Thomas Lennon
Abrams, 2019
286 pages
Grades 4-7
Fantasy/Adventure
Ronan Boyle series #1
Meet Ronan Boyle the narrowist and youngest recruit of the Irish secret police force (Garda) who keeps the peace within Tir Na Nog (the land of magical creatures). Ronan is an unlikely candidate, selected only because he can fit in a tight space, yet proves his worth by his can-do attitude and unflappable nature. He is, at least, more consistent a cadet than Tim the Medium-Sized Bear (who it is suspected wandered into the training center out of the woods) or Brian Bean, who got himself killed, yet whose ghost still rattles around telling his customary jokes. After completing training Ronan joins the captain on his first mission, armed with only his wooden training shillelagh. They must first answer a riddle to cross the bridge to Tir Na Nog and then they encounter two leprechaun rascals, one of whom if you look at directly, you immediately are his prisoner of love. Laughter and mayhem ensue as Ronan and the captain attempt to put the wold to rights and recover thousands of Euros worth of stolen wine. Meanwhile, Ronan's parents are in prison for a crime they didn't commit. The actual culprit is still at large and connected to the misdeeds currently transpiring in the magical world. Does Ronan have the stuff to save the day?
Get ready to laugh-out-loud while reading this first series installment. Lennon comes from an entertainment background (including working with Weird Al) and is truly funny. Some of the humor might go over the heads of the intended audience, but there is enough gross-gags and low-hanging fruit to satisfy all maturity levels. The format of the book will attract readers. It is written as a discovered file of Ronan's, including diagrams, maps, and his first person account of events. The Irish setting is fully realized in both language, climate, and featured mythical creatures. Ireland has such a rich folkloric tradition that there is no shortage of interesting characters. The leprechauns featured are not the warm and fuzzy guys featured in picture books. These rascals are nasty and gassy--and pretty hilarious. The action never stops and my only complaint is just just that. I felt like I never had a moment to breath while reading this book, which pings along from one episode to the next at a breakneck speed. That said-the target audience will appreciate this and keep turning pages. The book ends with a cliff hanger, encouraging readers to pick up the next installment, The Swamp of Certain Death, which was recently released.
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