SHADOWGHAST

by Thomas Taylor;  

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Cat Princess©

 

 

 

 

Hello, and welcome to my Saturday Book Review featuring Adventures in Middle-Grade Fiction!

 

It also happens to be the first review of the year. Hopefuly the first of many. The picture below is of yours truly taking a pre, New Years eve nap. Just to get my strength up for the post New Years day nap!

 

 

 

This week, now I'm fully rested up, we have the great pleasure to review the spooktacular third book set in Eerie on Sea, starring Herbert Lemon, Violet Parma, and Erwin, the cat.

So without further ado, and kindly sponsored this week by Mrs Singhs Mobile Book Bank (Cheques cashed free of charge and a free Onion Bhaji with every tenth loan) we bring you . . . 

SHADOWGHAST, the third Eerie-on-Sea adventure, written by a true wordsmith of a middle-grade writing, Thomas Taylor!

 

 

SHADOWGHAST, by THOMAS TAYLOR

 

Published by WALKER BOOKS LIMITED.

 

Cover artwork by GEORGE ERMOS 

 

Interior Illustrations by Thomas Taylor

 

Paperback ISBN: 978 - 1 - 4063 - 8630 - 1

Cover price for Paperback £7.99 (or cheaper)

 

Pages 328.

 

Age range: 8 and upwards

 

Any cats? YES, one, called Erwin, and he talks too!

 

 

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

As ever, to review book three in this series, we need to reveal little bits and pieces of the first two books. So, please do look away if you wish to keep it a surprise. 

 

You can follow the link below to see my review of the first two adventures if you wish to know a bit more.

 

Book 1 review LINK: MALAMANDER.

 

Book 2 review LINK: GARGANTIS. 

 

The Plot: 

 

With the evil Sebastian Eels dispatched to the depths of the oceans, never to return, things at the Grand Nautilus Hotel and Eerie-on-Sea had returned to normal. Or at least as normal as they ever get. It is Lady Kraken's birthday, and the staff all get a big slap-up breakfast on her. Or at least some do. When everyone else has taken their fill, our hero, Herbie Lemon, gets nothing. 

 

While he watches on with hope, a lady's voice whispers in his ear that this year things will be different. Turning, he sees the lady walking towards the elevator. He is captivated by her clothes and hair. More than that, he is intrigued by the people that accompany her. He later finds out that they are two mime artists and her manager. But as he takes it all in, there is something not quite right. Is it the shadows or how the light falls upon the four through the windows?

 

Now, let's move on to what you all really want to know about the Shadowghast, right?

 

The celebration of the Ghastly Night is unique to Eerie-on-Sea and happens when others celebrate All Hallows Eve. That tale starts long ago, back in the 1800s, when the town's mayor, Standing Bigley, built the pier. He was a mean man and devoted to the profit he would make from the visitors to the pier's theatre. 

 

As the pier neared completion, he needed to keep the investors sweet. He decides to put n a show. But where oh where could he get a performer at short notice?

 

As luck would have it, or rather it wouldn't, at that very time, a stranger in his boat is saved from the strong currents out by Maw Rocks, and brought ashore. What is strange about the stranger, even by Eerie standards, is that he has a heavy lantern in the shape of a dragon. When asked who he is, the tatty man declares he is the Puppet Master, and the lantern is magical.

 

Who better to put an opening night display and get the paying customers in, the mayor thinks, and so asks the stranger for his price. Five gold coins were the stranger's fee for a show that would be worth every bit. Of course, you and I can guess that this did not go down well with the tight Mr Bigley. Two was all he offered the man, and it had better be good. The puppet master was not amused, less so than Queen Victoria, and promised the mayor that "may you get what you pay for."

The time of the show came, and it was fabulous. The puppet master manipulated the shadows that he cast in the smoke from his magic lantern into all manner of shapes and beasts, Gargantis and the Malamander amongst them. There is one shadow in the lantern that isn't by the puppet masters creation, the shadowghast! 

 

But Bagley gave only one gold coin when payment was due, stating shadows were only worth half the fee. The puppet master's revenge was to use the shadowghast to take Bagley's shadow, quite literally. And once he had his shadow, he became master of the man himself. In the furore that followed, the pier caught fire, and the puppet master and his lantern were lost to the sea, never to be seen again. But forever after, a curse was on the town. 

