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Lighthouse Trilogy #3
The Lighthouse Keepers (The Lighthouse Trilogy, Book 3)
Here is the stunning conclusion to an epic trilogy that Children's Literature calls ''a thought-provoking sci-fi adventure with universal appeal.'' The worlds that Adrian McKinty's characters inhabit are vividly real.
In this final and most ambitious book in a wonderfully inventive trilogy, veteran interplanetary travelers Jamie and Ramsay must protect their alien friend Wishaway, now living with them on Earth, from the scrutiny of sinister forces on their own planet. In the meantime, Wishaway's beloved home planet of Altair seems to be hurtling toward doom. Just when circumstances on both worlds are at their most dire, members of the ancient race who built the mysterious lighthouses return to offer Jamie a terrible choice. He can save Earth or Altair, but not both. The fate of two planets is in the hands of the teenage Lord Ui Neill. Which home will he save? His own or Wishaway's?
In this final and most ambitious book in a wonderfully inventive trilogy, veteran interplanetary travelers Jamie and Ramsay must protect their alien friend Wishaway, now living with them on Earth, from the scrutiny of sinister forces on their own planet. In the meantime, Wishaway's beloved home planet of Altair seems to be hurtling toward doom. Just when circumstances on both worlds are at their most dire, members of the ancient race who built the mysterious lighthouses return to offer Jamie a terrible choice. He can save Earth or Altair, but not both. The fate of two planets is in the hands of the teenage Lord Ui Neill. Which home will he save? His own or Wishaway's?
Audio Cassette
First published October 1, 2008
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About the author
Adrian McKinty
48 books4,354 followersAdrian McKinty is an Irish novelist. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and grew up in Victoria Council Estate, Carrickfergus, County Antrim. He read law at the University of Warwick and politics and philosophy at the University of Oxford. He moved to the United States in the early 1990s, living first in Harlem, New York and from 2001 on, in Denver, Colorado, where he taught high school English and began writing fiction. He lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 8, 2012
It’s one year since the end of book 2. Everyone is trying to adjust to life back on Earth. Thaddeus come to Ireland to watch Jamie while his mom and Brian (!) go away for a vacation. Meanwhile psychics to work for the CIA get images of a boy who is destined to destroy the Earth. Agents search for the boy and come upon none other than Ksar (yes, he’s still alive, but in a coma!). They revive him and in the process, they get information that the boy in question is none other than Jamie. Chased by a CIA hit man, the boys, Ksar, Wishaway and Thaddeus recover the Salmon and go back to Altair. Of course, there’s another life-and-death struggle on Altair (when isn’t there??) and another decent battle scene. The book’s final few chapters redefine weird, however, when Jamie is visited by the aliens who created the Salmon and force Jamie to make a cosmos-changing choice....
The author tried to make this into something much more than just the wrap-up of a trilogy. I think he would have been better off just trying for the wrap-up. CIA agents, hit-men, gypsies, psychics and (finally) the original aliens who built the Salmon of Knowledge all make appearances in this one. I think it was just a BIT too much to pack into one story.
The author tried to make this into something much more than just the wrap-up of a trilogy. I think he would have been better off just trying for the wrap-up. CIA agents, hit-men, gypsies, psychics and (finally) the original aliens who built the Salmon of Knowledge all make appearances in this one. I think it was just a BIT too much to pack into one story.
October 23, 2014
I listened to the Lighthouse Trilogy as an audio book. I had to get used to Gerard Doyle's reading, beacause initially I found his voice too "old" for a story which is about a 13 year old boy, but you forget that more and more. In fact, I afterwards quite liked the way he gave an individual tone to all the persons.
The story is really beautiful: combining old Irish Fairy tales with wormhole-theory and the story of a teenager, who has to recover from cancer and his parents divorce - altough this is young adult fiction it got me again immediately, like all of McKinty's books, that much that I bought the print version for my teenage daughter additionally. This is a coming-of-age-story in the best sense.
The story is really beautiful: combining old Irish Fairy tales with wormhole-theory and the story of a teenager, who has to recover from cancer and his parents divorce - altough this is young adult fiction it got me again immediately, like all of McKinty's books, that much that I bought the print version for my teenage daughter additionally. This is a coming-of-age-story in the best sense.
August 20, 2011
This is the worst well-written book ever. Adrian McKinty's ability to be in a single moment and explore it with depth and beauty remains, but the entire series suffered from two repeating and irredeemable faults, an incessant pleading to make itself pop-culture-cool and an overtly clever author's reliance on one of the worst young adult fantasy tropes ever conceived (the unremarkable (white) visitor from another world saving a nation of infantile morons who somehow managed to cobble together a somewhat-advanced civilization).
