Amy and Liam Bell are having to spend their summer holiday at their gran's house in Connemara whilst their mum and her new boyfriend head off to Santorini. Whilst Liam would be happy to sit inside and read his book all day (he believes that the outside world is fraught with danger), Amy is determined to explore, especially after finding a book their gran has written entitled 'Myth or Madness? Searching for the Magical Kingdom of Tìr na NÓg' which intrigues Amy, especially as she knows their gran believes the mythical place to be real. On the first morning of their holiday, Amy and Liam head out to explore and stumble across a waterfall that Amy notices seems to be flowing the wrong way. This piques their interest so they follow it, and come across the entrance to Tìr na NÓg. However, they quickly discover that their gran's images of the place are very different to the reality. Liam is captured almost immediately and taken away by a troop of headless horsemen and it's up to Amy to not only find him, but save him as well. However, first she has to find out where he has gone and convince the head of the Fianna to help her in her quest before the sorcerer of Tìr na NÓg captures him and uses his bones as part of his latest and very sinister spell.
I fell in love with Catherine Doyle's writing when I read The Storm Keeper's Island way back in July 2018 (https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-stormkeepers-secret-catherine-doyle.html) and waited with baited breath for the publication of books 2 and 3. It was with a heavy heart that I said goodbye to Fionn and Arranmore so I was thrilled when a proof copy of The Lost Girl King arrived in the post for me (& even more delighted that it was during the Easter holidays so I could drop everything and just dive right in!).
Amy and Liam are polar opposites of each other. Whilst Liam would be happiest curled up inside reading a book (I can sympathise, although I would happily swap rainy Ireland for Santorini!), whilst Amy is full of energy and seemingly fearless. Her determination to find her brother is borne of sibling love but her drive is enough to empower anybody to do anything! I loved her attitude towards Oscar and her refusal to accept his attitude towards women - I audibly cheered her on on several occasions! Whilst Liam is very different and more of a passive character, it was lovely to see him develop as a person as the book progressed - I don't want to say too much so as not to spoil anything but I was proud of him by the time the book finished. Ultimately though, the siblings both share the same quality: bravery and a bond that will never fade.
The Lost Girl King is an epic adventure that combines myth, magic and adventure perfectly, creating a vivid world that both excited and scared me. The plot kept me on my toes and there was just enough darkness to ensure you won't see the twists coming. This is a brilliant stand-alone novel and one I will be shouting about until (and way after) its publication date on the 1st September - however, I don't think I will ever quite look at the sun in the same way again!
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