 

And thus, the legend of the Shadowghast was born. And each Ghastly Night, you will need to light a Manglewick candle to keep the shadow-stealing spirit away.

 

Of course, this all seems but by-the-by for Herbie, who is about to discover two things. First, the lady is none other than the world-famous magician, Caliastra. Second, she is his aunt, who has come to take him off to his new life as her apprentice.

Whoa, that is quite a bombshell to drop on Herbie. As it happens, it is an even bigger bombshell for Violet, who hoped she would find her parents first. Animosity rears its head. But when people start vanishing from Eerie, Herbie and Violet join forces, albeit reluctantly, to solve a Ghastly Night adventure that lives up to its name! There is more than townsfolk at risk here; there is friendship and newfound family. Hard decisions will need to be made, and demons fought. Will Herbie get to have a family? More importantly, will he ever get to have any of that breakfast?

All this and far more will rise again from the depths of Eerie-on-Sea legend. 

 

 

So, what did we think?

 

When adventures like this keep getting better and better, we have to sit back and admire the writer's originality and style. 

 

This book really was a great adventure and spooky ride from beginning to end. And it really did keep us going to the very last pages, even though our cocoa was going cold.

 

With some lovely twists and characters that you can just reach into the pages and either shake a fist at or shout out support to, like "Look out, it's behind you!" then you know you're on to a winner. I got so gripped by the adventure, at one point, I felt I was lost with Herbie in the dark and could feel the breeze on my face and see the candle splutter. Mrs H ruined all that by putting on my bedside light and shutting the window which had blown open! That said, it was very atmospheric, chilling, in an excellent middle grade read that left us wanting more.

Now I haven't mentioned Erwin the cat thus far. Fear not, dear feline fanciers, he plays an important roll in this adventure. Quite the hero too. But I shall say no more than he gets his turn to tread the boards, amongst other things.

So . . . . 

Crunch time. 

 

Without a doubt, Mr Taylor has created another little masterpiece set in Eerie-on-Sea. Buy this and enjoy a few nights of absorbing mystery. But beware the Shadowghast, heed the warnings else it may steal your shadow too! 

 

There you have it. Well, not quite. At the back of book three is an intro chapter for book 4, called FESTERGRIMM. I don't know about you, but that sounds way too interesting and exciting to pass up.

 

Want to buy a copy?

 

To get a copy, complete with a shadow attached, please do head to your local independent bookshop, during daylight hours, of course!!!!! 

 

Thomas Taylor's web page can be found HERE. http://www.thomastaylor-author.com/

 

Walker Books web page can be found HERE. https://www.walker.co.uk/

 

If any authors, publishers or agents wish us to review their books, please do get in touch. Details are listed on our book review page.

 

 

Till laters!

 

ERin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GARGANTIS

by Thomas Taylor;  

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Cat Princess©

 

 

 

 

Hello, and welcome to my Saturday Book Review featuring Adventures in Middle-Grade Fiction!

 

This week we feel happier than a seagull who has found a freshly cooked and unattended bag of chips on the promenade!

 

Yes, this week, we have the great pleasure to review the spectacular second book set in Eerie on Sea, starring Herbert Lemon, Violet Parma, and Erwin, the cat. 

Me, waiting for the snow.

 

But first, a little Chrismas sketch......

Erin was sat in her special cushioned chair beside the kitchen table. Clearing her throat, she looked around in front of her at an audience that had yet to appear, nodded, and then began.

"Ahem. Just in case HRH has had one too many sherries and tripped over the butler and corgi, I give you my own Royal Speech.

 

Greetings, Your Majesty, First Lady (and the team of undercover secret agents in Room 101b of the Pentagon International Satelite Surveillance Team) and fellow citizens of UMM. Today is my birthday. . . . and Christmas Day. 

 

We know it's been a funny old year, but now is the time to put aside the differences of the months passed. Gone should be the bickering over who gets the TV remote or who gets to lick the tasty gravy off the plates and the last of the succulent chicken. Gone should be the jealousies of whose begonias should have won the Summer Flower Show but strangely got a sudden bad case of wilt. Forget that it was your neighbour who forgot to turn off the garden sprinkler overnight and flooded your car whose window was left open. 

