SHADOWMANCER by G.P. TAYLOR.
Shadowmancer takes you into a world of superstition, magic and witchcraft where nothing can be taken for granted, and the ultimate sacrifice might even be life itself.
Obadiah Demurral is a sorcerer who is seeking to control the highest power in the Universe. He will stop at nothing. The only people in his way are Raphah, Kate, Thomas - and the mysterious Jacob Crane.
Packed full of history, folklore and smuggling, this tale of their epic battle will grip both young and old. The thrills, suspense and danger are guaranteed to grab the attention and stretch imaginations to the limit.
.... From the outer back cover.
First Sentence: It was a still October night.
Memorable Moment: Think of a world where we are not the most powerful of creatures, where the laws of time and space had been suspended. A place where power and control mattered more than love or charity.
A book written with older children/younger teenagers in mind, Shadowmancer is a book that can be read and enjoyed by the more mature reader as well though I'm sure they will view the novel in a much different way to it's younger fans due to the very nature of the author's writing.
'Shadowmancer takes you into a world of superstition, magic and witchcraft' says the 'blurb' on the outer back cover. Very true, there are some creatures from old legends included and there are some spells cast BUT more than anything else the book is based largely on Christian theology with many of the characters loosely based (very loosely in some cases) on well-known biblical characters - take Riathamus, the God worshipped by Raphah, for example, surely he is the God worshipped by Christians the world over, in everything but name. Then there is Raphah (Jesus?) himself who, capable of 'Miracles', enables a deaf boy to hear again.
Not a bad story overall though I was disappointed that there was not more magic and witchcraft. Kate was also a bit of a let down as so much more could have been made of her as a main character. Very angry she undoubtedly was but this never materialised into her being shown as a strong, capable female which I thought was a shame as well as a wasted opportunity. Ending very neatly, Shadowmancer leaves the way wide open for further book(s) in the series.
MY RATING: 3 out of a possible 5.
10 comments:
Do not know whether I would be able to read that book or not. It was as if I was listening to you. I liked it.
I love children's books. And I love your reviews. You really tell it like it is.
I did buy this last year and still need to get around to reading it. It sounds like a book I would really enjoy.
It can be really disappointing when "angry" seems to be intended to come across as "strong" in a lead character. It always feels like one half of the equation is missing, if the anger is empty.
Ooh, thank you for the review. I'll have to see if it's available at my library!
This book sounds so familiar. I asked my daughter if she'd read it, but it didn't ring a bell with her.
Sounds fairly interesting.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
What a neat log you have yourself. What an interesting review. I might have to check this book out.
:-)
I'll be back to visit soon.
The title just makes me think of that old Andy Gibb song "Shadow Dancer."
I like my magic in books as well. Particularly if they are advertising big magic, then lots of magic should be there.
Sounds interesting though...
It's great to see a review on this title....I purchased a copy some time ago from the bargain bin at our local bookstore and it's managed to find its way to a dark corner of my TBR mountain. Needless to say, I only knew what the small blurb gives on the book itself. I didn't realize the religious/faith driven aspects that were within, no matter how loosely entertained. Sounds like it may have a "Golden Compass" spin to it. Thanks for sharing!
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