Conn of the Dead is part of a brand new horror series for ages 9+ by celebrated author Dave Rudden whose Knights of the Borrowed Dark series was a huge hit for me when it was released.
Conn is eleven years old and loves nothing more than making trouble for his teachers and others around him. He’s a natural performer who loves nothing more than to shock and awe.
When he’s sent home from school early for creating said trouble, he visits his aunt, who works at University College Dublin in the National Folklore Collection and when Conn prowls the halls, bored out of his mind, he spies a case with an alluring sign marked “Hazardous.”
Of course, Conn has to open it and check it out, only to find a skull. But this is no ordinary skull, this is the skull of the Abhartach, a terrifying undead mind-controlling wizard who possesses incredible power.
And now, because of Conn, it’s free to do what it pleases.
As this truly horrible terror from another realm hunts Conn through the corridors of the University foiling Conn’s every move to defeat it.
I really loved this novel, the illustrations are beautiful and it’s a fast paced and fun dive into truly creepy characters but it’s safe for ages 9 and up.
As a librarian who uses tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons to engage youth who are reluctant to read or engage in literacy-based activities, this is the perfect book to put into their hands. It’s also full of ancient Irish legends that for me, were completely fresh and interesting to dive into.
Dave Rudden knows how to weave a story that grabs you by the collar, and this is one that will keep you reading until the end.
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