The final battle takes up a third of the book - magic, doubt, evil, and plenty of cool sequences. The geography of the island is exploited well, these familiar places being used by the islanders to boost their defences. Plus some "key" locations being used as the centre of great action pieces, particularly the lighthouse.

Being a finale, it wouldn't be complete without a big bad and some serious self doubt. Morrigan's ability to steal people's souls and make them into puppets is pretty unnerving, and her brothers are the big muscles. After losing his grandfather in the last book and realising the final battle is nigh, Fionn naturally is going through the dark night of the soul. To be fair, I completely understand the wariness of everyone around him - if I knew I was about to be caught up in a fight, I would not be enthusiastic about a 12 year old being put in charge, regardless of how much magic he had (even if he could initially control it).

I liked how the tendrils of myths and clues laid back in the first book play out in this one, everything wrapped up into a neat package (though there is a bit of "don't think too hard about the linearity of time" going on. Still, the candle magic means the time travel aspect feels less like sci-fi time travel, and so loses the shaky logic vibe).

The images above the chapters are really cute, and really clever. They're all set in exactly the same location, but they alter with the events of the book, and also track the time of day too. They're not large and you'd need to be paying a lot of attention to them to notice the subtle (and some not so subtle) changes. It's something the publisher could have easily left out, as it would have been a fair bit of work for the designer to create every one, double crossing against the story, but it's such a lovely touch.

The final instalment of Catherine Doyle's Storm Keeper trilogy is one of my most anticipated books of 2021 and I was delighted to be approved to read an eARC on NetGalley.
The story continues days after Fionn Boyle's confrontation with the dark force that threatens his ancestral island home of Arranmore, a wild, storm-battered and beautiful island off the west coast of Ireland, related in book two, The Lost Tide Warriors.
‘Fionn Boyle was sure of two things:
One, he was full of an ancient, rippling magic that could explode from him at any moment. Two, he had absolutely no idea how to control it.’
This story is MG Fantasy at its finest. A cast of brave and loyal friends who support Fionn through his doubts and difficulties; a sarcastic older sister who comes through for her brother when it really counts; a terrifyingly evil foe and hugely importantly, the island itself. For me it is the sense of place which makes this book and indeed the entire trilogy stand out. The deep magic which pervades Arranmore, with its hauntingly magical locations such as the Whispering Tree, Cowans Lake and even Morrigan's lair on Black Point Rock all appear utterly authentic and resonate with bone-deep ancestry and connection to the land. I think this can only be achieved by a masterful author who knows and feels that same connection to place. On the island of Arranmore…
‘If it sounds impossible, then it’s probably true’.
As evil sorceress Morrigan sends out her brothers, Brendon the Brutal and Aldric the Silent to capture new recruits for her army of soul stealers, the inhabitants of Arranmore led by Fionn and his family and friends battle against time to locate their own sorcerer, Dagda, to lead the fight against her. The story captures twelve-year-old Fionn’s battle against his own self-doubt and sense of inadequacy for the role which has been thrust upon him. The humorous teen banter between Fionn, his sister Tara and friends Sam and Shelby, contrasting with their fierce loyalty to each other in the heat of battle is deeply moving. The closing chapters of the story held me enraptured as I sat up far too late into the night to finish the book.
This is a perfect finale to one of the best Middle Grade series that I have read and I highly recommend it to all confident readers of 10+
I am grateful to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for granting me access to an eARC ahead of publication and I will be buying a physical copy, hoping that I can find a signed one on sale, to join the other two in the series on my bookshelf.

Today is a sad day; a sad day as it is the day I finish the Storm Keeper Trilogy, one of THE BEST middle-grade series in existence. I remember being absolutely swept away by book one a few years back now; candle magic still blows my mind. The third book in the trilogy ties together the series in the most explosive, beautiful way. Many third books fail to live up to the hype and the expectation that grows through books 1 and 2, but The Storm Keepers' Battle blew my expectations out the water. The magical battles, and yes I mean battles plural, were superbly written, and brimming with imagination. I really do despair at finishing this stunning series but can't wait to read what Cat writes next.

