Legend – familybookworms

The Storm Child

Gill Lewis

Oxford

The Storm Child by Gill Lewis has been shortlisted for the Tir na nOg Award 2019. The retelling is part of the ‘Treetops Greatest Stories’ series produced by Oxford as part of its reading scheme. Aimed at Year 5 children, The Storm Child is one of 35 stories designed to extend children’s reading experiences and introduce them to some classic storytellers and the joy of fiction.

It’s fair to say then that the Tir na nOg Award will bring this book to the attention of a wider audience. And it really does deserve your attention. It focusses on the Welsh legend of Cantre’r Gwaelod, an ancient kingdom between Bardsey Island and Ramsey Island, protected from the rising tides by a sea wall. In this story, the fisher-folk are threatened by a “seven raven” gale and when the warnings of the Wall Guard go unheeded it’s up to the storm child to save the kingdom.

Gill Lewis is a glorious storyteller and The Storm Child is skillful, entertaining and fast-paced. The tale of forgotten kingdoms, forbidden love, banished princesses, betrayal and heroic escapes has a fairy-tale quality mixed in with the feel of a legend and morality tale.

This version of the story is different to the most popular versions we know – in those versions the sluice gates are neglected by either Mererid or the drunken Prince Setheillion. In Gill Lewis’ story, Mererid is the heroine; a girl of unknown parentage who, as a baby, was rescued from the seas during a torrential storm by Angelos the Wall Guard. The Storm Child senses that the kingdom’s defences are about to be breached, but will the king take heed?

“The wind snuffed out the candles and the music stopped as people turned to stare at the Storm Child standing in the open doorway, seven ravens circling in the air above her. Behind her, jagged bolts of lightning tore the blackened sky.” Illustration by James Gifford

Interestingly, Cantre’r Gwaelod has inspired many shortlisted titles in the Tir na n-Og Award’s history, including winners A String in the Harp by Nancy Bond (1977), The Silver Tree by Susan Cooper (1978) and Cities in the Sea by Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris (1997). Will 2019 bring another winner? Either way, The Storm Child is a great story that celebrates the rich heritage of Welsh folklore. This is a beautifully produced and skillfully crafted retelling, with illustrations by James Gifford adding real atmosphere. We’d really love to see Gill take on a host of other Welsh legends and produce a volume of tales – that would make for a fabulous book. For now, this one is a complete pleasure.

Storm Hound

Claire Fayers

Macmillan

Storm Hound is Claire Fayers’ fourth novel following two award-winning books in The Accidental Pirates series and last year’s riveting Mirror Magic. A Hound from Odin’s Hunt has fallen to Earth as he seemingly couldn’t keep up with the pack. The thunderous skies break open and the beast lands on the A40 just outside Abergavenny. On falling to the realm of humans he transforms from a wild beast to a small puppy and is taken in by Jessica Price, her brother Ben and their father.

The torrential weather causes Jess to name the puppy Storm and he immediately gets the attention of several suspicious characters who sense his magic. The three professors display dubious demeanours and have questionable motives for being “seconded” to Jessica’s new school. Meanwhile her new friend David’s behaviour is often shrouded in mystery, especially when he’s around his peculiar Aunt. For the sake of Storm, Jess has to work out who she can trust.

Storm Hound is fast-paced and highly engaging – the narrative is driven and satisfying. There is a lot of humour in the book, derived from the relationship between man and dog (and who is the boss); with the interplay between cat and dog, and sheep and dog giving much cause for the giggles. There’s no humour amongst dogs though – Storm may be little but when he gets angry his shadow suggests his true status – and other dogs are in no doubt of his power.

The book is indebted to Welsh mythology and legend with Claire putting her own spin on the Hounds of Annwn and borrowing Welsh enchantress Ceridwen and her son Morfran for her characters. The whole book is firmly rooted in the Welsh landscape too with the story unfolding in the shadow of Mount Skirrid – an oddly profiled Black Mountain allegedly flattened by the foot of the devil.

Whilst the book is full of Claire’s trademark magic, enchantments and fantasy, Storm Hound stands out because it is the most human story Claire has told. Jess’ parents have just split up and she is having to deal with a move away from her established friends – a new house, neighbourhood and school. She has to look after her younger brother in this transition and cope with being away from her mother. Despite the downpours and tempest in the weather, the largest storm is reserved for her internal struggle. There are many parallels throughout the book between the puppy and Jessica: the puppy does not belong; he finds it hard to communicate; he worries that he cannot protect. Huge credit to Claire for including these realities, and credence also for not trying to resolve them all (sorry – slight spoiler!).

For us (the book has been enjoyed by Mummy, Daddy and Noah), this is Claire’s most accomplished book yet. It’s funny and fast-paced and the layers of subtext allow for a wide age range to enjoy. This perfect Storm comes highly recommended.

Thank you to Macmillan for sending us a proof copy of Storm Hound in exchange for a review. Storm Hound is available now from your local bookshop or direct from Macmillan. You can visit Claire’s website here or follow her on Twitter.