Skipshock launched in June 2025 and is by Irish fantasy author and podcaster Caroline O’Donoghue. It’s a genre blending mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and romance that’s received critical acclaim. Not a big surprise, as O’Donoghue is a great talent.
The work is set in a universe where time is the key to success, where the protagonist moves between worlds in what is a rather fantastical coming of age story blended with lots of sci-fi gubbins. It’s a treat!
Time Travel and Romance in Skipshock
Chapters of Skipshock alternate between Margo and Moon (a dual narrative). The former is a schoolchild discovering the world around her, the latter a jaded salesman who decides to help her out.
It’s a complex work. There are socioeconomic considerations at play, with a bleak future of capitalist humanity explored, set alongside a time travel premise. This means the world of Skipshock can move… slowly. Or quickly.
Moon is quite the uncertain character, at first, as she grapples with what’s ahead in her life.
“Fear. It’s something I’ve tried to grow beyond. I’m not an idiot and I don’t think of myself as superhuman. I’m victim to the same thoughts and emotions as anyone else. But I do think that in almost all cases you can subdivide large emotions into smaller ones – fear into anxiety, love into affection, empathy into sympathy – therefore protecting yourself from those who will reliably take advantage. In the ay insects will cloak themselves to look like their surroundings, I will respond blandly in the hope that blandness will cover me and that peace will follow.”
O’Donoghue’s writing is crisp, clear, and smart. And there lots of fun little flourishes such as this.
“As Margo moved through one empty carriage after another, there was a mounting sense that she was in a problem that Coke Zero could not solve.”
And this one, too.
“Like all girls over the age of nine, Margo had an elastic band perpetually cutting off the circulation on her wrist.”
The real win for the narrative is the reader’s journey with Margo.
In chapter one, she’s utterly clueless about this world she’s entered. Where salesmen travel across restricted regions as she heads to a new boarding school (all after the death of her father).
We learn with her about the interconnected worlds Moon explores, with the two characters bonding, becoming trade partners, and head ever North on a train line that defies physics. Sometimes a day will pass in hours, other times several weeks. Meanwhile, political tensions simmer, there are bustling trade markets to visit, and a sense of lurking danger at every page turn.
Okay, we’re being deliberately vague on the plot so as to not drop spoilers. As we enjoyed this one a lot.
We don’t read much from the fantasy genre, but Skipshock is a fine piece of work. It’s part of a planned duology, too, so plenty more for fans to anticipate.
And a Bit About Caroline O’Donoghue
O’Donoghue runs the podcast Sentimental Garbage we’ve covered before. To be an author these days you have to be out there networking, putting yourself about on social media.
This is something she’s noted in her podcast recently, her agent lamenting that you can’t have the reclusive authors anymore.
But O’Donoghue is the perfect fit for this new era. She’s very charismatic and it’s very easy to get into her podcasting work. We first came across her as she was the guest on the You Are Good episode for Babe. One of our favourite podcast episodes for anything ever as O’Donoghue is so engaging in it (innit).
She’s very busy, constantly on podcasts, writing books, and an upcoming TV show she’s writing. We expect her to continue on this merry way to become one of Ireland’s leading creatives.
