Creeping Shadow

The Rise of Isaac #1

by Caroline Peckham

A man waits in Vale, a world void of humanity.

A mother vanishes, her disappearance concealed by the police.

A girl collapses, black magic invading her blood.

And a boy linked to them all must fight to save his family.

Earth is just one of seven worlds. Gateways divide the realms and those who pass through must earn keys, participating in challenges that will separate the fearful from the brave, the weak from the strong, and the witless from the cunning.

Sixteen year old Oliver Knight knows nothing of the other worlds or his family’s dark past. But when his adopted sister succumbs to a deadly curse the truth is revealed and he is plunged into an unknown land in a desperate bid to save her. However, a sinister enemy is on the rise and the danger they face at every turn throws those around them under suspicion. In order to survive, Oliver must figure out who to trust, who to believe and, ultimately, who to fear…

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2015

About the author

I'm a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Zodiac Academy series. I write all things dark romance, from fantasy to contemporary, high school bully to mafia, there's bound to be a book for you!

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Reviews

[Caron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted to my blog: https://diminishingthoughts.wordpress...

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Creeping Shadow is about Oliver Knight and his adopted sister’s journey through the other worlds. Neither of them knew about the other worlds’ existence until their grandfather- Ely- was forced to tell them when May was struck with a curse that was intent on killing her.

This was The Hunger Games meets The Testing. This book in no way mimicked those stories, but I got the same feelings I had when I read those. Which is good, because I really liked them.

In order to enter the other worlds, a key is needed but is only achieved after the person completes a challenge. This book emits a sense of mystery and adventure that is extremely hard to back away from. I found myself willing to be caught in it’s clutches.

When I agree to read a book, especially an ARC, I usually have nothing to go on except the synopsis. The synopsis intrigued me a lot and I can stay that I wasn’t disappointed at all. The author is an extremely gifted writer.

What I liked about this book was that it was consistent. It didn’t jump from one plot to the other. Even though there were a few time jumps, they all made sense and helped in understanding the story better. There were a few twists that I did not see coming, so that’s a plus for unpredictability. All throughout the book I thought that something was going to happen, hoping that I was wrong, but then that ending! I need more! I need to know what happens next.

I took a break from this book at about 20% because I still had time to finish it so I turned my attention elsewhere. When I did get back to it though, I had realised that I read 40% more on a car ride that lasted almost 2 hours. The way I feel now, I want to start the book over and experience it all over again. I really really liked it. It has definitely exceeded my expectations.

[Soccergypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

** ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. **

Wow. This was Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games with The Jetsons thrown in and it worked! The magic and fantasy of Potter, the action and "section factions" from Games and technology advances reminiscent of the Jetsons. Wonderful twists and the many unanswered questions actually leaves you wanting more instead of feeling frustrated due to lack of resolutions. A fun and entertaining read.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given Creeping Shadow as an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Creeping Shadow is a very enjoyable book, filled with likeable characters and an engaging story line and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Some of the writing jarred a little and the characterisation seemed a little flat to me, none of the characters had a particularly distinct voice. That said, I liked Oliver and May enough to want to see where the book was taking them.

Creeping Shadow is fantasy meets sci-fi, blending magic with other-world travel, and it does this seamlessly. The world is interesting and well wrought although it could be fleshed out a bit more, although there are books to come so maybe it will be then.

If you like fantasy or science fiction and want something light and engaging, I would recommend this book.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****I voluntarily reviewed this book for the author, all opinions are my own.*****

I wasn't sure how this book was going to add up after I read the first book in Caroline Peckham's other series, The V Games. However, I love a good fantasy (my fave genre) and this book was a darn good fantasy!

I loved the world building. The other worlds such as Aleva sound so whimsical and I was sucked right into my imagination. I love when I can feel like I'm being transported and I definitely lost myself in this story. I was really thrilling as well. Like her other series, I was never bored, there was always something happening, an unforeseen circumstance arising and her characters are always tested. I fell in love with Team Pandalin and am now a great fan of each of their characters. I am definitely worried who the traitors are and sometimes that kills things for me (betrayal, even in books, hits me pretty deeply!!!) so I'm hoping it's not a character I'm super invested in.

Characters great. Plot exciting. World building top notch. Definitely ready to read more from this series!!!!!

5 stars :)

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book directly from Ms. Peckham! Thank you so much Caroline.

If this site provided the half stars, I would definitely say this novel is a 3.5 out of 5 for me. What I really enjoyed was the prologue. I was hooked.

