The Silver Road

Based on Irish folklore, this is a tale of magic and adventure. When Rose is given a powerful stone by a Frost Giant, she must make sure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands and work out how to use it to save The Silver Road - a magical road that runs throughout Ireland, holding everything together. But when the school bully gets her hands on the stone, how will Rose get it back and defeat the bad magic that is on its way?

This was a lovely read, introducing the reader to a wealth of Irish folklore. The descriptions of the magical beings and the world that they inhabit, mixed with the modern world, draw the reader in to the heart of the story.

A great read for upper key stage 2.

Sinéad O’Hart has already written a number of highly enjoyable MG books. However I am a sucker for stories that combine contemporary characters with traditional mythology, so this one has to be my absolute favourite. This is the sort of book that Alan Garner might have written if he had been Irish, and it is a real stunner. Although this is a formula that has been repeated many times over the years, there is most certainly room on the shelves for another, when it is of this quality. Its strong Irish heritage, which is a little less common in children’s books over here, is an added bonus, It has both contemporary themes, sensitively handled, and an underlying implication that the ‘old magic’ is still buried somewhere deep beneath us, in the depths of our landscape, but also in our very selves. I also learned a great deal of fascinating stuff about Irish life and legend that I know less well that other traditions/mythologies. I must find out and read more, All this is not to mention the story being an engrossing, hyper-exciting read. This book is a glorious, indulgent triumph. I loved it,

I will hope to write a much fuller review/appreciation on my children’s book blog magicfictionsincepotter.blogspot.com when the book comes out in September and I can enjoy it all over again on paper.

I have always enjoyed the Celtic myths and legends and so when I read the description of The Silver Road - a middle grade inspired by Irish folktales - I knew I had to read it and what a fantastic read it was. This exhilarating, action-packed magical quest with themes of believing in yourself, dealing with grief and finding your place in the world, will have you on the edge of your seats. I particularly liked the intricacies of the plot and how they linked together modern Ireland with Irish mythology and legends.

Rosaleen Darke has started at the local Grammar School as she was awarded a scholarship but is bullied by Emer McGuire and her gang. On top of that she is grieving the loss of her Mamó (grandmother). After a particularly bad day, Rose is unable to sleep and looks out of her window to discover it is hailing. She goes outside to investigate and the hail forms itself into a Frost Giant who gives her the tathlum, a magical red stone that contains the power to do great good, or great evil depending on who wields it.

The next morning Rose shows the stone to what she feels are her only friends since starting at Carriganawn Grammar School - two elderly shopkeepers called Nellie and Gracie and their not-cat, Catshee. They explain she has been chosen as a Guardian to protect Ireland from an ancient evil that is awakening and they open her eyes to a world of mystical magic. Rose is plunged into an exciting adventure where she discovers the Silver Road and how it casts a protective net over Ireland and sees for herself how it is in danger of disappearing due to excessive land development where her father works for Emer’s dad.

The ensuing battle of good versus evil is reminiscent of the battle in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where instead of animals – an army of spirits, a warrior queen, a wolf-warrior and his pack and an Irish elk join forces to defeat the evil witch, Cethlenn, and her giants from resurrecting her husband Balor who plans to incinerate Ireland and the rest of the world.

Through their courage and determination Rose and Emer manage to work through their differences to join the battle to defeat Balor. They also help their fathers to become more environmentally aware.

There was a brilliant addition by the author of information at the beginning and end of the book outlining the background of the legendary characters and pointing out which ones were from mythology and which were from her amazingly inventive imagination. I found this fascinating.

Ideal for middle-grade who love fantasy based on real legends.

I absolutely loved this book. In the best traditions of Garner and Gaiman, The Silver Road weaves half-forgotten folk lore into an engrossing tale that a new generation will absorb, enjoy, pass on – and therefore keep alive. Here O’Hart, always a deft storyteller, cleverly uses ancient mythology as a way to explore present-day issues of environment and ecology without ever seeming didactic or losing sight of the two young characters at its heart. Huge stakes mean huge adventure – this is a rip-roaring journey from start to finish. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me an advance reading copy: I have already pre-ordered it for my niece, who is just one of the readers I know it will enchant both on release and in years to come.

