A Kingdom of Shadows - (Lightseekers) by Emily Bain Murphy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A band of misfits seek to fight the darkness that's slowly overcoming their kingdom--the start of a grand adventure series in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Wingfeather Saga.

Light in the Kingdom of Wildfel is dying. The shadows have been overtaking the light ever since The Great Betrayal. Now, the sun shines increasingly dimmer, it takes more firewood to brighten a room, and the world is growing more desperate and dangerous by the day.

Twelve-year-old orphan Finn survives in this world by being a thief, along with his best friend Adrion and younger sister Lydia. When the three meet a mysterious stranger who claims to know of a lake of light, they set off on an adventure across the kingdom. They discover that Wildfel is a place of great danger and great beauty, where the mist can steal your most precious memories, starlight gathers in waterfalls, spiders spin shimmering webs of glass as deadly as they are dazzling. If they can find this mythical lake of light, it could change the course of their lives, and the kingdom itself.

There are also secrets hiding in the darkness that could change Finn's very understanding of everything he knows to be true, even about himself--but only if he's brave enough to step into the light.

Review Quotes

"Reading A Kingdom of Shadows is like hearing a 'secret song in the dark, ' a melody that pulls you into a world of magic and light. With world-building at its finest, Emily Bain Murphy constructs an incredible adventure that is more than a mere quest--with characters so richly drawn, readers will feel deeply invested from page one."--John Hendrix, New York Times bestselling illustrator and author of The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien

"Any reader who loves fantasy will enjoy this wonderful tale about a ragtag group of young explorers seeking light in a darkening world and discovering the meaning of true friendship along the way."--Karina Yan Glaser, New York Times bestselling author of the Vanderbeekers series

"A Kingdom of Shadows is a book-shaped lantern that illuminates themes of friendship and wonder amid high-stakes adventure, magical prose, and characters you'll be glad to follow. A brilliant beginning to a shining new series!"--Kamilla Benko, USA Today bestselling author of The Unicorn Quest

"This story is pure light! From Finn's care for his sister and best friend to the fantastical creatures and settings, A Kingdom of Shadows buzzes with sparks of beauty and wonder that shine in stark contrast to a world where light itself is disappearing. Join this ragtag group of misfits on their impossible quest. You won't regret it!"--Carolyn Leiloglou, award-winning author of the Restorationists trilogy

"Emily Bain Murphy invites her readers on a journey of purpose and discovery. This is a great read-aloud with ample opportunity for conversations around the nature of good and evil, friendship, and the existential questions we all live with. I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours with a child than reading A Kingdom of Shadows together!"--Lacy Finn Borgo, author of Spiritual Conversations with Children

"A Kingdom of Shadows offers a page-turning, pulse-raising, heart-warming, breath-stealing, grin-inducing tale of danger, adventure, and friendship. I was hooked from the first chapter, and I will be impatiently waiting for the next book in the Lightseekers series so that I can find out what happens in the quests (both outward and inward) of these unforgettable characters."--Carolyn Arends, recording artist, author, and Renovaré director of education

"From its hauntingly beautiful first chapter, this fantasy-adventure novel seized my imagination. Each page illuminates the wondrous news that the light has come into our world and the darkness cannot put it out. Rather than remaining an abstract idea, this gospel reality is embodied through the adventures of Emily Bain Murphy's youthful characters in down-to-earth ways that delight and move the heart."--Trevor Hudson, author of Seeking God: Finding Another Kind of Life with St Ignatius and Dallas Willard and In Search of God's Will: Discerning a Life of Faithfulness and Purpose

About the Author

Emily Bain Murphy is the author of two young adult fantasies: The Disappearances, which was a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, an ALAN Pick, and was shortlisted for the Waterstones' Children's Book Prize; and Splinters of Scarlet, which received multiple starred reviews and was nominated for the Mark Twain Readers Award. She is also the author of two historical mysteries for adults, Enchanted Hill and The Ivory City. A Kingdom of Shadows is Emily's middle grade debut.