However, for me after that the novel doesn't really pick up again until chapter 5 -- A Dark Fate. After that the story really picked up for me!

Some of my other favourite parts were the flash backs to Issac and trying to get to the world populated by Varks. I think what I really appreciated was the world building we've seen so far in book one. I know this series would have an epic mapping system and colour codes based on the keys needed to enter each world.

My favourite character is Rogan, and I feel like he might have something going on with May. in the future novels ( or it's just wishful thinking). No spoilers but, I really enjoyed this novel. I'm excited to read the next installment. I feel like each novel is just going to get better and better!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review...

What it's about...
This is about two teens, brother and adopted sister, that find out something about their past and are sent to live with their grandfather. There was something a little different about this grandfather. As they snoop around they find keys with their names engraved on them. Then May - the adopted sister - ends up cursed. A journey begins and they find friends along the way in order to cure the curse.

My thoughts...
This was a really amazing book, I didn't want to stop reading. It was very well written and the antagonists as well as the protagonists were enjoyable to read. I enjoyed the adventure they went on. It was a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat.
I can't wait to dive into book 2

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's unclear if this book is a product of it's time (written almost a decade ago), but well written stories are timeless, so I can only assume it was an earlier period in the author's life while figuring out their voice and writing style.

Reading this book was a slog - everyone felt pretty one-dimensional and just... went along with how the story unfolded. Nope, it's all fine. This is all how things are supposed to go to make this plotline work. Bleh. I did manage to finish this book but I thought about dropping it multiple times. I'm definitely not bothering with the next book. I do like reading YA fantasy, but this is just blandly written and unbelievable. Pass.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was given this book several years ago by a friend for my birthday and I'm so glad she did because I cannot recommend this book enough!!! Such an easy read in terms of language. Really fast pace and could not put it down. Would highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a new and exciting world to delve into and relatable characters to support on their journey or to anyone who is looking for a generally great read. Can't wait to get my hands on Book 2!!!

[Deborah Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has not started this series, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!! All of the Potter and Survival fans out there, this one is for you. It is a great mix of both types into to one and the characters are wonderful and sometimes a little on the off side. Overall it is fantastic!!

[Gea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful games and admirable friendships!
May and Oliver face their problems head on and of course that might get them into intense situations.
Great story! I’m off to the next one!

[Kareena Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing. i love the plot and how it’s going. so freaking exciting for the evil plot to keep going and figure out who may’s parents are and alison/isaac/dad.

[Lyndsey Gollogly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy quick enjoyable read. It was different and I really enjoyed it the characters and story were really good.

[Adli · Rating 5 out of 5]

** ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. **

I did not expect that I would in any way be excited about this book, but then I read and I’m hook by the fourth chapter. I can tell that this book is a bit slow, and then suddenly it picked up its speed almost at the end; took me by surprise but at that point I was already very invested in the story and the characters, and there’s not much I can do expect screaming in agony knowing that It’s going to be a long while until I could ever read the next book.

I really want to congratulate the author for such amazing worlds that she’s creating in this book. I can’t stop myself from being amazed at all the details she gives in this book, from the historical background of how the other world came to be, into the incredible Aleva and the desolate Vale (and I hope the rest of the worlds would not fail to surprise me). I have to admit that this book has many cliche thing that cringe me a little bit. Put it this way, anytime there’s a story about a world that is not earth or a dystopian version of earth, the spectrum always vary between the other world is the advance version of earth or the world without life. I hate to think that earth is always left behind in every aspect from the other world, but Aleva is great, so I’m not complaining (bias, I know). Other cliche that is very cringeworthy was the interview part before the team enter the race in Aleva. Why must Oliver’s team be the last team? I get that they enter the race late, but it’s like the formula of keeping the best for last, so as to give shocking effect. A bit predictable and very cringe-worthy in my opinion, but then again I like the composition of Olly’s team, so I’m not complaining much (again).

Maybe it’s the weather these days or maybe the author is just very good at building the setting and the ambience. Every time she starts describing the weather or the surrounding in the book, I can almost feel like I am there and it felt real. And it’s just not the setting, the characters also felt real. You know how sometime author tends to get a bit bias when it comes to their main characters? How they made their characters so detailed so the reader would root for them and like them? Well the characters in this book were very simple, no major trait that made them bigger than life, and that is exactly what made me connects and invested a lot with the characters. I can almost feel like they could have been my mate or my next door neighbour. Even the annoying characters like, Larkin, Delphine, and Chester.

