Delightful Book Reviews: BOOK REVIEW | 'Shadow Magic' by Joshua Khan (****)

Hello readers, and happy Tuesday! Today I am very excited to be on blog tour, where I will be talking about the wonderful Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan!

Shadow Magic was published on 6th October by Scholastic, and it is the first in a trilogy packed full of action, adventure and plot twists that will not let you go until the very last page.

Check out Joshua Khan here:

Joshua Khan was born in Britain. From very early on he filled himself with the stories of heroes, kings and queens until there was hardly any room for anything else. He can tell you where King Arthur was born* but not what he himself had for breakfast. So, with a head stuffed with tales of legendary knights, wizards and great and terrible monsters it was inevitable Joshua would want to create some of his own. Hence SHADOW MAGIC. Josh lives in London with his family, but he’d rather live in a castle. It wouldn’t have to be very big, just as long as it had battlements.

*Tintagel, in case you were wondering.

Shadow Magic is a fantastic story perfect for fans of Rick Riordan, Dave Rudden and J.K. Rowling. If you're looking for an alluring fantasy story with remarkable characters, an intriguing plot and a huge dark mystery at its heart, then Shadow Magic is the book for you!

Sound interesting? Check out the blurb here...

Thorn, an outlaw's son, wasn't supposed to be a slave. He's been sold to Tyburn, an executioner, and they're headed to Castle Gloom in Gehenna, the land of undead, where Thorn will probably be fed to a vampire.

Lilith Shadow wasn't supposed to be ruler of Gehenna. But following the murder of her family, young Lily became the last surviving member of House Shadow, a long line of dark sorcerers. Her country is surrounded by enemies and the only way she can save it is by embracing her heritage and practicing the magic of the undead. But how can she when, as a girl, magic is forbidden to her?

Just when it looks like Lily will have to leave her home forever, Thorn arrives at Castle Gloom. A sudden death brings them together, inspires them to break the rules, and leads them to soar to new heights in this fantasy with all the sparkle and luster of a starry night sky.

Shadow Magic is a book both hilarious and heart-warming, action-packed and exciting. The dialogue was witty and realistic, the characters were fantastic and their interaction with each other was brilliant. Khan has perfected the art of cooking up characters who are brave, believable and, ultimately, brilliantly crafted. The friendships were really well done, and the presentation of strong friendships is probably the most important aspect of a MG, borderline YA novel.

The writing in Shadow Magic is definitely enough to hold the attention of even the most reluctant young reader - the plot, the characters, the intriguing mystery at the height of the novel. I would recommend this to any reader, young or old!