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The Cloak of Feathers
Every hundred years, in the magical town of Knockmealldown, fairies known as the Good Folk join the villagers for a Great Festival. It's a raucous, beautiful, enchanted celebration.
Well, it's supposed to be.
Except every time Brian helps to organise the Great Festival it's a disappointment. Worse, this time the Folk Princess has been stolen. Can Brian thwart the Princess's evil captor in time to avoid the wrath of the Folk King and Queen, and finally deliver a Festival to remember?
A magical adventure filled with myth, mischief and misunderstandings, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones and those who love modern fairy tales with a comic twist.
Well, it's supposed to be.
Except every time Brian helps to organise the Great Festival it's a disappointment. Worse, this time the Folk Princess has been stolen. Can Brian thwart the Princess's evil captor in time to avoid the wrath of the Folk King and Queen, and finally deliver a Festival to remember?
A magical adventure filled with myth, mischief and misunderstandings, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones and those who love modern fairy tales with a comic twist.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 11, 2018
2 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Nigel Quinlan
12 books70 followers'A boisterous, gusty romp and an exhilarating debut.' Kirkus.
@nigellicus.bsky.social
@nigellicus.bsky.social
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 26, 2023
A wonderful mix of mischief, myth and mystery set in a small village in Ireland...every year, the people of Knockmealldown put on a Great Festival to which every hundred years, the...Other Folk...are invited.
This year, they may actually come - and they are not happy. The village is going through a difficult time - a now abandoned pig-processing plant poisoned the lake and left a Smell that lingers in the uninhabited ghost estate built in its wake - and the Fair Folk are unimpressed by this desecration.
Brian Nolan is a blow-in, but with him, and his friends Helen and Derek, rests the only hope the village has of assuaging the wrath of the Fey, rescue a princess and release his parents from a cruel spell.
A delight to read, swerving from hilarity and mad-cap hi-jinks to moments of despair and heroism. Perfect for all readers from 9 and upwards.
This year, they may actually come - and they are not happy. The village is going through a difficult time - a now abandoned pig-processing plant poisoned the lake and left a Smell that lingers in the uninhabited ghost estate built in its wake - and the Fair Folk are unimpressed by this desecration.
Brian Nolan is a blow-in, but with him, and his friends Helen and Derek, rests the only hope the village has of assuaging the wrath of the Fey, rescue a princess and release his parents from a cruel spell.
A delight to read, swerving from hilarity and mad-cap hi-jinks to moments of despair and heroism. Perfect for all readers from 9 and upwards.
March 3, 2018
What a joyful read this was. A celebration of all things Irish, steeped in the traditions of Irish myth and legend, and written in the lyrical style that these stories were told (both in Irish and English). Like the action of the plot, the sentences tumble over each other, ramble and race, and only stop to take a breath at the end of each chapter. The writing is wonderfully descriptive, and the page detailing the arrival of the Fair-- Oops, I nearly said the word. Ahem. The page detailing the arrival of the GOOD FOLK is one of the best I've read anywhere.
But most of all, this was fun - hilarious fun. From ghost pigs, banshees on bicycles and an epic hurling match between the residents of Knockmealldown and creatures from the Otherworld, every page will have you laughing out loud. LOLLING, isn't that what the youngsters say? But there are no LOLs here - just old-fashioned sniggers, smiles and belly-laughs. Though it's set in modern times, the story harks back to a more innocent Ireland, the one we all grew up in, the one before smartphones and internet and LOLs. And for this reader, at least, I welcomed this with open arms.
Quinlan is carving out a unique brand in modern Irish children's literature by resurrecting the Ireland of myth and magic, and lacing it with his own quirky sense of humour. He is a modern seanchaí, and is doing, as far as I can tell, something nobody else is doing. Eddie Lenihan would be proud!
I liked THE MALONEY'S MAGICAL WEATHERBOX but I loved this. It felt like a more structured piece with tighter plotting.
5 stars! And I don't give them out often.
But most of all, this was fun - hilarious fun. From ghost pigs, banshees on bicycles and an epic hurling match between the residents of Knockmealldown and creatures from the Otherworld, every page will have you laughing out loud. LOLLING, isn't that what the youngsters say? But there are no LOLs here - just old-fashioned sniggers, smiles and belly-laughs. Though it's set in modern times, the story harks back to a more innocent Ireland, the one we all grew up in, the one before smartphones and internet and LOLs. And for this reader, at least, I welcomed this with open arms.
Quinlan is carving out a unique brand in modern Irish children's literature by resurrecting the Ireland of myth and magic, and lacing it with his own quirky sense of humour. He is a modern seanchaí, and is doing, as far as I can tell, something nobody else is doing. Eddie Lenihan would be proud!
I liked THE MALONEY'S MAGICAL WEATHERBOX but I loved this. It felt like a more structured piece with tighter plotting.
5 stars! And I don't give them out often.