Generally speaking, the story is a bit predictable to me, but with that cliffhanger ending and the epilogue, who’s to say what’s the next book is going to be like? Seriously, if I could I would like to start a rant on my possible theories about what is going to happen next, and possibly my take on who is the bad guy in this story. But, of course, I won’t be doing that; I’m going to be hated so much by so many people if I do that, right? Also, is weird that I am already shipping people in this book? Not related, but it’s my legit question. Ugh! I wish I could meet someone who have read this book and go all conspiracy theories together.

My rants aside, I seriously recommend everyone who likes fantasy to pick this book up. What’s not to like from this book? First, it has incredible world-creation. Second, the characters are amazing, likeable, detestable, confusing af, and just generally the kind of people that you would be invest your time with. Third, the background of the story was well written, you might possibly hate the author for coming up with that idea (I’m kidding of course, how could I hate her for writing this amazing book?). Fourth, you would most definitely like the conversations happening in the book. I don’t know if you’re like me or not, but I enjoy a good book that has nice flow of conversations between the characters; you know how sometimes conversations between the characters can feel so stiff and very two-dimensional, right? Well, this book is nothing like that. Fifth, you will be go on a crazy ride of adrenaline rush as you go along with Olly and his friends on the race in Aleva. Oh yes, you will. Because I did, and I want to go back to reading that. It’s crazy good and well written.

full review here

[M.J. Mallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/201...

I received an ARC copy from the author, Caroline Peckham in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I’m so glad I decided to read this. It has a heck of a lot going for it, full of mysteries to solve, a girl appears in the middle of the road, and is welcomed into the family, a missing mother…… It is reminiscent of several books, to begin with it reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events with the children’s mother going missing, and the two distraught youngsters Oliver and May being sent off to a strange Grandfather’s house to live. I have to say their Grandfather Ely has one seriously cool house that has an enormous tree growing in it!

There is a fair amount of world building to begin with, Creeping Shadow is part Science Fiction, part Fantasy with magical beings called Mages. In the beginning you will encounter a plentiful amount of characters to get to grips with but don’t let this put you off.

As the story unfolds it begins to be more reminiscent of Hunger Games, with a new perhaps more interesting slant, focusing on teams working together to achieve a shared goal rather than individuals trying to kill each other. An element of danger still exists in the race to secure a key to one of the kingdoms making it an exciting, gripping, read. The teams compete against each other for a key but they also work together in their individual teams to reach their goals. Cooperation is the focus and the way to win, nice touch. The action really hots up when the race starts, the contestants hoping to get a key. This is crucial for May as the only way to cure her from a deadly curse is to get a key to travel to another kingdom.

I particularly loved this quote about the effect of the curse on her body:

“May’s eyes were opened but they roamed unseeing, bloodshot and red. What scared Oliver more were the dark bruises that covered her body and the thick, black veins that slithered like snakes between them under her skin.”

We are introduced to a whole bunch of weird creatures and many obstacles to overcome. There are shadow creatures called varks, fire bats, wolver bats, a platform and a ladder challenge, an abyss, a waterfall, a whirlpool, and even hogtrouts, and luggerfish!! I’m not going to tell you what all of these are you will have to pick up a copy of the book to find out!

I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which Oliver and May tumble over a cliff, a fantastic fight scene follows, no more about it as I don’t want to spoil it for you!

If you like a bit of developing romance then you won’t go away empty handed, the main characters Oliver and Anna, supply the love interest and it is sweetly done.

The characters are well crafted I particularly liked the brother and sister, Oliver and May, and also Rogan and even Quinn! As well as this the matey banter between Oliver and one of the other team members, Rogan, is well written and entertaining.

It is an ambitious novel for a debut novelist, with shifting points of view, world building, multiple characters, as well as a Fantasy/Science Fiction framework. I have to say that on the whole I’m pretty impressed. Perhaps there are a few overused phrases and the odd typo but there is very little in this advanced readers copy to find fault with. I would definitely like to find out what happens next, and I look forward to reading more from Caroline Peckham. This is a series with five books in all!

Highly recommended.

But unless you can get your hands on an ARC you’ll have to wait until December 10th for Creeping Shadow to be released!

