fast-paced ... atmospheric ... one for fans of fantasy and magic, rooted in Irish mythology and otherworldliness. Fans of Percy Jackson should enjoy this
-- School Librarian Magazine
magical and compelling, full of darkness and a deeply satisfying mythological depth. Matt Griffin's striking black and white illustrations evoke and enhance the strangeness of his gripping tale
-- CBI Recommended Reads 2016
this book has a fairy-tale quality and pulls on ancient Irish tales giving the story structure and depth. The ending is open-ended and obvious that it will be continued but this does not lessen its appeal. It is tense, chilling and gripping, full of mystery with a good balance between descriptive text and action sequences, and explores the familiar avenues of friendship and loyalty. A good book for confident readers aged 10 - 12 years, it will also appeal to teenagers and lovers of magical fantasy
-- Armadillo
It taught me things I didn't know about Irish mythology, had brilliant battle scenes ( I LOVE battles!) and amazing adventures ... All of this, plus illustrations, crammed into a single 250 page novel ... perfect page-turner
-- Mia, bleachhouselibrary.ie
Deftly paced, rigorously edited and fluidly written, Storm Weaver is embroidered with precise, evocative descriptions
-- Books Ireland
This is an engrossing, vivid and taut episode culminating in a heroic battle scene...
-- Books Ireland
An essential part of the novel are the haunting charcoal images at the start of each chapter, which underscore the storytelling and which were created by the author, who as these striking images attest is a highly regarded graphic artist and illustrator
-- Books Ireland
there's something of the Lord of the Rings about the massing of ancient armies and the questing at the bidding of unknown powers, as well as an ambiguity about where the loyalties of some of the characters lie ... this is a series stamped with a strong Irish identity. But the familiar myths and legends which are always just between the surface in Irish storytelling have been intertwined here with a vibrant modern twist that will ensnare 21st century readers, pulling them back to their mythological roots
-- Evening Echo
Matt Griffin's fantasy creation ... lies at the very darkest edge of fairy tale ... It is a place not of nursery story but of nightmare, not of Tir Na Nog, but of an 'other' magical pre Ireland where life literally withers away after forbidden return. Yet his creation and his narrative are all the more resonant and potent, and indeed all the more terrifying, for their link to the tropes and archetypes of ancient tales. One of the particular strengths of Matt Griffin's narrative is placing within this dark fairy tale context a quartet of young protagonists who are fully contemporary in their language and outlook. They are every inch kids of today, clever, lippy, streetwise. These are certainly no Pevensie children, stumbling with wide eyed wonder into Narnia ... [A] Cage of Roots [is] a gripping and powerful read, a potent and imaginative refreshing of many of the tropes and themes of great children's fantasy - with more than a touch of darkness thrillingly added. And of course that wonderful whack of Irishness. Matt Griffin uses very effectively ... some of the classic fiction techniques: starting in mid action, interweaving split narratives. It is most skillful writing in any terms - and, as an authorial debut, exceptional. His already much admired artist's imagination, together with its expertly crafted realisation, clearly transfers readily into his writing. Often in trilogies/quartets, second books can drop off a little in quality. But not so here. Storm Weaver, as much a continuation as a sequel, fully maintains the momentum and visceral excitement of the first book ... From the ending, it is clear that this sequence is not yet complete - a cau