Candles that capture a memory and can carry you back through the layers of history to experience it. But the young Storm Keeper of Arranmore, Fionn Boyle, has only two left and he can’t seem to control his powers yet. He needs help because the Sorceress Morrigan has risen and is collecting fresh souls for her army. Fionn hopes that if he can find a way to Dagda, the sorcerer who defeated Morrigan long ago, he will have an ally with a power equal to hers. But the answer to his quest is not what he thought it would be and there is a terrifying battle ahead. Future and past circle round each other as Fionn comes to terms with his role in Arranmore’s past and the terrible choices he needs to make to save it now.

This is a wonderfully imaginative fantasy story, the finale of the Storm Keeper trilogy. It is set in an island that oozes magic, a natural magic of wind, fire and water, of sea creatures, birdsong and the scent of wild flowers. You really feel you could travel there one day.

At the heart of the story is the importance of love and loyalty, of friendship and close family bonds. Fionn’s big sister Tara may fight with him but she will go into battle to defend him. Old quarrels need to be forgotten to find the power that comes in fighting together for what really matters.

If you enjoy a thrilling fantasy epic written with warmth and humour you will love The Storm Keeper trilogy. Perfect for fantasy fans of 9+ and I’d recommend reading Storm Keeper’s Island and Lost Tide Warriors first to enjoy the whole magical experience.

#TheStormKeepersIsland Thank you to #netgalley for a copy.

A complete page turner- action packed full of twists and surprises and with pure magic floating out of each page.

The final in the Storm Keepers trilogy, this book had high hopes and expectations set on it and it smashed them all out of the park. Fionn and his intermittent magic seem doomed from the start but he soon finds his feet, his magic and his inspiration for this final battle against Morrigan and her soul stalkers, some of whom are familiar faces!

With riddles from Dagda and Roisin to figure out and the source of his magic to master, will Fionn and his Arranmore Army be enough?

This fantastic book had me reading late into the evening, hoping for a happy ending but at each twist, it seemed hope was lost and the battle lost with too many casualties, however loyalty, magic and ancestors can have a powerful impact on those willing to stand and fight sacrificing themselves.

What an EPIC battle!! I’ve followed Fionn’s journey from the beginning and I’ve waited with baited breath to get my hands on this, the last in the trilogy. It didn’t disappoint. Action packed from the very beginning, it had the perfect mix of everything I was looking for to end such a wonderful series. I can’t wait to get this into my year 5/6 children’s hands.

Thanks to Catherine Doyle, NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this advanced copy.

I adored the first two novels in this series. I read them both as soon as they were released. So when the opportunity to read an advanced copy came, I was very excited.

And Catherine Doyle does not disappoint. This is the final installment of the Storm Keeper trilogy. The novel opens up with Fionn and his friends in impending doom. Morrigan and her unearthly soul stalkers surround Arranmore, and the young Storm Keeper must find a way to bring back Dagda and his magic to protect the island.

This is a breathtaking ride. Fionn races across the island, and across time, to defend the island and its inhabitants from evil. I found myself trying to pace myself, but I couldn't. Doyle builds up tension very well, but breaks it nicely with the comic interludes with Sam, Shelby, and Tara.

The threat is very real. Morrigan and her monstrous allies do pose a scary threat to Fionn and his family. Younger readers should read this with an adult, but most children will be fine with the violence - it's child-friendly.

The biggest hit for me in the Storm Keeper's Battle (and the entire trilogy, for that matter), is its heart. It has it in spades. Doyle has created an island full of beautifully written people (apart from Elizabeth Bartley. I hate Elizabeth Bartley!). There are passages in this that remind us of friendship, bravery, and loyalty.

If I had read this as a child, I would have been obsessed with it. This is no ordinary fantasy novel. It is more than ordinary. It is magic.