[Today We Did · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today We Did
Oliver and May Knight find themselves alone in the world when their mother mysteriously vanishes from their home. The authorities ship them off to live with a grandfather that they have never met, and don’t know anything about. He lives in a strange house and is keeping secrets from them. When May awakes screaming under the pain of a powerful curse, some truths must come to the surface. The earth is but one of seven worlds connected by gateways, there is real magic and mages who can control it, dark creatures, and more family secrets. Oliver and May must accompany their grandfather into the next world, and as they discover more about their family and themselves, they find that there may be danger lying ahead for them, and perhaps for all of humanity.

Creeping Shadow was an intriguing and complex novel that captured me right from the start and hooked me to the very last. It was a real page-turner, and so so hard to put down at bed time! The plot was fast, well constructed and gripping. The creation of seven worlds is interesting, and I love the idea of being able to travel through them via gateways, though passing the challenges to be allowed to travel through sounds a little daunting. The landscapes, new animals, plants and food are all described beautifully, making me feel like I could just step into Aleva myself.

The Race of Aleva reminded me of The Hunger Games, though with less murder. It was physically and emotionally challenging, with each task coming to life through the pages. It really tested the competitors, revealing their true selves. I felt like I got to know Oliver and May intimately, sharing their hopes and worries. All the characters were so well written, they came to life as I read. I became invested in the characters, always a good sign of an excellent story. I cheered Oliver and his team on during the race, my stomach lurched at signs of danger, I smiled at Ely’s concern, laughed at Rogan’s and Quinn’s attempts at disguise, and I wanted to punch Larkin in the face. I felt a thousand emotions as I ripped through Creeping Shadow. And I will be thinking about it for a long time to come.

I don’t normally get hung up much on the covers of books, however, I just love the cover for Creeping Shadow. It would definitely grab my attention from across the bookstore!

Suitable for high school students and older, Creeping Shadow is perfect for fantasy fans. It is the first book in a new series called The Rise of Isaac. It is due to be released on the 10th of December 2015 on Amazon, and would make an excellent Christmas gift for a teenager (or young adult fan of any age!). I can hardly wait for the next installment in the series!



*I received this advanced reading copy as a digital version from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creeping Shadow is The Hunger Games meets Divergent meets Harry Potter! There’s magi, challenges, keys to other worlds to obtain, and secrets…

From the first page I was hooked. It was not one of those action packed fantasies that can take a while to get built up, but rather you are captivated from the start! A young Oliver and his mom are driving one night when something in the road catches their eye. They find a girl about Oliver’s age with no memory but her name, May. Flash forward 10 years, Oliver’s mom has adopted May, and the teens come home to find their mother’s room torn apart and she is nowhere to be found. A detective arrives, and not long after, comes another, claiming to be the first one on the scene. Oliver and May take them upstairs to find the first “detective” gone, and their mom’s room in order. It seems like nothing ever happened. Since they are minors, they can’t be alone, and are shortly shipped off to their grandfather’s house, whom they’ve never even met. He lives in a magical looking mansion with a huge tree coming out of the center, and things just don’t seem normal here. One night, Oliver wakes up to the sound of May screaming, with black veins slithering under her skin. Ely, their grandfather, realizes he can’t hide anymore about who he is-a mage, and is a gatekeeper for Aleva, one of 7 worlds beside Earth.

Oliver and May have to compete in a race in order to earn keys to the other worlds where they will receive more answers about all of the secrets that just keep coming to life. Oliver learns what really happened to his father, and we keep catching glimpses through flashbacks of Isaac, who has been in Vale, one of the worlds desolate, occupied by Varks-some scary creatures! The author has also created, aside from seven unique worlds, some freaky and unique creatures-hogtrouts, bats that burst into flames, just to name a few!

The reason for a 4 star rating, while I thouroughly enjoyed the unique storyline, thrill, and fantasy, I felt the world building and descriptions were extremely overwhelming. I also hated the cliffhanger ending! But the characters were dimensional, enjoyable, and the plot was exhilarating, and I can’t wait to continue the series.

Creeping Shadows releases December 10, 2015. I was provided an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you, Ms. Peckham!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery of a disappearing mother, the discovery of magic and other worlds, and a curse driving characters into action. With many forces acting to drive the narrative, Creeping Shadow by Caroline Peckham is an action-packed, quick-paced story that follows two young adults on a journey of self-discovery and solution finding.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

Oliver Knight and his adoptive sister May come home after school one day to find that their mother is missing. With no where else to go, Oliver and May go to live with their grandfather Ely, whom they've never met before now. While there, they learn more about their family and the world (or worlds) in a few short days than they have over their 16 years of life. As May is woken from sleep screaming and dark veins appearing over her body, the two children are thrust into an understanding that there are seven worlds and magic in all of them. Needing keys to cross from one world to the next, everyone must undergo challenges to earn their keys. Working to get keys to leave Earth and venture through these worlds to find a cure for May's mysterious curse, Oliver and May learn more about their shrouded past, as well as the novelties of the new worlds now open to them.

