Sarah Tolmie

Dark, mournful, and beautiful, Sarah Tolmie's The Fourth Island is a moving and unforgettable story of life and death on the hidden Irish island of Inis Caillte. Huddled in the sea off the coast of Ireland is a fourth Aran Island, a secret island peopled by the lost, findable only in moments of despair. Whether drowned at sea, trampled by Cromwell's soldiers, or exiled for clinging to the dead, no outsiders reach the island without giving in to dark emotion. Time and again, The Fourth Island weaves a hypnotic pattern with its prose, presaging doom before walking back through the sweet and sour moments of lives not yet lost. It beautifully melds the certainty of loss with the joys of living, drawing readers under like the tide.

The Fourth Island

sara louise

”once you have had pain like that, you dread its onslaught ever after. the fear of it never leaves you alone. just as the pain itself once was, it becomes your constant companion.”

this had some golden pieces of writing, but all in all I feel like the concept would’ve shone better if it had more pages to evolve and explore the characters and settings. by no means bad, but not what I was expecting.

Lewis John Fisher

This book is something different. The prose carries you under, like the deep tides under the surface, and doesn't let you go until you finish the book. This is a gorgeous exploration of personhood and despair.

erin s

An interesting work of speculative fiction infused with Irish folklore. The eponymous "Fourth Island" refers to Inis Caillte, a hidden island that calls to the lost, saving them from death, isolation, and despair. The island erases all barriers of language, difference, and even time, creating a secret community that transforms its unwitting inhabitants into a softer, truer version of themselves. 

[3/5: Atmospheric and almost philosophical. You can almost feel the sea mist on your face through the pages. Fans of speculative fiction will find much to ponder over in this novella. It was not my personal favorite, partly due to the sparser writing style, but I found it transported me nonetheless.]

Thanks to NetGalley & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Fourth Island

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