CALEB MCCALLISTER AND THE SWORD OF LIGHT

In Sargent’s YA fantasy novel, a teenage boy learns that his destiny lies in the world of Celtic legend.

This debut, the first in the author’s Sentry series, is barely underway when readers realize they’re in for a suspenseful ride. When 14-year-old Caleb, the novel’s first-person narrator, falls off a dock during a field trip to one of the Boston Harbor islands, his everyday life of school, friends, and obsession with Irish legends changes forever. Was Caleb really nearly drowned by a hideous creature and protected by a seal? And what is the meaning of his parents’ cryptic argument about telling Caleb something now rather than waiting for his upcoming 15th birthday? When his parents abruptly disappear on mysterious business, the strange, fearful behavior of his loving but unstable uncle, Seamus, culminates in their flight from Caleb’s Massachusetts home to a farmhouse in Canada (“If ye do no hurry,” Seamus tells him, “we’ll be dead before we get to the car”). Along the way, Caleb is attacked by what seems to be a runaway horse. It couldn’t have been a púca—a shape-shifting spirit out of Celtic folklore—could it? With this eventful setup, the author expertly mines Celtic mythology to catapult Caleb into a quest to keep the long-hidden four treasures of the legendary Tuatha Dé Danann race, including a Sword of Light, from falling into the hands of the demonic Fomorians and the supernatural Dark Court. Caleb’s struggle to accept not only the magical realms he finds himself in, but his hereditary role tied to the legend of the great warrior Cú Chulainn, takes him to Ireland and into an epic, subterranean battle, rendered in cinematic detail, with the safety of his parents—and the world—at stake. This exciting fantasy, encompassing friendships, a devastating betrayal, elves, leprechauns, ancient texts, and a young protagonist finding his own strength of purpose, is enjoyable for anyone who appreciates well-written YA fiction. The ending offers a welcome hint of more high-stakes adventures for Caleb to come.

A dynamic mix of living mythology and a modern-day young hero in the making.