The Last Death Poet

by Stephen Daly

'I know about the visions. I have your camera. Call me. Please.'

When Michael is uprooted to his mum’s hometown of Belfast, he isn’t just hoping for a fresh start. He’s determined to discover the truth about his dad’s mysterious absence. But from the moment he arrives, he’s plagued with visions of the city’s troubled past.

Michael begins settling into his new life and even meets a boy who helps erase the painful memories of his ex. But as the visions grow stronger and more intense, the only person he can really confide in is his new friend Meg.

As Meg delves into the supernatural source of the visions, Michael begins to question whether events of the past are linked to his dad’s disappearance.

Can he use his powers to find his dad before he’s gone forever?

Genres: Young Adult

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 9, 2026

Reviews

[lucielizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was so privileged to have been given a proof copy of this book from my ma after she interviewed stephen and oh my, she knewwwwww id love this. a queer urban fantasy based in belfast???? SIGN ME UP. i absolutely devoured this book & it was so fun reading about my wee hometown with such a fun twist. iv never read anything like it! it really struck me that even though the supernatural elements in this were telling one story, i couldnt help but compare the parallels to the divide we (STILL!!!!) have up north. 😭 it really was so brilliantly done. its so true how we grow up here and the history of our country gets brushed aside, no matter what side ur on. the story needs to be told and its so important!!!!!! i cant fault this book & i can only hope theres maybe more from these fab characters in the future? yeah ima recommend this to everyone when it comes out & im so excited to go to the book launch in april. 🥹🤍 UPPAAAA IRISH! ☘️🇮🇪

'𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭í 𝘣á𝘪𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦
𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵.'

“𝙎𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣.”

[Sue H H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This contemporary coming-of-age YA explores the legacy of the Troubles in Belfast with sensitivity and a supernatural slant. I especially enjoyed the fascinating (albeit terrifying!) nod to Irish folklore.
A wonderful must-read debut from a fabulous new talent.

[Kelly McCaughrain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got an early proof and I’ve been raving about this to everyone, I haven’t enjoyed a book so much in ages. It’s a queer urban fantasy about a West Belfast boy who starts having visions of Belfast’s troubled past and photographing them with his missing dad’s camera. It’s so cleverly constructed, weaving together distant and modern Irish history, Irish mythology, and the recent race riots without ever becoming grim or losing the sense of adventure. It covers so much important ground but treads so lightly - perfectly pitched for teens. I’d have loved it even if I wasn’t from here, but it feels very special and I think it’s going to resonate with so many local people. The history is handled beautifully and respectfully, the writing is utterly charming, the mythology is fricking terrifying, the romance and friendships are a perfect balance for the serious stuff, and the tension escalates relentlessly as the twists just keep coming. It’s such a fun read and heartbreaking at the same time. I can’t say enough good things about this book, I really couldn’t put it down and I’m predicting big things for it.