The Shadowmancer Returns is the fourth novel in Graham Taylor

Graham Taylor (author)

Graham Peter Taylor , pen-name G. P. Taylor, is the author of the best-selling novels Shadowmancer, Wormwood and Tersias. Before taking up writing full-time, he was an Anglican vicar in the village of Cloughton, North Yorkshire.His works reflect his faith, carrying Christian messages like The...

's Shadowmancer

Shadowmancer

Shadowmancer is a fantasy novel by Graham Taylor , first published privately in 2002. It is a Christian allegory in the form of a fantasy adventure, akin to C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. Taylor wrote the book to counteract what he saw as a rise in atheist propaganda in children's books...

series, following Tersias

Tersias

Tersias is the second sequel to the fantasy novel Shadowmancer by Graham P. Taylor and direct sequel to Wormwood. Tersias was followed in 2006 by The Shadowmancer Returns: The Curse of Salamander Street...

, and a direct sequel to Shadowmancer.

Plot summary

In this sequel to Shadowmancer, Thomas, Kate, and Raphah flee from the evil sorcerer Demurral and head to London with Jacob Crane. But once there, their ship is seized and they are lured into the dark heart of the city. Further north, Raphah and Beadle set off on a terrifying journey in search of their friends; a journey haunted by mysterious enemies and a shadowy beast intent on their doom.

Cultural references

Several myths and legends are incorporated into the story, such as The Wandering Jew, The Holy Grail

Holy Grail

The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...

 and Black Dogs

Barghest

Barghest, Bargtjest, Bo-guest, Bargheist, Bargeist, Barguist, Bargest or Barguest is the name often given in the north of England, especially in Yorkshire, to a legendary monstrous black dog with huge teeth and claws, though in other cases the name can refer to a ghost or Household elf, especially...

. Furthermore, Beadle remembers meeting a man from eastern Europe, who came to Whitby

Whitby

Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...

 via shipwreck with a black dog - a reference to Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker

Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...

's novel Dracula

Dracula

Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...

where the Count arrives at Whitby from a shipwreck in the shape of an enormous black dog.