August 7, 2017
It seems this 3rd book took me quite a while to get through. I lost interest in the characters and found it a strange ending book. It did wrap things up though.
July 29, 2017
(Audible; Gerard Doyle, narrator) The final volume in the Lighthouse trilogy has more pep than the previous two volumes. I normally love Gerard Doyle as a narrator, but his efforts at American and even English accents fall flat and really damage the audio version of the series.
December 25, 2017
This was pretty much a perfect ending to the trilogy. The way the young people's relationships change seemed a natural outgrowth of what they'd experienced. We do get to find out who the Old Ones were, and the ending is very creative and satisfying.
April 6, 2018
I loved the first two books of the trilogy but the the this book had a lot of things which was hard to swallow. The ending was kind of weird but complete and it was weird how easily they got the Salmon of Knowledge from the University.
August 30, 2017
A good ending for the tale...seemed a bit rushed and a lot of things happened that were hard to believe (suspend belief!). But I did enjoy it and especially the Irish accents!!
September 16, 2021
A fair amount of plot holes breaking the physics of previous books. Definitely gives the Hollywood ending to the series.
July 16, 2023
Never misses a chance to throw a jab at America. Adults will not enjoy this YA.
May 2, 2012
I finished the last of The Lighthouse Land trilogy. It was an entertaining listen (audiobook) as I worked away at spring cleaning, but I would not rate it as a great series. Although I would label the genre of the series as sci-fi, there wasn't really a lot of science to it - merely suggestions of a possible other earth-like planets and travel to one through a wormhole, as well as some not fully described semi-ominipotent entities who only explained themselves as not being gods.
My favorite character was Ramsey, because he was a well read young man who made easy referrals to literature he had read in the course of events throughout all three books. I didn't much care for characters, even minor ones, being killed so callously and don't think that added any quality to the story. The first book, The Lighthouse Land, seemed to me to be a good title, but the others (The Lighthouse War and The Lighthouse Keepers) really did not capture what the story was to be about. I think if the author had spent more time in crafting these stories he could have produced much better novels with the potential that the idea of the plot presented.
Another thing that struck me as being a little unusual was the mention of many contemporary (early 2000s) references such as Starbucks, Netflix, Google, Blackberry phones and LOTR movies. I think if these books are read 20 or 30 years from now, those references may be totally meaningless. Teens may enjoy these books. I don't think they would appeal much to younger kids or adults who enjoy good YA fiction.
My favorite character was Ramsey, because he was a well read young man who made easy referrals to literature he had read in the course of events throughout all three books. I didn't much care for characters, even minor ones, being killed so callously and don't think that added any quality to the story. The first book, The Lighthouse Land, seemed to me to be a good title, but the others (The Lighthouse War and The Lighthouse Keepers) really did not capture what the story was to be about. I think if the author had spent more time in crafting these stories he could have produced much better novels with the potential that the idea of the plot presented.
Another thing that struck me as being a little unusual was the mention of many contemporary (early 2000s) references such as Starbucks, Netflix, Google, Blackberry phones and LOTR movies. I think if these books are read 20 or 30 years from now, those references may be totally meaningless. Teens may enjoy these books. I don't think they would appeal much to younger kids or adults who enjoy good YA fiction.
December 3, 2015
This is my favourite teen book so far. As well as being beautifully written, the plot is quirky, the characters are likable and well drawn, and the humour makes me chuckle.
Jamie and his friend Ramsay are back in Ireland after their adventures on the planet Altair, where Jamie was revered as a sage and a hero. He has brought back with him Wishaway, Jamie's alien girlfriend. When Jamie's mother goes to London for a holiday, she asks an old American friend, Thaddeus, to come over from the United States to look after the teenagers, unaware that the CIA have sent an agent to kill Jamie, believing he is about to bring the world to an end. The teenagers escape the assassin by teleporting to Altair and on their return Jamie is asked to make the biggest decision of his life.
The final part in a trilogy'The Lighthouse Keepers'is a wonderful story with pace, suspense and some positively poetic moments.
Jamie and his friend Ramsay are back in Ireland after their adventures on the planet Altair, where Jamie was revered as a sage and a hero. He has brought back with him Wishaway, Jamie's alien girlfriend. When Jamie's mother goes to London for a holiday, she asks an old American friend, Thaddeus, to come over from the United States to look after the teenagers, unaware that the CIA have sent an agent to kill Jamie, believing he is about to bring the world to an end. The teenagers escape the assassin by teleporting to Altair and on their return Jamie is asked to make the biggest decision of his life.
The final part in a trilogy'The Lighthouse Keepers'is a wonderful story with pace, suspense and some positively poetic moments.
