The Four Treasures series follows the adventures of changeling Ailsa MacAra and her friends, as they battle to save the magical kingdom of Eilan Mor from dark forces. It is a gripping fantasy ride, with drama, folklore and plenty of romantic tension, but what makes the series stand out is its magnetic, convention-defying characters. If you haven’t read the first two books, The Stone of Destiny and The Cauldron of Life (click links for reviews) we really recommend that you do.
The Sword of Light, the penultimate story, begins as the friends recover from battle with the Faerie Queen. When Ailsa’s brother, Cameron, experiences a series of premonitions, they realise that their world faces a threat more potent than ever before. It will take ownership of the Four Treasures, and the sacrifices of a squad of gifted warriors, to protect what they hold dear.
The Sword of Light further stretches the boundaries of the magical world that readers have become familiar with, blurring the natural and supernatural and spotlighting mythological characters that range from selkies and unicorns to angels, demons and a chilling Stoor Worm. It might sound extreme, but Caroline Logan draws the setting and its inhabitants so skilfully that you are swept along in the immersive adventure, and readily share their pain and joy.
While Ailsa’s connection with the troubled Maalik continues to be at the heart of the story, the Sword of Light shines especially brightly when introducing new characters, like enigmatic pirate captain Irene, and testing the limits and loyalties of familiar friends, like Prince Angus.
With every solution comes a more pressing problem, and this is an author who does not shy from placing our heroes in mortal, and immortal, danger. Like its predecessors, The Sword of Light ends on a tantalising cliffhanger. We would tear into the next instalment now if we could, but we’re told that it will be coming along next Autumn (next Autumn!). We suspect there will be a lot of readers biting their nails, like us, until then.
Roaring Reads 