Mugwort's Shadow

by Heidi Breton

Mugwort's Shadow is set in the world of Katharos, which is populated by beasts of every shape and size. Come along with Yarrow the hedgehog and his friends from Blueberry Forest as they work to help Princess Fragaria reclaim her rightful throne from Mugwort, the evil mole king. They encounter enemies and riddles at every turn and are accompanied by an ensemble of interesting and quirky animal characters. It’s appropriate for fans of The Green Ember, Redwall, and Narnia, and anyone else who enjoys a rollicking good story set in a fantastic world.

This the first book in the series The Ballad of the Badger King, which is written primarily for ages 8-12. The story illustrates good character attributes, consequences, and how to handle tough situations. I don't sacrifice plot or pacing, and while it's unapologetically Christian, there isn't any heavy-handed moralizing. The book is loosely based on the theme of the parable of The Good Samaritan.

I hope you love the book as much as I loved writing it. And look out for Book 2: Journey to Claw Cave - it's on track for an October release!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2025

About the author

With a passion for Christ and clean, high-quality fiction, I am writing this series for readers of all ages who enjoy a rollicking good story set in a fantastic world, with consistent morals and consequences.

Oh, and did I mention ... there will be dragons?

Reviews

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun adventure story! I look forward to reading it to my kids when they're a little older.

[Pip · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this! It is very much in the vein of Redwall and The Green Ember.

[Ashley Chabrecek · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is not enough children’s Christian fiction being made. Yarrow’s character is such a good example for children and young people who are struggling to step into who God is calling them to be, regardless of their self-deemed weaknesses. I can’t say this was a page turner for me that I just couldn’t put down, but it definitely has an audience that will connect with the story. I think it would be best as a family read-aloud. The series has good potential and I am excited to read book 2.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really enjoyed this book as a family! The characters were complex and growing which I loved! The woodland setting and characters and kingdoms were charming and the plot was interesting and engaging. I can’t wait for book 2 to find out what happens to princess Frageria, her friends, the troop and the kingdoms! This book reminded me of The Green Ember and Wingfeather Saga!

[Megan Davis]

Ugh ... Thought I found a cute audio to listen to, but, after only about 5% in, as Google's AI answer put it, the "unapologetically Christian underpinnings" would have annoyed me even when I was a Christian.

Also, why would it be barbaric for various anthropomorphic forest animals to eat a falcon, but not a frog or a lizard? At least be consistent with your fantasy world's rules of morality ...

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle Grade Fantasy
Gently Christian
Cool adventure book! I’d love to read this with the kids in my life!

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mugwort's Shadow was given to me by the author as part of the offer for her second book's debut. As a result I happily accepted it so I could get a feel for the characters I would meet.

Unfortunately I just couldn't get into the book itself even though it would have been the type of book I liked as a child. The characters and settings mimic the Redwall series to a degree. Unfortunately unlike Redwall, the species aren't localized but almost a mix although technically Yarrow and Rye are so far the only non-North American species to make an appearance.

Secondly unlike the vegetarian leanings of Jacques' world, here the animals have a more varied diet while making for a strange hierarchy as well that doesn't really play out such as horses for mostly small creatures?

At the same time, Heidi Breton has gone with naming of her characters with plant names, mostly based off of the scientific. It does make for some unique although often hard-to-pronounce names for those who aren't used to such and there is no pronunciation guide.

The book is suppose to be Christian-based and within this first book you get less of the indirect references due to the world-building required for a non-believer struggling to be a better creature. Small nods are made than left to be explored at a later date.

At the same time the author can be quite interesting in her word choices such as an expression of being as "wet as drowned mermaids", which seems rather implausible.

For such drama and adventure as found in the book, the characters were repetitively dull and there were often scenarios that threw me such as a hidden beach you had to descend steps for but could also get out of by climbing the slippery boulders of a white river than somehow getting over to land magically to creep through the bushes.

All in all I just couldn't keep myself interested in this first book and most definitely hope the second is able to turn that around for me.

[Lizzy B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Yarrow the hedgehog minstrel just wants to travel the country, performing as they travel, not get involved in any sort of trouble. Is that too much to ask?

Notes: If you like Green Ember, Redwall, or Narnia, you'll probably like this book. So far, it's not as violent as Green Ember, so totally fine for younger readers. I love all the similes and metaphors in this book. I also like how we can see Yarrow's character growth throughout the book. I have the second book waiting for me to read, and I can't wait to find out what happens to everyone! There's fox twins, Salix and Larix, who are full of mischief and secrets, Mel the burrowing owl, who is usually right, Yarrow who has to learn to think of others, and a badger princess and her prickly hedgehog-in-waiting. What else do you need?

Violence: One animal gets hurt, another time they come across an animal who has died.

Romance: None

Scary themes: A little. There is a bunch of wolves and an evil mole who want to take over a kingdom and are enslaving animals.

Genre: Allegorical...slightly/Fantasy because of the talking animals/Adventure

[Thing 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book! What is it about? It is a story about a selfish hedgehog turned reluctant hero, his eager to please owl friend, and two quiet foxlings who are roped into a quest to save a princess who has been taken captive by the very beast (Mugwort) supposed to guide and guard her.

"Mugwort's Shadow" provides insight into the human character, from our selfish inclinations to the struggle to change our ways and overcome our flaws.

While it was written with a younger audience in mind, "Mugwort's Shadow, The Ballad of The Badger King" can easily be enjoyed by adults (I am a young adult and loved reading it, so there you go!)

I beta read it, but this review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much potential, but just off. The names were difficult and sometimes it seemed to jump around and I couldn't follow some of the descriptions in the book. Biggest disappointment was the climax. Excitement, danger...and the next chapter tells us they somehow escaped. No story, no action, no further suspense.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun adventure for the whole family.

I received a copy from a Goodreads giveaway.