G.P. Taylor: Shadowmancer

[Dave]

I quite enjoyed this. My daughter didn't like it, she gave up half way through.

from SciFi Wire

Christian 'Potter' Hits U.S.

Shadowmancer, the best-selling British fantasy novel dubbed the "Christian Harry Potter," hits U.S. bookstores on April 27, USA Today reported. The book by G.P. Taylor is described as a classic fight between good and evil, the dark tale of a devilish English vicar, Obadiah Demurral, who tries to control the world using demons and the dead in 18th-century England. Three teens set out to stop him: Thomas, Kate and Raphah, the newspaper reported.

Based on Taylor's proven overseas success in 2003, G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Group, paid Taylor an impressive $500,000 for Shadowmancer and his next two books, Wormwood (out in September) and Tersias (due in fall 2005). More than 330,000 copies of Shadowmancer have been sold in the United Kingdom, and the book is available in nearly two dozen languages, the newspaper reported.

Don't expect it to be Harry Potter. The ending could be compared to a Harry Potter like duel, but it is a very different book.

I heard a radio interview with G.P. Taylor. He is an interesting person. During his life he has been a Punk Rocker and worked in record promotions, a Police Officer, a Social Worker, and now a Vicar.

He no longer has a parish since he writes full time, but he used to have one in the area in which Shadowmancer is set. It is set in North Yorkshire, near Whitby (Dracula's landing spot.) He is interested in all things pertaining to the Occult and uses this knowledge, and knowledge of local history and local customs in the book.

His next book, Wormwood, is set in London where he lived during the eighties.

 

[Sathai]

I just read this book, and I didn't care for it. It has a heavy Christian slant to it which gets tedious after awhile. I kept feeling like I was being "preached" at.

I did think it started out well though. The characters and storyline were interesting. About halfway through though that's when it seemed to go downhill, and the story was lost to the religious stuff. The ending was extremely abrupt too.

 

[Nesacat]

Have read Shadowmancer, Wormwood and Tersias. I liked them but most of the younger people I know didn't like them. The books get darker as they go along and the child in Tersias is treated very harshly indeed. That is largely what seems to be upsetting younger readers or at least the parents.

I read up on Taylor too and yes, he's had a rather interesting life. It comes across in his characters too. I am looking forward to seeing more of his books.

 

[Lenny]

I quite enjoyed this. My daughter didn't like it, she gave up half way through.

I have to say, your daughter definitely had the right idea.

I began it about three years back, thinking "Oooooh! Now this sounds like a very interesting idea for a story". Halfway through it, I threw it at my wall in frustration, took it back to the library next day, and have never read it since. To this date it's the only book that I haven't been able to finish.

It's not that it was a bad story, it's just that it was so badly written that I couldn't carry on with it.