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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Shadowghast: Legends of Eerie-on-Sea
WORK NOTES: Common Sense Media
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.thomastaylor-author.com
CITY: England
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: English
LAST VOLUME: SATA 351
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/shadowghast-legends-of-eerie-on-sea-book-3
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born May 22, 1973, in Norfolk, England; married; wife’s name Célia; children: Benjy, Max.
EDUCATION:Attended Norwich School of Art and Design, 1991; Anglia Ruskin University, M.A. (children’s book illustration), 1995.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and illustrator. Worked at Heffers Children’s Bookshop, Cambridge, England, c. 1990s.
AWARDS:Sheffield Children’s Book Award shortlist, 2010, for Jack’s Tractor; Brilliant Books Award and Stockport Schools’ Book Award, both 2013, both for The Pets You Get!
WRITINGS
Malamander was optioned for a film by Sony Pictures, 2019.
SIDELIGHTS
A writer and illustrator based in England, Thomas Taylor has created more than a dozen books for children and young adults. Taylor, whose first commissioned work was the cover illustration for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by then-unknown author J.K. Rowling, has written picture books such as Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake as well as Haunters, a supernatural thriller for teens. He is also the author of the “Quicksilver” series of young-adult novels and “The Legend Eerie-On-Sea” series for middle-grade readers.
Taylor’s first self-illustrated tale, George and Sophie’s Museum Adventure, concerns the exploits of two siblings who spoil the plans of a thief hoping to pilfer valuables from a local museum. Also featuring his engaging art, Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake finds a hungry rodent discovering a delectable treat that may be too large to handle. Because of the cupcake’s large size, Mouse asks Bird, Frog, Mole, and other friends to assist him in transporting the treat to his cozy home, but when each demands a taste, Mouse wonders whether anything will be left for him. “Children will like the predictable rhythm” used in Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake, noted Tanya Boudreau in School Library Journal.
A youngster fantasizes about owning a variety of unusual creatures in The Pets You Get! Having grown tired of his sister’s guinea pig, a boy imagines what life would be like with a brown bear, an octopus, an eagle, a rhino, or even a dragon. Those dreams subside, though, once the girl offers to let her younger sibling play with the resident pet rodent. “Taylor’s children have a sweet sibling relationship … , while page turns nicely build suspense” in the story, explained a writer in appraising The Pets You Get! in Kirkus Reviews.
In Haunters, British teenager David Utherwise forms a close bond with Eddie, the youth who appears in his incredibly vivid dreams. After David has a nightmare set during the London Blitz in which he rescues Eddie from a burning building, he attracts the attention of the Dreamwalker Project, headed by Professor Feldrake, as well as of a shadowy group known as The Haunting. Brought to the Unsleep House in Geneva, Switzerland, by Feldrake, David learns that he is a dreamwalker and possesses the ability to travel through time. He also discovers that Eddie is actually his grandfather, Edmund Utherwise, founder of the Dreamwalker Project. Knowing that David has this information, a powerful Haunter named Adam now plans to travel back in time, intending to kill him. “Taylor’s book is imaginative and his world vividly described,” Johanna Nation-Vallee commented in Voice of Youth Advocates, and a Kirkus Reviews contributor dubbed Haunters “a rewarding, page-turning read.”
With Dan and the Dead, Thomas opens his “Quicksilver” series of young-adult novels. Possessing the ability to see and converse with ghosts, Daniel Dyer joins forces with Simon, a centuries-old spirit, to solve the problems of the undead. When the duo comes to the aid of the spirit of murdered teenager Emeline Parker, they uncover a complicated story involving a dead magician, a rather odd vicar, and a nefarious gangster. In Dan and the Caverns of Bone the teens are embroiled in a mystery involving the Parisian catacombs. “The settings are gothic and gruesome,” remarked School Librarian contributor Sophie Smiley, “but there is more jollity and fun than real fear and frights” in Taylor’s second “Quicksilver” novel.
