I was waiting and waiting for the library to get the audiobook, as I enjoyed the first one soo much. I am a bit sorry that I put off reading this book for that reason, as I really, really enjoyed it. On to the next! ( )

2.5 I probably would have enjoyed this slightly more if I'd read The New Policeman. I found the story was very slow and very vague. The Characters were always talking about their plan, but never saying what it was. Also, not much happened that was of much importance or excitement until the last few chapters. ( )

Jenny is not like other children -- she is forgetful, loses track of time, and wanders out into the fields and woods barefoot most days instead of going to school. She can also see and talk to the ghost of a boy who has been guarding a pile of rocks for over 3,000 years, and a Púka (an Irish spirit) disguised as a white goat. The boy tells her one story, while the Púka tells her another -- which one is being truthful, or is the truth somewhere in between? Jenny's father traveled to the fairy world of T'ir na n'Og when he was younger, and helped to repair the leak of time from the human world into the timeless fairy world. He is waiting for the deal he made at that time to be completed, and it turns out that Jenny is the key to that, as well as saving the human world from destruction. Will her choice save the world or doom it to darkness? A wonderful tale full of surprises, where each character's choices and viewpoints are important. This is the sequel to The New Policeman, but it's not necessary to read them in order -- this one stands on its own. 6th grade and up. ( )

Last of the High Kings is sequel of sorts to Kate Thompson’s first novel, The New Policeman. While Kings does reintroduce us to the Liddy family, it can also be read as a stand-alone tale, and is a very quick read at that.

This is the tale of JJ Liddy and his family, and their beautiful home in Kinvara, Ireland. JJ is not the most reliable of men, perhaps because of a journey he made in his youth, to Tir na n’Og, the land of eternal youth. JJ returned from that land to become a musician, marry Aisling and build a life with their four children, Hazel, Jenny, Donal and Aidan. All of their children are special in their own way, but Jenny is particularly unique. She never wears shoes, often forgets to go to school, and spends much of time up on the mountainside, having conversations with a ghost and a goat, the latter of whom turns out to be a puca. Both the ghost and the puca have their own stories, which come together in the most surprising and frightening of ways, leaving not only the Liddy’s but the whole of humankind in danger. It is left up to Jenny to decide the fate of all involved, with the help of Aengus Og of the Tuatha De Danann, and to discover where her true destiny lies.

The best word I have seen describing Last of the High Kings, and I can’t remember where I saw it (!), is whimsical. This book is full of whimsy! And whimsy of the subtlest and gentlest kind. There’s that word gentle again, I seem to be either using it a lot recently, or reading a lot of gentle books… My point being, Last of the High Kings is a nice book, in the truest sense of the word. In all honesty, I thought this would be a silly, fun read, and don’t get me wrong, it was fun, but I was pleasantly surprised by the book’s intelligence, warmth and humour. I became very fond of the Liddy family, especially Jenny’s somewhat forgetful and wonderfully capricious father JJ, and her calm, gentle (there’s that word again), musically inclined brother, Donal.

I highly recommend this as a wonderful read for child and adult alike and particularly enjoyable for anyone with an interest in Irish history, folklore and faerie.

Sequel to The New Policeman. J. J. Liddy is now grown up and has a family, including 11-year-old Jenny, who is wayward and strange. Jenny is friends with a puka, who has persuaded her to befriend the ghost on the local barrow. But the puka has reasons of his own, which may not be good ones. ( )