Review: Gideon Biddle: Shadowwalk

Shadowwalk by Katherine Wood

This is another book I picked up from Little Professor book store in St.George, Utah. As far as I know, Katherine is a teacher in Utah, self published, and if you are interested here is a link for her work;


Shadowwalk is a very fast paced young adult fantasy. I think the whole story takes place in the span of three or four days. Wood doesn't waste any of your time. She introduces you to the main character and spells out what you need to know about his life of bad luck just in time to turn it upside down.

As explained in the title, the main character is Gideon. I don't really like the name but it grows on you by the end. The first turning point is when he accidentally starts to 'shadowwalk,' which is also pretty self explanatory; he walks through shadows, using them to get from our world to the Midlands. Trouble tends to follow Gideon no matter what world he is in, but he gets through his trials admirably with the help of the friends he acquires; Emily, a dragon rider, and Griffin Nightshadow, a rogue wizard.

Like I said before, the plot has a very quick pace, Wood keeps you turning pages from start to finish. I was slightly reminded of Harry Potter (Parent-less young boy, accidental hero with exceptional abilities, goes out to save the world with the help of his two friends). Wood doesn't make the magical aspects so complicated that they need excessive explanation. She gives attention to the character development and relations, the dialog was very good, and the character actions were seamless. Her creation and description of the monsters and magic elements were impressive, to say the least. I read the book without hardly putting it down once and immediately got my hands on the sequel.

Since I found this book, I have recommended it to anyone looking for a new Young Adult novel. Book two is Gideon Biddle: Night Shadows and you can find both of them on Amazon. My suggestion is if you are going to buy book one, buy book 2 at the same time.