Written by Taylor and illustrated by Tom Booth, Malamander, the first in “The Legend Eerie-On-Sea” series, introduces Herbert Lemon and Violet Parma, both twelve and both orphans living in the town of Eerie-on-Sea. Herbert runs the lost-and-found department at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, which happens to be the place from which Violet’s parents went missing many years ago. Violet approaches Herbert, asking for any information he might have about her parents, who have been presumed dead. Herbert and Violet begin investigating their disappearance, and the clues lead them to information about the malamander, a mythical creature who is said to lay eggs that fulfill wishes. It is revealed that Violet’s father was among a colorful group of characters looking for a malamander egg. His search may have put his life in danger.
In an interview with a contributor to the Peters website, Taylor discussed developing the story and setting for Malamander: “I’ve always lived near the sea, and I’ve got to know many seaside towns, but it wasn’t until I actually went to live in one, and walked on the beach every day, that I started to imagine writing a story about the mysterious ocean and the people who live beside it. It took several years of walking my dog at low tide and playing with different ideas in daydream before Eerie-on-Sea came into being and its inhabitants began to walk with me.” The book is the first in a planned series of novels.
A writer in Kirkus Reviews commented of the book that “the deeply atmospheric setting is a standout.” The same writer concluded: “This creepy, quirky debut trilogy opener—think H.P. Lovecraft crossed with John Bellairs—is dank, misty fun.” A Publishers Weekly critic described the book as an “endearingly strange middle grade adventure” and a “fantastical, energetic mystery.”
(open new) The series continues with the self-illustrated 2020 title, Gargantis, in which Herbert and Violet once again join forces to confront another frightening creature. In this case it is the huge sea creature, Gargantis, which, if awoken, could destroy the town of Eerie-on-Sea. When a fish-shaped bottle is discovered by the beachcomber, Mrs. Fossil, but is claimed by other townsfolk, Herbie’s employer picks Herbie to be the one to decide who should be the owner. Herbie is unsure what to do, but Violet convinces him to simply open the bottle to take a look at the message inside written in a strange script. But opening the bottle in fact awakens Gargantis and its fearful stormquakes that threaten to shatter the rocks beneath the small town. Herbie is put at risk when a hotel guest, Deep Hood, enlists the aid of the fisherfolk of town to use Herbie as bait to catch and destroy Gargantis. But Violet comes to the rescue in this work that offers a “gentle, unforced message about life’s interdependence,” according to a Kirkus Reviews critic. The critic went on to laud the “[e]vocative settings, ingenious plotting, sly humor, and shivery suspense” that all contribute to making this second series addition an “unmitigated delight.”
Taylor teams with illustrator Booth for the third series addition, Shadowghast, in which Herbie once again must deal with a frightening creature with deep roots in town tradition. While other towns celebrate Halloween, in Eerie-on-Sea it is called Ghastly Night when a scary and ancient creature in a lantern seeks to enslave the town. Tradition has it that someone must light a special candle on the night and also that some showman must offer a show of shadow puppets on the pier in order to ward off the Shadowghast. If not, the creature will steal the shadows of the living. The residents of Eerie-on-Sea are taking no chances this year, hiring a professional theater group led by Caliastra–a magician–to fulfill the obligatory tasks. But Caliastra also presents Herbie with amazing and rather startling news of his own origins. This is followed quickly by the disappearance of citizens, who appear to vanish into the air. Now Herbie and Violet must once again spring into action to save the town.
A Kirkus Reviews contributor had praise for Shadowghast, noting: “Inventive plotting, spooky atmospherics, and quirky humor will keep readers entertained.” The contributor went on to conclude: “Readers will revel in the shivery mood.” Similarly, School Library Journal reviewer Marie Orlando commented, “Another imaginative winner in the series that will appeal to all readers.”