 

These things and more should be but dust in the wind. They are but minor gripes. Trivial pursuits in the grand —"

"I think you'll find that it's trivial MATTERS, dear. Trivial Pursuits is a board game," Mrs H interrupted. Sat at the kitchen table, she peered at Erin over the spectacles that sat low on her nose whilst simultaneously filling in the latest crossword in the UMM Parish Gazette.

"I agree," Erin said, putting down her speech and sighing loudly. "I was totally BORED. There are never any questions about cheese, even though there are lumps of cheese on the board. They could at least have used real cheese. That would have been far more fun. Better still, real mice would have worked."

"You said that about Mousetrap that I bought last year. You cant expect every board game we play to involve food, moving or otherwise. How about we play Village Monopoly?"

 

"That's not half as much fun when you already own half the properties in the village anyway." Sighing, Erin pawed at the script of her speech and then threw the pen down in dismay. "Do you think I'll ever get the call to stand in for Her Majesty? I mean, we are nearly related. AND I had an Annual Horrible too, just like she's had."

"Annus, dear. The term is Annus Horribilis." Mrs H smiled. Erin's grasp of Latin was often confused, and frequently she made up new terms of her own. 

"What, did she fall on her bottom too?"

"No. Annus means year. I doubt the Queen has a bottom, well not in public anyway. Besides, she has staff to do that sort of thing for her; slipping over and the like. Unlike me, who slipped over on your latest bumper edition of Mouse Breeder and Catcher, that you had left on the floor."

"Oh, I wondered what the wailing was but put it down to those unofficial carrol singers trying to exhort money from us again. Really was a cheek them not actually singing, but playing a tape recording."

"Yes, I'm surprised they thought they could get away with it." Mrs H shook her head in disgust. "In my day, we dressed the part in robes and held candles. And it didn't matter if it was snowing or raining. We earned our money. Now, it is purely commercial. One was dressed as Guy Fawkes and tried to get me to give money in advance for next year! At least I thought he was dressed as Guy Fawkes."

"How DID you get rid of them. When I looked out the window, they were running faster than the regulars at the Pied Sparrow when Happy Hour's announced!"

 

"Well, to be fair, it wasn't me that did that, though I wish I had. It was old Ned, the gardener." 

 

"I know he smells a bit of manure and musty stuff, but I wouldn't say Ned was that frightening, OK, maybe a bit?"

 

"Ah, well, he'd been helping me preparing lunch, using the blender, and he forgot to put the cover on. Covered him in tomato puree. It will take a week to get off the ceiling, maybe a bit longer to get off Ned. When he came to the front door to explain, he still had the chopping knife in his hand. The rest, as they say, is history."

 

"Did that really happen?" Erin asked, her mouth wide open as she imagined the zombie-like Ned lurching at the rogue singers.

 

"Well, let's just say that if it didn't, then it should have." Mrs H smiled, glancing discreetly at the hefty rolling pin that sat beside her. Noticing the time, she switched on the radio. "Time for the Queen's Speech. And after that, you can read to me your review of the book for this week's blog......." 

 

As the radio crackled into life, our two companions leaned in close to each other, lost in the tones of the voice that led the nation. Erin slipped her paw into Mrs H's hand and squeezed gently.

"Happy Christmas, Mrs H, and thank you for being making sure we are safe and fed and happy."

'Merry Christmas to you, also, Erin. Life without a tall story and a few odd characters wouldn't be half as much fun. But life without you by my side would be intolerable."

And Happy Christmas to you all, too.

 

 

THE END

Without further ado, here is what you all came for, this week's review. It is also the least of the year, and my, we have saved the best to last!

 

The Stunning book cover of Gargantis, By Thomas Taylor

 

GARGANTIS, by THOMAS TAYLOR

 

Published by WALKER BOOKS LIMITED.

 

Cover artwork by GEORGE ERMOS 

Interior Illustrations by Thomas Taylor

Trade paperback ISBN: 978 - 1 - 4063 - 8629 -5

Exclusive paperback ISBN: 978 - 1 - 4063 - 9661 - 4

Cover price for Paperback £7.99 (or cheaper)

Pages 351.

Age range: 8 and upwards

Any cats? YES, one, called Erwin, and he talks too!

 

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

As ever, to review book two in this series, we need to reveal little bits and pieces of the first book. So, please do look away if you wish to keep it a surprise. 

You can follow the link below to see my review of the first adventure.

 

Book 1 review LINK: MALAMANDER.

