THE EMERALD SHORE

Lucy and her family and friends conclude their saga in an Ireland of foggy mists and sparkling rainbows.

In The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons (2012), Lucy lost her parents and saw her Maine home transformed into a glorious sailing vessel. She then sailed from Maine to Australia, pirates in close pursuit, as she searched for her aunt in Lucy at Sea (2013). In this exciting finale to the trilogy, Lucy arrives on Clare Island off the western coast of Ireland, hoping at last to find the lost family treasure and end the family curse. She still has her father’s magical flute and a magical deck of cards. It is not an easy quest, though, what with a fluttering, fast-talking fairy, a malevolent Grey Man and the same greedy pirates close at hand. Clare Island is, after all, the home of the legendary pirate queen Gracie O’Malley. Lucy reunites with all the folk from the two previous volumes and meets a cailleach, Miss Oonagh, straight from Irish folklore. In spite of all the familiar clues plus a mysterious new one, the treasure remains elusive. Mariconda does a neat job of tying up all the threads, adds a first kiss for Lucy and gives readers a satisfying if slightly dangerous conclusion.

A grand and a good finale for Lucy et al. (Historical fantasy. 8-12)