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Taylor served as illustrator of Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter, a middle-grade novel by Marcus Sedgwick. This book focuses on the titular character, who attends the Royal Academy for the Pursuit and Eradication of Zoological Eccentricities. Scarlett is a talented hunter of monsters, but because she is underage, she must keep her hunting a secret. Her nemesis is a fellow hunter named Count Stankovic. Scarlett’s parents have died, leaving their estate and staff to their daughter. The staff includes a dapper butler named Napoleon and a loving maid named Mrs. White. As an increasing number of monsters begin terrorizing London, Scarlett must decide whether to risk being caught as an underage monster hunter or stand aside while monsters overrun the city. An additional concern is that she earns money from each hunt, which helps her to support her lifestyle and her staff. A Kirkus Reviews critic suggested: “Rough and scrappy, Taylor’s illustrations convey ghoulish cool with subtle aplomb, even as moments of action get muddled at times from panel to panel.” “Sedgwick and Taylor’s story unfolds in lively action sequences, and the banter … provides humorous interludes,” asserted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.
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In an online School Library Journal interview with Ashleigh Williams and Marie Orlando, Taylor remarked on how he approaches the writing of his books: “My writing process is a mess, I’m sad to say. I start with a lot of daydreaming, and trying things out in my mind, often whilst on long walks. … [Then] there comes a moment when I have to start writing it down or risk losing it. … I do often produce a rough map. This map shows me where I started and where I’m going, and includes all the ‘places’ I have to visit on the way. By places I mean themes, moments, plot points and twists.”
In a further interview in the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education website, Taylor commented on what inspired him to become a writer and illustrator: “At school, I was always told I was good at drawing, and was encouraged from a young age to aim for art school and then a career as an illustrator. But behind this, and quite secretly, I also fell in love with reading and writing, and longed to try creating my own stories in words alone. It took me a lot of time to pluck up the courage to make a serious attempt.”
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, December 1, 2010, Ilene Cooper, review of Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake, p. 66.
Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2010, review of Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake; March 1, 2013, review of The Pets You Get!; March 1, 2018, review of Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter; June 15, 2019, review of Malamander; August 15, 2021, review of Shadowghast.
Publishers Weekly, March 5, 2018, review of Scarlett Hart, p. 75; July 8, 2019, review of Malamander, p. 86.
School Librarian, spring, 2014, Sophie Smiley, review of Dan and the Caverns of Bone, p. 44.
School Library Journal, December, 2010, Tanya Boudreau, review of Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake, p. 89; March, 2013, Ieva Bates, review of The Pets You Get!, p. 131; December, 2013, Kim Dare, review of Haunters, p. 120; September, 2021, Marie Orlando, review of Shadowghast, p. 93.
Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 2013, Johanna Nation-Vallee, review of Haunters, p. 84.
ONLINE
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education website, https://clpe.org.uk/ (September 8, 2021), “Q&A with Thomas Taylor Author of ‘Shadowghast’.”
Kirkus Reviews, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (February 9, 2020), review of Gargantis.
Peters website, https://peters.co.uk/ (April 29, 2019), author interview.
School Library Journal, https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/ (May 19, 2020), Ashleigh Williams & Marie Orlando, “Thomas Taylor Weaves More Seaside Spookiness into ‘Malamander’ Sequel.”
Thomas Taylor website, http://www.thomastaylor-author.com (April 1, 2022).*
I was born in 1973, which sounds pretty cool now but which was actually quite ordinary at the time. I grew up with the usual pains in a place called Wales, which is as cool now as it’s always been.
Thomas Taylor - growing upWhen I was small I liked sledging, Doctor Who, straining to be telekinetic (I’m not), collecting and racing snails, building igloos (that’s how cool Wales can be), Star Wars, hunting the cat, roaming too far from home and hoping for helicopters, conker fights, and a place called Tenby Beach.
People told me I was good at drawing, and it’s funny how telling someone something seems to help it come true. I drew all the time, especially during mathematics lessons. Sadly, no one ever told me I was good at maths.
