Shadowsmith

by Ross MacKenzie

"Are you brave?" When the mysterious Amelia Pigeon turns up at Kirby's bedroom window in the dead of night, this is the question she asks him -- right before they tumble into a world of ancient malevolent spirits who have torn their way into Kirby's quiet seaside village. Kirby isn't feeling brave at all. His mother is in a coma following a freak (or was it?) accident, and he's hardly talking to his dad. He's convinced a spider is spying on him, and now a weird girl in a yellow raincoat -- who claims to be a powerful, evil-banishing Shadowsmith -- is dragging him into unknown danger. How brave is he really? Ross MacKenzie, author of award-winning The Nowhere Emporium , weaves a world of magic and adventure which twists and turns magnificently, and keeps thrilled young readers guessing right to the end.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Mystery, Magic, Adventure

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2016

Reviews

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, after my journey w/The Nowhere Emporium, I decided to continue my Ross Mackenzie journey lol This book was amazing! So dark, magical, & just fascinating! I was so wrapped up in this, & read it so fast. There were 2 main villains, then several side villains so to speak. Every single one was terrifying lol Kirby was a great main character. It’s just him & his dad currently. There was a storm, & it caused an accident..& now his mom is in a coma, & they are just waiting for her to wake up....hoping she will wake up. However, I think this gave him & his dad a chance to discover each other , & grow closer....unfortunately it had to be under these circumstances..Kirby meets a girl named Amelia....she’s not all that she seems though. A bunch of weird, & scary things start happening, & he & Amelia are right in the thick of it. He finds out what bravery actually means, & how brave he can be. I loved watching his character grow & learn more about himself, & even about the people in his life-like his dad. There was plenty of adventure, mystery, danger, & suspense. I loved it. Another beautiful cover, that matches perfectly w/the Emporium trilogy. Done by the same illustrator-who is just amazing.😍😍Highly recommend!!💜💜

[Elizabeth Frattaroli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend had said how much she enjoyed Ross' first book, 'The Nowhere Emporium', and had praised his writing, so I was looking forward to reading this, and wasn't disappointed. I read it in two sittings while on holiday last year, and loved the characters of Amelia Pigeon and Kirby, as well as the underlying family themes (Kirby's mother is in a coma from which we don't know if she'll recover, and he has become distanced from his dad) and the overall plot, with all its inherent mystery and high stakes.
Without giving too much away, I also loved how the real Amelia Pigeon turns out to be someone you would not immediately expect to be depicted as a young girl in a yellow raincoat, as well as the fact that she is not even remotely a straightforward character.
I would definitely recommend this and am now looking forward to 'The Nowhere Emporium' even more.

[Haelwyn Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible book from an incredible author! Nothing makes a story like a character we can root for! The two characters Kirby and Amelia are everyones friendship goals as a child. Full of trust, magic and mystery. It helps that the villains are easy to hate too.

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Very entertaining and great characters

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good story,
Hard to put down.
Full of magic and adventure.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mysterious and very quirky Amelia Pigeon appears just when Kirby needs her. Things get very strange with creepy spiders and evil spirits after him, he needs all the help he can get. This is definitely not one to read if you're scared of spiders!

[Mike Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE:
“Are you bwave?”
Kirby doesn’t know whether he is or not, but now Amelia Pigeon has asked him the question, he will need to find out soon!
Disappearances, giant invisible spiders, mysterious weather, witches and a sinister pair of brothers… Kirby’s mum is in a coma and that’s only the start of his problems!

Brilliant!

Spell bindingly brilliant story.
Gripped from opening to ending.
Kirby and Amelia took me on a journey that thrilled and excited all the way through...
Outstanding book!!

[Tracey King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book to my daughter, when it was recommended by a friend. My daughter and I enjoyed it so much that we had to read this book too.
This story is just as good, taking you on a child’s journey with lots of twists and turns. It is a very dark journey through magic and keeps you gripped to the very end, even if you have guessed the ending.
I would recommend this story even to an adult. Happy reading 😀

[Justine Laismith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good middle-grade book. Our heroine is a steady girl in a yellow raincoat. Our hero is a boy coping with the shock and uncertainly of his mother in a coma.

It is suitable for advanced young middle-graders. Think of Castle Hangnail. In terms of length and plot, it's a step-up from that . Although it's about evil warlocks bringing dark beings from the other side, it is not sinister. The pacing is sedentary and the tension mild. Saying that though, I should warn you that the opening chapters are about spiders. Invasion by lots of spiders.

At the start of the story father and son were still reeling from the shock of his mother's accident. Kirby was closer to his mother. He had little in common with his father. But they both made an effort to build that relationship. I liked this relationship growth between Kirby and his father.

