Author Catherine Doyle introduces her latest fantasy novel for young readers, The Lost Girl King, and paying tribute the very same tales that first inspired her to become a reader - read an extract from
The Lost Girl King is the story of modern-day siblings, Amy and Liam, who go to stay with their gran in Connemara one summer only to stumble into Tír na nÓg, an ancient magical kingdom that most of us are familiar with. After all, Tír na nÓg is one of Ireland's most beloved legends.
When I was a little girl, my dad used to read to me from his big book of celtic legends at bedtime. I would stay awake wide-eyed, begging for just one more. Tír na nÓg was always my favourite. I was enthralled by the idea of a magical paradise hidden somewhere close to our own world, where no one grows old or ill, and time itself stands still. What could be better than that?
At least, that’s what I used to think.
During the pandemic, when it came time to write my next novel, I found myself struggling to find inspiration in our locked-down world. How could I conjure up a magical adventure story for children when I, like so many, was plagued by anxiety and exhaustion. Around this time, I started thinking about Tír na nÓg all over again.
'By fields of green & mountains old, where magic glitters bright as gold,
— Catherine Doyle (@doyle_cat) September 1, 2022
A kingdom fears its frozen sky,
For all who live there cannot die…'
The Lost Girl King is out TODAY 🌞 it’s an epic adventure story about family and bravery, and the shining power of hope 💫 pic.twitter.com/Dq4yBRlmVQ
It felt like the entire country had been set to pause – that time was standing still – and I realized, pretty quickly, that this didn’t feel like magic at all. It felt like a curse. After all, for life to have meaning, it must move on. That thought was the spark that ignited my imagination and inspired me to write The Lost Girl King. In this modern twist on an ancient classic, Amy and Liam stumble into a fairytale kingdom only to find that it’s sorely in need of rescuing. The sun is cursed, and time is frozen. No one is growing old or growing up. The people of Tír na nÓg are miserable, and they need Amy and Liam’s help.
But before they can do anything about it, Liam is kidnapped by a terrifying group of shadow riders and taken away to the wicked sorcerer, Tarlock, who is seeking human bones for a new curse.
It falls to Amy to assemble the bravest warriors in the kingdom (including herself!) to rescue her brother it’s too late. She sets off on an epic quest across the rolling plains of Tír na nÓg, where she encounters other well-known characters from Irish folklore, including the mighty Fianna warriors, a host of brave Pookas, a cantankerous Banshee and a prowling band of wolf-riders.
Meanwhile, Liam becomes a prisoner of Silverstone Castle, where he meets a lost little girl, who has accidentally become king and is also looking to find her way home. Liam has a stirring feeling that for both of them, home might just lie in the very same direction…
The Lost Girl King pays homage to Ireland’s rich tapestry of myths, the very same tales that first inspired me to become a reader, and later a writer. It’s a rip-roaring magical adventure, but at its heart, it’s a story about family, bravery, hope, and just how far we are willing to go to save the ones we love.
Read an extract from The Lost Girl King below...
Liam cleaned his glasses on his sleeve as he sloshed through the water, and looked up at the biggest trees he had ever seen. They were bigger than Big Ben, bigger than a Californian redwood, maybe even as big as the Eiffel Tower! But far stranger than that, the grooves in their trunks kept shifting, like there were hundreds of faces trying to peer out at them.
Amy felt like she had strayed into a daydream. She looked for the white hawk, but it had disappeared into the forest.
'What is this place?' said Liam as he clambered out of the water.
She turned on her heel, a smile tugging at her lips. 'Isn’t it obvious … ?’
Liam shook his head in a bluster. ‘Tír na nÓg isn’t real,’ he told his sister. And himself.
‘Look, there! There’s a nose in that trunk,’ said Amy, pointing to a face in a nearby tree just as it disappeared. ‘You definitely don’t see that in Connemara.’ She grabbed his hand and led him through the clearing. ‘Come on. Let’s look around. I’ll find even more proof.’
The trees were huge and gnarled and twisting. Their velvety leaves looked as big and soft as pillows, and their branches were home to trilling ruby-chested robins, emerald-green larks and golden-bright starlings that flitted about like sunbeams. ‘Have you ever seen birds like this back home?’ she said over her shoulder.
‘No …’ said Liam reluctantly. ‘But I’ve seen plenty of unusual-looking animals in my favourite nature documentaries. So, it doesn’t necessarily mean—’
‘Look!’ Amy pointed to a gap between two trees, where a crimson-coloured squirrel was peeking out at them. ‘I think that one’s spying on us!’
The squirrel gave a little gasp before darting out of sight. Five seconds later he peeked out again, this time with just one eye.
‘He’s not doing a very good job,’ said Liam flatly.
‘Maybe he’s shy.’ Amy waited for another glimpse of the squirrel, then made a point of waving at him. ‘He’s wearing a tiny leather headband! He must be a pet squirrel!’
Perhaps it was her imagination, but she could have sworn the squirrel scowled at her before skittering away into the woods.
The branches peeled back to let them through, and they spotted a trickling river just up ahead.
‘Quick and careful, if you please,
I’ll lead you safely through the trees.’
Amy snapped her chin up. ‘Did you hear that? I swear someone is singing.’
Liam was staring at the water, his eyes wide behind his glasses. ‘I think it was …’ He gulped. ‘Never mind.’
The water danced and swirled at their feet, flicking droplets at them. The longer they stared at it, the brighter it became, as though it were somehow lit from within.
‘I glow where the wood is dim,
Walk astride or come and swim.’
Amy gasped. ‘It’s coming from the river!’
Liam felt like he was about to pass out. ‘But that’s impossible,’ he said weakly.
Amy smirked at him. ‘I bet you’ve never heard a singing river in one of your nature documentaries.’
‘Definitely not,’ he admitted. He had watched every nature show on Netflix and read more National Geographic magazines than his dad, and not one of them had ever prepared him for this.
Amy smiled as she sensed a change coming over her brother. He released a long breath, his shoulders sinking as disbelief gave way to curiosity.
‘All right,’ he said, nervously. ‘Let’s go a bit further.’
The Lost Girl King is published by Bloomsbury
