What do you think?
Rate this book
The Forest King #1
Woodlark's Shadow
In the forest surrounding Justin’s home, something is lurking. It’s only a shadow at first, speaking to him through the rustling leaves. But Justin knows that a terrible creature is living in the woods — and that no one will believe him. Haunted by a nightmare that is all too real, he must speak up and be ridiculed, or face this ancient evil on his own.
101 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 2006
8 people want to read
About the author
Dan Mishkin
316 books5 followersDan Mishkin is a comic book writer who has worked on superheroes, sci-fi, and sword & sorcery, as well as comics featuring funny animals and American history. He is a co-creator of the girls' fantasy adventure Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, the superhero series Blue Devil, and the current webcomic Amazon Academy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 16, 2020
The book that launched Actionopolis - a new venture from the creators of online comics publisher KOMIKWERKS - Woodlark's Shadow follows the story of a young boy, as he comes face to face with a terrible monster haunting the woods near his new home. When his policeman father is injured on the job in Brooklyn, Justin Woodlark and his family move to the small New England town where his ancestors have lived for generations. Here Justin makes friends, and becomes involved in the traditional game of "Old Man of the Forest." But the game soon turns deadly, and Justin and his friends, Alice Crane and Rob Prichard, find themselves confronting a creature sent by the sinister Forest King...
The first installment of what promises to be an exciting fantasy sequence, Woodlark's Shadow is also an easy read, with a good text-to-illustration ratio that will appeal to reluctant readers. I enjoyed the references to The Green Man, who appears in the guise of the villain here, and hope the sequel, Woodlark's Winter, will not be too long in materializing. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers looking for fantasy fiction, as well as to anyone seeking "hi-lo" (high interest level, low reading level) books for struggling readers.
The first installment of what promises to be an exciting fantasy sequence, Woodlark's Shadow is also an easy read, with a good text-to-illustration ratio that will appeal to reluctant readers. I enjoyed the references to The Green Man, who appears in the guise of the villain here, and hope the sequel, Woodlark's Winter, will not be too long in materializing. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers looking for fantasy fiction, as well as to anyone seeking "hi-lo" (high interest level, low reading level) books for struggling readers.
September 1, 2012
published originally at www.fantasyliterature.com
Justin’s family has moved to the town where his dad grew up and now lives in a house on the edge of an ancient forest. Justin knows something evil is lurking in the forest, but faces ridicule from his friends and disbelief from the adults. When his friends get hurt by a strange creature playing in the forest, Justin knows that he has to act to save everyone he cares about from danger.
Woodlark’s Shadow, written by Tom Mishkin and illustrated by Tom Mandrake, is the initial book release by Actionopolis, a press that specializes in comic books. Aimed at the reluctant tween male reader, the idea of expanding the action oriented stories in which the press specializes to books is a good idea in concept, but I can’t say that this book was a success. The heavily inked illustrations do a good job of conveying the foreboding forest, but the text relies too heavily on the illustrations to convey information and tone. The prose is straight-forward and lacks emotional impact. The story ends on a definite cliffhanger, something that is not unheard of in fantasy series, of course, but would be familiar to readers of a serialized comic books series as well. In fact, when I got to the end of the book, I flipped the page assuming that the story would continue, for it just didn’t feel like it had covered enough content to be an actual complete book.
It may have just been because I was reading this book at the same time that I was reading THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES by Holly Black and Tony DeTerlizzi, but I was struck by the similarities between the volumes. Both are the same size, are the work of an author and illustrator, have a detailed map of the surroundings, and follow the adventures of a young boy who has moved to a new home where something odd is happening. Both are action oriented tales, and are about the same length. When compared for quality though, THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES is the overwhelming winner. Woodlark’s Shadow is supposed to be the first book in THE FOREST KING series, but I will not be seeking out any additional entries.
Justin’s family has moved to the town where his dad grew up and now lives in a house on the edge of an ancient forest. Justin knows something evil is lurking in the forest, but faces ridicule from his friends and disbelief from the adults. When his friends get hurt by a strange creature playing in the forest, Justin knows that he has to act to save everyone he cares about from danger.
Woodlark’s Shadow, written by Tom Mishkin and illustrated by Tom Mandrake, is the initial book release by Actionopolis, a press that specializes in comic books. Aimed at the reluctant tween male reader, the idea of expanding the action oriented stories in which the press specializes to books is a good idea in concept, but I can’t say that this book was a success. The heavily inked illustrations do a good job of conveying the foreboding forest, but the text relies too heavily on the illustrations to convey information and tone. The prose is straight-forward and lacks emotional impact. The story ends on a definite cliffhanger, something that is not unheard of in fantasy series, of course, but would be familiar to readers of a serialized comic books series as well. In fact, when I got to the end of the book, I flipped the page assuming that the story would continue, for it just didn’t feel like it had covered enough content to be an actual complete book.