Reading came less easily, and I needed additional help at school, but once I’d had it I really liked doing that too. But I didn’t spend too much time with Enid Blyton — I was soon into The Three Investigators, The Lord of the Rings, comic books of all kinds, and books by John Wyndham, Terry Pratchett, Alan Garner, Rosemary Sutcliffe and Arthur C Clarke. Anything weird and a bit strange was particularly welcome, especially if I could draw in the margins.
About this time I encountered grainy repeats of a something called Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) on the telly, which stayed with me for years and would eventually inspire Dan and the Dead.
I have to admit, being a teenager was a bit rubbish, so it was a relief to reach twenty years old. Being twenty years old is just about as cool as it gets, even if you don’t live in Wales (and that’s just as well because by then I was living in Norfolk). I went to the Norwich School of Art and Design which was a bit like dying and going to drawing heaven. Then I spent three years at art school in Cambridge which was even better, because there I discovered that you could actually get paid to work on children’s books!
When I finally left education I found a job at Heffer’s Children’s Bookshop, and started hanging around publisher’s offices in my spare time, hoping to pick up a job or two. After about a year, Bloomsbury Publishing offered me a book cover to do. Yay! My first professional commission! It was a bit nerve-wracking, but fortunately — since it was the cover art for a first book by an unknown author — probably no one would notice if I made a mess of it. Thing is though, that author’s name was J. K. Rowling. And, er… people did notice.
‘Confusing’ is a good word to describe what happened next.
However, despite being confused, I was still able to concentrate on illustrating picture books for younger children, and was eventually writing them too. This was lots of fun, but I soon found that writing was more than just fun – it was actually what I really wanted to do. And in a way it always had been, ever since the childhood days I journeyed to the Lonely Mountain with Bilbo or stood beside Bill in the Triffid-haunted streets of London. And suddenly not being telekinetic or able to see ghosts or ever being rescued by a helicopter didn’t matter, not when I could make it all real in stories. Anything can be real in stories.
So I suppose that’s when and why and how I came to write Haunters, my first novel for early teens. And by then I was living in France and becoming a parent, two things that should enrich anybody, whoever they are.
I moved back to England in 2010 and now live by the sea on the south coast. I spend my time writing and drawing and sharing those things with my children, and telling them that they are good at everything, just to see what sticks. So far Benjy loves drawing and going crazy, and Max is into swimming, books, animals, and a hundred other things. Neither of them is afraid of maths.
I’m not always a good or patient dad, but I’ve learned one thing that never fails: kids love stories. But then, don’t we all?
QUOTE: “At school, I was always told I was good at drawing, and was encouraged from a young age to aim for art school and then a career as an illustrator. But behind this, and quite secretly, I also fell in love with reading and writing, and longed to try creating my own stories in words alone. It took me a lot of time to pluck up the courage to make a serious attempt.”
Q&A with Thomas Taylor author of Shadowghast
by Thomas Taylor
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Created: 8th September, 2021
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What inspired you to write the Eerie-on-Sea Mysteries?
I was inspired by the experience of living in a seaside town all year round, and seeing how strange and eerie such places can be in the off season, when the deckchairs are gone and the ice cream kiosks are closed, and the bright, summery paint-schemes of the ramshackle attractions fade into the green-grey of a creeping sea mist. Who would visit such a town then? Surely only someone with a very good reason. Or a very bad one…
Then there’s the weird and wonderful pastime of beachcombing (also best pursued in the winter) and the way the sea takes the rubbish and remnants of the past, and rolls them through countless tides into treasures – seaglass, driftwood, fossils – that can be found by anyone with a sharp enough eye.
How would you suggest primary teachers use these books?
