The Hunting of Shadroth

by Victor Kelleher

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1990

About the author

Victor Kelleher is an Australian author. Victor was born in London and moved to Africa with his parents, at the age of fifteen. He spent the next twenty years travelling and studying in Africa, before moving to New Zealand. Kelleher received a teaching degree in Africa and has taught in Africa, New Zealand and Australia. While in New Zealand, he began writing part time, prompted by homesickness for Africa. He moved to Australia in 1976, with his South African wife, Allison, and taught at the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales, before moving to Sydney to write full time. Many of the books he has written have been based on his childhood and his travellings in Africa.

Kelleher has won many awards for his books, such as the Australian Children's Book Award.

Reviews

[Dan Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a goody from the school library in around 1983/84. I guess I was 11 or 12 and I distinctly recall it scaring the life out of me when I read it in bed at night

I remember the story pretty well but what really stayed with me was the description of the different aspects of nature - forest, waterfall, plains etc. Shadroth himself took the cake. The dark presence growing ever more solidly black as it ate the tribe's sacrifices, demanding more and more of them each time. The two evil red eyes somewhere in the depths of the shadowy face... I'm happy to say it gave me nightmares for years!

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember this one well. The icy chills. Watching over the fields. The fear of the unknown. It stayed with me.

[Cece Cece]

Scared the beejezus our of me, I'd lie in bed n peekaboo outside hoping not to feel the icy wind, lol

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was young and reread it as an adult and found, to my surprise, that it has aged extremely well. Its a fairly straight forward story aimed at school age children about a boy banished from his tribe for crimes he didn't commit. His perilous journey into the unknown, pursued by a malevolent force that can't quite be seen, is tightly written and atmospheric.
It doesn't have the length or complexity of most fantasy literature, but it isn't intended to.
Well written, well paced and nicely finished off.

[Emma Crew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book when growing up. Read it repeatedly. I remember being so petrified but couldn't put it down.

[Anuli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't like it, I love it.

[Alison]

Idk about the front cover.

[Chris French · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite book growing up, and I have re-read it several times and still love it.
It scared the hell out of me when I used to read it before bed as a 12 year old.
Not having read it in the past 7-8 years does not stop me from clearly envisioning the environment or the major pieces of action now as I right this review.
This is my favourite Victor Kelleher book, and recommended reading for young boys who are just finding their way with books, as I was when I read it for the first time.

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

2006 - An easy read, about a boy whose clan is threatened by a rising shadow/darkness/evil, named Shadroth, the epitome of their own cruelty and violence. The boy and his (girl)friend go on a journey through the forest, aided by one of the beautiful and non-threatening sabretooth cat creatures, to find out how to defeat the creature and then do so.