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Shadowkeep
Practer Fine, an adventurous young blacksmith, is given the task of finding the source of the unimaginable evil of Shadowkeep, a mysterious castle, and freeing his land from its enchantment, in a fantasy adventure based on the computer game "Shadowkeep"
243 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1984
5 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
498 books2,034 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 25, 2016
Wonderfully imagineative and full of both adventure and good humor. Highly recommended.
August 9, 2020
...is not actually based on the video game that I thought it was. Turns out I was thinking of Shadowgate instead.
Ah, Alan Dean Foster, master of the tie-in novelization. Competent writing but not an ounce more imagination than was contracted.
It has a strong Young Adult vibe to it, narrowly centering itself on very PG language and subject matter, and not really extending itself in any direction. Foster hews so close to the skeletal source material that there is no big idea or set piece that would elevate it from what the original 1980s-era game was capable of delivering. It feels very small and limited. Dull and uninspired, one might say. In fact I will say it: this book is dull and uninspired.
The adventuring party finally enters Shadowkeep about halfway through, and their first task is to rummage through the trash in the basement. It's that sort of dungeon crawl, with the usual tricks and traps and monsters that shepherd the party along to the final confrontation. Like reading a rather picayune transcript of an average Dungeons and Dragons game, honestly. Not fun if you're not doing it.
Ah, Alan Dean Foster, master of the tie-in novelization. Competent writing but not an ounce more imagination than was contracted.
It has a strong Young Adult vibe to it, narrowly centering itself on very PG language and subject matter, and not really extending itself in any direction. Foster hews so close to the skeletal source material that there is no big idea or set piece that would elevate it from what the original 1980s-era game was capable of delivering. It feels very small and limited. Dull and uninspired, one might say. In fact I will say it: this book is dull and uninspired.
The adventuring party finally enters Shadowkeep about halfway through, and their first task is to rummage through the trash in the basement. It's that sort of dungeon crawl, with the usual tricks and traps and monsters that shepherd the party along to the final confrontation. Like reading a rather picayune transcript of an average Dungeons and Dragons game, honestly. Not fun if you're not doing it.
September 20, 2018
This book is simple.
If you are in the mood for a basic fantasy novel without the endless paragraphs of descriptions and complicated explanations of magic systems and history, a quick read without the need to think too much, this book could be a good choice. That was what I needed at the time, and I enjoyed it immensely. However, I must admit that the book's objective quality is rather low.
The plot is basic. The characters are 2-D. The magic just happens. The lore of the land is mostly unexplained. The story moves from one setting to the next quite mechanically. It is hard to feel invested in the journey. That said, the writing itself was decent and Alan Dean Foster does a good job with the various action scenes involved.
I could envision what was going on easily. I just couldn't imagine why it was happening.
If you can suspend disbelief for a few hours and just read for fun, I think you'll find this book to be enjoyable. If you need something more stimulating, any number of fantasy books will serve the purpose better.
For what this book is, though, I enjoyed it.
If you are in the mood for a basic fantasy novel without the endless paragraphs of descriptions and complicated explanations of magic systems and history, a quick read without the need to think too much, this book could be a good choice. That was what I needed at the time, and I enjoyed it immensely. However, I must admit that the book's objective quality is rather low.
The plot is basic. The characters are 2-D. The magic just happens. The lore of the land is mostly unexplained. The story moves from one setting to the next quite mechanically. It is hard to feel invested in the journey. That said, the writing itself was decent and Alan Dean Foster does a good job with the various action scenes involved.
I could envision what was going on easily. I just couldn't imagine why it was happening.
If you can suspend disbelief for a few hours and just read for fun, I think you'll find this book to be enjoyable. If you need something more stimulating, any number of fantasy books will serve the purpose better.
For what this book is, though, I enjoyed it.
August 28, 2018
So, in 1985 my sister and I were placed in foster care. The first family I was placed with, a newly licensed probationary family (we were their first foster kids). The Nichols' had their own two daughters, who were actually the same grade/age as Lisa and I were... Susie was their elder daughter and Sherry the younger.
The family was weirdly religious; not cult-like, but way too judgemental to be hosting foster kids. Susie's best friend (I forget her name right now) LOVED this book. So I read it. Eh. I like ADF enough, but this was the same group that thought there had to be something WRONG with me at 12 to like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul and (gasp!!!) V.C. Andrews (the REAL V.C. Andrews, mind). They had conniptions when I tried to read Flowers in the Attic, for goodness sake. Yet, this book was GREAT. OK, whatev!
The family was weirdly religious; not cult-like, but way too judgemental to be hosting foster kids. Susie's best friend (I forget her name right now) LOVED this book. So I read it. Eh. I like ADF enough, but this was the same group that thought there had to be something WRONG with me at 12 to like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul and (gasp!!!) V.C. Andrews (the REAL V.C. Andrews, mind). They had conniptions when I tried to read Flowers in the Attic, for goodness sake. Yet, this book was GREAT. OK, whatev!
April 27, 2025
☆☆☆½ rounded up.
I enjoyed Shadowkeep for what it was—a classic, slightly pulpy fantasy adventure with a lot of heart. Based on a 1980s video game, it follows a hero’s quest to defeat an evil sorcerer and save a kingdom in peril. The world-building was imaginative, and the story kept moving, even if some parts felt a little dated. Overall, it was a fun, nostalgic read.
I enjoyed Shadowkeep for what it was—a classic, slightly pulpy fantasy adventure with a lot of heart. Based on a 1980s video game, it follows a hero’s quest to defeat an evil sorcerer and save a kingdom in peril. The world-building was imaginative, and the story kept moving, even if some parts felt a little dated. Overall, it was a fun, nostalgic read.
November 22, 2014
1986 grade A
1998 grade B+
2014 grade B+
1998 grade B+
2014 grade B+
December 2, 2022
The first-ever video game novelization written by the granddaddy of adaptation, Mr. Alan Dean Foster.
This is basically a great 80s fantasy movie put on paper, for better or for worse. For better, it involves crazy, out-of-the-box cultures like bipedal kangaroos. On the other hand, it gets really rushed and silly by the end. A fun read, all the same.
Want to listen to PixelLit's full talkthrough of this book? Subscribe anywhere podcasts are found or click below:
https://pixellitpod.com/shadowkeep-pa...
https://pixellitpod.com/shadowkeep-pa...
https://pixellitpod.com/shadowkeep-pa...
Or watch our interview with Alan Dean Foster here:
https://pixellitpod.com/alan-dean-fos...
This is basically a great 80s fantasy movie put on paper, for better or for worse. For better, it involves crazy, out-of-the-box cultures like bipedal kangaroos. On the other hand, it gets really rushed and silly by the end. A fun read, all the same.
Want to listen to PixelLit's full talkthrough of this book? Subscribe anywhere podcasts are found or click below:
https://pixellitpod.com/shadowkeep-pa...
https://pixellitpod.com/shadowkeep-pa...
https://pixellitpod.com/shadowkeep-pa...
Or watch our interview with Alan Dean Foster here:
https://pixellitpod.com/alan-dean-fos...
October 8, 2025
I lost this book twice in trying to finish it and had to buy a total of 3 copies, but that's okay. This was my first read that was a novelization of a computer game. It was also the first ever such novelization of a video game. Having grown up playing first person RPG's on multiple early platforms, this book makes me want to play the game soooo badly!
It's a bit of fantasy, a bit of magic, a bit of humor, a bit of adventure and a lot of fun. It does have a YA vibe. Language is PG for the most part. It is a simple story, but I think it is told well. There is nothing wrong with a good clean story. It's not what I normally read, but I truly enjoyed it.
It's a bit of fantasy, a bit of magic, a bit of humor, a bit of adventure and a lot of fun. It does have a YA vibe. Language is PG for the most part. It is a simple story, but I think it is told well. There is nothing wrong with a good clean story. It's not what I normally read, but I truly enjoyed it.
September 16, 2022
troppo vecchio e troppo classico.
L'idea del cattivo da sconfiggere è vecchia quanto il libro stesso e la compagnia di paladini diversi ma uniti...
mah.
Diciamo che è un libro non invecchiato bene
L'idea del cattivo da sconfiggere è vecchia quanto il libro stesso e la compagnia di paladini diversi ma uniti...
mah.
Diciamo che è un libro non invecchiato bene
April 28, 2024
A fine little fantasy story. Nothing incredibly groundbreaking about it but a good time nonetheless.
September 19, 2025
As paint-by-numbers a fantasy tale as you’ll ever read but I don’t want to judge it too harshly as it’s basically YA and based on a video game I’ve never heard of.
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October 23, 2025A tale of wondrous adventure based on the fantastic universe created by Trillium for the computer game Shadow keep.
November 27, 2025
My introduction to Alan Dean Foster. I absolutely devoured this book and really enjoyed reading it. Roo was my favorite.
December 23, 2021
Comically dreadful.
July 5, 2011
So I had to reread this book.
Here's the dubious honor of why anybody should care about this book. This is probably the first novelization of a computer game ever written. I didn't research that, and I would love for you to prove me wrong, but you probably can't.
I read this as a kid, and it thrilled me with the idea of how good the game must be. Foster teases with ideas that sounded absolutely amazing if they could have been implemented in an actual game. I spent a lot of time imagining the greatness of a game I never played.
The truth is, pretty much nobody ever played that game. Try to look it up. In this new internet age it is impossible, to this day, to find anybody who has played it.
