The Invasion by Peadar O’Guilin (review)

At the end of The Call (BCCB 9/16), Nessa and Anto were looking forward to making a life together after they had survived both their time in hellish Grey Land of the Sidhe and the fire that destroyed the Irish training academy where they learned to fight the vengeful fairies. Unfortunately, any hope of happiness is brutally tossed aside when authorities arrest Nessa on the grounds of betraying Ireland, believing a girl whose legs were left weakened by childhood polio could not have possibly survived the infamous Call of the Sidhe to the Grey Land without striking a deal with the enemy. Meanwhile, Anto finds himself recruited by the Irish forces that deal with “infestations” of fairy creatures that are increasing in number. The grotesque horror of the first book is heightened here, as the Sidhe unleash a host of terrifying creatures in their invasion, and the impact of the imagery moves from shocking to thought provoking. For instance, the massive giant composed of writhing, screaming innocent human beings, who must be shot by other humans as they run for their lives, is an image that’s only partially metaphorical in its representation of war, and the gut punch comes from the scene’s grounding in reality as much as its disturbing fantasy. The fevered action works with the characters’ interpersonal conflicts to create an unrelenting sense of drama, and the final chapter is as chilling as it is hopeful.