The Sons of Macha

Shadowmagic #3

by John Lenahan

A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.

The thrilling final part of the Shadowmagic trilogy.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ireland

328 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2013

About the author

John Lenahan is a popular TV magician who toured with Jack Dee, Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood. He starred on a prime time BBC1 TV show, had his own BBC2 series, and was the voice of the toaster in ‘Red Dwarf’.

His fantasy trilogy Shadowmagic, an award-winning podcast that received over 100,000 downloads, was published by HarperCollins and sold over 70,000 copies across all editions.

Ice Lake is his debut crime novel, the first in a new series featuring psychologist Harry Cull. (written as John A. Lenahan)

Reviews

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ending to the Shadowmagic Trilogy. Great series by Garth Nix. Can't recommend highly enough, especially to younger readers. Would also recommend the free podcasts too.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic finish to a great series. If you're looking for a good epic fantasy without all the dreary questing and self-loathing, check this out.

[Suz Korb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great conclusion to an outstanding series!

[Debbie Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun trilogy to read. Forget about reality and just let the author takes you on a magical fantasy ride. Truly enjoyed these books. Hoping this author has written others. Sometimes reading gets stressful as you’re trying to figure out plot twists and whether what the author writes is historical correct, etc, etc. With this trilogy I started reading and did not try to second guess or worry what was going to happen next because there is no way my mind could even begin to imagine as this author’s does. I enjoyed his surprises. I allowed reading to do what it is supposed to do. Sit back, relax and just enjoy the story. And for that I graciously thank the author.

[Kara & · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Twain would be proud!

I can't say enough about the storytelling.
It is compelling, engaging, and has real flair.
The character development is believable, and the story arch is pleasantly surreal (not too logical, not too irrational--but just crazy enough to be"stranger than fiction").

If Harper-Collins could get this Trilogy into the schools of America (like Scholastic does) it would be a best-seller.

[Christina Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read from the start of the trilogy to the end here. A ride of emotions made it difficult to put this (and the others) down. Was not disappointed in the wrap up and ending to my travels in The Land with Connor.

The author brings to life the characters and places in a way I feel I can find ley lines and visit The Land. Wonder if Mother Oak would let me climb and chat with her?

[Matt_E · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the first two books this is an amazing read. Am so sorry to see the end of these characters story but it was written very well and was one of the fullest endings to a story I've read in a while.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

After literally YEARS of listening to this on podcasts as it was released bit by bit, it's finally done. I liked it so much I bought the book. GREAT narrator (the author). Very engaging story with a lot of humor.

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series. I love the characters, the plot, the adventure and everything. I especially love Conner's personality which makes the narrative wild and entertaining. The ending was a bit of a let down. I wasn't sure if Lenahan knew what to do with the end. But pretty wild and entertaining.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the series , if i had been younger when i found it .. well it had not been written yet, but, i am sure i could have looked back on this series with a sense of eternal nostalgia. I intend to sneak it into my children book stacks one day

thanks for the awesome time

[Jvermeersch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fitting end to this trilogy. Loved the way all story lines converge in this third novel, how all races have their own stakes and interests now that the war has come, and how it all turns out. I even liked the acknowledgements. Definitely recommended.

[Haniyah awan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s so GOOD!! It’s so damn funny and the characters you genuinely love them. Honestly the whole series was amazing. The ending was so sad when Oisin dies I had actual tears in my eyes but when Essa and Conor get married that was happiness.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable series obviously written with a younger reader in mind. A bit violent in parts but it really keeps family friendly. Main character is a bit of a Marty-Sue but it does not spoil the story
A fun read - four stars

[Clenone Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fun finally to a one of a kind fantasy epic spanning 3 books worth of magical adventures. while this book does a good job of explaining where the characters left off from the previous books it does it in a way that does not slow the progress of the story it wants to tell here.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent read, and another book you just had to keep reading. Well worth reading all three in the trilogy. Will be keeping my eye open for other books by this author.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

The finale of the Shadowmagic series does not disappoint. It was totally Fergalitious. Thank you, John, for writing such a wonderful trilogy.

[Lyfranka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wauw i loved this book!

[Agnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice ending to the series. The series is a lot of fun, all the way. Recommended.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I was finally able to finish the series.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s really fun series and it finished with enough of the stories tied off.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audio books, second time for books one and two. John Lenehan is great at reading as well as writing.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satisfying end to the series

[Dawn Folley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually snorted several times. A sevely disfunctional family.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Steve Lundh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good finish to a really great series. Refreshing to read a fun, uplifting series that is not sappy or childish. Wishing there was a fourth to the series but probably not going to happen.

[Adi Begaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book series. The world building is on another level and the climax is heartbreaking and compelling. 12/10

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was similar to the first and second in the series - an easy listen even if the dialogue was a bit cliche.

Overall a very average series but I did like the summary at the end.

[Arri Gaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my diary:
• Finished Shadowmagic 3 in private so people wouldn’t see me cry.

[Chloé Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect and yet tragic conclusion to a magical adventure. The best trilogy I've read in a very long time.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immersible story, writing gets better as the series progressed. Likeable characters and amusing jokes.