The Fire Opal

Older teens will relish Regina McBride's THE FIRE OPAL, a powerful survey of Maeve, whose life changes when her sister is born and her mother sinks into a trance for years. When her sister succumbs to the same mysterious ailment as her mother, Maeve must set off on a quest through a dangerous world to retrieve a stone that may save more than just her family. A top pick for young adult collections!

Irish history and legends; shape-shifting; romance; mystery; all of these intertwine in this eerie tale. When Maeve O'Tullagh is in her teens, strange events unfold: Her hated neighbor, Tom Cavan, uncovers the ancient armor of a Viking corpse goddess, a Valkyrie. Soon after, Maeve's baby sister, Ishleen, dies. Maeve and her mother both can hear swan songs. Maeve's mother becomes pregnant again, and is sure Ishleen has returned. A swan-woman gives Maeve two protective talismans, one for herself and one for her mother. A sea-woman creeps into their home, and afterwards Maeve's mother seems spirit-robbed. Later, the same happens to the second Ishleen. Maeve goes on a quest to save them, and finds that the fire opal is a key to their rescue. The story is set in the village of Ard Macha on the Irish coast, when Elizabeth Tudor's English forces are trying to subdue Ireland. Maeve's two brothers, Donal and Fingal, have joined the Irish resistance and Spanish ships have come to aid the Irish rebellion. Regina McBride is a master storyteller, interweaving the supernatural with the realistic. Her lyrical writing lures a reader on, and the ending seems to hint at a possible sequel. Reviewed by Elizabeth Varadan

Although I am no longer a YA, I love girl powered fantasy with a Celtic setting. This was a pleasant read. Maeve is a young woman growing up in Ard Macha, Ireland in the Elizabethan era. The English are trying to invade. She lives with her parents and twin brothers. Her mother has always had a mystical quality that intensifies after the birth of another child.One day her Mother slips into a near coma, and Maeve begins the quest to bring her Mother's soul back. The story was engrossing but tended to lag at the latter one-third, which is why I deducted one star. The bad guys are all really bad, and somehwat stereotypical. The Celtic mythology bit was interesting but I thought a little uneven (the Ice Barge was a little ridiculous). There is a potential love interest but the romance is scant. At the conclusion, most of the loose ends are wrapped up, but the romantic angle was left open, possibly hinting at a sequel? If you enjoy female based Celtic fantasy, I would suggest Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters saga, particularly her latest Heir to Sevenwaters, which is an absolutely fabulous tale of a young woman in a quest against fantastical forces for the sake of her family.