| Peter Pan has crash-landed back on Neverland. But this is not the island he remembers. Desperate to rescue Claire and the fractured Lost Boys, Peter must unravel what truly tore his dreamland apart. But with each step, he is haunted by more of his own broken memories. Not even Pan himself is what he seems. Claire Kenton is chained to a pirate ship, watching the wreckage of Neverland rocked by tempests. When she finally finds her brother, Connor is every bit as shattered as the island. Claire may have pixie dust flowing in her veins—but the light of Neverland is flickering dangerously close to going out forever. To rescue Neverland from the inescapable shadow, the boy who never grew up and the girl who grew up too fast will have to sacrifice the only thing they have left: each other. |  |
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Release date: July 13, 2021
Release date: July 13, 2021
Click here to get your copy!
My Review
The battle for Neverland just got more dangerous...
I have been eagerly anticipating this novel for I think about a year now. Which, is quite funny because I'll be the first person to tell you that I've never been overly fond of Peter Pan. I didn't like the original book, I thought the animated Disney film was so-so, and let's not even mention Hook. But trust me, this ain't the Peter Pan of your childhood. No, Shadow, and its Heirs Of Neverland predecessor Dust, are darker and infinitely more satisfying to read. Author Kara Swanson takes the tale in an entirely new and unexpected direction. In my opinion THIS is what the original Peter Pan should have been and wasn't.
Fantasy has never been my go-to genre but, honestly, it's kinda starting to be now that I've discovered books like the Heirs Of Neverland series. I was thinking about this earlier right after finishing Shadow and I realized that fantasy has a way of touching us, of exciting our imaginations, like no other genre can. It doesn't have to follow the strict rules of reality and can slip through our defenses and delve deep inside to places we try to keep hidden. Did I get all of that out of a YA novel about a boy who refuses to grow up? Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I did.
After reading this series I can tell you that if I see Kara Swanson's name on it, I'll probably read it without a second thought. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed both Dust and Shadow despite being well over a decade past the target age range. Kara Swanson has a wonderful talent for the genre and for captivating readers of any age. Whether you are an adult or a teen, if you love fantasy, I would highly, highly, recommend the Heirs Of Neverland series...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Shadow by Kara Swanson a 5 Bark rating.
I have been eagerly anticipating this novel for I think about a year now. Which, is quite funny because I'll be the first person to tell you that I've never been overly fond of Peter Pan. I didn't like the original book, I thought the animated Disney film was so-so, and let's not even mention Hook. But trust me, this ain't the Peter Pan of your childhood. No, Shadow, and its Heirs Of Neverland predecessor Dust, are darker and infinitely more satisfying to read. Author Kara Swanson takes the tale in an entirely new and unexpected direction. In my opinion THIS is what the original Peter Pan should have been and wasn't.
Fantasy has never been my go-to genre but, honestly, it's kinda starting to be now that I've discovered books like the Heirs Of Neverland series. I was thinking about this earlier right after finishing Shadow and I realized that fantasy has a way of touching us, of exciting our imaginations, like no other genre can. It doesn't have to follow the strict rules of reality and can slip through our defenses and delve deep inside to places we try to keep hidden. Did I get all of that out of a YA novel about a boy who refuses to grow up? Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I did.
After reading this series I can tell you that if I see Kara Swanson's name on it, I'll probably read it without a second thought. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed both Dust and Shadow despite being well over a decade past the target age range. Kara Swanson has a wonderful talent for the genre and for captivating readers of any age. Whether you are an adult or a teen, if you love fantasy, I would highly, highly, recommend the Heirs Of Neverland series...
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Shadow by Kara Swanson a 5 Bark rating.
(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
More from Kara
One of my favorite CS Lewis quotes is this:
There’s something subtly profound about the idea that the very stories which captivate our imagination and shape our perspective on good and evil as children, will reveal more gems when we return to them later. When we’ve conquered some dragons of our own.
This was especially true when I write my Peter Pan retelling duology Dust and Shadow. These YA novels literally return to a fairy tale. I took a familiar story and dug even deeper, pushing Peter himself to grow a little more and see what new bits of pixie dust and hope there may be in a familiar story.
But there is another reason why our hearts gravitate toward fairy tales.
I think GK Chesterton put it brilliantly in a quote that is actually at the very front of Shadow:
This was especially true when I write my Peter Pan retelling duology Dust and Shadow. These YA novels literally return to a fairy tale. I took a familiar story and dug even deeper, pushing Peter himself to grow a little more and see what new bits of pixie dust and hope there may be in a familiar story.
