Dan Mishkin and Tome Mandrake, The Forest King: Woodlark’s Shadow

The Forest King: Woodlark's Shadow

Dan Mishkin and Tome Mandrake

Actionopolis, October 2006, $12.95

ISBN: 0974280356

John and Beth Woodlark accompanied by their preadolescent son Justin relocate from the big city to the small woodland village founded by an ancestor on the edge of the forest. Their new house in fact abuts the woods. Justin makes friends with kids his age, especially athletic Alice Crane and sprouting up Rob Prichard.

However, though he plays Hide and Seek, and Old Man of the Forest, the nearby woods scare him, as he has heard shrieks and other noises and seen things that should not be. He believes that something evil, perhaps the Old Man of legend, lives in the forest and is growing. Justin fears the shadow that seems to be coalescing into to something else, but also wonders what to do, as he knows no one will believe his ridiculous story, including him, but if he does nothing his parents, his friends, the town and he will be engulfed by an ancient malevolence growing stronger by the nanosecond.

This is a terrific young adult horror thriller starring a likable lead character struggling with what to do, as he thinks he's just a kid and should not have to deal with the weight of the world (or at least his town) on his shoulders. The storyline is action-packed, and enhanced by terrific illustrations that add to the feel of foreboding and doom. Readers will enjoy Justin's adventures, as the frightened lad battles an ancient evil to determine who the true Forest King is.