April 12, 2018
Nigel Quinlan’s books are a riot. They’re filled with life and vigour and wit, folklore and history and humour, and they’re completely unique. The Cloak of Feathers is set in the town of Knockmealldown, which – every hundred years – sees the Good Folk (never call them fairies!) join in for a spectacular Festival, organised by the townsfolk. Except, this time it’s being (dis)organised by Brian and his friends, who manage to muck the whole thing up. As well as that, the fairy princess has gone missing – but Brian holds the key to finding her. Can he get all his pigs in the pen before the town is wiped off the map?
June 10, 2023
nie umialam sie skupic na tym co sie tam dzialo
June 7, 2021
Bardzo przewidywalna, myślę że bardziej dla młodszych czytelników. Jedynym plusem było to że czytało się to błyskawicznie bo reszta pozostawia wiele do życzenia...
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August 10, 2023Every year, there is a festival in Knockmealdown. Every year, it is rubbish. This year, it might not be just rubbish, it might be lethal.
Brian Nolan is a recent resident in Knockmealdown, ‘a thick, lumpy soup of legends’, where the annual festival features inedible, peaty, bread, and events so bad that the Tourist Board has warnings against attending. It is also a place that is peculiarly adjacent to the Otherworld – it is said that the Gentry Below were so angry about a pig factory being built there that a boar, Mulkytine, crossed the border and led the freed pigs on a riot.
At the same time, Knockmealdown has a sort of Brigadoon element – despite its polluted lake, derelict houses and invasive Helweed, there are still fleeting glimpses of the beautiful place Brian’s father recalled from his youth, where getting a lift on the back of a swan-graceful cow was just the sort of thing that might happen.
Brian is coerced into helping with the annual festival, along with Derek and Helen (a ‘thick-headed hooligan’ and ‘a horsey princess’ respectively), and this festival is due to be literally a once-in-a-lifetime event. The Gentry Below attend the festival once a century, and this year is the year. The Gentry Below arrive in style, and Brian, momentarily forgetting how they hate being referred to directly, calls them fai… er… uses the f word.
As if that isn’t bad enough, he gets bowled into the King and Queen by Fester, a sooty tangle of something with a beak. The monarchs, already furious at the miserable state of Knockmealdown and devastated at the disappearance of their daughter, are in no mood to be forgiving. For the humans to have a chance of surviving the rage of the King and Queen of the Otherworld, Brian (on the advice of Fester) issues the Challenge of the Four Feats to the devious Cluaracan.
What follows is a magnificently bizarre series of adventures. Naturally, everything is stacked against Brian and naturally, the Cluaracan seems to hold all the cards. Every word is devious and twistable, and the action progresses at a hurtling pace as success seems to breed the threat of a following failure. As in the best fai…folktales, it is not cunning but clear-sightedness that wins and in the course of events, the real reasons behind the curse on Knockmealdown are revealed.
If there is any unevenness in the tale, it is that the start of the story has a slightly rushed feel, before the narrative gets the bit properly between its teeth. This haste means some of the backstory and location take a second reading, and there is only partial exploration of some really good concepts, especially the ‘wild form’ of the Gentry Below, or banshees on bicycles. At the same time, the story is told at a cracking pace, so there is no time to linger on absences.
Brian, who narrates, is determined, indefatigable, and quick-witted enough to cope with what is thrown at him, whether it is enchanted dancing or a hurling match resembling something from the Boyhood Tales of Cúchullain. There is also a strong sense of the importance of the location of events, that it is the place, even more than the people, who were cursed, and that maltreatment of the place that both the humans and the Good Folk call home is an action that demands consequence.
It is a very satisfying read, not only because of the ingeniousness of the challenges, but the humour and inventiveness with which they are answered, and the latter gives the tale a distinctly joyous feel.
July 11, 2018
Do you love magic or folktales? Hurry up! Get this book and start reading to enter the one-of-a-kind town of Knockmealldown.
Legend has it that every one hundred years the Good Folk (Never call them Fairies!) would come from the Otherworld and join the Knockmealldown Summer Festival for a weekend full of magic.
Meet Brian, the main character. He's been (unwillingly) helping his parents organize the Summer Festival for three years. He has never witnessed any magic, and as far as he knows, the Summer Festival was the worst in the country. But this summer he's in for a surprise - and a challenge.
The Great Festival begins and the Good Folk arrive, bringing with them magic and danger!
Events go out of control and it's up to Brian to save the day. Just like Harry Potter has to find the Horcruxes to destroy Voldemort, Brian needs to find the four peices of the cloak of feathers in order to save his whole town from the ancient wraith of the Good Folk King and Queen.
Nothing is as it seems, though, and Brian finds himself up against darker forces of the Otherworld.
The Cloak of Feathers is a surprisingly entertaining book. Brian narrates his story in an exciting, super-funny way. I particularly like how he never gives up.
The first chapters may feel a bit slow, but they wonderfully establish the setting and mood of the story, as well as the relationships between the (hilaroius) main characters.
Once the Good Folk arrive, the action becomes non-stop.
Nigel Quinlan had me turning the pages - just like the music of the auld fella's enchanted fiddle had everyone dancing, dancing, dancing.
