Read and Reviewed: Heroes of Light and Shadow by Conor Forrest

Saturday, 21 February 2026

Heroes of Light and Shadow by Conor Forrest

✦ BLURB ✦

Magic is real. But so are monsters.

Oisin dreams of being a hero, like the ones he reads about in books. So when he overhears a plot for a midnight raid on a Dublin museum, he knows this is his chance.

But Oisin soon realises that heroes must fight monsters. Dark things that lurk in the shadows – like the sinister Fomorians – don’t take kindly to those who get in their way.

With the help of legendary troublemaker Fionn Mac Cumhaill, can Oisin prevent death and destruction? Or will modern Dublin find itself at the mercy of the mythical monsters it had forgotten?

Irish mythology, midnight museum raids, and one kid absolutely sprinting toward danger.

✶ PRE-READING ✶

Books using Irish mythology are few and far between. Recommend a book as 'Percy Jackson but Irish' and I'm going to be there.

✶ POST-READING ✶

As I thought... There are some very clever uses of Irish mythology here. The book leans hard into 'newcomer doesn't know the rules and no one explains anything' but even though I hate that trope, the plot moved so quickly it didn't really bother me here.

It surprised me by... Highlight for spoilers: despite the blurb's claims, this is not the Fionn Mac Cumhail, but a descendant using the English spelling of Fionn McCool. Don't let it confuse you! (The exact family tree is left vague, so don’t overthink it — maybe we’ll learn more in the next volume.)

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

Book Recommendation: Artemis Fowl is another Irish hero twisting mythology in interesting ways.

TV or Movie Recommendation: You can watch Percy Jackson as a TV series or a movie series.

✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

A colour palette: Grey cement, bright Celtic patterns

A soundtrack: Fiddles and drums

A season: Winter - chilly but fresh

A mood: Confused, defiant

A scent: rain and the aftertaste of magic

★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

The Fool. Oisin is pulled into a world he knows nothing about, but he follows along and does his best to help anyway, trusting that things will turn out alright at the end.

Final Thoughts

This is a fabulous action adventure for readers who like a little bit of complexity in their reads. I love the twists on Irish mythology, the cleverness of some of the plans (they usually get derailed, but that's half the fun) and the found family feeling. I can't wait to read more in this series.

Best for readers who:

would absolutely run toward a museum at midnight
like mythological troublemakers and hidden worlds
enjoy discovering the rules after the adventure starts

Heroes of Light and Shadow publishes on the 2nd Mar, 2026. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.

Read and Reviewed