I liked the novels in this omnibus, though I have issues with the insta-love and I remember Melling’s writing being more compelling and evocative as a kid. (I think this means that, for kids, they’ll still be pretty compelling, especially since Melling’s voice doesn’t change all that much from book to book.) Gwen, the heroine of The Hunter’s Moon, is still my favourite because her struggles mirror mine the most, but I appreciated that Melling didn’t stick with her or cookie-cutter versions, but instead chose girls who had different personalities. I also liked the way she wove in the faeries and folklore, and that the stories kind of span Ireland, instead of sticking to one county.

Melling’s also a good enough writer that she doesn’t repeat herself much beyond the quest narrative structure (which still doesn’t feel quite predictable) and the apparently obligatory romances. She’s good at character and scenery and things, with a light touch that leaves a lot to the imagination, and toes the line between middle grade and young adult very well, with heroines in both age ranges, a middle grade tone, and adventures that are exciting but believable, scary but not life-threatening.

That said, the books aren’t perfect. There are some timeline problems—characters travelling for a day but making comments like it’s been a week—and, like I keep mentioning, the romance elements. Both Gwen and Laurel, the heroine of the second book, The Summer King, meet boys and within hours have basically realized they are The One. (Dana, the heroine of The Lightbearer’s Daughter, is ten so gets exempted, but stay tuned for tomorrow.) They’re also a little dated in that some of the reactions and themes are a little more simplistic than I’m used to, like if they were written today there’d be more moral greyness, and reluctance or denial from the heroines, and Dana’s story is probably the least believable of the three, because getting a ten-year-old safely through a fantasy quest involves a lot of coincidence. That said, if I were ten, I probably wouldn’t notice, given that I didn’t pick up on the timeline stuff in The Hunter’s Moon.

In sum: An enjoyable series, good writing, possibly not the best out there but certainly strong. I’d cheerfully rec these books to a kid or a teen looking for a fantasy adventure that entertains without being challenging. Melling definitely captures what makes reading magical (and magic, magical too). I’m glad I read this but don’t see myself rereading it again like I might have done as a kid.

Warnings: Insta-love. That thing people do where twins are Connected™. Probably mentions of the g-slur, though it’s been a month by this point so I don’t remember for sure. (It’ll be related to fashion if it’s there.)

7/10 ( )