It took me a while to get into this third book of the trilogy as it had been a while since I’d read the others and many other books had been devoured in the meantime! But once I remembered who everyone was I was right back in their world. For a younger reader the jumping between battles and going home for tea, games, and bed helps to ease the tension but this shifts as the threats increase, the magic builds, and the whole community is drawn into the endless battle between good and evil. I loved the use of the candles to time-travel, and the lost souls woven into the cloak of Morrigan (The Bad!). Even at the age of 51 I was holding my breath and wondering if any of the families were going to survive and I won’t spoil the ending but I’m a sucker for a winged horse and was delighted to encounter one here in the end.

Overall a great trilogy which I know will be a firm favourite in many households and when furlough is over I will definitely be putting it into young readers’s hands.

I could not put this book down. An epic dark v light battle, a test of friendship, loyalty, courage, self belief, pain, grief and much more. Fionn faces his greatest test and is running out of candles and ideas.

This book is a fitting finale to the trilogy and will keep the reader hooked until the last page. Great setting, likeable and realistic characters and an epic adventure. What is there not to like?

Evocative, funny, and atmospheric, THE STORM KEEPER'S BATTLE is a love letter to Ireland and classic adventure literature.

Is there much to say about Doyle's third instalment in the hit STORM KEEPER trilogy, except that it of course lived up to the legacy of both the first and second books?

It is my humble opinion that this would've been better titled The Sorcerer's Battle, if only to differentiate it from the first book, but when that's pretty much my only qualm you know this book has done well. Doyle effortlessly weaves a magical, atmospheric tale of love, loss, memories of the past and anticipation for the future between an epic quest for good.

The relationships in this series are so beautifully written, I couldn't possibly praise them all. From the heartfelt sibling relationship between Fionn and Tara, to Sam and Shelby's witty banter, to Fionn and Bartley's snippy rivalry, to the kind wisdom between Rose and the children, there's not a single dynamic that felt less genuine than the other.

As always, Fionn was so hilarious that I laughed out loud at some of his thoughts and dialogue. Sam and Shelby, too, were equally as funny, and all three of them put together shared a brilliant sense of humour that lightens the heavy mood of the book's main storyline. They felt so authentic as people that I could've been standing there, next to them as it happened. There are, however, plenty of action-packed scenes to keep us engaged, and the fight against Morrigan is more impactful as a result.

THE STORM KEEPER'S BATTLE is a thoughtful balance between humour and adventure, and a brilliant closer to the trilogy.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Yes.

The Storm Keepers' Battle by Catherin Doyle is the fitting conclusion to the Stormkeeper trilogy. I have enjoyed this series since the first book came out a few years ago. I love the community on Arranmore and the creative take on magic that these books takes.

This book, the conclusion to the series is a fast paced adventure and spends less time setting the scene and developing the characters than the previous books because it doesn't need to. Anyone reading this book will probably have read the previous two and will no doubt have loved them and know a lot about the characters and the history of the island already.

In this story we find Fionn in slightly dire straights. Morrigan is waiting to make her move with her brothers and the island feels like it is under siege, meanwhile Fionn is still having trouble getting the hang of his Stormkeeper powers and feels like the worst Stormkeeper in history. He is joined by his usual friends and family, which form his support network but is still coming to terms with his Grandfather's passing. This relationship, which we saw in the first two books, felt like the heart and soul of the story and I really felt Fionn's loss in this book.

I don't want to go into the events of the story too much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Suffice to say, this is fast paced and throws you into action quickly. It was hard to put this book down at times and there were plenty of unexpected twists and turns that left me reeling and wondering what was going to happen. You get to see more of the Arranmore community in this book and there are some parts that were rousing in one moment and heartbreaking in the next.

If you have enjoyed the first two books you will love this one. I was very satisfied by the conclusion, in particular the way the characters have developed over the three books. I feel like I went on a journey with Fionn Boyle and his friends and watched them grow up and find themselves and find their place in their community.

This series is a perfect for Y5 or 6, it is filled with magic and adventure and their is enough threat to wonder at times whether the characters will survive unscathed or not. Morrigan and her followers are suitably sinister and make great antagonists.

I absolutely loved this trilogy and this final book completely rounds it off in a perfect manner. In some ways, and this isn't a negative point, I'd like to see the three titles in a bind-up edition as the story arc is so well paced across the three and the third book is mainly all battle and action without filler although I think you might be a little lost if you hadn't read the others. What impresses me so much about these books is the confidence in storytelling, it genuinely feels like a modern myth. There's no shying away from the magic or the threat, no one on the island questions this ancient conflict or the role of the island and the people in it and this is actually quite unusual in modern MG fantasy I think. Doyle is utterly committed to the importance and power of her story and this total conviction really shines through.
Fionn's battle with his own sense of self, his constant sibling squabbles with Tara and the ever-present undermining of his destiny and power by adults like Elizabeth right up until the end of the book also worked well. There wasn't an easy path for this hero, even when he holds the magical staff and can call down storms people are still telling him that he is rubbish, the poor lad. The Morrigan has long been my favourite villain and she is wonderfully evil and unpredictable in this book. Her cape has the faces of the souls that she has trapped moving across its surface and when she possessed Fionn's best friend who then tries to strangle him I was genuinely freaked out. I have fellow Storm Keeper's Island fans at school and they are going to flip over this final part of the story.

This is the 3rd book in the wonderful Storm Keepers Trilogy and it did not disappoint.

It continues only a few days after the end of book 2 and follows the (mis)fortunes of Fionn as he battles with his destiny of being storm keeper. But quickly, things change. This is action packed from the beginning and the battle itself takes up half the book but certainly didn’t drag. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Seeing Fionn develop throughout was magnificent and his character development in particular was beautifully done.

I simply adored this book and highly recommend the series to all.

This has been one of my favourite series of children's books so I was highly excited about this third and final instalment. The only thing bad about this book is that it means the adventure has come to end! Catherine Doyle has created a vivid and heart-warming community on the island of Arranmore to the extent that I could almost hear the sea and feel the wind.
Fionn and the islanders are preparing for the final battle against Morrigan and the Soulstalkers but first they need to find the great sorcerer Dagda. This book is full of wonderful characters, adventure and love. I loved it.

Catherine Doyle has brewed the perfect storm in the final instalment of the Storm Keeper trilogy. She has woven together something breath-taking and truly magical with her masterful use of words, her evocative description and her intricate creation of characters.

The Storm Keepers’ Battle is the crescendo in an outstanding series. There is no room for introduction - no time to waste - before the reader is thrust into the turmoil of Arranmore preparing itself for what seems like an inevitable defeat at the hands of dark sorceress, Morrigan. Can Fionn find a way to save everything he cares about, or will darkness conquer all?

It’s hard to put into words just how much I loved this book, and indeed, this whole series. Catherine Doyle’s writing glows. She herself is a master Storm Keeper, infusing her books with magic, weaving together a thing of awe-inspiring beauty and wonder. She knows every intricacy of the world she has created, every loop hole and every fibre of Arranmore. This magic feels old, the stuff of legends and most impressively: it feels believable. The three books tie together perfectly. As the fate of Fionn was predetermined, so it seems was the arc of this story. There are no loose ends and everything ties together seamlessly. There are so many layers to the series and, everything - even the most complex ideas and plot points - makes sense.

The themes of friendship, of family and of loss will be familiar to fans of the series, having been well-established throughout each book. The Storm Keepers’ Battle is undoubtedly, like its predecessors, a tear-jerker. But it’s also a beacon of hope, an ode to the power of love and loyalty. It is a truly beautiful book, which takes root in your heart and leaves an imprint on your soul.

The pace of the book perfectly matches the tone: it feels urgent and almost unwilling to wait for the reader - there is simply not a second to spare. You are swept along with the urgency and the panic; the fear of the characters takes root inside you too. You are transported to Arranmore and their plight becomes your plight.

The Storm Keepers’ Battle is an exceptional book to end an exceptional series. I whole-heartedly recommend it to readers, both young and old. I very much look forward to sharing it with my class when it is published. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.