Fabulous mythical, magical adventure set in modern Ireland but with ancient forces at play. I'm a huge fan of stories where the modern and the mythic collide and I'm so delighted to see authors like O'Hart and Doyle really drawing on the richness of local mythology within a local setting to create a bridge between stories of the past and the present. I think there's a kind of magic to weaving these old and news stories together that gives them more power in the imagination of the reader, especially when they go on to explore the myths wider or spot the characters in other stories. O'Hart's story is a wild, fast-paced adventure filled with vibrant characters and excitement. The link to environmental matters and the destruction of the ancient landscape is skilfully incorporated in a way that feels natural and right rather than bolted on as a modern concern. Myth, magic & the landscape at risk- perfect MG fantasy adventure.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, exciting story, with lots of magic and mythology and heart woven into it. Best of all (for me) is the Irish setting, the Irish mythology, the very Irish characters and the occasional word as gaeilge. With so much to love in this book, I will call out the things I particularly liked:
The imagery of the Silver Road as a gigantic invisible net placed over Ireland of old well-woven magic.
Nellie and Gracie, two fabulous characters, and I loved the magical side street with the cobblers and the sweet shop.
Rose is a strong heroine, both likeable and relatable, and I felt for her in the difficult position she was in with her tormentor Emer’s dad employing Rose’s father. A situation Emer was able to exploit to the full.
I have to say I loved Emer too, and she really came into her own at the end of the book.
I loved the madcap midnight race across Ireland, and all the Irish places that Rose travelled past, and how these were woven into the story.
There’s a lovely exchange at one point between Rose and Emer, when Emer says to Rose: ‘Why you?…What makes you special?’ Rose replies ‘Maybe nothing does… I’m not any more special than you, right? But that doesn’t mean we’re not important.’ The combination of Rose’s humility with the acknowledgement that everyone matters (even Emer) is one of my favourite themes of the book.
It's a story full of magic, with high stakes, the twists and turns, plenty of humour and wonderful friendships between many very different characters (and species) and I highly recommend it. I’ve really enjoyed other books by this author but this is my absolute favourite of them. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!

Gracie, Nellie, Rose. Three people who develop a bond of trust and are tasked with saving the Silver Road, Ireland, and possibly the world.

Bullied at school by Emer, the daughter of her Dad’s boss, Rose feels out of touch with her friends from primary school, under pressure at home with her twin toddler siblings, and stressed that the bullying will affect her dad’s job.

Gracie and Nellie provide a safe haven as she pops in to see them after school. However, Grave and Nellie are not ordinary ‘old folk’. They are guardians of the silver road, and ancient path throughout Ireland which is being corrupted and destroyed by her dad’s job with a construction company.

A midnight adventure leads to a battle like no other. Ancient legendary Irish figures, such as Queen Méabh, (and others but I hate ‘spoilers’) are called into action. An unexpected ally joins the fray. It’s an amazing battle of good versus evil.

I was so excited to read this book, and haven’t reviewed it before now, because it was just so stunning and thrilling: how could I do it justice.
It reminds me of books of ancient legendary daring which I read in my youth (I am now 56) and whilst reading this I was emotionally transported back to that time.

As a teacher with responsibility for buying books for the library, I will be buying this for school and pushing for it to be a Class Novel.
The fantastic reveal about Emer had me punching the air at the end of the book. There’s hope and love for our country, and strength in friendship and unity.

All I can say to Sinead O Harte is well done.
Ten Stars!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

The plot

Ireland is a land of mystery, magic, legend and myth. Where time holds the truth of gods, witches, giants and all manner of creatures that helped shape their past and traditions. But when the magic is no longer passed down through tales recalled around the fireside, and man's destruction of the land and old ways through 'progress', the magic wanes. Dangerously so, and enough that from deep within the earth, something begins to awaken, aided by a witch.

In the (fictional) town of Carriganawn, Young Rose Darke lives with her parents and twin younger brothers. Late one night, hearing a strange sound outside, she ventures into the garden, armed only with her mother's best wooden spoon. Before her, a large ice giant forms from the falling hail. Voiceless, it gestures she should take a reddish, oval stone from its grasp. Having done so, the strange yet unthreatening giant leaps into the sky and is gone, swallowed into a strange darkness.

Confused, Rose returns to bed and thinks it is a dream. But waking to find the stone is real, along with her mother's wrath for ruining her spoon, she can but wonder what was going on?

Rose won a full scholarship to a posh Grammar School but comes from a poorer but good family who happens to live on a council estate on the other side of town. This is a fact made clear by Emer, a girl in her year who makes her life less than good. Unfortunately, Rose can't retaliate or cause a stink as her dad is employed by Emer's father. It would go badly for them all if he were to lose his job.

To avoid Emer and her friends, Rose takes a different way to school, passing along a lesser-used road with shops. It is here she finds friendship in the unlikely shape of the elderly lady, Nellie, who owns a sweet shop, and Gracie, an equally elderly gent who owns the cobblers shop on the opposite side of the road.

Now, it seems the stone is known to Nellie and Gracie, who have much to share with young Rose. When she ventures into their parlour for a cup of tea and to pass some time and share her woes, she is soon shown a hidden world beyond the normal facade of the sweet shop. For the two elderly folk are not mortals but beings from times long past whose job it is to protect the Silver Road, the magic network of threads that crisscross Ireland, its magical lifeblood, if you will. They also protect a great cauldron inset into a mound that lies in the green garden beyond the back kitchen door. The cauldron can grant wishes if it so chooses.

But the adventure soon takes off as the purpose of the stone gifted by the Ice Giant is revealed to Rose. In fact, it seems her destiny is to be a hero and wield the stone's destructive power for good.

When the stone is lost to Emer, things take a turn for the worse, and Emer falls under its power.

Through these events, the heatwave that is affecting the town is worsening. It seems the witch is at the cause, and the heat is only just the start of the destruction that will be unleashed when she awakens the monster that is her beloved and imprisoned husband. The light from his evil eye will scorch the earth.

With the power in the Silver Road weakening because of humankind's rape of the land and development, Nellie and Gracie's powers are weakened.

With the stone lost, and only a magical cobblers hammer in her belt Rose sets off to stop an impending cataclysmic event and evil arising from the dead and depths of the mythology.

What happens next, the surprises that follow, the support Rose gets from unlikely quarters, and the fights that take place, I have to let the reader discover.


So, what did we think?

Mythology and legend rewoven and told for a modern younger audience with aplomb and zest worthy of the first story weavers.

Tolkinesque? Maybe a bit, but it would be hard not to draw such a comparison but equally so much more

We are not great lovers of complex names or historical epics, but thankfully this book has both a prologue that sets the scene, historically and an appendix to enlighten us further as to characters and their place in history, or in the case of where the author has created them, their inspiration.

I don't usually read prologues, but I did this and was a tad put off by the abundance of Celtic names and history, though on finishing the book, I do realise that it was quite relevant. Mrs H, on the other hand, quite enjoys that sort of thing and was busy all day getting her tongue around the dialect. The story is the thing, and if you choose to read the prologue or not, it won't in my opinion affect how you see the story.

The action takes off about halfway through, and I found it hard to put down, especially once the not cat becomes involved and we reach a sort of gathering of forces.

Which all makes me think of the Lord of the Rings. The eloquence of the introduction of characters, their journey, wants and needs. Friendships and enemies. Surprises and, to a degree, heartache.

We loved the cover too, and you'll find the relevance of it once you read the story.


So . . . .

Crunch time.

A book for lovers of Irish and Celtic mythology, as well as good wholesome adventure. With some environmental undertones as well as those of friendship and responsibility.

This ticks all the boxes, and I can't imagine any younger reader not wanting to read more about the real characters that have lent themselves to this story in one shape or another and to read similar books.

Since starting her new school, things have been tough for Rose who has been bullied regularly by Emer, the daughter of her father's boss. Feeling lonely, she regularly seeks refuge in one of the local shops where Gracie and Nellie are a comfort to her. One night, she wakes to find a Frost Giant in her garden who entrusts her with a powerful stone. However, when the stone falls into the wrong hands, things have the potential to go very wrong, and not just for Rose, but for everyone, as the stone can be used for great good or evil. With magic that runs through the land, it is up to Rose to try to put things right before it's too late.