It may have just been because I was reading this book at the same time that I was reading THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES by Holly Black and Tony DeTerlizzi, but I was struck by the similarities between the volumes. Both are the same size, are the work of an author and illustrator, have a detailed map of the surroundings, and follow the adventures of a young boy who has moved to a new home where something odd is happening. Both are action oriented tales, and are about the same length. When compared for quality though, THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES is the overwhelming winner. Woodlark’s Shadow is supposed to be the first book in THE FOREST KING series, but I will not be seeking out any additional entries.
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
Justin Woodlark is quite sure of two things: the forest surrounding his new home in a small town in the middle of nowhere is nothing like the hustle and bustle of New York City, and that same forest is home to a creature unlike anything he's ever known before.
Sure, he was scared of the forest at first, especially when he got lost. But now he's spent lots of time under the shade of the trees, in daytime and at twilight, playing games with his friends like "Old Man of the Forest." Still, though, there's something about the forest that disturbs him, and it's somehow connected to the iron poles set into the ground throughout the woods; poles that are impossible to dislodge.
Then two things happen that prove to Justin that the woods hold an ancient evil. First, there's the old man Smith, who likes to ask questions about Justin and his time in the woods, but who refuses to answer questions. When he frightens Justin, leading the young teen to push the old man, tensions escalate. And when a game of "Old Man of the Forest" goes terribly wrong, ending up in lots of aches and pains, not to mention fears, Justin knows that there's something alive and sinister in the woods surrounding his home.
When he sets out to investigate with his two best friends, Alice and Rob, the three teens find more than they bargained for--a monstrous creature with gigantic fangs and skin that resembles leaves. Can they overcome this evil with the help of the mysterious iron poles embedded in the forest floor, or is this creature simply a sign of things to come?
THE FOREST KING is an easy, quick read, perfect for younger teens, pre-teens, or older reluctant readers. The constant action and fantasy elements will appeal to young readers, who will be happy to know that this is the first book in a series.
Justin Woodlark is quite sure of two things: the forest surrounding his new home in a small town in the middle of nowhere is nothing like the hustle and bustle of New York City, and that same forest is home to a creature unlike anything he's ever known before.
Sure, he was scared of the forest at first, especially when he got lost. But now he's spent lots of time under the shade of the trees, in daytime and at twilight, playing games with his friends like "Old Man of the Forest." Still, though, there's something about the forest that disturbs him, and it's somehow connected to the iron poles set into the ground throughout the woods; poles that are impossible to dislodge.
Then two things happen that prove to Justin that the woods hold an ancient evil. First, there's the old man Smith, who likes to ask questions about Justin and his time in the woods, but who refuses to answer questions. When he frightens Justin, leading the young teen to push the old man, tensions escalate. And when a game of "Old Man of the Forest" goes terribly wrong, ending up in lots of aches and pains, not to mention fears, Justin knows that there's something alive and sinister in the woods surrounding his home.
When he sets out to investigate with his two best friends, Alice and Rob, the three teens find more than they bargained for--a monstrous creature with gigantic fangs and skin that resembles leaves. Can they overcome this evil with the help of the mysterious iron poles embedded in the forest floor, or is this creature simply a sign of things to come?
THE FOREST KING is an easy, quick read, perfect for younger teens, pre-teens, or older reluctant readers. The constant action and fantasy elements will appeal to young readers, who will be happy to know that this is the first book in a series.
August 11, 2016
Justin’s family has moved to the town where his dad grew up, and they now live in a house on the edge of an ancient forest. Justin knows something evil is lurking in the forest but faces ridicule from his friends and disbelief from the adults. When his friends get hurt by a strange creature playing in the forest, Justin knows that he has to act to save everyone he cares about from danger.
Woodlark’s Shadow, by comic book author Dan Mishkin and illustrator Tom Mandrake, is the initial book release by Actionopolis, a press that specializes in comic books. Aimed at the reluctant tween male reader, the idea of expanding the action-oriented stories in which the press specializes to books is a good idea in concept, but I can’t say that this book was a success. The heavily inked ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Woodlark’s Shadow, by comic book author Dan Mishkin and illustrator Tom Mandrake, is the initial book release by Actionopolis, a press that specializes in comic books. Aimed at the reluctant tween male reader, the idea of expanding the action-oriented stories in which the press specializes to books is a good idea in concept, but I can’t say that this book was a success. The heavily inked ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews