The Shadows of Rookhaven - by Pádraig Kenny (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The exquisite sequel to The Monsters of Rookhaven, following the half-human and half-monster Mirabelle on a mission to protect the only home she's ever known from a sinister new threat bent on eradicating her family, perfect for fans of Christian McKay Heidicker, Robert Beatty, and Victoria Schwab.

Shadows are gathering over Rookhaven Village, and no human--or monster--is safe . . .

In the wake of the shocking revelation that Mirabelle is part human and part monster, our heroine feels like an outsider, both at home and in the greater human world. She isn't quite like the rest of the monsters who raised her at Rookhaven Manor, but she also doesn't recognize herself in humanity, especially after witnessing the terrifying damage left by The Blitz.

But as the Great Configuration, a once in a hundred years event, descends upon Rookhaven Village, there's barely enough time to think of herself. Humans and monsters are gathering from all over the country to take part in the festivities. Though, amid the guests is an insidious interloper: A young boy named Billy, who is desperate to protect his own, is working for someone who wants to destroy Mirabelle's family.

When Billy steals something precious to Mirabelle, there's more than just her family at stake. Billy is being used for an experiment that could incite a disaster that will affect humans and monsters alike. With the fate of the world on her shoulders, Mirabelle must risk everything and everyone to save the people she loves most.

A stunning gothic fantasy with a beating heart, The Shadows of Rookhaven concludes Pádraig Kenny's duology with a masterful ending that reveals the crucial truth that family is much more than just a place--it's the people you love and the home you find within yourself.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Monsters of Rookhaven

"A stunning book . . . a brand new take on the monster story." --Eoin Colfer, international bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series

"A magnificent, shadowy, gothic adventure full of heart." --Emma Carroll, author of When We Were Warriors

"Unique, thrilling and moving . . . with its timely--yet timeless--message of choosing empathy over fear, The Monsters of Rookhaven is proof that Pádraig Kenny is one of the best children's writers around." --Shane Hegarty, author of Darkmouth

"[A] totally absorbing tale, where the most fearsome monster is one that reveals everyone's deepest fears to all the others." --Guardian

"A wildly imaginative story . . . a triumph." --Irish Examiner

"Full of gruesome charm and heart-wrenching pathos, this story offers a satisfying gothic fantasy at once chilling and affecting." --Publishers Weekly

"Themes of grief, empathy, and the nature of monsters play out as danger arrives from an unexpected source . . . A dreamy, imaginative premise gives way to pensive catharsis." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Pádraig Kenny is a bestselling and critically acclaimed Irish writer who hails from Newbridge in County Kildare. He is the author of several books for children, including the Waterstones Children's Book of the Month pick and CILIP Carnegie Medal nominated Tin, the Independent Bookseller's Book of the Month Pog, and The Monsters of Rookhaven.