The Stone of Destiny: A Four Treasures Novel (Book 1)

Selkies, kelpies, changelings, ceasgs, an evil faerie queen and a magic stone all feature in this mythical and magical adventure novel The Stone of Destiny by Caroline Logan.

Alisa, an outcast from society because of her birthmark on her face and an alleged changeling, lives in isolation in a cave on the coast of Eilanmor. After saving two selkies (Harris and Iona) from being killed by Avalognian raiders, Alisa agrees to be their protector and sees them safely to the capital of Eilanmor, where the king lies dying. To secure the safe succession of the new king, the stone of destiny must be re-claimed from its hiding place (if Harris can remember where he hid it some years ago) and brought back in time for the coronation of Prince Duncan.

As life at the royal court begins to intrigues Alisa, as do her feelings towards Harris, she eventually agrees to join Harris and Prince Angus (Prince Duncan's brother) on a quest to recover the stone of destiny. So starts a journey that may change all their lives and the fate of the kingdom of Eilanmor itself, as Alisa has to battle not only all that lies in wait for them as the group of three try to complete the their mission, but also the nightmares in her head that continue to haunt her. And not forgetting that the evil queen of the faeries Nicnevan is rumoured to be increasing her power and looking for a way to return to claim the the land of Eilanmor as her own.

There is so much to like and enjoy about this novel. Pulling heavily on the landscape and mythology of Scotland, Caroline Logan has successfully created a world where magic and myth exist, yet where the people and places feel familiar and relatable too - including the Scottish weather! I really enjoyed the mythology in the novel, some of which I was familiar with and other aspects I wasn't. Who knew iron weaken fairies, or that kelpies take on the form of your desire - as Ailsa finds out to her peril. I particularly enjoyed the beautifully evil ceasgs, water-living creatures similar to mermaids. I hope I see more of them in the next novel. The map at the front of the book was really useful in helping to follow the adventures.

Like AiIsa, I had mixed feelings about the charming and flirtatious Harris, but grew to like him as the novel progressed and the real Harris was revealed. Being charming is something that can be used to disguise yourself, and disguising yourself is something that Ailsa knows all too well as she has spent most of her life trying to hide the birthmark on her face from others. Readers may relate to her feeling different. And what is clear throughout the novel is that everyone is different, we all have our own abilities and weaknesses, yet it is our differences that are our strengths, especially when we have to work together. I found the tension between Ailsa and Harris intriguing, though glad it didn't dominate the story - it just simmered away in the background, as did the bromance between Harris and Prince Angus!

The Stone of Destiny is a very enjoyable novel, with enough intrigue, adventure, magic, mayhem and dusting of romance to keep those pages turning! I'm looking forward to finding out how the story progresses in the second book in the series, The Cauldron of Life, and learning more about the mythology of Scotland.

448 pages / Reviewed by Stephen Leitch, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 14+