Note: This article is part of a college assignment I am undertaking at Munster Technological University (MTU) where I am studying Digital Marketing.
I have optimised this content for the following:
- Irish Fantasy Books
- Fantasy Book Review
It would be fair to say Ireland is a heavy hitter when it comes to crime books producing authors such as Sam Blake, Jo Spain, and Sinead Crowley. However, flying under the giant shadow cast by Ireland’s favourite genre are Irish fantasy books which are not to be missed. This fantasy book review will have you put down those crime books and pick up one of the best speculative fictions produced by an Irish author – The Call, by Peadar Ó Guilín.
Ó Guilín writes a tale as twisted as the fairies in his book which will keep you up at night with both fear and eagerness to find out what happens next.
At any moment, a teen in Ireland can just disappear and be taken to the Grey Land. There, they are chased and hunted by terrifying fairies known as the Sídhe. (Pronounced – shee). Whilst ‘The Called’ only disappear for a little over three minutes in the human world, they must survive for over a day in the fairy world where they’re subjected to their torturous ways. Most times, The Called are returned dead, bodies mutilated, but on the rare occasion, they survive.
Though Nessa suffers from polio which has affected the use of her legs, she’s determined to survive The Call. She’s innovative, smart, tough, and underestimated by her peers. This makes her very easy to root for throughout the story.
World building here is expertly crafted. The Grey Land is hell, and the societal structure of Ireland is well composed. The teens of Ireland attend a school where they learn survival skills to prepare for that faithful day when they’re Called. It threw up some great what if scenarios which I thought made the book really engaging.
As I stated in a pervious article, Four Book Series We Need to See on Screen, I think The Call, and its sequel, The Invasion, would make great movies as it has Attack on Titan vibes. It would be an ideal opportunity to showcase some great special effects and terrifying scenes. Ó Guilín’s Sídhe are frightening monsters which think of creative and ironic ways to torture their victims. I think these book adaptations would do well within the horror and dystopian genres and would be wildly entertaining as movies.
Recommended for those who enjoyed the Hunger Games, and anyone who likes a thrilling story, Ó Guilín pays faithful homage to the dark origins of Irish fairy folklore in terrifying ways. Hopefully, this fantasy book review will prompt you to give Irish fantasy books a chance or at least inspire a gift idea for a loved one this Christmas.
This book review is part of a new #Octobooks series. #Octobooks are books associated with authors/guests/members (past and present) of #Octocon, the National Irish Science Fiction Convention. Find out more about Octocon on their website and their socials: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky, and Mastodon.
MARK KIELTY 