But there is another reason why our hearts gravitate toward fairy tales.
I think GK Chesterton put it brilliantly in a quote that is actually at the very front of Shadow:
Because maybe even more than being reminded of the whimsy of a fairy, we need the reminder that even in a world filled with dragons – they can be killed.
We can conquer.
And that simple truth, told a hundred different ways, will always lift our hearts and our chins.
Shadow was not an easy book to write – and it is not a particularly lighthearted tale. It is raw and vulnerable and at times lives up to it’s title in some darker moments. But there is always a sense of courage there too. A reminder that even in the shadowed places, the valleys, the instances that steal our breath and twist our hearts and make us wonder if all is lost–
We can conquer.
And that simple truth, told a hundred different ways, will always lift our hearts and our chins.
Shadow was not an easy book to write – and it is not a particularly lighthearted tale. It is raw and vulnerable and at times lives up to it’s title in some darker moments. But there is always a sense of courage there too. A reminder that even in the shadowed places, the valleys, the instances that steal our breath and twist our hearts and make us wonder if all is lost–
There is another page to turn. Another step to take.
We are not finished.
No matter how young we are, we can strap on our armor, lift our swords, and fight for the light.
We are not overcome because our strength does not come from us.
It comes from our King.
And in the end, He will make all wrongs right, and there will be a happy ending to our tale, even if it may not be the ending we expect.
Because it may not be easy to slay the dragon, but as the fairy tales do remind us –
We are not finished.
No matter how young we are, we can strap on our armor, lift our swords, and fight for the light.
We are not overcome because our strength does not come from us.
It comes from our King.
And in the end, He will make all wrongs right, and there will be a happy ending to our tale, even if it may not be the ending we expect.
Because it may not be easy to slay the dragon, but as the fairy tales do remind us –
The important thing is that they can be slain.
 Kara Swanson | As the daughter of missionaries, Kara Swanson spent her childhood running barefoot through the lush jungles of Papua New Guinea. Able to relate with characters dropped into a unique new world, she quickly fell in love with the fantasy genre. The award-winning author of The Girl Who Could See, Kara is passionate about crafting stories of light shattering darkness, connecting with readers, and becoming best friends with a mermaid—though not necessarily in that order. Kara chats about coffee, fairytales and bookish things online (@karaswansonauthor) and at karaswanson.com. |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Kara Swanson is giving away the grand prize of
a $25 Amazon gift card!!
a $25 Amazon gift card!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
Blog Stops
Babbling Beck L’s Book Impressions, July 31
Inside the Wong Mind, July 31
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 31
The Write Escape, August 1
Remembrancy, August 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 2
Connect in Fiction, August 2
Blossoms and Blessings, August 2
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 3
Texas Book-aholic, August 3
Where Faith and Books Meet, August 4
Losing the Busyness, August 4
For the Love of Literature, August 4
Worthy2Read, August 5
Mypreciousbitsandmusings, August 5
Wishful Endings, August 5
Inklings and notions, August 6
Mia Reads, August 6
For Him and My Family, August 7
Sodbusterliving, August 7
Mary Hake, August 7
deb’s Book Review, August 8
Nancy E Wood, August 8
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 9
Through the Fire Blogs, August 10
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 10
Artistic Nobody, August 10 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 11
Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 11
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 12
Simple Harvest Reads, August 12 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
The Book Chic Blog, August 12
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 13
Labor Not in Vain, August 13
Inside the Wong Mind, July 31
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 31
The Write Escape, August 1
Remembrancy, August 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 2
Connect in Fiction, August 2
Blossoms and Blessings, August 2
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 3
Texas Book-aholic, August 3
Where Faith and Books Meet, August 4
Losing the Busyness, August 4
For the Love of Literature, August 4
Worthy2Read, August 5
Mypreciousbitsandmusings, August 5
Wishful Endings, August 5
Inklings and notions, August 6
Mia Reads, August 6
For Him and My Family, August 7
Sodbusterliving, August 7
Mary Hake, August 7
deb’s Book Review, August 8
Nancy E Wood, August 8
Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 9
Through the Fire Blogs, August 10
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, August 10
Artistic Nobody, August 10 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 11
Cats in the Cradle Blog, August 11
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 12
Simple Harvest Reads, August 12 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
The Book Chic Blog, August 12
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, August 13
Labor Not in Vain, August 13
RSS Feed
