[.ca] The Hounds Of The Morrigan (ISBN 0192752812)

this book has a misleading cover!:
When you read the back cover and look at the cover art, this book looks extremely macabre and almost satanic. However, I gave this book a chance and it is actually really funny. Also, the cover is graphic but the book is not like that. I mean, a mad earwig! Dressed like Napoleon! Just try and tell me that is not at least a little teensy bit humorous. Sure it has its moments but overall I would recommend it. It is over 500 pages, which to me is no big feat, however would intimidate others. Overall, it has a rich plot and is the perfect mix of humor and excitement.

Sigh:
This is a masterpiece. Look, I can rave about as many books as I read (and I will) but in the end, this book is my very favourite. It took ten years to write and is, quite frankly, brilliant. It has (almost) everything that recommends a book to me. Warm, endearing protagonists (Pidge and Brigit are two of the most delightful heroes to grace children's literature), truly threatening bad guys, humour, suspense, scary bits, happy bits, bits that make your scalp tingle, and bits that make your heart sing. It's about friendship, and love, and courage, and good versus evil. It's about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It's ostensibly a children's story, but is strengthened by some challenging concepts. Its length, which would normally be limiting, merely prolongs the absolute delight to be found in this book. The plot is engrossing, although slow moving to start off with and references to Irish mythology lend an air of familiarity to the story. The true strength of the book though, lies in its characters. Everyone in this book has a story. Every character is fully dimensional. You can picture Puddeneen having his life made cheerfully miserable by Miss Fancy just as strongly as you can picture Brigit growing into a vibrant, intelligent young woman and Puddeneen is a talking frog. That is how well O'Shea does her job. I could never understand why 'His Dark Materials' etc were any more popular than this truly marvellous book. I recommend it above all others. It's beautiful.

I loved it!:
I read the book this year on my trip to New York and I loved it. It was a great book. The author writes magnificently and she has so much imagination. I think they should make a movie about it! Why not? I mean they're making one on the lord of the Rings! I want to see that. SOoloo MAke a MOVIE!

Alas, if submitted to any of today's publishers,:
this book would simply be rejected, possibly without even a reading. Why? Well: 1. It's far too long--674 pages, which is adult length. 2. Athough it's marketed for young adults, it contains so many things that don't belong in a book for young adults: all those creatures more like humans than what they actually are--spiders who wear clothes, for instance. Such characters belong more in books for early middle-grade readers, and younger, than in a long novel for young adults. 4. Both children seem much older than they are, especially 5-year-old Brigit, who often seems a mature 12. 5. Both children are too young for a YA audience. There wasn't any plausible reason (as there was in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy) for this. 4. Pidge isn't a good name for a protagonist in a YA novel. It's more suitable for a young middle-grade audience. However, despite these faults, this book is an enthralling read and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story--whether you're adult, teenager or middle-grade reader.

A good, but the end is a dissapointment:
I was really intrigued when I first saw this book and the store. So I bought it, and liked it with the exception of the ending. Pidge and Bridget live in Ireland and go on an amazing adventure for Dagda. They are on a mission to find 1 or both of the blood stones of Morrigan's blood. These are og importance because they will destroy the Olc-glass, which will stop Morrigan from taking over the world. Pidge and Bridget meet many friends who guide them when they get lost, or help them when they are stranded. It may get confusing at times, but it is good none the less. Lots of detail, so that you can imagine all the places and events in your head.Though I must say the end was HIGHLY disappointing. I read the whole thing only to have a sucky ending. That is why I only gave it 4 stars. If you buy this book I'm warning you not to expect a decent ending.