Teagan Wylltson’s whole life, she and her little brother Aidan have been regaled with the folk talks that their Irish Traveler mother spins. Their house is filled with paintings of goblins and cat-sidhe and Ginny Greenteeth and a whole host of others, but she is utterly unprepared when those very characters start showing up in the suburbs of Chicago.
Teagan’s life seemed happy and orderly before she met wayward Irish teen Finn, but his arrival has triggered a chain of bizarre events that clue her into the fact that all is not what it seems in her world. Goblins and demons are walking in the night, targeting her family and leading to the sudden death of her mother. Things go from bad to worse when the goblins come for Tea’s father, bearing him away to be imprisoned by the goblin king Fear Doirich. The only one who can help the shocked siblings turns out to be Finn, who claims to be the legendary Irish hero Mac Cumhaill. With his aid, Tea strikes out on an adventure deep into the heart of Mag Mell, the enchanted lands where sprites and shapeshifters dwell.
In Mag Mell, danger lurks around every corner, magical creatures abound (some friends and some foes), and her own mysterious family history begins to unravel. As the Wylltsons struggle to survive their journey, one major question hovers in the air: even if they find their father, how can they hope to defeat the evil Fear Doirich to free him? This gripping first book of The Goblin Wars series reimagines classic Irish folk tales for a modern audience, and the result is a lot of fun. Fans of Twilight and other supernatural romances will like the will they/won’t they appeal of Finn and Tea’s relationship, and precocious young Aidan will certainly keep them smiling throughout the tale. 336 pages
Recommended by Molly Crumbley, Librarian, Maryland USA https://heyboobooks.tumblr.com
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Everything was going as planned in Teagan Wylltson's life--she has a dream job at the zoo as part of the primate research team working with Cindy, the zoo's chimp who communicates with Teagan using sign language. Looking forward to college and a great scholarship, Teagan has no time for a boyfriend or any problems in her life. Everything is great until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives on her doorstep.
Finn is loosely related to Teagan and brings with him all kinds of Irish legends. Goblins, shapeshifters, and shadow creatures begin to arrive at the Wylltson's house. Lucky for Teagan, Finn is the next Mac Camhaill to fight Goblinkind.
This novel is full of Irish legends of goblins, shapeshifters and cat-sidhe. Although goblins may not be a sexy as vampires, they are scary and devious. Hamilton introduces readers to new beings in the paranormal genre. Readers who enjoy a good paranormal read like Shiver or The Forest of Hands and Teeth are likely to enjoy Tyger Tyger, and Finn is just as dreamy-licious as Edward (Twilight).
Girls especially will like the characters of Finn and Teagan. Recommended grades 7-up. Mild language. 320 pages
Recommended by Pamela Thompson, Librarian. Check out Ms. Thompson's Young Adult novel blog at: https://booksbypamelathompson.blogspot.com/