Rose makes a wonderful main character: as I said at the beginning, she has found starting the grammar school tough with Emer, in particular, bullying her from being from the wrong part of town. Rose is hard-working and all she wants to do is study and make her family proud, but the added complication of Emer's father being her dad's boss, means that she doesn't feel she can talk about what's happening to her parents. And on top of all that, she is clearly still mourning the loss of her Mamó who shared the Irish myths with her. Rose is a determined character with an inner strength that I think surprises even her.

Set in Ireland, The Silver Road combines myth with modern day in a fantastic story of courage, adventure and danger. It is a wonderful story of hope, friendship, believing in yourself and finding the light in the darkness with an ending that will have you gripped. Due for release on the 28th September, this is a book that will capture your heart.

I really liked this story. It was a really great read and I hope I can get my children to read it as I think they’d enjoy it.

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I've wanted to read The Silver Road for ages and it lived up to every expectation. It's wonderful. Hart skilfully mixes Irish Mythology and old magic with the new to create an outstanding tale of courage, bravery and friendship. I highly recommend The Silver Road and will be buying several copies! It was a privilege to have this early read.

The Silver Road is a stunning fantasy adventure that swept me into a world of magic and myth, of danger and hope, of family and friendship that completely entranced me. This is a book I really cannot recommend highly enough – outstanding storytelling from a master storyteller who weaves magic into words.

After another difficult day in her new school, Rose Darke is unable to sleep, so she gets up to read her library book. She is disturbed by a sound on the skylight and, when she goes outside to investigate, she discovers that it is hailing – in April! Imagine her shock when the hail forms itself into an ice giant who opens his hand to reveal a reddish stone which he gives to her before flying away.

On her way to school the following morning, she visits two elderly shopkeepers who she has befriended, who are not at all who they seem. After the stone falls out of her pocket, they tell her that it is a weapon that can be used for either good or evil – and she has been chosen as its Guardian …

And so begins a truly breath-taking, magical adventure as Rose discovers that the magic of the Silver Road, that has cast a protective net over Ireland, is in danger of disappearing. As the old magic weakens, an ancient evil is awakening. Can Rose protect the magic of the Silver Road and ensure its regeneration? Can she prevent the return of one who will bring terrible destruction?

Oh my goodness! This is the MOST incredible, action-packed quest adventure, brimming with magic, with danger, with discoveries … I was swept into a modern world interwoven with the old magic and mythology of Ireland and was completely and utterly spellbound. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but be prepared to meet witches, giants, wolves, ancient gods and warriors in a gripping adventure that is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat as the peril reaches a fierce crescendo. Epically brilliant!

I grew up enjoying tales of Celtic myths and legends, so this is a story that took me back to those tales of my childhood, but with a fresh and modern twist that I loved. I really enjoyed: the blending of myth with environmental issues linked to climate change and land development; the power of stories to invoke memories, bring hope and give comfort; and, I must admit, I adored that this was set in modern Ireland, paying homage to its rich folklore heritage, and taking me on a journey to both familiar and unfamiliar places through vivid, lyrical and impressive world-building.

Rose is an incredibly likeable young girl who has a loving, hard-working family who live on a Council Estate. She has gained a scholarship to her local Grammar School, but is being bullied and tormented by another girl and her gang who makes it clear that she doesn’t belong there. Rose feels unable to talk to her teachers or parents and instead escapes into books, and her friendship with two incredible, magical people - Nellie and Gracie – and the wonderful not-cat, Catshee who I adored. Rose is also grieving the recent loss of her beloved Mamó, who has shared with her the stories that are now coming alive, when she finds herself thrown into an adventure she didn’t ask for. Rose shows great strength, determination and courage in facing frightening foes, in learning to stand up for herself, and in seeking help when it is desperately needed.

The Silver Road is a mesmerising, unforgettable adventure: a story of courage and hope, of trusting in old magic and new friendship, in the face of darkness and danger … an absolute must-read and definitely one of my Books of the Year!