Banshee Rising is the first novel written for younger readers by Dubliner Riley Cain. It is published by Currach Books. In this book, author Cain, explores Irish Celtic mythology through the main character of Caitlyn McCabe.
Caitlyn lives with her grandmother in Co. Dublin. She is not your typical Irish teenager. She has the ability to see beyond the visible and can see spirits all around her. While her grandmother is aware of this gift, no one else is. That is until Caitlyn comes into contact with Professor Brody. Is there a reason why Caitlyn has this unusual gift?
Throughout the story, there is reference to different important historical buildings such as Newgrange, National Botanical Gardens and Trinity College. With that in mind, I can see older children perhaps in 5th and 6th classes, with an interest in history, being attracted to this book. It does take commitment, being nearly 500 pages long, but it is worth persevering! It is language rich and definitely after reading this book, it made me more inquisitive about other Celtic myths and legends.
I can see readers who enjoyed ‘Girls who Slayed Monsters’ and Glorious Goddesses enjoying this book.
Reviewed by morning_teacher_ on Instagram.
“Banshee Rising” by Riley Cain, published by Currach Books, is on sale now for €12.99 (P/B).
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher, Currach Books, free of charge to Seomra Ranga for the purposes of this review.