Much of the story was familiar with its similarities to already popular fantasy literature, namely Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. Utilizing the elements of magic and survival of kids makes the story familiar, yet the way in which these elements are used makes this narrative set itself apart from the rest as its own entity. One grammatical choice that threw me was the use of "span" as the past tense of "spin." It's an older, lesser used past tense, particularly in American English, and it tripped me up when I read it throughout the text as I initially thought it was referring to a length of something instead of turning--but maybe I'm in the minority here and others won't have even noticed it. I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a review, and I'm hoping that when all is said and done that some of the final grammatical and typesetting issues are resolved, making the text squeaky-clean to match the cleanly devised plot that has me interested to find out what will happen next.

[Marian Thorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creeping Shadow is a young-adult fantasy by indie writer Caroline Peckham. Building on some of the best traditions of British children's and young-adult writing, the story caught my imagination from the first pages and held it throughout the book.

It is truly difficult to find new ways to address themes and memes in young-adult writing. Some of my appreciation of Creeping Shadow almost certainly stemmed from the fact it was 'familiar': the opening events and settings, which have elements reminiscent of the introduction to Narnia, or to Susan Cooper's Over Sea, Under Stone, began the story in a way that leads the reader to expect certain things to unfold, the way 'Once upon a time...' opens a classic fairy tale. And the reader is not disappointed!

Wizards appear; a quest is demanded; travel between multiple worlds is required. The challenge required of the young protagonists in this first book of the series, however, is modern, owing more to The Hunger Games and to some extent to the Harry Potter series than to C.S. Lewis, firmly siting the book in the modern young-adult universe.

The copy I read was an ARC – publication does not occur until December – and had a remarkably small number of production errors. The story is well-plotted and characters sufficiently complex in most cases to avoid being stereotypes, although roles are usually almost instantly identifiable. Creeping Shadow has the honour of being the first book I ever read on my iPhone, mostly because I really wanted to finish it and my phone is almost always with me, so I could read anywhere. Strongly recommended!

This is an independent review of an ARC. The opinions stated here are mine alone.

Review by Goodreads Author Marian Thorpe Empire's Daughter

[Suzie Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts out with some mystery which brings you right in. Then we move forward a decade and things slow down a bit. Because it’s a fantasy novel, an entire world has to be set up so all the exposition is necessary to paint the picture but not always the most exciting.
After they went into Aleva and especially once they entered the race things really got going. I really enjoyed the challenges. They were unique and suspenseful and once I got into the race I couldn’t put it down until the first day and party were complete.
I’ve read a variety of series and there are the ones where each book ends with a fair amount of resolution and series where you are left hanging until you read the next book. This is definitely more the latter where it ends without one of the major conflicts unresolved. That being said, it was also a natural place to end, knowing that the next book will likely begin the journey into the next world.
All the conventions of a fantasy/adventure story were there: the quest, the evil character, the hero, the mean kid, fantastical creatures, and a world both unlike ours and with its own complete set of rules. None of it made me feel like I was reading something stolen from somewhere else. I’ll admit I don’t read a lot of fantasy novels but I’m also not a complete stranger and I thought this one was very unique. I also have to say that I loved the fire bats, the idea of them being lit by their mothers at birth and burning until the day they die was just beautiful to me. Of course I wouldn’t want to meet one up close in a dark cave either though!
Overall I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I think my son ( a 5th grader who reads at about a 9th grade level) would enjoy this as well.

[Book Wyvern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to give thanks to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review, thank you so much.

I have to say, it was very interesting, something new and very captivating.

It’s descriptive, I almost felt like I was watching a TV show. I can’t remember which review I said that in, and it wasn’t meant as a good thing but, I feel different about this one. Feeling like I was watching a show worked for this story.

The writing was pretty good as well, the only problem I had though was that it was slightly choppy. Most of the time when I say something is choppy, I mean that it’s bad.

He did this. She did that. They did that over there. The writing being choppy, even a little bit, tends to make stories sound almost monosyllabic but this did have just enough detail to keep it slightly upbeat.

There was a lot of information for a first book but, oddly enough, it actually didn’t take away from the story, it only made it more fun to read.

