The Shadow Of The Beast

by Craig McLay

In the second volume of the Keys series, David Apollo and his friends Milo and Futz barely escape a volcanic eruption and find themselves in the village of Orlok, where things aren’t much better.

Strange lights and noises are emanating from the castle at the far end of the valley. A mysterious Beast is stalking the woods, picking off anyone foolish enough to go wandering alone. Even worse, a sleeping sickness is causing victims to sprout fangs and express more than a passing interest in biting their neighbour’s throats.

Passing themselves off as university professors sent to investigate the strange phenomena, the boys discover that it may all be part of a secret plan orchestrated by an evil tyrant named Cronus, a shadowy figure who may know a lot more about the keys – and the disappearance of David’s father – than they suspect.

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 16, 2012

Reviews

[Greg Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second installment of The Keys series, follows the boys into a new but familiar land. While The "Island at the End of the World" was reminiscent of treasure island - a good old pirate yarn, this story brings the boys face to face with a Frankenstein monster and an army of hungry vampires. There is of course an other-worldly explanation for the appearance of these beasts. This should appeal to fans of the Goosebumps series. There's never much doubt that our heroes will overcome whatever scary obstacles are put in their way and that good will triumph over evil. McLay has the solid makings of a good children's YA series here. While the stories are not ground-breaking or terribly original, they are well crafted and written. The protagonists are likable, smart and engaging.