May 10, 2016
This is the 3rd book in the lighthouse trilogy. I listened to the audio version of this story. I enjoyed the narrator, and over all a good story. As with books #1 & #2 Plenty of action when Jamie, Ramsay & Wishaway return to planet called Altair, there the people call him Lord O'Neill. He and Ramsay once again make a good team helping out the people there. This book to me was not as good as the first two. However, it moves along pretty good and unlikely alliances are made between Jamie and a former enemy. The two battling "countries" finally agree to peace. Also in this book we meet the Aliens that created the wormhole that allowed the travel between Earth and Altair. This was the part of the book that I really didn't care for. Seemed like they were playing GOD with earth and Altair and that didn't sit well with me. It did have a happy conclusion.
February 9, 2009
The Lighthouse Keepers is the stunning conclusion to the marvelous series, The Lighthouse Trilogy. Jaime, Ramsey, and Wishaway appear to be hunted by the CIA in an attempt to eradicate the threat to humanity (Jaime is suspected of being connected to the end of the world, December 21, 2012 by members of the psychics employed by the CIA). In the meantime, they travel back to Altair after stealing back the Salmon of Knowledge, and manage to create a peace treaty between the Alkhavans and Aldanese. When they return, they are further hunted, and Jaime is given a choice between saving Altair, or saving Earth (Earth, obviously, would be destroyed in 2012, and Altair would be frozen due to a disrupted binary star orbit). You'll just have to read the story to find out what happens! :D
April 29, 2016
Great adventure, nice wrap-up to the trilogy.
I love Thaddeus, and it was great to have him more prominent in this book. However, I missed Brian and Anna, who figured little in this story.
My favourite character was Ksar, who was a survivor, and a leader trying to save his planet and people. His story grew over the series, and he never waivers from his focus of trying to care for his people.
The strange tension between Jamie and his friends didn't make sense, nor did his decision near the end of the book. I liked him a little less in this book, but only a little. Ramsay was also a little less interesting, but so much else was happening, it wasn't that important.
Fun series, imaginative, and well written.
I love Thaddeus, and it was great to have him more prominent in this book. However, I missed Brian and Anna, who figured little in this story.
My favourite character was Ksar, who was a survivor, and a leader trying to save his planet and people. His story grew over the series, and he never waivers from his focus of trying to care for his people.
The strange tension between Jamie and his friends didn't make sense, nor did his decision near the end of the book. I liked him a little less in this book, but only a little. Ramsay was also a little less interesting, but so much else was happening, it wasn't that important.
Fun series, imaginative, and well written.
April 3, 2013
This is the final book in The Lighthouse Trilogy. Jamie has brought back his love from the planet they are visiting as well as his mom and best friend and cousin. What Jamie and others didn't realize was that they also brought back one of the most evil people from the planet to earth also. There are also psychics that are sensing that Jamie is evil and must be killed. In order to avoid being killed they barely escape with the "Salmon" back to the other planet again to find it in war again.
May 11, 2013
Umm, wow. This was just the strangest last of series book ever. All of the sudden, the CIA is using psychics to fight future terrorist attacks? And these aliens that can travel the galaxies without bodies just randomly decide this old man is good enough to go with them, and a kid has to decide the fate of not one, but two worlds with a single choice?
Just a bit much for me.
Just a bit much for me.
September 28, 2014
I was so excited about this series... but I am not a fan of this last book. Because I think endings are so important, I probably wouldn't recommend this series. Yet I loved the world it took me to.
Here's more of my review:
http://abookishcompulsion.blogspot.co...
Here's more of my review:
http://abookishcompulsion.blogspot.co...
April 23, 2018
It is hard to put my finger on what I liked and disliked about this book. Unlike the previous two books in the series, this one has more action that takes place in Ireland. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, but it did wrap up all the loose ends. If you enjoy sci-fi/fantasy novels, you will probably enjoy this one.
January 8, 2009
This third book by far was my favorite. I think it took me 3 books to warm up and fall in love with the characters, I am happy I finally did. And it was still full of surprises and kept my curiosity going and I enjoyed the ending thoroughly! I am glad I read this series.
July 14, 2012
Ties up the story nicely, then tosses a curveball of major proportions for the underlying explanation of the whole series in a few chapters. Whumpf! Book 3. Read these books, who knows when or if they'll make the well deserved movies. BBC miniseries maybe? Please!
December 30, 2008
For professional review. Fans of the series will want to know how the trilogy ends.
February 13, 2009
I really enjoyed this trilogy!
September 19, 2009
More excitement in this book. An interesting end, for sure!
Read
November 18, 2010Waiting for it to come out in Audio format.
September 23, 2015
An enjoyable end to the series. It was unpredictable and had a different vibe from the other books that made it unique.
February 5, 2017
Interesting book
October 26, 2009
I could hardly put this book down. I really got into the characters.
January 6, 2014
I don't think any book can be more boring than this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews