Shadowmagic

Shadowmagic #1

by John Lenahan

Shadowmagic is a rip roaring fun fantasy adventure novel by John Lenahan very loosely based on Irish mythology where every chapter ends on the edge of a cliff (or at least a high curb.) Join Conor as he grapples with typical teenage problems like, how to deal with a father's high expectations, how to survive in the world on your own and how to woo a beautiful girl - that wants you dead. Shadowmagic a podcast novel for young adults from 12 to 112.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Audiobook, Fiction, Magic, Adventure, Mythology

278 pages, Audio Book

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

John Lenahan is a popular TV magician who toured with Jack Dee, Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood. He starred on a prime time BBC1 TV show, had his own BBC2 series, and was the voice of the toaster in ‘Red Dwarf’.

His fantasy trilogy Shadowmagic, an award-winning podcast that received over 100,000 downloads, was published by HarperCollins and sold over 70,000 copies across all editions.

Ice Lake is his debut crime novel, the first in a new series featuring psychologist Harry Cull. (written as John A. Lenahan)

Reviews

[Meseceva]

Prva knjiga u audio formatu koju sam “pročitala” tokom višesatnog putovanja. Aplikacija se zove LibriVox i tu postoji biblioteka sa oko 50.000 besplatnih naslova. Shadowmagic ostavljam bez ocene, jer kako je dati ako se ne sećate dobrog dela onog što ste pročitali / čuli? Probala i to, not my cup of tea, vraćam se vizuelnim knjigama.

[Daria Loginova-edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book just because it was free on amazon for my new kindle. I do enjoy a fantasy story but some times it can be hard get into and it can be rather bad. Not in this case!
The story developing fast and rather captivating. Page turner I would say!
I would recommend it to everyone it's fun and good read! Beautifully written too

[Kadi P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bumped this down from 5 stars to 4 on my 4th (roundabout) time reading it...

I guess I didn't notice it when I read this when I was younger but there is so much obvious explanation happening in this book. Conor is basically clueless about everything which is understandable but the whole book is essentially made up of 3 things: 1. Conor being knocked unconscious, 2. Conor making Real World references that no one gets and 3. Conor asking "what's that?" and some blatant exposition occurring afterwards. I found the 3rd point to be quite annoying because once you notice it, you realise it's everywhere in the book.

Still, there were a lot of things I loved in this book. Like the prophecy. You gotta love a good prophecy that has a meaning no one understands. A bittersweet kind of twist, I guess. You love it but hate the consequence of it at the same time.

Conor was sometimes hilariously unpredictable and at other times not funny but trying hard to be. When his joke hit the mark it was great. His relationship with Fergal was within seconds amazing. The other character dynamics between what I like to call "the main 4": Araf, Essa, Fergal and Conor were very interesting and for the most part pretty good.

I think this book is pretty good. But considering I know what comes next (and that the next 2 books are considerably better) I can confidently say that this isn't the best John Lenahan has to offer. It's definitely one of the most unique mg/ya fantasy I've ever read (possibly because it's the only one I've ever read with ties to Irish mythology). Doing research on Irish mythology and a lot of things mentioned in the book has been a lot of fun! Also, it was super awesome to buddy read this with my friend Rune and introduce her to the world of Shadowmagic!

[Brian Rathbone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fantasy tale was great fun and I look forward to the next two books in the series! I listened to the Podiobooks version, which is very well done.

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book because I stumbled across the free pod-cast read by John Lenahan.

I had already listen to half of the book on this pod-cast and loved it and thought it would be good to read along.

It's a great middle-grade fantasy that can be read, both by adults and children alike. Though the free pod-cast can be used by both, it can be a great help and make it easier for some to read along.

I look forward to reading the second book in the series and using the free pod-cast for that book too. So I give this book a good 4 stars as it's a great book, but would have given the 5 stars if I was still 12.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A podcast that I listened to, it took 2 months (oh me and audio ;) But it worked fine. I could just jump in even if I had not listened to it in a week. So that made it good.

It's about Connor who after someone trying to kill him, finds out that his dad is a prince from Tir na Nog. A land of magic. All those legends are true. And suddenly he is there too, people are trying to kill him, he is lost and what on earth is going on?!

I think the issue I have with pods is that after every chapter I heard the same thing, omg, dull, took so much extra time. But I wanted to know how it turned out so...

Second issue was that Connor had like a dream in every chapter, omg, enough.

But the rest was fun. He met friends. He had adventures. Good conquered evil and I will def listen to book 2.

[Mrs. Badass · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was easy to get into, and captivating enough to hold my attention.
I look forward to the next installment!
Connor is an 18 year old boy who lives with his (one handed)handicapped father. Suddenly his doors bust down and his life is in danger. He finds himself magically in another world, and everything in his life is not what it seems. Everyone wants him dead, and he has no clue why.

Loved the story.
The only thing I didn't like was the ending. But I hear that this is the first installment and more are to come. So, good. I'd like to see how Connor is doing.

[Literary Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had plenty of good reviews, so I was expecting an amazing ride. Don't get me wrong it was a good book as I have given it four stars. But the stars are more for the plot than anything else. The characterisation wasn't wonderful, I didn't feel like I knew them on a personal level and the story telling was okay. I don't know I just wasn't excited. I will continue onto the second book and hopefully that will be better! (Good for young readers, not so great for those who are looking to be whisked away with language and intricacies)

[James McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book for my grade 6/7 creative writing class to read. My students and I found the book very adventurous, and fast-paced with some interesting plot twists. Basic story of a boy in our world who discovers he has a destiny in a magical Other World.
The novel doesn't bring anything new to the fantasy genre, and it does rely on a lot of cliches, but if you are looking for an enjoyable, fun read (which we were) this one is quite good.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written in the teen lingo that 'like' makes you want to tear your ears off.

[Luv · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun middle grade read. The author also did a great job at bringing the audio book to life

[Achille B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgic reminder of what I loved growing up.

[Bells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book. I'm not much for humour in my fantasy. I like it just not too much. Overall though I did love the setting and the magic system, I loved the lore that was introduced and the way it all came together.

It was a short book but well worth the read. I'd love to have explored more and luckily I'll get the chance with this being a trilogy and all that good stuff.

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a copy of this via iTunes & couldn't help but get it. The premise of the book sounded pretty interesting. Conor thought he was an average 18 year old. All he really wants to do is have fun & go on dates, while trying to avoid his father's attempts to get him into college. It all changes when Conor meets an aunt he never knew he had. And she tries to kill him, claiming that it will save "The Land". From there, he discovers that his father isn't quite who he claims to be & that there's a world beyond the one he knows.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the lush descriptions & interesting characters. During the entire experience I couldn't help but wish that the book would last a little longer so I could see a little more of the land of Tir na Nog & all of the diverse magical creatures that existed within it.

The only main complaint I'd have is that some things seemed to be a little too rushed. Conor's dad & that person (trying not to give a spoiler) seemed to pick up where they left off without a hitch. While I know that they live for a very long time & 18 years wouldn't be much to them, it just didn't exactly ring true to me.

The book's author describes this as something for kids 12 & up, but younger kids can read & enjoy this book- I would just recommend that the parents read it first so they can ensure that it's ok for their kids. There's a lot of violence in it (all kick butt, but I know some parents object to it) & some adult (not that type!) situations such as death, murder & betrayal.

I've heard rumors of a sequel & I honestly hope that the rumors are true- Lenahan is a promising writer & I can't wait to read more from him!

[Cherry Mischievous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
I confess that I bought this book just because it was dirt cheap and it got magic in its title. I didn't even read the synopsis. Only to find out that the audio format read by the author is free on iTunes! And I wanted to try out the kobo for blackberry app in my phone. Anyway, I started reading and I was pleasantly surprised! I was enjoying it! And when I am not reading it, the story pops into my head and Conor does all sorts of alternative version of the story... and then I couldn't wait to get back to it and continue reading to see what happens next. I was hooked! And yes, I've ordered book 2 of the Shadowmagic series, Prince of Hazel And Oak.

The thing I like most with this book is the humour between the pages. It had me laughing out loud and sometimes bent over. That earned a lot of kudos with me! It made the story telling quality wonderful indeed!

The main thing I didn't like about it is that it is an ebook. I am a touchy-feely reader... I like the texture and smell of the paper of a book... So I just had to buy the paperback edition of the book...

For something I bought because it was dirt cheap and then turns out to be free after all, proved to be a tad costly to me. :)

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 4

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

18-year-old teenager discovers that his father has a secret past and is sucked into Tir Na Nog - the Irish / Celtic land of Faerie, where he has adventures.

As plotlines go, that is one that can work very well for me. Neil Gaiman's Stardust is one of my favourite ever novels. Alas, Shadowmagic is no Stardust. Instead, our teenage narrator is permanently wise-cracking, but never really funny. The adventures mostly consist of him meeting people, who instantly try to kill him, and him observing that everyone seems to try to kill him first, ask questions later... Oh, and there's some humour at the way he reacts to first meeting his mom (who looks like she's in her 20s and who's very hot...)

The plot moves at breakneck pace. It has to. There isn't much else to this novel than plot. The twists are not very surprising, and the story never manages to generate any tension or investment in the characters. Instead, you just sort of read along because things move quickly, smoothly, and well-lubricated with semi-amusing asides. It's the literary equivalent of a McDonalds quarterpounder: just about the least offensive and most easily wolfed down thing imaginable, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Read this if you love the books of Esther Friesner, or K.E. Mills' Accidental Sorcerer - this book falls into the same rough territory.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantasy book that seamlessly blends old Irish mythology with the modern world. Conor has remained blissfully unaware of his genealogy until his first meeting with his aunt, when she tries to kill him. Exploring his heritage isn't quite as straightforward as looking up your family tree in the records office. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed this enormously. The love of the author for old Irish tales, without the tweeness of Victorian sentimentality, shines through and the characters are vivid. I particularly liked that there are as many strong females in the story as the men, despite it being told from a male viewpoint. I also appreciated that the use of magic has consequences, it's not just a convenient shortcut to get something done. Well written and a wonderful story - another book which will appeal to the generation that have grown up with Harry Potter and are now wanting to continue to read well-crafted fantasy stories. I should add that I'm not in that generation, but one that grew up with the classic fantasy novels of Tolkein, C.S.Lewis and Ursula la Guin. This can stand alongside those in my opinion.

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit hesitant at first as the writing style really didn't appeal to me. It was much too immature, and it seemed as if Lenahan couldn't make up his mind as to the level of detail he wanted to go into. The latter improved through the book though, and as the story is told with Connor's "voice", once you get to know him, the immaturity of the writing style actually fits very well. I liked the book and the fairytale-ness of the plot and characters - especially Mother Oak. My one complaint is the ending, which came as a complete surprise and seemed very sudden. This isn't a problem if it turns out that "Shadowmagic" is the first in a series, but if it's meant to stand alone, it's both unexpected and unsatisfying.

Had it not been for the ending, it would probably have deserved another star.

[Willow Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hardly ever read YA, but This was a cheapie on the Kindle and had many good reviews. I found the writing flat and strangely unimaginative for a fantasy. That detracted a good deal from my enjoyment of an otherwise lively, earnest and good humored story. Connor is an ordinary 18 year old living with his eccentric, one handed father. One day they are attacked in their own living room by warriors on horseback and taken to a magical land. There Connor learns his father's and his own true identities, which are anything but ordinary and way past eccentric. Connor must learn the magical ways of this world and ends up fighting the evil King. My favorite part of the story was the way trees were depicted as intelligent and interactive beings with very distinct personalities and temperaments. My least favorite aspect, as I said, the quality of the writing.

[Kathy Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally awesome reads.

it has humour, suspense and a dose of romance which makes the story irresistible. i was hooked from page 1. Can't help laughing out loud in various part of the book....Conor Kebab (LoL).. waving the fork at his aunt. .. the father's comment on that. It was pure joy .

the author had made use of his career as an entertainer/magician/comedian to bring out the best in this book. Even certain names of things and person in tis book seems to have double meaning. Vivid imagination.

what I don't like.. well, without giving a spoiler..., i didn't like the "nicholas sparks" type of ending. If you read NS's books, you wil know the meaning. However, it was the double edged sword ending which makes ghis book even more special

[David Baines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd just come out of reading The Hunger Games and wanted something fantasy to move on to after the grittiness of that book. Amazon had this for free so decided to give it a shot.

I really enjoyed the book, however something about the writing style kept niggling at me, I can't pinpoint it, possibly the use of humour during what should have been tense scenes or possibly the occasional use of 'real world' references kept dragging me out of the fantasy!

Regardless, this was a good book, and I will definitely be looking at purchasing the next in the series so I can follow the characters a little more!

[Mrs. Badass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great Listen!
The story was easy to listen to, and captivating enough to hold my attention. I didn't mind my little ones listening there were no swears or overdone violence.

I look forward to the next installment!

I loved that the author read the book.

Connor is an 18 year old boy who lives with his handicapped father. Suddenly his doors bust down and his life is in danger. He finds himself magically in another world, and everything in his life is not what it seems. Everyone wants him dead, and he has no clue why.

Loved the story.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm relistening to this podcast and even though I remember most of the story it just brought back the overwhelming feeling of "dang I love this story!"
It is well written and well read. You can feel the emotions of the main character which makes the story even more enjoyable for me. It's good clean fantasy that will leave you anxious for the next episode or chapter on a daily basis.
I can't wait for the sequel. This is an author worth following!

[faesera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an awesome book to read. Well, I listened to the podcast audio book, such a good reading/story telling by the author himself. I'm glad I picked this book randomly via podiobooks.com. Hooked from the beginning. I wish this book would turn into a movie/series someday. I love Connor, he is funny. But kinda sad coz his cousin is dead! If you like fantasy and comedy, you won't regret reading this :-)

[Jvermeersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy at its best. Intricate and alluring. A prophecy, a quest, a journey through different lands, medieval fighting, magic, a family saga and a fellowship, some running gags (personal favourite: the lawnmower), ... And it keeps getting better. In addition, also a pleasant audiobook with a few notes of celtic music here and there. I have never before been interested in audiobooks, but one of my colleagues was so elated about this one on Librivox that I followed her example. Glad I did.

[Luke Barnett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book. It had words. I wasn’t a very large fan of the words it had.
The humor felt like it went for more quantity over quality and the worldbuilding didn’t quite do it for me. I also wish all of the mystical creatures weren’t just slightly differently built humans. Not a terrible book, just not for me

Update: I burned it

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the Podiobooks version of this book, and recommend that you do too. The author's warm voice and the way he gives the different characters distinctive voices definitely adds to what is already an enjoyable and engaging story.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome first novel, read in a very welcoming voice. In this story, legends are real.

[Dave Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and exciting all-ages fantasy. The author leaves off every chapter with you wanting to read the next.

[Tommy Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read with a lot of Irish background. The author's voice was entertaining. I liked the 2 kinds of magic presented in the book. I'll have to get around to reading the sequel soon.