Absolutely adore Catherine Doyle and her incredible portfolio of publishing. So exciting that she is writing in this space now too and look forward to reading more from her across all age ranges!

The Storm Keeper's Island is an exciting, magical adventure about a brave family and harnessing the storm within. I loved rooting for the hero, Fionn!

I read this story with my children (boys aged 8 and 10) and we all really enjoyed it. The story line was interesting and left us wanting to find out what was going to happen next. We are looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you - we featured The Storm Keeper's Island on Caboodle (website and newsletter) in 2018! We look forward to working with you in 2020.

Wonderful adventure book for middle grade readers.. I particularly liked the use of language as it helps increase vocabulary and keeps you on your toes!

"That is your greatest responsibility. To live a life of breathless wonder, so that when it begins to fade from you, you will feel the shadow of its happiness still inside you and the blissful sense that you laughed the loudest, loved the deepest and lived fearlessly, even as the specifics of it all melt away."

Fionn and Tara are sent to the island of Arranmore to stay with their grandfather. Their mother is grieving and cannot look after them; their father died on the island, and it holds many memories for all the family. Fionn is terrified of the sea as a result of his father's death. He is a shy character, who would rather spend his time safely indoors avoiding any kind of adventure. But the island won't let that happen.

Arranmore is steeped in magic and mystery, and the legend of the Storm Keeper who wields the magic of the island. The longer Fionn spends with his grandfather, the current Storm Keeper, the more he learns and becomes involved as the island steps up to choose a new Keeper.

I absolutely loved Fionn's grandfather. He is a wonderful character, funny, caring and brilliant, but also pushes Fionn when needed to face his fears and to become the person he was always meant to be. He takes him under his wing to teach him what it means to be a Storm Keeper, and how to manage the power of the island. Their relationship, which built over the course of the story, was wonderful to read, and by far my favourite bit of this brilliant story. Through his relationship with his grandfather, and their adventures together, Fionn learns a lot about himself and his powers, and he learns to be brave.

This was a wonderfully magical book and I cannot wait to read more from Cat.

"As long as there is someone to remember you, you are never truly gone, and neither is your story."

I mostly read middle-grade children's for the magic, there's nothing like it in adult novels! And that's why I loved books like Nevermoor and The Girl of Ink and Stars. But for some reason, The Storm Keeper's Island fell a little flat for me.

I try not to be too harsh with my reviews of this age range because I'm not the target audience so I may not be the right person to criticise, and I did enjoy it somewhat so it still gets three stars. But what I felt lacked the most in this novel was the world building. I couldn't quite latch on to a vision of the island in my head, so I struggled to see the adventure unfold.

Also, a big bugbear of mine is when a book makes it obvious there's going to be a sequel. I felt like I'd been given half of a book because it ended quite abruptly. Aside from that, the magic was there and I really loved the concept of the story. I'm sure it would still make for a great read for kids that age.

Exceptional. So richly imagined and atmospheric. This was a just beautiful to read, couldn't out it down.

I absolutely adored The Storm Keeper's Island, I love Cat's style of writing, storytelling and the magic she brought to the page. There is so much to love about this book. My full review will go up on my blog soon.

What a wonderful story. The Storm Keeper’s Island follows Fionn, sent to the island of Arranmore with his sister Tara when his mother becomes too ill to care for him, into the care of his grandfather. Fionn’s grandfather is the Storm Keeper of Arranmore. The maker of storms and wielder of elemental magic that protects against the darkness of ancient sorcery. With Fionn’s arrival, this darkness starts to awaken, leading Fionn to face his fears and protect the people he loves the most.

The characters are so full of life and vigour, and really help to propel the story forward by making you care out them. Fionn and Tara have a typical sibling relationship full of bickering and fighting that’s only heightened by Tara’s teenage love for Fionn’s island enemy Bartley. It’s obvious they love each other however, and the sibling bond comes into full effect as the story progresses. I would have liked to have seen more of Tara. She’s quite the enigmatic teenager who spends most of her time either in her room or roaming the island with Bartley, and I felt she had a lot of potential that wasn’t fully explored as she comes across as quite a resilient and tough character.

It was the relationship between Fionn and his grandfather that really stood out for me. It’s a relationship full of joy and a love for each other that’s also tinged with sadness and sentimentality as it develops. It’s a passing of knowledge and stories about the island and their family from a master to the apprentice, told with a sprinkling of magic and mystery. Add to this Fionn’s desperate longing to hear stories about his father, a man who died a hero before he was born, and you get a real sense of love between these characters. Fionn’s desire to see his father Cormac is built upon to create a wonderful bittersweet moment that is both subtle and elegantly done to such an extent that it took me by surprise, yet was also so obviously meant to happen. The writing really is outstanding.

