One of our Books of the Year 2016 | April 2016 Book of the Month Move over Harry Potter, there’s a new orphan on the block, ready to take on monsters and stand up for what’s right and decent. Until he’s 13, Denizen Hardwick (full marks to the author for the name!) has led a pretty miserable life in the gloomy Crosscaper Orphanage. A sceptic, Denizen is not expecting to be summoned to spend time with the aunt he never knew he had, but more surprises are instore: his aunt is part of a team of knights responsible for protecting the world from monsters, and Denizen is expected to sign up with them too. Oozing atmosphere, peppered with humour and featuring some real edge-of-the-seat moments (one starring Denizen’s friend Simon is particularly scary) this is excellent fantasy adventure and distinguished by fine, intelligent writing.
Grey placed his finger in the middle of the shadow. 'What's this?' he asked. Denizen frowned. 'It's a shadow.' 'No, it isn't,' Grey said. 'It's a door.'
Denizen Hardwick doesn't believe in magic - until he's ambushed by a monster created from shadows and sees it destroyed by a word made of sunlight. That kind of thing can really change your perspective. Now Denizen is about to discover that there's a world beyond the one he knows. A world of living darkness where an unseen enemy awaits. Fortunately for humanity, between us and the shadows stand the Knights of the Borrowed Dark. Unfortunately for Denizen, he's one of them...
