Shadowmancer by Taylor, G. P. Taylor, G. P - 2004

New York U. S. A.: Putnam Juvenile. New in Fine dust jacket 2004. First Edition. Hardcover. 1st Amer Ed, shiny unclipped DJ has a 1/2 inch closed tear repaired verso; no names, not marked-in, underscored, clearance or discard. Mails from NYC usually within 12 hours. ; 9.5 x 6.2 x 1 inches; 275 pages; \nOnline Rev: An apocalyptic battle between good and evil is vigorously, violently fought in British author G. P. Taylor's suspenseful, action-packed fantasy. The story, set in the 1700s on the Yorkshire coastline, revolves around Vicar Obadiah Demurral, a corrupt-but-inept, dead-conjuring "shadowmancer" who desires to control the universe by overthrowing God, or Riathamus. When two hard-luck near-orphans, (13-year-old Thomas Barrick, a bitter enemy of Demurral, and his troubled friend Kate Coglund) band together with a young African stranger named Raphah, they spend the rest of the book trying to stop the wicked Vicar as if their very souls are at stake...they are. Along the way, the three youths meet an enormous cast of friends and foes, some agents of Riathamus, others of Satan (Pyratheon) , and some godless (but not for long) smugglers like Jacob Crane. Readers who love fanciful storybook characters will find mermaidlike Seloth, smelly hobs, leg-dragging servants, goodhearted whores, and benevolent boggles. Age-old superstitions abound, though old magic and witchcraft are clearly denounced here as the work of the devil. Indeed, the author, an English vicar himself, tells a very Christian story and his often deliciously dramatic adventure lapses into stiffly presented glowing-halo Touched by an Angel moments(readers will be lured into the Enchanted Forest, but tricked into Sunday school) . Nonetheless, Shadowmancer, the first of a series, is a pageturner bursting with magic and myth, and will appeal to fantasy lovers who don't mind the Bible mixed in with their boggles. (Ages 11 and older) --Karin Snelson VOYA - Elaine J. O'Quinn\nThis novel is a different kind of fantasy, partly because of the allegorical elements of the Christian faith and partly because the book manages to provide a strong critique of the shortcomings of organized religion, exposing the deception of power and forcing the issue of true faith. It is not typical to find a story that works at both these levels while never losing track of the adventure that drives it. This reviewer found herself swept up in the story of Kate, Thomas, and the angel Raphah as they attempt to retrieve a grail-like artifact and restore it to its rightful place. Along the way they must battle authoritative leaders—unpredictable "boggles" and fearsome "hobs"—and at one point, even the devil himself. Such effort is required if the light of the world is to be kept bright against the impending darkness signifying the end of time. Taylor produces a solid book. It is well written and highly imaginative in how it recasts the story of good versus evil. Young readers will like its pace, and adults will enjoy its complexity. The author clearly did a good deal of research, and readers will be especially impressed with the attention paid to setting. The challenge of this setting was actually to take something a bit familiar and make it unfamiliar—in many ways, a more daunting task than creating the purely imaginative settings of many fantasy stories. The readers of this text will come to it for different reasons—a high compliment to any author. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12) . 2004, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 304p. , Ages 15 to 18. .