Blog Tour: The Shadow Order
Today, I am delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for ‘The Shadow Order’ by Rebecca F John. This is a story you will not want to miss!
Friends Teddy James, Betsy Blue and Effie Hart live in Copperwell, a city which has lived for a year under The Shadow Order, a law passed to prevent its citizens from seeing their shadows which have changed and now reflect each person’s true self. It’s been a long dark year in which only the Constabulary- law enforcement- are allowed to move outside in daylight hours.
When the three children decide to break the rules and climb to the top of the Observatory to see the sunrise, they witness the arrest of a woman who is shouting about the government, accusing them of being responsible for the change in the shadows and telling anyone who will listen to ‘find the orrery!’ Determined to find out what the government is really up to, the friends set off on a quest brimming with peril, excitement and adventure.
‘The Shadow Order’ is a gripping read, perfect for those children who like to be challenged in their thinking. Darkness lurks in Copperwell, not only because of the Order, but because the population are being controlled and manipulated by those in power. They are constantly being fed misinformation to make them behave in a way which suits their leaders- sounds familiar? Stories like this are so important to encourage children to think for themselves and question things, looking for a balanced view rather than blindly accepting the ‘party line’, whatever your party might be!
As with the other hosts on this blog tour, I have a snippet of exclusive content to share. I am delighted by this as it allows me to ‘show, not tell’ Rebecca’s skill in both world building and character development.
Limpet’s Lane
Swindler’s Quarter is the poorest part of Copperwell. And the poorest part of Swindler’s Quarter is Limpet’s Lane. On Limpet’s Lane, each room houses at least two families, who cram top-to-toe into beds six or eight people at a time. One early morning, Teddy and his father collected a fare from Limpet’s Lane in the cab. Teddy could tell his father was nervous by the way he kept glancing over his shoulder, wrapping his hands tighter around Jim’s reins. The tall narrow houses blocked out the rising winter sun. ‘Stay alert,’ Teddy’s father said. ‘Desperate people do desperate things sometimes.’ Teddy clamped his gloved hands together. ‘Then we shouldn’t be here,’ he said. ‘It’s frightening.’ His father replied in a murmur. ‘It’s impossible to live a life without fear.’ And clicked Jim on into the shadows.
The three children- Teddy, Betsy and Effie-are very different children, each with their own secrets and challenges. The strength of their friendship and their loyalty to each other supports them through the many challenges, emotional and physical which they face whilst trying to expose the truth. I have a particular fondness for Teddy and am delighted to see a sensitive, caring male character who doubts himself for not being brave enough, yet when needed, finds the courage to do what needs to be done.
‘The Shadow Order’ is the perfect book for the ‘moving on’ stage of readers- those able readers around Year 6/7/8 who are looking for something to challenge them, but are not ready perhaps for the content of novels aimed at older readers. I really hope there will be more books so we can follow Teddy, Betsy and Effie further as their lives continue.
The Shadow Order Rebecca F. John
Firefly Press ISBN: 978-1913102951
Many thanks to Rebecca and the lovely Karen at Firefly- it was a pleasure to meet you at the YLG Conference!- for inviting me to be part of this tour. Make sure you catch the rest of the posts about this brilliant book.