The Lighthouse Trilogy, part 1: The Lighthouse Land (2011)

From School Library Journal: Grade 6–9—Thirteen-year-old Jamie O'Neill and his mother leave New York City's Harlem for an island off the coast of Ireland, where Jamie discovers that he's a lord, a descendant of the Irish Kings. Despite his muteness after losing his left arm to bone cancer, he befriends talkative, clever Ramsay. While exploring a 1000-year-old lighthouse, the boys find an ancient gold object that lets them travel to an alien planet light-years away. On Altair, a pointed-eared, eight-fingered girl named Wishaway is awaiting the return of Lord Ui Neill, whom she believes will save her world from invaders from the Alkhavans, who travel in iceships and enslave the people they conquer. Jamie finds that on Altair he still has his arm and can speak. The planet is technologically stuck in 1607 due to a scarcity of natural resources, so Jamie and Ramsay use their knowledge of chemistry to show the citizens how to make "Greek Fire" (sulfur, quicklime, and petroleum) to burn their enemies' iceships. Before they can begin to fight, everyone on the planet starts getting ill. Will they find a cure and can they defeat the Alkhavans? This science-fiction adventure story has an interesting setting. However, the plot lacks a sense of real conflict, the ending is resolved too neatly, and all but the main characters lack depth.—Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton

From Booklist: An inheritance changes the fortunes of 13-year-old Jamie and his mother in the first installment of an sf trilogy by crime novelist McKinty. They move from Harlem to a lighthouse in Ireland, where Jamie is Laird of Muck Island. Having recently lost an arm to bone cancer, Jamie has become selectively mute, but a new friend, Ramsay, and a computer tablet that speaks for him boost Jamie's confidence. An artifact found in the lighthouse teleports the boys to and from a distant planet, where they help the Aldanese people fend off invaders. Jaime's arm becomes whole there, and he finds his voice again. The boys' friendship and banter is delightful, although the world building and some of the alien characters, including the love interest, a girl named Wishaway, need more substance. There's also plenty of action, as well as the potential of Irish legends playing into the sequels. Jamie's struggles with self-worth and his difficulty deciding whether to stay or to go home may remind readers of books in Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza series. Cindy Dobrez

1. The Lighthouse Land
2. The Lighthouse War