The burning swift by Joseph Elliott

The Burning Swift completes the thrilling adventure/fantasy series The Shadow Skye Trilogy. Joseph Elliott has maintained the pace, the savagery and the windswept, unsettling backdrop that accompanies the adventures of the characters who readers of the first two books will see finally completing the terrible challenges that have faced them.

Set in mythical ancient Scotland (Scotia) and the Isle of Skye, the action flows down to England (Ingland) and back in this third novel. Agatha, Jaime and Sigrid's lives are fraught with harrowing danger as they face seemingly unstoppable foes including starving, cannibalistic women of Ingland, death rats, medieval armoury including catapults and crossbows with poisoned spears, cauldrons of burning sand poured from castle battlements and imprisonment in the dankest of prisons. King Edmund of Ingland is assassinated but is immediately replaced by the evil Kong Grimr and the army heading to overtake the north is immense and all powerful. Unlikely allies as they are, Agatha, Sigrid and Jaime have to unite to protect their clan and they receive unexpected support from strange places.

Readers of the first two books in the series, already familiar with our trio of heroes, know the intimate thoughts, distinctive voices and resultant actions of Agatha, Jaime and Sigrid as the first person narrative alternates chapter by chapter between them. Through this literary technique the reader has access to the clear and open thinking of Agatha, the fearless, daring of Sigrid and the troubled bravery of Jaime as they unite the northern people of Scotia as war from the south comes to the island of Skye.

Ancient and forbidden black magic is invoked. A terrible final battle occurs. There is death, savagery, betrayal, heroism and love. There are reunions. Throughout it all, Elliot maintains these three very special heroes; three very rounded characters. Each character has flaws and each character grows. Agatha, arguably the favourite, is a new kind of character to be represented in literature. She has Down Syndrome.  As Aisha Bushby, author of a pocketful of Stars states, "Forget Gryffindor, Dauntless and House Stark...I want to be a Hawk."

The Burning Swift is a beautiful book. Although dark and grisly and at times brutal, the whole trilogy is full of great hope and portrays, through its unforgettable characters, the qualities of human goodness, loyalty and bravery that people can demonstrate even in the most dire situations. This trilogy is recommended as an inspiring read for Middle School age readers.

Themes: Ancient mythical Scotland, Dark magic, Clan loyalty, Battle.

Wendy Jeffrey