- Paperback: 235 pages
- Publisher: Puffin Books; First THUS edition (Jan 1983)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140316647
- ISBN-13: 978-0140316643
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 5,047,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Book Description
An exciting timetravel adventure.
Two Canadian teenagers visiting Ireland come under the influence of a mysterious stranger and are transported back to ancient times. As companions of the young hero Cuchulainn, Rosemary and Jimmy are caught up in a terrible battle against Queen Maeve. Will they survive the past, and can they ever return to their own time? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Orla Melling was born in Bray, Co Wicklow and emigrated to Canada with her family when she was five years old. Growing up in Toronto with seven sisters and two brothers, she returned often to Ireland for Irish dancing competitions. She was North American Junior and Senior Irish Dancer and later taught dancing.
After a distinguished University career (Deans Honours List, Archimedes Award for Creative Endeavour, Ontario Graduate Scholar, etc) she graduated from Trinity College at the University of Toronto with a B.A. in Celtic Studies and Philosophy and an M.A. in Medieval Irish History.
A lover of travel and adventure, she hitchhiked across Canada and throughout California. On a youth exchange programme with Malaysia she lived among the native peoples of Borneo and climbed Mount Kota Kinabulu, the highest mountain in SouthEast Asia.
Her very varied lifestyle continued with a spell as Lieutenant in the Canadian Naval Reserve where she became the firstever female training officer of new male recruits.
So when did the writing start? Orla had intended to become a labour lawyer, enter politics and make her way up to being the first woman Prime Minister of Canada, but the tedium of case studies and dry tomes proved too much. She dropped out of law school, determined to pursue her lifelong passion for reading by writing her own book. So she returned to her grandmothers house in Bray and wrote THE DRUID'S TUNE, published first in Canada and then by The O'Brien Press in Ireland.
Her next books continued Orla's fascination with history, fantasy and Irish legend. THE HUNTER'S MOON and THE SINGING STONE are exciting adventures which involve modern teenagers in Ireland's Celtic past. THE HUNTERS MOON won the Rith Schwartz Children's Literature Award (Canada) 1994 and was shortlisted for the Young Adult Book of the Year Award 1993 of the Canadian Library Association.
As well as writing her own books, Orla now reviews books for magazines such as Books Ireland and for The Irish Times and is also on the Arts Council list for school and library visits.
Having spent a number of years in Annaghmakerrig, Co Monaghan, Orla now lives in Kinvara, Co Galway, with her daughter Findabhair. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I started this book with trepidation, as I am not really used to children's fiction apart from the likes of Terry Pratchett's excellent "Truckers" trilogy, and I was unsurprised by this. The writing is disjointed and uneven, and the storyline doesn't really make sense. However, it's a kid's book, and you can't use adult standards to just children's fiction. My ten year old brother was captivated by it, andthis is a great book for anyone between the ages of 8 and 12.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
9 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A marvellous introduction to the fantasy genre
6 April 2001
Format:Paperback
This book is one of the very first fantasy novels I have read. I found The Druid's Tune amazing when I first read it at age fourteen, and up to this day, I still find it wonderfully engrossing! The idea of two modern day teenagers being transported into another time/world is nothing new, but O.R. Melling made up for this cliched storyline by her powerful characterization skills, and rich description of the world of the Tain. I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers everywhere.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Filled with Action Fantasy, Love and Friendship
24 May 2011
Format:Mass Market Paperback
***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***
This review is not going to be as detailed as I would have liked because I've read quite a bit in the few days since finishing it. The problem with reading so many books is they start to blend in your mind and it's sometimes hard to separate one from the other.
Rosemary and Jimmy are two Toronto teenagers sent as a punishment to Ireland to spend the summer working on their uncle's small farm. To wrapped up in their own wants and needs to listen to their parent's edicts, their father send them away to keep them from the bad crowd they've fallen into back home. Neither is excited about the journey. When their curious nature has them following their uncle's strange hired help they are pulled into a summer adventure that they will never forget and that will change all of them forever.
The premise of the book is based on Celtic Mythology and the tale of the Ta`in Bo` Cailnge - The Cattle Raid of Cooley. The children come upon the hired help - a modern day druid in the midst of a spell and are pulled to another world, one where Ireland's Mythical past is still taking place. They are pulled into Queen Mauve's Army when one of her sons finds them in the woods.
Jimmy is enlisted as a chariot driver for the Ulster outcasts who have joined Mauve's army to avenge their leaders ruined honor. Rosemary becomes a companion to Finnabar, queen Mauve's only daughter and falls in love with one of her son's Maine. The two grow as they learn to survive without modern conveniences and are drawn into the causes of the ancient people.
In a twist of fate Jimmy meets Cuchulainn, the hero of Ulster and changes side to help defend the man who becomes his closest friend. Lost in his own pursuits of friendship and honor he doesn't think of the worry or danger his actions cause his sister who is still with the enemy troops.
Throughout the adventure the two teenagers risk life and limb as they learn about the ties of family, honor and love. Their own growth helps the angry druid who accidentally brought them along recover a part of himself that is lost and reconnect with the people he is among.
While the growth of all of the characters involved is tremendous I would have liked to have seen more of the love story between Maine as Rosemary as well as the relationship between Jimmy and Cuchulainn. Even with the magical ending, I was left wanting to know what happens next for the two children and the people that changed their lives.
The book is a delightful read filled with action, adventure, fantasy, love and friendship.
This review is not going to be as detailed as I would have liked because I've read quite a bit in the few days since finishing it. The problem with reading so many books is they start to blend in your mind and it's sometimes hard to separate one from the other.
Rosemary and Jimmy are two Toronto teenagers sent as a punishment to Ireland to spend the summer working on their uncle's small farm. To wrapped up in their own wants and needs to listen to their parent's edicts, their father send them away to keep them from the bad crowd they've fallen into back home. Neither is excited about the journey. When their curious nature has them following their uncle's strange hired help they are pulled into a summer adventure that they will never forget and that will change all of them forever.
The premise of the book is based on Celtic Mythology and the tale of the Ta`in Bo` Cailnge - The Cattle Raid of Cooley. The children come upon the hired help - a modern day druid in the midst of a spell and are pulled to another world, one where Ireland's Mythical past is still taking place. They are pulled into Queen Mauve's Army when one of her sons finds them in the woods.
Jimmy is enlisted as a chariot driver for the Ulster outcasts who have joined Mauve's army to avenge their leaders ruined honor. Rosemary becomes a companion to Finnabar, queen Mauve's only daughter and falls in love with one of her son's Maine. The two grow as they learn to survive without modern conveniences and are drawn into the causes of the ancient people.
In a twist of fate Jimmy meets Cuchulainn, the hero of Ulster and changes side to help defend the man who becomes his closest friend. Lost in his own pursuits of friendship and honor he doesn't think of the worry or danger his actions cause his sister who is still with the enemy troops.
Throughout the adventure the two teenagers risk life and limb as they learn about the ties of family, honor and love. Their own growth helps the angry druid who accidentally brought them along recover a part of himself that is lost and reconnect with the people he is among.
While the growth of all of the characters involved is tremendous I would have liked to have seen more of the love story between Maine as Rosemary as well as the relationship between Jimmy and Cuchulainn. Even with the magical ending, I was left wanting to know what happens next for the two children and the people that changed their lives.
The book is a delightful read filled with action, adventure, fantasy, love and friendship.
One of O.R. Melling's Best
14 Sep 2003
This was the book that got me hooked on to O.R. Melling as well as Irish Mythology. I recomended this book to several of my friends who also enjoyed this book. The Singing Stone, also by O.R. Melling, was an even better story.
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