The book is poor. I have to give credit to Alan Dean Foster for writing "To the Vanishing Point," a book which changed my life when I was young and stupid.
This is a bad book. It deserves it's silly place in history, but it really is not good in anyway whatsoever.
Here's the dubious honor of why anybody should care about this book. This is probably the first novelization of a computer game ever written. I didn't research that, and I would love for you to prove me wrong, but you probably can't.
I read this as a kid, and it thrilled me with the idea of how good the game must be. Foster teases with ideas that sounded absolutely amazing if they could have been implemented in an actual game. I spent a lot of time imagining the greatness of a game I never played.
The truth is, pretty much nobody ever played that game. Try to look it up. In this new internet age it is impossible, to this day, to find anybody who has played it.
The book is poor. I have to give credit to Alan Dean Foster for writing "To the Vanishing Point," a book which changed my life when I was young and stupid.
This is a bad book. It deserves it's silly place in history, but it really is not good in anyway whatsoever.
March 25, 2009
Shadowkeep was the first Alan Dean Foster book I ever read, back when I was around 9 or 10 years old. It set my expectations for what fantasy novels would be like and was probably the first thing I thought of when I learned about the existence of Dungeons & Dragons. I remember thinking that the nonhuman races were really cool, and that the reptilian race in particular was way more interesting than the usual elves, dwarves, and goblins you always heard about in fantasy stories. I expect the book wouldn't hold up well if I read it again today, since so many other Alan Dean Foster books I've reread have turned out to be dreadful disappointments, but at the time I first read it I was totally nuts over it.
September 24, 2015
Sometimes you just need a simple, straightforward story to cleanse the literary palate after a heftier read. Apparently this is one of the first books ever based off a computer game. Practer Fime the blacksmith's apprentice leads a team of fantasy archetypes to rid Castle Shadowkeep of Dal'Brad the demon king's evil influence. Not surprisingly Shadowkeep echoes both the creepy castle atmosphere of Shadowgate and Stonekeep, two computer games I have both played and enjoyed. Cursed treasure boxes, hidden switches, and magical crystals abound in this stereotypical fantasy tale. Curt, cliched, and inoffensive as warm milk, yet satisfies like sweet tea on a hot day. A rather weak ending leaves a lot of potential unrealized.
May 24, 2012
My husband got me this book second hand. I did like the characters, although it would have been nice if they'd had a little more depth to them. The story was fun and I love the whole traveling through the castle sequences they were VERY creative, and the headstrong nature of the roo was very entertaining. But, the antagonist's presence wasn't deeply felt until the very end and It wasn't always clear who had originally set each trap that the characters had to overcome. The story is based off a game I assume was popular in the eighties(?) So perhaps this accounts for some of these things all in all a good read.
January 14, 2016
This is a novelization of a computer game. I acquired it as part of a friend's husband giving me a bunch of old sf books. I read it to get it off my shelves and into my discard box. Basically, it's a D&D type adventure where most of the book is collecting the party (four people of different races/talents) and then exploring the Keep and save the world from evil. Slow and dull with pedestrian writing.
April 26, 2012
I read this when I was about 11 and really enjoyed it. I'm rereading it before offering it to some 12 year olds to read. Hoping it's not as disappointing as when I watch my favorite 80s cartoons.
It probably deserves a 3 but I still remember it fondly from childhood so it gets an extra star.
It probably deserves a 3 but I still remember it fondly from childhood so it gets an extra star.
May 8, 2013
Shadowkeep is a novelization of a video game. I found this book to the worst one his i have read so far. I would recommend this book to no one. I would recommend to everyone to read a different book by foster.
January 24, 2015
This is cheap fantasy, but it's fun if you're in the mood.
I read this a long time ago. I'm pretty sure I picked it up because it was by Alan Dean Foster. He's capable of better than this. But it was fun. It felt sort of like playing D&D.
I read this a long time ago. I'm pretty sure I picked it up because it was by Alan Dean Foster. He's capable of better than this. But it was fun. It felt sort of like playing D&D.
February 19, 2010
A decent read, not too cookie cutter. The best part about Foster is his works read fast, and he gets to his stories quickly.
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June 6, 2011Just started--it's off to a rather slow start. DNF.
June 25, 2011
This is the first fantasy book i ever read. i picked it up in a used book store(Held together with masking tape) when a was 11 years old. Ive been hooked on fantasy ever sense.
July 2, 2013
Nice fantasy story
March 17, 2014
Well, I have been known to make mistakes some time and this was not it, but it was not very great either
April 4, 2016
Großartige Einschlaflektüre. Nach einem Kapitel ist man im Tiefschlaf. Ein Relikt aus den 80ern, und das merkt man bei jeder Seite.
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December 8, 2018#39 1988
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews