Book Summary
In twelfth century England, an attack by bandits in the middle of the night leaves a young boy with no memory of who he is or where he is from. Nursed back to health by the devoted monks in a Benedictine abbey, he takes the name Alexander, or Xan for short. Aided by the kindly Brother Andrew, and his best friend, Lucy, Xan commits himself to finding out who he really is. Is his family still alive? Why has God allowed so much suffering into his life? And who—or what—is the shadowy figure creeping around the abbey in the dead of night?
My Review
Shadow in the Dark is an enjoyable medieval adventure with interesting characters, each with their own unique personality. The opening scene endeared the main character to my heart with his bravery, struggle to know the right thing to do, and risk-taking to help others. The mystery and adventure will pull readers along all the way to the last scene, which has a beautiful message of forgiveness. Shadow in the Dark has enough descriptions to take readers to the middle ages without bogging the story down.
When good books are often in short supply, I am excited to discover another story that has a high entertainment factor, educational value–I learned a few things about monks and the Middle Ages–but also positive role models and messages for young readers. The courage of the main character is a much-needed virtue for our time. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Theresa Linden, author of award-winning Catholic fiction
Excerpt:
The boy jolted awake to a thunderous drumming. He rolled off his straw mattress. The dirt floor trembled beneath his toes, almost tickling them. Da-doom, da-doom, da-doom. “Father? Mother?”
Vapor puffed from his mouth in the dim light. Dawn must be near.
Across the cottage, Father sprang to his feet, his thick hair jutting out in all directions. “Listen. Horses!” He pulled a brown tunic over his head as Mother stirred next to him.
The boy grabbed his own tunic, sticking his arms into its scratchy woolen holes. Then he slipped on a pair of thin leather shoes. Father might need his help.
Hoots and curses and screams rang out from the far side of the village—a chaotic mix of angry shouts and terrified cries. Hardonbury Manor must be under attack!
Mother clung to Father’s hand, her eyes wide with fear. “What do we do, Nicholas?”
“Stay here!” Father bolted out the crooked wooden door, letting in a rush of misty air.
Bitter smoke stuck to the boy’s tongue—not the pleasant smell of the hearth, where Mother heated their broth each morning. Nay, it was foul smoke, worse than the stench of the fire that had burned the crops in the West Field last year.
Mother sunk her face into her hands.
“Don’t worry.” The boy hugged her tight. “God will protect us.”
“Son!” Father’s voice called from outside.
“Coming, Father!” He squeezed Mother’s hand and burst out the flimsy door.
A surge of heat slapped his face as flames sprang up from the thatched roof of a nearby cottage. The manor house on the hill was burning, too! Dark clouds of smoke poured from windows on its high stony walls—like rows of filthy chimneys staining the red sky of dawn.
Villagers scurried about in all directions, but six burly men had gathered to defend Hardonbury with their tools: hoes, shovels, and long scythe blades for the wheat harvest.
Father stood among the defenders, taller than the rest. His shoulders were squared, and his eyes glistened in the firelight. Maybe Father wanted him to join the battle.
“I’m here, Father.”
“Nay! Take Mother and run, son,” Father yelled. “’Tis bandits!”
Just then, the village blacksmith sprinted down the lane toward them, his huge hands balled into fists, pumping back and forth. A bandit dressed in black pursued him on a sweaty horse. Dust swirled into the smoky air with the strike of each hoof.
The horseman held a long wooden mace crowned with metal studs. He bore a jagged scar on his cheek, and his thick, crooked nose looked as though it had been broken and never healed. He kicked the blacksmith to the dirt, then swung the mace and hit the poor man’s head with a bone-cracking blow.
“Get ready, men!” Father said. He waved his son off: “Not you.”
The boy shook his head hard. He would never run and leave Father to fight alone. He might be only eleven years old, but he’d worked the fields with Father each day and cleaned the tools with Father each night. He was old enough to fight bandits with Father, too.
Five men on horseback rode up in a cloud of dust, joining the scarred bandit. They circled the defenders, penning the boy out. A few of them carried crossbows fitted with sharp quarrels. He couldn’t get to Father without fighting through them. More bandits were heading this way, too, judging by the sound of it.
Review Blurbs:
An “engaging medieval adventure with appeal that transcends its denominational press.”
School Library Journal (June 2020):
“Tweens and teens who enjoy a medieval setting, plenty of action, and a good scare won’t be able to put this book down.”
Catholicmom.com (July 2020)
“[A] wonderful middle-grade mystery adventure…. The worldbuilding is excellent, and the characters are believable.”
Karina Fabian (July 2020)
Book links
Get the book from Loyola Press
Get the book on Amazon
Author Bio
Antony Barone Kolenc (“Tony”) retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps after 21 years of military service. He is a law professor who teaches courses on constitutional and military law and has been published in numerous journals and magazines, and he speaks at legal, writing, and homeschooling events. Tony and his family live in Jacksonville, and are the proud parents of five children and three grandchildren. His book, Shadow in the Dark, Book One in The Harwood Mysteries, is available in paperback, as an ebook, and on audible from Loyola Press.
Author website
Things Visible & Invisible 