The Summer King

Almost a year after her twin sister's death, Laurel returns to Ireland to find out why. What killed her bookish, honor student sister who believed in faeries? And--if what the fae are telling her is true--can she really get Honor back? O. R. Melling is the real deal. She's Irish, she speaks the language, and she's studied the myths. When she writes about Ireland, she takes you there--and you don't want to leave. Go Underhill with Melling and other faery tales will not seem quite so real. While this book is written for YA audiences, I think it's a compelling story for all ages and well worth the read. I plan on passing my copy along to a 13 year old niece and I'll get her the rest of the series as well.

Wow. I love fantasy, and this one truly captivated me. It is full of imagination and the characters were great as was the romance. The author's use of the Irish language and folk tales really brings these books to life. I definitely recommend this!

Like its predecessor, "The Hunter's Moon," "The Summer King" is a beautiful and lyrical tale of the relationship between human and Faerie. With death as a major theme, The Summer King has a dark poignancy that touches the heart. Melling's vivid imagery brings to life both Ireland and the Faerie places. The story has romance, excitement, adventure, and even a pirate: Grace O'Malley, Ireland's 16th century female pirate. The fairies come in a variety of forms: from the tricky but humorous cluricaun to the beautiful, frightening sea fairies known as the boctogai; from the dark Summer King to Midir, the noble faerie High King. The Summer King is linked in some ways to The Hunter's Moon, but it's an independent story that can be read on its own. Melling deliberately wrote the books in the series so that each could be read independently.

I enjoyed The Summer King much more than Melling's previous book, Hunter's Moon. While Hunter's Moon shared the same magical Irish atmosphere, the characters had less depth and its sugary sweet ending really disappointed me. I had been expecting a more sophisticated conclusion. The Summer King delivered exactly what had been missing from the previous book. More exitement, more developed characters, and a wonderful bittersweet conclusion to the story. All in all a very powerful fantasy. I can't wait for the next installment in the series.

I really loved this book and you will too if you enjoy Irish lore. Laurel Blackburn returns to Ireland still recovering from her twin sister's unfortunate death. She believes that her sister had become involved with fairy-like beings. When she goes searching for them she discovers that fairies do exist. She sets out on a mission to return the Summer KIng to his throne. Sparks fly between her and Ian Gray as he comes to help her complete the mission.The end has a wonderful twist that readers will enjoy.