Usually when there’s that much it makes the story feel overwhelming and difficult to read, at least by my standards however, that wasn’t the case here.

I don’t know if it was because it’s the first book in the series and it’s just giving the readers information or what but I really couldn’t get a feel for the characters, just some surface stuff. I’ll have to read the next book to find out about it and I look forward to it.

Mark your calendars for December 10th for a fun, slightly action-packed, mysterious ride with a few twists. I’d recommend this book for just about any age.

Thank you for reading my review.

-Sam

[Rachel Svendsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Siblings Oliver and May Knight find themselves moving in with a grandfather they’ve never met, after their mother’s strange disappearance. As they look for clues to their mother’s wereabouts, they end up finding that their grandfather is a mage and that Earth is one of seven existing worlds. One night, May is attacked in her sleep. A deadly curse cast over her sends both of them on an adventure into new worlds they didn’t even know existed a few days before.

This book was well imagined and beautifully written. I loved the original and magical settings, from the grandfather’s house to Vale, one of the other seven worlds. This book only took you into three of the worlds, one of them being earth, and I can’t wait to see the other ones. That’s not the only reason I’m dying to read the sequel.

To me, this book was part fantasy and part murder mystery with elements inside reminiscent of "Hunger Games" and "Interworld." I stayed up late two nights to finish it and when I reached the cliffhanger ending. My first thought was: “Wow, this is one of the best Indie books I’ve ever read!” My second thought was: “I can’t wait to read the next one!” My third thought was: “…crap…this isn’t even being released until December…how long am I going to have to wait for the next one?”

Please Caroline Peckham, don’t make me wait too long. *Insert puppy face here*

[Helen Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Absolutely loved this book,enjoyable read,couldn't put the book down until I finished it,I'm so looking forward to reading part two

[Jim Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

How refreshing to read a story with siblings who act like siblings! Oliver and May, our protagonists, are written in eminently believable fashion. They are not plagued by the common sense errors and foolish decisions that seem to affect teen characters in most young adult fiction. As a result Peckham doesn't resort to MacGuffins to advance her story and you never want to thump the characters to wake them up.

Peckham blends magic and sci-fi to create a rich fantasy world. She quickly establishes an otherworldly feel just a bit different from Earth and carries that tone throughout the story. The pacing is nigh on perfect and a healthy portion of the chapters end on a note that makes you want to dive right into the next chapter. The epilogue is the best of the bunch and has me in a frump because the next book isn't available yet.

Although Creeping Shadows is marketed as a young adult novel it feels more like a classic adventure tale along the lines of a C.S. Lewis or Madeleine L'Engle book. I recommend it to readers of any age.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided by the author.

[Catherine Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining and readable young adult adventure.

When their mother mysteriously disappears, 16-year-old Oliver and his adopted sister May are sent to stay with a grandfather they’ve never met. Grandad has a lot of secrets which he’d rather keep from them, but when May’s life is threatened by black magic, he reveals he’s a mage who controls a gateway which connects Earth to other worlds. Worlds they must travel to, to save May’s life.

Very readable throughout with few editing errors, this is an engaging story with dark family secrets adding interest to an otherwise slightly formulaic plot. Funny names, strange foods, and bizarre creatures give a distinct Harry-Potter-esque feel. Reading this won’t change your life, but it would brighten up a rainy afternoon.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an advance reader copy from the author in exchange for a honest review. I loved Creeping Shadow and cannot wait to read the next book in the series. It was great getting to know Oliver, May, Rogan, Quinn, Anna, Laura, and Ely. Creeping Shadow is The Hunger Games with a fantasy twist. I work in a high school and Creeping Shadow will definitely be on my list of books to buy for class in December when released. The challenges that the teams have to endure for a key to get to Brinatin in order to cure May is unbelievable. The obstacles (other teams and outside forces) that the team has to endure just keeps you in the book. It starts good and gets better.

[Raven Vira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. New worlds and concepts are introduced, all centered on the characters' determination to make things right. Peckham's novel is a wonderful addition to fantasy books everywhere, and I am eager to see how she expands on her new worlds in upcoming books.

[A.B. Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. The author uses the archaic choice of "span" as a past tense of "spin", which is annoying especially considering the many, MANY times it is used, but if you get past that it's an enjoyable book. Enough so that I immediately bought the second.

[Abigail]

I don't want to have to wait for this....boooooooo!

[Mattea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so intense, I love it

5 stars, and one of the best books I have ever read. I enjoyed the plot twists. Good Joe Caroline