John Lenahan’s novel SHADOWMAGIC is now out in a limited (1000 copies), numbered, signed, hardback edition from Harper Collins. You can get one postage free (worldwide) from: www.bookdepository.co.uk

Are printed copies still available? I know there were only a few printed.

the story was amazingly fun to listen to and i very very Impatiently await the sequel(s?)……truly fantastic audiobook

Can’t wait to “read” more of your work John. Fantastic voice work and a thoroughly entertaining ride. Great work turning “cliche” fantasy on its ear.

I think everyone can identify with Conor and we all can’t wait to follow his next adventure.

I really liked it and I look forward to the next one…
there were parts that felt telegraphed but that was ok as it worked in this story better than it would have in most.

I found myself guessing what the “punchlines” were going to be before they came, and most of the time I was right which means I was on the same train of thought as the author which in my opinion make a story much more enjoyable…

as for mikes comments I dont read stories for the “statements” of one form or another that they make, I read(listen to) them for the entertainment value that they have, and this one was very good in my opinion

good job John

1 – That Conor is a “Clueless pansy… wholly devoid of any incentive and always being acted upon by outside forces that surprise and baffle him.”

Well yea - that’s the point. The basic plot of Shadowmagic can be summed up as: an ordinary kid thrown into extraordinary circumstances. (Have you never read the Hobbit?) It’s a story as old as storytelling. The protagonist’s job in this plot is to survive the situation as best as he or she can and possibly bring a conclusion that is to his/her advantage – in a comedy, or fail – in a tragedy. In the case of Conor I am offended by the “clueless pansy” line. I think he weathers the hurricane that his life becomes with wit and aplomb. It’s not his job to show up and force a constitutional democracy on Tir na Nog. (You need an army for that and as we are learning, it doesn’t work.)

2 - Conor doesn’t learn a damn thing during his various tribulations.

As Billy Joel once wrote, “I find that just surviving is a noble fight,” but beyond that I think Conor learns a lot. He learns the joy and importance of family, the comradery of friends, the sweetness and pain of young love, and most importantly for me, he learns that he has underestimated his father all of his life. A lesson that most of us only find out when we have a family of our own. Did Dorothy learn much more?

Sure he makes mistakes (most notably his last decision seems to be a big mistake) but he’s a teenager. Can you imagine a teen character that is faultless? How dull would that be?

3- Mike wrote: “I wouldn’t recommend this to any young’uns of mine, and I’d actually steer them away from it… I like the rug rats to pick up something useful.”

Firstly, as stated in the podiobooks blurb, Shadowmagic is designated for an audience of 12 and up. Even though I am sure I would never use the term “rug rat” for a child of mine, I certainly wouldn’t use it for a 12 year old. If you want a story for children who are still crawling then Shadowmagic is not for you. Shadowmagic is also not a fable. You will find no hidden or obvious messages about global warming or nuclear proliferation or even how to deal with bullying (actually a banta stick would work for that.)

I have spent over twenty years as a professional comedian/magician. While my colleagues would step onto comedy club stages and attack the government of the day or the hypocrisies of society – I did tricks and told jokes. I believe that life is heavy enough and an audience deserves at least one act on the bill that takes their mind away from their hard lives - as opposed to putting a magnifying glass to it. I have extended that philosophy to my novel. As far as difficult lives go, I truly believe that being a teen and a tweenager is much more difficult than “grown-ups” remember. We look back on our youth with rose tinted glasses and forget that every emotion is a new one and that every interaction has major consequences in where and how the teen places within the pecking order of his or her world. I wonder how us old guys would last under such scrutiny. Being a teen is very hard.

If you are a dad Mike I’d like to give you a piece of advice - lighten up. There are few things better than getting lost in an adventure for adventures sake. If you make sure everything your child reads is worthy - you are almost surely going to raise a non-reader.

John Lenahan

John Lenahan’s novel SHADOWMAGIC is now out in a limited (1000 copies), numbered, signed, hardback edition from Harper Collins. You can get one postage free (worldwide) from: www.bookdepository.co.uk

John L

the direct link is:
http://www.pupuplatters.com/pupuplayer/pro/pupuplayer_pro.php?id=317&backwards=1

Pookas, as well as most of the references in Shadowmagic, are inspired (if only loosely) by actual Irish mythology.

Pookas were first recorded in R. C Crockers collected folklore in 1825. I’ve never heard of White Wolf but I suspect that its author has used the same folk sources as I. The originality that you speak of belongs to the ancient wondering purveyors of oral tales. We are but standing on their shoulders.

You should always do your homework before you accuse someone of plagiarism.

John Lenahan