The Chronicles of Faerie

Sharn Griffin is an associate editor of the Canadian Book Review Annual.

The three books in the Chronicles of the Faerie series are The
Hunter’s Moon (winner of the Ruth Schwartz Award for best children’s
fiction), The Summer King, and The Light Bearer’s Daughter. As The
Hunter’s Moon opens, cousins Gwen and Findabhair plan to take a summer
trip around Ireland once Gwen arrives from Canada. They start their trip
by sleeping under Tara, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. The King
of the Faerie comes for a bride and, in her sleep, Findabhair accepts
him while Gwen denies him. Gwen enlists the aid of several people,
including the wise woman of Inch Island, on her quest to rescue
Findabhair from the Great Worm who comes on the night of the Hunter’s
Moon.

In these beautifully written novels, O.R. Melling strikes the perfect
balance between Irish mythology and the modern world, all the while
telling a well-paced story that is filled with interesting main
characters. Readers who like fantasy and mythology will look forward to
Book 4, The Book of Dreams. Highly recommended.