I often hear from teachers that my books work well as class reads, and so first and foremost my Eerie-on-Sea adventures are intended to be read for pleasure, and to help make reading fun and accessible. My hope is that if a class read and enjoy Malamander together, then some children might want to go on to the next books in the series for private reading (there will be five books in total). Because I like to use rich and surprising vocabulary, there is also a lot to analyse in a closer read of the text. I write from a visual imagination, so there is also a lot of vivid imagery to draw on, giving children with less confidence with words a visual way into the story through drawing and illustration.
What motivated you to begin a career in writing/illustrating?
At school, I was always told I was good at drawing, and was encouraged from a young age to aim for art school and then a career as an illustrator. But behind this, and quite secretly, I also fell in love with reading and writing, and longed to try creating my own stories in words alone. It took me a lot of time to pluck up the courage to make a serious attempt, but ultimately, knowing that novels didn’t grow on trees but were written by people, and that – just maybe – I could be one of them, is what motivated me.
What are the major influences in your work and how do you decide on your subjects?
Writers such as JRR Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, CS Lewis, John Wyndham and Arthur C Clarke were huge influences when I was growing up. Also films like Time Bandits, Labyrinth, The Never Ending Story, and just about anything directed by Stephen Spielberg. Nowadays, with these things buried deep in my imagination, I look to the natural world, and in particular the sea, as well as deep time, deep space, the ancient world, and folklore.
My process for deciding what subjects to write about is quite simple: does it set my imagination alight? If the answer is no, I doubt I could write engaging fiction about it anyway.
Which books had a lasting impact on you as a child and why?
The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings by Tolkien were hugely important to my development as a writer, because they enabled me to break through several reading barriers. I was always a slow reader, and a late developer, but being able to read something as substantial as The Hobbit by age twelve, and then to fight my way through – and love – The Lord of the Rings, gave me a massive boost to my confidence. I also loved the Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as The Three Investigators, and shorter, serialised stories like this helped me to become invested with characters and worlds more easily. I read comics too – Asterix, Tintin, Lucky Luke – and was never told that these weren’t real books. My grandmother was a librarian, and she would bring a steady stream of tatty ex-library books home, so I was surrounded by books all the time, and saw reading as normal.
QUOTE: “My writing process is a mess, I’m sad to say. I start with a lot of daydreaming, and trying things out in my mind, often whilst on long walks. … [Then] there comes a moment when I have to start writing it down or risk losing it. … I do often produce a rough map. This map shows me where I started and where I’m going, and includes all the ‘places’ I have to visit on the way. By places I mean themes, moments, plot points and twists.”
Thomas Taylor Weaves More Seaside Spookiness into ‘Malamander’ Sequel
by Ashleigh Williams & Marie Orlando
May 19, 2020 | Filed in News & Features
0
After making a splash in Malamander (Walker, 2019), young sleuth Herbert Lemon is back to solve monster mysteries with friend Violet Parma in the oddball town of Eerie-on-Sea. UK-based author/illustrator Thomas Taylor spoke with SLJ about the anticipated sequel to his delightfully eccentric fantasy.
What was the inspiration behind this fantastical adventure-mystery series?
Moving to a seaside town, and discovering what life is like there in the winter once the tourist season is over. When the bright lights and attractions are shut down, and the weather's turned bad, that funny local legend about a monster that seemed so laughable in the summer is suddenly less of a joke, especially as you hurry home across the darkening beach and hear a strange sound behind you. Such places are the perfect backdrops for mystery, not least because the ocean could be hiding almost anything!
How did you come up with the titular monsters in Malamander and Gargantis?
For Malamander, I wanted a word that sounded like it could be a "real" legendary beast. To do this I sought real animal words I could change just one letter of. I spotted very quickly that changing the S in "Salamander" to an M gave me "Mal," which means "bad" or "evil" in Spanish and French, and that "Malamander" sounded like something very monstrous indeed. Gargantis was much harder—I struggled for months and went through several different options. In the end, I collected a lot of words that suggested huge size, terrible weather, and the bottom of the sea, and worked at blending them to see what came out. "Gargantis" came from mixing "Gargantuan" with "Gigantic" and "Atlantis."