 

 

The Plot: 

In the middle of one of Eerie-on-Sea's worst storms, when the waves and winds threaten the very fabric of the seaside town, a strange cloaked and hooded figure books into the Grand Nautilus Hotel. He is carrying a metal-bound wooden box that never leaves his side. He doesn't lower his hood even to speak to anyone. Tere's asunder thunder boom, the lights go out and, when they come back on, he has gone! He has left Herbie Lemon, our hero and the hotels Lost-and-Founder, an object he says he has found. It is a strange shell, covered in curved spikes and unusually heavy for its size with a metallic clink from something inside. Now, if that weren't warning enough that something was strange, there was a small opening where it could be wound up. 

Against his better judgement, Herbie, urged on by Violet Parma and Erwin, who have just arrived in the Lost and Found room, winds up the shell. A strange mechanical crab-like creature comes out and threatens them. Safely secured under a weighed down bucket, our Herbie and Violet head out to the pier for supper. On the way, Herbie sees something very much like a sea serpent, weaving through the storm clouds. Or did he?

 

On their return, the strange wind-up crab beast has vanished. Not only did it chop its way out of the wooden pail, but it also took some hefty chunks of fur off Erwin! Somewhere in the Lost and Found office, the creature lies lurking..... Not a happy thought, but one put aside when a group of sodden sailors carry a strange object into the hotel lobby, all tied up in one of their nets. This turns out to be none other than Mrs Fossil, the local pro-beachcomber. Not only that, but she holds a strangely shaped bottle in her grasp that she found on the beach that very evening.

 

When the sailors, Mrs Fossil and even Dr Thalassi lay claim to the bottle, the Lady Kraken is brought down to adjudicate. She decides that as it is a lost and found item, Herbie should look after it and resolve who rightfully owns it.

 

At this point, I need to through into the ring one of many old Eerie sayings that will come to haunt and guide this adventure: 'When Gargantis sleeps, Eerie keeps. When Gargantis wakes, Eerie quakes . . . . and all falls into the sea!'

 

Will unstoppering the bottle to reveal the contents really put an end to Herbie's problems? Who is the cloaked figure, and why was he so keen to give Herbie the beastly mechanical shell? What secrets do the ancient runes on the side of the bottle hold?

 

Who or what will stop at nothing to get what they think is theirs. And, what will happen if they do?

Friends will be found, and lost. Truths discovered and superstition overturned and rebuilt. Who or what really are the monsters?

 

All this and far, far more is revealed in the rest of the story. But of course, that is for you to discover and me to keep secret. . . . . 

 

 

So, what did we think?

 

I suppose it is hard not to use superlatives when we enjoy pretty much every book we read. They each have, as a rule, different styles and energies that drive them along and give appeal. This book is no exception. In fact, dare I say it, it stands above Amari and the Night Brothers that I reviewed a few weeks ago (See LINK to Review HERE)

 

We adored this book – as we did the previous one – for its energy, originality and the ease in which we were drawn into the story from the first paragraph. I struggled to put it down when Mrs H insisted I really ought to go to bed and put the lights out. 

 

I'd say everything a good read should have is in here. The first person style is perfect. And like book one, it adds so much to the feel of what is going on. OK, if it didn't, then there would be something wrong. But we have read books where the first person character lacks the zing. This, well, it hustles along with just the right amount of Herbert Lemons story to give direction and flavour. Not that it needs extra of that, as there is plenty of seaspray and storm-born static to power a flotilla of stories and seaside neon lights. That may just have been a hint as to something that happens in the book. . . or maybe not. 

Oh, in case you were wondering, Erwin, the cat, has his part to play in this too. 

So . . . . 

Crunch time. 

 

An absolute must-read after the first adventure. Buy for the kid in your life or in yourself. 

There you have it. There is nothing more to add, except that we will be reading and reviewing book three early next year, so there is a lot to look forward to. 

 

Till then, please do come back for more Adventures in Middle-Grade reading. 

 

 

Want to buy a copy?

 

To get a gargantuan attack of salty seaside adventure, then head to your local independent bookshop before they get washed away by the tide of online retailing. 

 

Thomas Taylor's web page can be found HERE. http://www.thomastaylor-author.com/

 

Walker Books web page can be found HERE. https://www.walker.co.uk/

 

If any authors, publishers or agents wish us to review their books, please do get in touch. Details are listed on our book review page.

 

 

Till laters!

 

ERin