Age of Secrets: Druids Brooch Series #8

FANTASY/HISTORICAL:  Fingan is a young man in sixth century Ireland trying to find his own way. Suffering from an abusive father and brothers, a mother who looks the other way and a grandmother who disappeared, Fingan escaped his home life and has learned to fend for himself. Suffering from a stutter, Fingan communicates better with the animals he encounters than with the people he meets along the way. With the help of his trusty, yet capricious, Irish Wolfhound, Bran, he is led to goddess Brigit where he learns he needs to find his grandmother, Cliodhna. Brigit supplies him with necessities and with Sean, the donkey. Fingan and his animal friends encounter the evil Fianna soldiers who try to kill him. Almost drowning in a river, he finally enters into an unknown Fae world where nothing is as it seems.

This is the perfect book for those looking for a mix of the simplicity of long-ago times and fantasy. The descriptiveness of Fingan’s journeys will have readers hiking along with him, Bran and Sean along the Irish river, fishing with nets and crossing oceans in a handmade raft with the help of a group of dolphins. Readers will be right there with this trio laughing at Bran’s antics, crying and then cheering them on. Although this is part of a series, this installment can most definitely be read as a stand-alone. It should be noted that the steam rating consists of one paragraph. Readers new to this series will find they’ve discovered a gem and want to catch up to faithful fans of this series who’ve known it from the beginning.

Alison Ellis