The descriptions in your books are so visual. Do you think your experience as an illustrator plays a role in your vivid writing?
Yes, I do, though what really counts for me is having a visual imagination. I still frequently start my note-making with sketches and doodles. I often go into writing a scene with a vision of how the moment will look before I know exactly what will happen. Other senses can get left behind, and I have to remind myself to describe smells, sounds, etc. as well.
What does your writing process look like? How do you keep track of all the moving parts in your novels?
My writing process is a mess, I'm sad to say. I start with a lot of daydreaming, and trying things out in my mind, often whilst on long walks. Once the daydreaming has produced enough material, there comes a moment when I have to start writing it down or risk losing it. My note-making is haphazard, and there are usually a lot of pieces of loose paper, rather than tidy notebooks. I find planning a whole novel in advance next to impossible, but I do often produce a rough map. This map shows me where I started and where I'm going, and includes all the "places" I have to visit on the way. By places I mean themes, moments, plot points and twists. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, which means I find it hard to leave rough text behind and keep driving forward. Because of this I do a lot of revising as I go, slowing me down. This helps later though.
Your character names and terminology are so creative (Herbert Lemon, the Flotsamporium). Do you have a running list of words and concepts to inspire these clever wordplays?
Not exactly, though I do think a long time about the names of my characters. Herbie and Violet are named after Sherbet Lemons and Parma Violets, both traditional candy in the UK. I have a habit of playing around with language and inventing phrases and portmanteaus that I’m sure is pretty annoying for my family, but quite useful for fiction.
Eerie-on-Sea is filled with many intriguing townspeople. If there was another character you could spend more time exploring, who would it be?
I feel sure that Jenny Hanniver has a complex backstory, and one that I haven't explored at all. I'd quite like to write the story of the Eerie Book Dispensary one day, and how Jenny set it up.
As an author, what’s it like having a book come out during the pandemic?
It's been odd and sad to see all my events and diary appointments vanish. Book tours and launch parties are impossible in the UK right now, as they are in many places. The hardest part of trying to promote a new book during the pandemic (we've been living under lockdown for months here in the UK) is being confined to the internet and social media for everything. It has been fun connecting with readers anywhere in the world though. I'm always happy to be asked questions on Twitter (@ThomasHTaylor).
QUOTE: “Another imaginative winner in the series that will appeal to all readers.”
TAYLOR, Thomas. Shadowghast. illus. by Tom Booth. 352p. (Legends of Eerie-on-Sea: Bk. 3). CandlewickAValker. Sept. 2021. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781536208603.
Gr 5 Up--As the residents of Eerie-on-Sea anticipate Ghastly Night, their Halloween tradition, a troupe of entertainers arrive, led by the beautiful magician Caliastra, who claims to be Herbie Lemon's aunt and the lone survivor of the shipwreck that orphaned him and washed him ashore in a lemon crate. But Herbie's spunky friend Violet and his guardian, Lady Kraken, owner of the Grant Nautilus Hotel, where Herbie is the Lost-and-Founder, question the truth of Caliastra's claim. The magician is in possession of the magic lantern, which releases the Shadowghast, a ghost that absorbs shadows and makes their owners unwilling subjects of a sinister and mysterious Puppet Master. When Violet's guardian Jenny and eccentric beachcomber Mrs. Flotsam go missing, Herbie and Violet embark on a mission to find their friends and discover the deep secret of Eerie-on-Sea. Filled with all of the exciting twists, delicious humor, vivid characterization, and visual description of other books in the series (Malamander, Gargantis), readers will relish this third foray into the unique town and its memorable inhabitants. Herbie is cued as white. VERDICT Another imaginative winner in the series that will appeal to all readers. --Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Coop. Lib. Syst., Heliport, NY
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Orlando, Marie. "TAYLOR, Thomas. Shadowghast." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 9, Sept. 2021, pp. 93+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A673471289/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=016e6766. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.