Because of the sedentary pace and tension, I wasn't able to fully connect with Amelia. Hence overall I rate it 2.5*

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Nowhere e The Elsewhere Emporium, dello stesso autore, mi sono piaciuti moltissimo, tanto da preordinare il terzo volume, e da ordinare questo mentre ancora dovevo leggere The Elsewhere.
Adoro la copertina, come quelle della serie dell'emporium è veramente ben fatta, perfetta per il periodo di Halloween.
Con una copertina del genere, mi aspettavo quindi di trovarmi una storia spaventosa, ambientata per buona parte in un cimitero.
Niente di più sbagliato.
L'autore fa comparire un'opera di Gaiman (il protagonista sta leggendo Coraline) e sembra quasi che abbia preso un po' da tutte le storie più famose di Gaiman, le abbia mescolate ed ecco il risultato.
Io ho trovato forti somiglianze con The ocean at the end of the lane, tanto per cominciare. Poi Coraline in parte, ed infine Nessundove. Quindi niente mi ha entusiasmato, volevo leggere una storia creepy ambientata in un cimitero, ma non l'ho avuta. Sono molto delusa.

[Camilla Chester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but I didn’t love it.

If you look at the ingredients of this book it ticks all the boxes, promising to be an epic story of good battling evil. But if I’m honest It just read a bit samey to me. All familiar and predictable… the call to adventure, the battle against himself (literally), I don’t know…perhaps I’m not being fair…it is really hard to write a book after all and there wasn’t anything wrong with the writing.

I suppose the underlying problem was I didn’t care about the characters enough to be that interested in what happened to them. It felt plot rather than character led.

There are lovely touches I enjoyed, I loved the setting of the east coast fishing town in Scotland for example and the mix of magic into the contemporary worked well.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirby's first encounter with the mysterious Amelia Pigeon is when she shows up and asks him if he is brave. Kirby gives a thoughtful answer that satisfies her, which is good as she sucks him into a magical adventure fighting witches and forces of darkness. All the while Kirby's mother lies in a coma, and Kirby and his father are trying to cope.

This is a touching tale with age old themes of the importance of love, the triumph of good over evil, and what it means to truly be brave. Good adventure that should be perfect for mid grade children.

[Angie Jones-Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son gave me this book, he thought I might like it.

I didn't read it for a while, too many 'adult' books to read.

I wish I had started Shadowsmith sooner, it was brilliant. Intense, scary and I had my heart in my mouth on more than one occassion.

The question is 'Are you brave?' I am not sure I would have been quite so much so as Kirby and Ameilia Pigeon!

A fantastic book for all ages that has opened my eyes to young adult literature, I will certainly be reading more.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the hallmarks of a Ross Mackenzie book are here. Rich language, magic in abundance, loveable characters, high tension, highs and lows and the ability to have the reader completely sucked in to the world he creates. I found this book very easy to read, the pace, as with the 'Nowhere Emporium' series was bang on, the action is constant and never gets dull. I particularly enjoyed the darker side that this book brings, in particular the haunted house part, wonderful stuff.

Next up Evernight!

[Bethany Sawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ross Mackenzie creates the most incredible worlds with his words, full of adventure and magic. I really enjoyed this easy-to-read, dark tale of Kirby and Amelia and their blossoming friendship, full of mystery and emotion.

[Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A imaginative story, well told. But arachnophobes beware. Only 4 stars given purely as a comparison to The Nowhere Emporium, which I loved, but this adventure of Kirby and Amelia will not disappoint those looking for a darkly adventurous read.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is scary, gripping, evil, delicious, brilliant and so ridiculously imaginative. Ross never fails to write incredible stories with brilliant characters! I loved the messages about bravery and friendship in this. I did not love the spiders.

I really want a book 2!

[Lisa Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Ross Mackenzie book!! He is a fantastic children's author. I enjoy his world building and I think he writes a really good villain. I actually think I enjoyed it more than the "Nowhere emporium" I can't wait to read "Evernight".

[SJMB LIBRARY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The mysterious new friend in the yellow coat who is not quite what she seems. The creepy brothers creating mayhem. The boy who is learning to connect with his dad and to realise that others are having a hard time too.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, compelling and interesting. Lots of magic and quite creepy, strong female characters and themes of friendship, courage, facing fears and hope.

[Ross Meldrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read a little sad but absolutely amazing I would definitely recommend it

[Ceitidh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a really good book but if you have arachnophobia then try skip the first part. It's a page turner and I read it so much I finished it in 4 days.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and morals, but I think the characters were just a bit too juvenile for me. I also had to read this, so the excitement wasn't really there for me.

[Karen Broughton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a enjoyable read, aimed a children 9+ , intrigued to see how the story is developed in a sequel.

[Ding a ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit weird but very imaginative.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Redheadreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as The Nowhere Emporium, in my opinion. Still full of spookiness and spiders though and think my y6 class will enjoy it.

[Jenni Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my 8 year old. We both loved it. What a fantastic book written wonderfully great page Turner.

[Pearce Hendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable, kept my interest all the way through.

[lia ༊*·˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

i read this at school.....i need a puke bag