The secondary characters we meet throughout the story help support and encourage a feeling of community spirit amongst the islanders. You get the feeling that everyone of the island has a strong familial connection to the area, and will do anything to protect it and their ancient traditions. Any outsider would have a hard time integrating into the island life without a host of eyes casting suspicious glances.

The island itself could also be said to be a character in its own right. Descriptions are vivid, and really big to mind a feral and wild environment that’s filled with hidden beauty. It has a personality all of its own that welcomes and calls to Fionn and his desire to be free from his familial responsibilities. The descriptions of the weather also add to this overall atmospheric feel, and allow the reader to become deeply involved in the island. I was desperate to smell the sea air, and feel the gusty wind on my back as I stood at the port with Fionn. It’s also so distinctly and passionately Irish, and I love that.

The plot is full of mystery and magic. It’s well paced and the world building is well explored and explained properly. It’s simple, to the point, yet also compelling and believable while retaining a uniqueness about it. The writing carries you through the story as if told by an old friend or relative, with a hint of folktale about it. You could almost imagine it being told over a fire like tales of the past. My only niggle was the ending. There’s a certain degree of unfinished business that sets the story up for a follow up, however I can forgive this given the wonderful story.

I’m excited for the next novel, and would honestly encourage anyone who loves a story steeped in magic and familial love to read this.

Catherine Doyle made her début as one of the bolder contributors to Irish young adult fiction with the Blood for Blood trilogy, a teen twist on movies like The Godfather set in the dark, dangerous underworld of the Mafia, but her first middle grade offering, The Storm Keeper’s Island, couldn’t be further from the blood-soaked streets of Chicago. With the temperamental skies and sea-salt tang of the island of Arranmore, it seems that Catherine Doyle has come home.

The island setting is undoubtedly one of the book’s stand-out features. Doyle offers up vivid, whirling descriptions, adding to an already interesting landscape an ancient mystery which stirs as soon as Fionn sets foot on its windswept shores. On Doyle’s Arranmore, tea is a must and magic is everywhere. This elemental magic is protected by a storm keeper and, in one of my favourite touches, gathered amid memories in the colourful array of candles Fionn’s grandfather Malachy makes by hand. The island is steeped in history, from miraculous lifeboat rescues to strange caves.

The full version of this review appeared on my blog closer to publication

The Storm Keeper’s Island is one of those books that just enchants you right from the get go. I could feel how alive the island was from those very first few pages and I could feel its magic creeping into me. I adored Fionn and his Grandpa and their relationship warmed my heart at times. Catherine Doyle’s writing is exquisite. I was totally captivated by her descriptions and a real sense of magic emanated from each and every page. This is a true adventure which is steeped in magic and mythology whilst also tackling grief and sadness in a way that is wholly relatable and sensitively done. This book will, without a doubt, capture the imaginations of thousands of young people and is definitely one to have on your shelves.

Oh this was the kind of book that made it easy to fall inside of and just live the story. From the start I was just taken away to the Island of Arranmore and deeply absorbed in the story. I loved every second of it. From Fionn's character to the magic of the candles taking him away to various places. I love this world and I can't wait to go back to it.

The magic system of putting the storms inside the candle's and capturing what happens in the candle is amazing. It's so unique and brilliant. I love the fact that the characters could experience stuff, time travel even through burning the candles and the hints that the power of the Storm Keeper was so much bigger than that were so enticing!

I'm so glad that I read this book and didn't miss it. I'm so excited to see this story continue. To anyone on the edge like I was, absolutely give this book a go.

Fionn knows he's not brave. He's a very unusual Boyle, afraid of the sea while his father and other ancestors were lifeboat men and men of the sea. When he and his sister Tara are sent to their grandfather for the summer, Fionn has to confront the sea of the small rugged island on a daily basis. There he finds out about the magic of the island, and that his grandfather is more than just an old candle maker.
This was such an original idea, candles that hold memories and a path to the past through these memories. Layers of time are all jumbled together on the island, the wind whipping you into the past.
Fionn is such a funny character. Despite thinking he isn't brave, he's so quick-witted with his retorts and never backs down.
The way the book ended I would expect a sequel though it isn't mentioned.

I picked this book as I have a niece in the target demographic and I am tired of books with unicorns and princesses cluttering every bookshelf!

This fantasy novel tells the tale of a magical island and those chosen to protect it. I devoured this book in one sitting and was transported to the island of Arranmore, off of the west coast of Ireland immediately.

The book tells the story of Fionn, an 11 year old boy, and his sister Tara, as they go to stay with their illusive grandfather for the summer holidays as their mother struggles with the death of their father.

The book tackles big Issues including grief, mental health and Alzheimer’s disease sensitively and I would highly recommend this book. It should be available in school libraries everywhere.

This book is a mystical story of ancient magic and family legacies, brought right up to date with modern story-telling. Fionn Boyle goes to visit his grandfather on the island of Arranmore, a place his mother doesn’t talk about and where tragedy has befallen his family. Once there, Fionn discovers he is descended from an ancient line of families integral to the history of the island, which is full of magic and with an ancient evil lurking beneath the earth. Fionn doesn’t think he is anything special, or that he has what it takes to live up to his legacy, but he may not have a choice.

As someone who has always loved traditional myths and folklore, I would have loved this book as a child and still found plenty to enchant me in adulthood. The setting was perfect – an isolated storm-swept island full of history and legend, magic and secrets – just the kind of place to capture the imagination of any child. Fionn is an easy hero to relate to as well, as he seems ordinary in the beginning, possessing no special skills and riddled with fear and self-doubt, and with a fractious relationship with his older sister. I am sure most children will recognise aspects of themselves in Fionn and be able to identify with him and his journey.

The relationship Fionn has with his grandfather is particularly touching and emotional and was at the heart of the story for me. The idea of seeing ourselves in previous generations and how we can carry down the best aspects of our family through the generation and maintain those links is charming and heart-warming. The relationship he has with his sister is also drawn very naturally and authentically. Their bickering, the way she annoys him and how frustrated he gets with her were very true to life and extremely entertaining. The suitably appalling boyfriend who is a rival to Fionn’s place in island history was also good fun to read.

There was plenty of action and great ideas in this book. The way the Storm Keeper was able to capture moments in time and preserve them to be revisited in future was a great hook for creating some exciting moments of drama in the book, and it was pacy enough to carry the reader along through chapter after chapter.

If I had a minor niggle about this book, it was that it was obviously setting itself up for a sequel and the ending was not perhaps satisfying enough in relation to the subject of the evil lurking beneath the earth which does not fully materialise. There are a lot of hints and developments that are obviously leading to a major battle occurring in a future book that we will have to wait for, so this definitely feels like a prequel. This did not stop it being an enjoyable read but I was most certainly left wondering about what is going to happen to Fionn and the island next.

A small quirk I also came across was with the name of the main character – Fionn – which my eye, unfamiliar with this name, kept reading as Fiona and I had to mentally check myself each time I read it which was a niggling annoyance but that might just be me!

Those tiny issues aside, this is a great book that is a welcome addition to the strong canon of middle grade literature that has sprung up over the past few years and I am sure any child who loves stories of magic and adventure will quickly get lost in this book over the long summer holiday. I would definitely encourage my younger daughter and nieces and nephews to read it and I will be waiting eagerly for the next instalment in Fionn’s story.

A beautiful, evocative and magical story! Fionn and his sister Tara are sent to the island of Arranmore to stay with their grandfather, the Storm Keeper, for the summer. Fionn has never been before, but he soon realises that the island is hiding many secrets...

I loved this, it really captured my imagination. As well as the magic that wreathes the island like the smoke from the candles that the grandfather makes, there's a strong element of realism running through the story, where Fionn deals with the lack of a father, a mother who suffers from depression and the usual tempestuous relationship with his sister.

The Storm Keeper's Island is a good mix of fantasy and adventure for middle grade readers. A good choice for fans of The Eye of the North by Sinead Hart and the Arthur Quinn series by Alan Early.

This was a much more mystical and magical book than I first expected and I loved it. I fell into this book, got tossed around in several storms and swam out exhilarated.

The mythical strain of the narrative was very engaging but what had me thoroughly hooked was the family dynamics. Fionn has arrived on Arranmore Island with his sister to spend the summer with a grandfather he's never met. They siblings feisty relationship is very believable and funny, but watching Fionn connect with his grandfather and understand what happened to his father, was portrayed with real tenderness.

'The Storm Keeper's Island' is a powerful MG adventure story that I would definitely recommend.

I absolutely loved this book. From page 1 you are hooked. It's full of adventure, mystery and magic. You follow the characters discovering the secrets of the island. I cannot wait for the next one.in this series.