Review - Shadowmagic

A Review of Shadowmagic (Trilogy) by John Lenahan

By Amy Baumhoefner

The Shadowmagic trilogy is the story of Conor O’Neil, a teen who finds himself thrust into the mythical world of Tir na Nog – the Otherworld of Irish myth. Over the course of the three novels he struggles to save the world from dark forces that threaten to destroy it.

I’ll admit it – I’ve always been a sucker for secondary world fantasy. I will also admit that it’s been done ad nauseum since the four Pevensie children stepped through the wardrobe over fifty years ago. What makes this series so great is the narrative voice. Written in first person, from Conor’s point of view, the reader is drawn into the adventure from the first line where he asks he dad “How come you never told me I had an aunt?” In a normal situation this wouldn’t seem like a strange first question, but considering that Conor is chained to a wall in an unknown location and his father is bleeding, this is an extremely odd question to start with – and Conor admits it. Throughout the books he is funny, self-deprecating, and tells it like it is. At more than one point I laughed out loud as Conor related his adventures. I also really enjoy that Conor is aware of his own growth as a character. Several times during the second book he thinks something and, unlike in the first book, he stops himself from saying it.

The other characters are also very well-written. No one is totally perfect or completely evil, each has their own foibles and even (really especially) the main characters make mistakes in their words and actions. One thing that I find really unique about this series is that Conor has two strong parents (i.e. he isn’t the traditional orphan or child of a single parent) who, with their difficulties, demonstrate a loving relationship. It is so ‘in vogue’ these days to show teens/children with only one (or no) parental figure, and while there are many broken families I think that there should still be a place for stories that demonstrate that, with a lot of work, families can make it together.

The final book in the Trilogy Sons of Macha was released March 1st in both the US and the UK. It is currently sitting in my Nook (it’s an eReader if you’ve never heard of it) Library waiting to be read. What is really exciting is that the author has made them available for less if you buy them as an eBook (each are only $4.99 in the US & £2.99 in the UK) which is amazing!

At Amazon (and other booksellers) the story is described as “A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.” Strange as it sounds, that is exactly what it is. This series is on the top of my Must Read list for all teens and anyone else who enjoys fantasy – no matter their age.