Shadowmancer - G P Taylor

[The Master™]

Anyone read this one???

 

[Mark Robson]

Yes. I'm not sure that I relish my work being compared to that of Mr Taylor. Shadowmancer is a fantasy set in Yorkshire in the 1800s, so it might have some appeal to you. However, a word of warning - GP Taylor is a vicar ... and it shows. He has used lots of biblical themes and translated them into a thinly disguised fantasy of good and evil. It's OK as fantasies go, but not high on my list of recommendations.

 

[The Master™]

An awful lot of books and TV shows these days tend towards the biblical...

Who would you have preferred to be compared to???

 

[Mark Robson]

An awful lot of books and TV shows these days tend towards the biblical...

Who would you have preferred to be compared to???

Good question. At the moment, maybe Garth Nix, or Jonathan Stroud. I think being compared with Rowling is a nonsense right now. Nobody would take such a comment seriously, and it wouldn't have any meaning as we write very different stories.

Perhaps one of the other YA fantasy writers that I prefer reading would have felt nicer. However, I'm not going to knock the article. It has given me a boost in more ways than one, and if I gain some of GP Taylor's audience, then I would like to think they will be in for a treat. He certainly has plenty of readers for me to grab.

 

[Rane Longfox]

I have heard of this book before. I believe the most complimentary thing I heard about it was "An up-tight Philip Pullman". However, it seems to have developed quite a fan-base. Is it very preachy? That was the impression I got...

 

[Mark Robson]

I have heard of this book before. I believe the most complimentary thing I heard about it was "An up-tight Philip Pullman". However, it seems to have developed quite a fan-base. Is it very preachy? That was the impression I got...

There are elements of 'preachiness' about it, but he has been quite clever to make his 'magic' mainly based around the gifts of the spirit that are talked about extensively in the New Testament. I'm not sure about the theme of a vicar looking to overthrow God, though. I found this a bit bizarre ... but not as bizarre as 'Wormwood', his second book!

 

[rune]

Ive read it. Not really to my taste

 

[GOLLUM]

I've not read that book and probably don't intend to. Sounds like it could fit into the Christain Fantasy sub genre.

 

[Alia]

Here's what I found from a little research:

His official website:
http://www.shadowmancer.com/

His self published book list:
Shadowmancer (2002)

Wormwood (2004)

Tersias (2005)

And an Article I found about him:

G.P. Taylor's debut novel 'Shadowmancer' was originally self published, and became a word of mouth hit. The book has now been bought by Faber and Faber and has received huge critical acclaim and has been described in the press as 'Hotter than Potter'. It has outsold many of the children's bestsellers and first editions of the novel are now fetching £1000 on the web.

G.P. Taylor has been quoted as saying "that the problem with the villains in children's books is that they aren't scary enough." The first in a trilogy 'Shadowmancer' is filled with history and folklore, smuggling, intrigue and sorcery. The novel is set in the 1700s on the north-east coast of England, and takes the reader on a voyage into a dastardly world full of superstition, magic and witchcraft where nothing can be taken for granted, and the ultimate sacrifice may even be life itself.

G.P. Taylor is the vicar of Cloughton in Yorkshire near Scarborough and lives in a setting for many a devilish tale and an area rich with spiritual heritage. This location has provided the writer with lots of inspiration historically and in terms of landscape.

G.P. Taylor's career has spanned many arenas including working in the music industry, social work and being a policeman. He now divides his time between writing and his parish.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/writing/profiles/wprofile_gptaylor.shtml

Another interview from a different website:
http://www.jubileebooks.co.uk/jubilee/magazine/authors/taylor_gp/profile.as

 

[Feordel]

I haven't read this book but I would very much like to.
I love books with a religious undertone.
I watched an interview (BBC imagine) where he was discussing his book and complaining about how people reacted to any biblical reference. He said something like, if philip pullman can get away with a book about the death of God, why can't G.P. Taylor write a book that shows a God to be real or something.
Interesting...

 

[Lenny]

The thing is though, Pullman is a good writer.

I attempted to read Shadwomancer a couple of years ago, and I despised it. I think I got halfway through, and threw the book across the room. To this day it remains the only book I've started reading and have never finished. It had a good idea behind it, I'll give it that much, but it was so badly written.

 

[Twilight Cat]

Eugh.
I am a Christian, and even I don't like G. P. Taylor's books. I found them quite contrived, I've heard them described as the 'Christian answer to Harry Potter' I found it sickening. As both a Christian and Harry Potter fan I found it to be badly written and quite embarassing, as concepts that are very powerful to me were portrayed so weakly.

 

[the_faery_queen]

there's aklready a book meant to show that god is real. the bible!

my business teacher advisor person used to talk about this guy a lot, because he knew i wrote and would take him as an example for how people can make it if they self publish. but as i have NEVER heard of him beyond that, and have no interest in books with heavy religious themes (or any real religious themes) i haven't bothered with it.