QUOTE: “Inventive plotting, spooky atmospherics, and quirky humor will keep readers entertained.”
Taylor, Thomas SHADOWGHAST Walker US/Candlewick (Children's None) $16.99 9, 14 ISBN: 978-1-5362-0860-3
Instead of Halloween, Eerie-on-Sea townsfolk celebrate Ghastly Night, lighting manglewick candles to keep the legendary Shadowghast from stealing their shadows.
This year, candles won’t be enough. The holiday commemorates a stranger’s mesmerizing shadow-puppet show in which Eerie townsfolk watched the shadow of a grinning, horned man chase and consume fleeing shadows, human and otherwise. Cheated of payment by Eerie’s duplicitous mayor, the puppet master fed his shadow to the Shadowghast. (The mayor himself vanished). Dr. Thalassi and Mrs. Fossil retell these historical events annually. They’re blindsided when charismatic stage magician Caliastra arrives with her agent and two mimes, planning to re-create the story theatrically. Caliastra dazzles Herbie; claiming she’s his aunt, she invites him to be her assistant. Violet, Herbie’s fellow orphan, is skeptical—and also worried because her guardian is missing. Their friendship suffers, but as Mrs. Fossil disappears and Shadowghast sightings accumulate, the two put aside differences for dangerous investigations that lead to Sebastian Eels’ empty house and the Netherways, a labyrinth of underground passageways. When quick-witted, intrepid Violet is sidelined, cautious, risk-averse Herbie needs a gutsy plan and help from Erwin, the oracular cat, and Clermit, the charming, clockwork hermit crab. Eclipsing clowns in sheer creepiness, the mimes are nastily memorable creations. Inventive plotting, spooky atmospherics, and quirky humor will keep readers entertained. Characters are minimally described, but prior entries and names signal some diversity in the default White cast. Final illustrations not seen.
Readers will revel in the shivery mood. (Fantasy. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Taylor, Thomas: SHADOWGHAST." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A671782965/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5d168a47. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.
QUOTE: a “gentle, unforced message about life’s interdependence,”
“[e]vocative settings, ingenious plotting, sly humor, and shivery suspense” that all contribute to making this second series addition an “unmitigated delight.”
Legend says that St. Dismal rescued Eerie-on-Sea from Gargantis, a supernatural storm threatening to destroy the coastal village; centuries later, the storm is back.
Herbie Lemon, Lost-and-Founder of the Grand Nautilus Hotel, has a well-founded fear of the ocean. It’s tested when his imperious employer appoints him the one to decide who owns a fish-shaped glass bottle engraved with undecipherable Eerie Script. Professional beachcomber Mrs. Fossil found and claims it; Dr. Thalassi wants it for his museum; Eerie’s fisherfolk insist that because St. Dismal, Eerie’s first fisherman, invented the script, it’s theirs; young Blaze Westerley hopes it’s a clue to his uncle’s disappearance. When Violet Parma, whose curiosity invariably overrules Herbie’s caution, persuades him to open the bottle, what’s inside leads them to Gargantis. As stormquakes shatter the rock beneath Eerie, terrifying hotel guest Deep Hood, face and body concealed (except for a snaking tentacle), bribes the fisherfolk to destroy Gargantis using Herbie as bait. Smart, impulsive Vi (who’s biracial, with a black father) and thoughtful, steadfast Herbie (white, like most of the other characters) are well matched. The book-dispensing mermonkey and oracular cat from opening volume Malamander (2019) return in key roles. Underlying all the fun is a gentle, unforced message about life’s interdependence. Human, animal, and mechanical characters (especially the charming hermit crab) are a winning assortment: enchanting or horrifying, quirky or droll, invariably original. Enticing mysteries remain to be solved. (Most art was unavailable for review.)
Evocative settings, ingenious plotting, sly humor, and shivery suspense render this sequel an unmitigated delight. (Fantasy. 8-12)