Shadowmancer Returns: The Curse of Salamander Street by G. P. Taylor

From the Publisher

The sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Shadowmancer.

In this thrilling, much-anticipated sequel to the runaway hit Shadowmancer, G. P. Taylor once again takes readers on a gripping journey. Kate and Thomas have barely escaped the evil sorcerer Demurral, and are sailing to London to make a fresh start. But someone knows they are coming, and is lying in wait to lure them into the darkest heart of the city. Meanwhile, Raphah, who has had a narrow escape of his own, sets out on a terrifying journey to find his friends, all the time haunted by a shadowy beast. Eventually, the friends' paths meet on a cursed street, hidden from the world-a place where fates are decided and old enemies seek revenge. They thought it was over . . . but can evil ever be destroyed?

VOYA

In this sequel to the Shadowmancer (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2003/VOYA April 2004), kudos go to the author for serving up an adventure story as intriguing as it is entertaining. The book manages to be enlightening and quirky at the same time, a trait that will appeal to an array of audiences. Taylor again provides a story that although on the surface appears as not so serious is quite serious after all. Beyond the weird and dangerous Salamander Street that only invited guests may see, past the wicked boots that move owners to respond to the call of evil, and eclipsing even a drug that allures with pleasure to then kill with pain lies a triumphant story of how good and innocence are never eradicated by the vicious and cunning forces of malevolent beings hungry only for power and personal gain. Complete with diviners and angels, werewolves and ghosts, alchemists and priests, and a Holy Grail quest, Taylor's latest voyage into the world of faith and its inseparable relationship to evil will have even the most jaded reader giving a nod to the darkness that eventually stalks all humankind. The good news is that despite monstrous characters like the ruthless Vicar Demurral, who continues to pursue the innocent Kate, Thomas, and Raphah, and rising above Demurral's friend, the immoral Mr. Galphus, remain the flawed but reliable characters like Jacob Crane and Beadle, the Vicar's ex-servant. Taylor reassures readers that although there is no end to evil, likewise, goodness and light prevail.

Christi VothCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up
This muddled sequel to Shadowmancer (Putnam, 2004) follows Kate and Thomas as they flee to London with the smuggler Jacob Crane, hoping to escape the evil vicar Obadiah Demurral. Their Ethiopian friend Raphah, last seen falling overboard their ship, has made it to shore in the belly of a whale, with the help of Riathamus, "the power of all goodness." He is taking a land route to the capital in the company of Demurral's former servant Beadle. Eventually Kate and Thomas are kidnapped by a sinister alchemist who uses supernatural means to control his child-labor force, while Raphah and Beadle uncover a plot involving the Holy Grail. The development of this story of good against evil is rather slapdash: at one point Kate is force-fed a hallucinogen and instantly starts behaving like an addict at rock bottom. The flashes of inspiration are weighed down by Taylor's awkward prose and heavy-handed moralizing. Fans of the first book will likely welcome a sequel, but other readers of both fantasy and Christian fiction already have many superior resources to call upon.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0641930674
  
• ISBN-13: 9780641930676
• Format: Hardcover, 272pp
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Pub. Date: May 2007
• Edition Description: Bargain
• Sales Rank: 25,837
• Age Range: Young Adult