Review: Banshee Rising by Riley Cain

We are met with Irish teen protagonist, Caitlyn McCabe, who has the unique ability to see ghosts and spirits in her everyday life. Caitlyn, a not-so ordinary girl from Dublin, doesn’t know much about why or how she has this peculiar ability, but after a school trip to Newgrange, she meets Professor Sackimum Brody. The Professor is the only one who can help Caitlyn navigate her powers, tell her more about her dead parents, and guide her to defeating an evil only Caitlyn can defeat, rising from the third immortal realm of forgotten spirits.

A story with the twistiest plot twists and a plot with the perfect amount of complexity, I found this novel perfectly balanced, with plentiful, well-developed characters. The novel is set in modern day Dublin, but as Caitlyn switches between the three realms: mortal, immortal and forgotten, we get a mix of contemporary and Ancient Irish characters and concepts, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The only major issue I found was excessive characters, which were sometimes hard to keep track of, but that issue was quickly overruled by excellent character development, especially in the main characters, Caitlyn McCabe and Professor Brody.

This novel is written from a third person point of view, but this doesn’t at all limit the reader’s connection with and understanding of the characters. Cain blends paranormality with an Irish teenager’s life to create an enjoyable novel, especially for those who enjoy folklore, mythology and Ancient Irish history. A story well worth a read!

Maheen Cheema, 13