None of this matters, however, when their clan is brutally attacked and taken captive by fierce invaders known as the deamhan. Suddenly on the run, Agatha and Jaime must team up to rescue their clan, revealing many hidden secrets along the way.

I will preface the rest of this review by saying that I know absolutely nothing about Scottish and Gaelic folklore, so I won't be able to comment on the accuracy or authenticity of it. I will say, however, that what I got was absolutely breath-taking, and I would love to learn more. There are so many cool mythological elements to this story, from the mysterious sgàilean to Agatha's rare ability to communicate with animals. Everything about this universe is unique and magical, even the fearsome Bo Riders who bond with bulls at a young age.

Elliott even used both Scottish Gaelic and a fictionalized version of Old Norse, further adding to the richness of the story. While I wish Elliott had offered translations for these words, I understand that many of the uses of the language aren't meant to be understood by the main characters, and by extension the readers. Still, I'm a huge fan of learning new words and phrases, and I'm sad that I can't understand the other languages in this book.

Next, I have to talk about the real triumph to this story, which comes solely from its protagonist Agatha. I wasn't kidding when I said that I have NEVER seen a character with Down's Syndrome in YA, much less a protagonist with Down's Syndrome. While I hate that the characters never name it (likely because ancient societies wouldn't have had a name for it yet), I can easily imagine a young teen with Down's Syndrome reading this book and realizing that he or she is capable of doing and being whatever he or she wants to be, because Agatha is a kickass heroine who saves the day in the end.

This crucial representation of neurodivergency nearly brought a tear to my eye, and I'm so glad Elliott was brave enough to make Agatha the hero. I've seen characters with ADHD, cerebral palsy, anxiety, and many other conditions, but Agatha was a first for me. Her writing was brilliantly done, and what made it better for me was knowing that not only does Elliott himself work with neurodivergent kids, he also consulted experts from the Down's Syndrome Association to make sure he was representing it in a respectful and accurate way. Any author who takes the much-needed time to do this wins a lot of brownie points in my book, and I'm incredibly happy that neurodivergent teens have this story.

Agatha is far from a useless damsel in distress; her bravery and unique gifts are what save her clan at the end of the novel, thus helping to lessen the stigma against those who are neurodivergent in real life. The other characters look down on and underestimate Agatha in the beginning, but soon learn how crucial her insight is to the group. They go from humoring her to truly respecting and appreciating her for who she is, and it's an incredibly touching character arc that makes me love her even more. She's an excellent heroine, and I hope this book opens the floodgates for more neurodivergent characters in the future, especially in lead roles.

That being said, I take slight issue with the fact that this book is marked as "middle grade." While there is no sexual content or overt cursing, there is a LOT of graphic violence, and I wouldn't feel comfortable with a middle schooler reading this, especially if he or she is sensitive to gore. For example, early on in the book one of the elders guts a rabbit in front of the children, forcing the fourteen year old boy and nine year old girl (who are, by the way, being forced into an arranged marriage) to eat halves of the rabbit's heart raw. This bit felt more like a Game of Thrones episode than a middle grade novel, and the violence only gets worse from there. This story involves heads being impaled on spikes, the throats of children being cut, and the brutal murder of many characters, so it's not for the faint of heart. I would, however, be fine with a high school student reading this, as I'm sure they've seen and read worse in other media by this point.

The violence, however, is really the only issue I had with this book, and even that is only an issue with younger readers. Teens will likely be able to handle this just fine. The rest of the novel is full of interesting, dynamic characters and a suspenseful, creative plot. Even the side characters are amazing, with Cray and Nathara being two of my favorites. Cray is a strong, fearsome Bo Rider who is confirmed LGBT when he mentions losing his male partner, and we get to see two different perspectives on LGBT people in this universe. In Jaime and Agatha's clan, this would be seen as forbidden, but in Cray's clan this is perfectly acceptable, and it made me happy to see an honest discussion between two characters on opposite sides of the fence. It is even implied throughout that Jaime might be attracted to Cray, which would make him bisexual and further LGBT representation. I suppose we'll have to see in future books!

Nathara's story is even more interesting, as she is the forgotten queen of Scotia. Thought to be dead along with everyone else on the main continent, Nathara surprises the party when she appears looking almost like a ghost, a fully grown woman who has gone mad from spending her life alone in a tower. Her and Agatha bond almost instantly, and Nathara proves herself incredibly useful when the others learn she can control the sgàilean, which her father created to fight the war against Ingland. Every character introduced in this story brings something new to the group, and I love how Elliott weaves their stories together to create a pretty formidable fighting unit.

While there is a lot more I want Elliott to explore in future books (the other clans, King Edmund, the magic, the lore, etc.), this was an excellent opening book to the trilogy. It helped establish the characters without spilling chapters and chapters of boring exposition, and really encouraged readers to piece things together as it went along. Many of the foreign words can be learned easily through context (for example, a bothan is a small dwelling made of stone), and there is enough explanation that it's fairly easy to settle into the mechanics of this clan and the world they inhabit. This is a fine needle to thread, and I think Elliott did it excellently.

The characters are compelling and diverse, and written in a style that helps further reflect their characters to the reader. Agatha's thoughts are very simple and straightforward, while Nathara speaks in stilted verse to represent her stilted emotional and mental growth. The magic, too, is extremely interesting, and I can't wait to see what will be done with Agatha's ability and the sgàilean in future books. My hope is that he will branch out and really dig into the lore in this world, as I would love to know more about the clans and their beliefs. I may not have known a single thing about this book when I picked it up, but I'm extremely glad I chose to read it. Cheers to Joseph Elliott on his debut novel; may he have much more success in the future!

This was a good Middle-Grade fiction book, though as other reviews mention it was perhaps a bit dark and could lean more to Young-Adult. I enjoyed the main characters and overall the plot was good as well. I liked the lore of mythic Scotland for the setting. Those who enjoy fantasy and MG to YA fiction would likely enjoy this book, it would be a good one to give a try!

In short, pretty good read but I don't find myself too interested in reading the sequel (felt it could have ended as a standalone just fine). It does some things that I definitely am giving thumbs up for, but also other things that I just was frustrated with.

Plot:
I enjoyed the main plot in general, some things I was ''meh'' about (not including what I will write below). It was definitely darker than I expected - especially for what is supposed to be middle-grade! I would definitely have marketed this as YA.

I did have a problem with one of the subplots - and I do not consider sexuality a spoiler so I'm going to talk about it. One of the characters we find out is gay, and Jaime is outright homophobic about the ordeal. How this was dealt with comes with two problems for me:
1) the biggest mention of this character being gay is that his partner died so it can be easily forgotten about for readers (and this book being written so easily should be aware of this, I feel, if this is something that is to be included) and,
2) Jaime's homophobia isn't really dealt with other than that he and the gay character are friends and ''have gone through a lot together'' - and look, I've personally known plenty of homophobic people who have gay friends and don't say anything bad in front of them but will say terrible homophobic things when away from these friends. Then use the excuse that they have gay friends to state that they aren't homophobic after all. This is basically Jaime's growth with his homophobia - there is none. I would have like to see it actually dealt with and having Jaime go back to his people and convincing them of how many of the old rules are wrong.

Characters:
I think our main characters - Jaime and Agatha - were handled pretty well. I felt like they were pretty well fleshed out. It was nice to see a neurodivergent character like Agatha, and she's honestly so loveable. I'm not sure what kind of stereotypes a character like this would usually have, though, so I'm hoping the author's experience as a special needs teacher really came in to play into knowing how to make sure she wasn't just a stereotype Jaime also seems to have some kind of separation anxiety which was cool to see.

A few other main characters I felt were a little too flat and relied too heavily on one trait. I don't feel I got to know or get too attached to them.

Also fun thing for me is that I'm glad I have Irish, since some Scottish Gaelic is used in this book so that was fun for me ;)

an entertaining enough read, and I really liked having a neurodivergent protagonist. I will say that at times it seemed rather violent for middle grade, but then I'm not familiar enough with the age group to tell if it was too much.½