Legend has it that every one hundred years the Good Folk (Never call them Fairies!) would come from the Otherworld and join the Knockmealldown Summer Festival for a weekend full of magic.
Meet Brian, the main character. He's been (unwillingly) helping his parents organize the Summer Festival for three years. He has never witnessed any magic, and as far as he knows, the Summer Festival was the worst in the country. But this summer he's in for a surprise - and a challenge.
The Great Festival begins and the Good Folk arrive, bringing with them magic and danger!
Events go out of control and it's up to Brian to save the day. Just like Harry Potter has to find the Horcruxes to destroy Voldemort, Brian needs to find the four peices of the cloak of feathers in order to save his whole town from the ancient wraith of the Good Folk King and Queen.
Nothing is as it seems, though, and Brian finds himself up against darker forces of the Otherworld.
The Cloak of Feathers is a surprisingly entertaining book. Brian narrates his story in an exciting, super-funny way. I particularly like how he never gives up.
The first chapters may feel a bit slow, but they wonderfully establish the setting and mood of the story, as well as the relationships between the (hilaroius) main characters.
Once the Good Folk arrive, the action becomes non-stop.
Nigel Quinlan had me turning the pages - just like the music of the auld fella's enchanted fiddle had everyone dancing, dancing, dancing.
October 2, 2018
Well... this is certainly one of the most satisfying chaotic fun reads I've had this year, it's witty with immaculate comic timing, the pace doesn't slow down, there's many characters in here which delighted my inner child, this part of the book is what surprised me the most because here's a novel my 12 year old self would have read, went for a walk, had dinner, watched some Buck Rogers and picked it up to re-read it before bedtime.
I am one of those rare readers who reads as I walk, this is the highest praise I can give a book and The Cloak of Feathers justifiably fell into the small number of books which have enthralled me to the point that I couldn't wait for a seat to resume reading.
Go Spinal Tap and turn up the star ratings to eleven, because any less isn't fair for a wondrous read that should be featured in the school curriculum as an example of fine writing.
I am one of those rare readers who reads as I walk, this is the highest praise I can give a book and The Cloak of Feathers justifiably fell into the small number of books which have enthralled me to the point that I couldn't wait for a seat to resume reading.
Go Spinal Tap and turn up the star ratings to eleven, because any less isn't fair for a wondrous read that should be featured in the school curriculum as an example of fine writing.
July 24, 2018
A tale filled with drama, action, myth and muddle, this is a fast-paced, exciting read. Its' combination of folklore and contemporary circumstances bring to life a dynamic between the two that is gripping and very funny. With expert characterisation, surprising friendships and an unlikely, yet familiar setting (haven't you ever thought you lived in the dreariest town on the face of the Earth?), the reader is transported into a world where anything is possible...and happens. Well-written, great narration and a cracking read that will entertain and delight all fans of fantasy, friendship stories and folklore made real. Watch out for those ghost pigs!
March 26, 2018
A great romping adventure set in the small Irish town of Knockmealldown, which the fairies come to visit once every century for a great festival. Can Brian Nolan complete the four feats and save the fairy princess from her evil captor?
Although aimed at younger readers, this book has plenty to entertain adult readers. It's a real page turner, and a delight from start to finish.
Although aimed at younger readers, this book has plenty to entertain adult readers. It's a real page turner, and a delight from start to finish.
August 25, 2023
Może gdybym miała 11 lat i wtedy przeczytałabym tą książkę, to spodobałaby mi się bardziej. Teraz fabuła mnie nie pociągnęła. Wątek był w miarę oryginalny, lecz mało dopracowany. Zwroty akcji słabo wplecione, momenty, które mogłyby wciągnąć i zainteresować, były bardzo spłycone. Polecam osobom do 13 roku życia, bo fabuła świetna, ale wykonanie później nie podejdzie.
February 15, 2024
2.25 mam pelna swiadomosc tego, iz jest to ksiazka dla młodszych czytelników jednak to nie zmienia faktu, ze czytało mi sie ja FA-TAL-NIE. Byly fragmenty, ktore rzeczywiscie bardzo mnie pochłonęły, lecz niestety bylo ich bardzo malo. Niezwykle zmeczylam sie czytajac te ksiazke, a nie o to w czytelnictwie chodzi. Szkoda…
May 18, 2018
Magic and legend mix in this fast moving Irish children's book. Brian has to beat the evil Cluaracan to save his parents, friends and village. Can he do it? Good fun.
May 28, 2018
Whimsical, fun and fast-paced. Loved it!
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
April 23, 2019
This book was really chaotic and full of plot holes but I’ve enjoyed the pace and irish mythology. I woudn’t read it again but it was perfect for a quick read
June 13, 2025
2.5 Nie była zła, ale pewnie dość szybko o niej zapomnę.
August 24, 2023
I believe the 12 year old me might enjoy this kind of genre and writing. My bad for not knowing it's a pre teen's book up from an online bookshop.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews