Nora lives in Brannland, where shadow beasts called the Umbrae come out once the sun goes down. Adults who are bitten die, but there are children who are immune. These children become knights at the age of 7 when they train to destroy the shadow beasts. Although Nora Kemp’s blood was tested and proven to be immune, her father refused to allow her to become a knight. Knight's train hard and live away from their families and Owen Kemp wanted his daughter to have a normal childhood. Instead, Nora lives in the countryside on a farm where she has sheep and plays the fiddle. Her family has always known they have to be inside when the "gloaming" comes because that is when the Umbrae come out to attack anyone outside. But life on a farm doesn't always stop. It’s been over a year since the beasts got her dad and now Nora’s mother has been almost bitten by them (even being near them can make someone sick). Only Nora’s quick thinking saves them both. But this makes Nora think about being a knight and she calls up the school and talks to the person who tested her when she was seven. The umbrae have been getting worse and there are less people who are able to fight them, so the school agrees to have Nora come and try out. She missed five years of training but that doesn’t stop Nora’s natural instincts and abilities from shining through. Nora has a lot to learn about the school, which is divided into different orders. It takes a little bit of time for her to bond with her new order, but they are a team the first night they go to fight the Umbrea together. Unlike the video game Nora played at home, these battles are exhausting, dangerous, and extremely stressful, as she needs to protect herself, her order and the citizens. When someone from another order does something that puts the lives of everyone in Brannland in danger, Nora and her order try to come to the rescue. What they discover is even more dangerous and petrifying than they could’ve ever imagined. Can Nora and her order defeat the beasts? What secrets will Nora discover about her family? Why are the beasts multiplying? You’ll have to read this fast paced adventure to find out.
I own a hardcover copy of Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras, but I was lucky enough to win a copy of the audiobook online. I am so glad I did. The narrator does an amazing job and I felt like I was right there in the store with Nora. The way the setting was painted made the scenes easy to imagine. Nora is a character that people can relate to because she seems like a regular kid who enjoys reading, playing video games, and spending time with her family. I like seeing how the relationships in the book change as Nora gets to know everyone. It’s dangerous for children to be out fighting the beasts, but the story explains why it needs to be children, not adults. I highly recommend this book to anyone in fourth grade or up who enjoys action, adventure, and characters who really make you care about them. I have read The Mad Wolf's Daughter by Diane Magras and I look forward to reading other books by her in the future.
Has anyone else read Secret of the Shadow Beasts? Or have you read another book by Diane Magras? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Reading!
~L
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