I just finished reading Shadowmancer, which is the first novel by, vicar turned author, G.P. Taylor. At first blush it seems like just another Harry Potter book. However, the reader soon discovers that it is a religious allegory fantasy. This is a good or a bad thing, depending on who you ask. On one hand you could say that Shadowmancer provides a deep message about good and evil without the stigma sometimes associated with preaching. On the other hand, in the spirit of pluralism you might think that the world is far less black and white than the picture painted by the author.

As one reviewer commented, Taylor’s “Christian agenda is never far from the surface–many of the characters’ utterances are almost verbatim Biblical quotes.” While I personally do not view quoting scripture as a bad thing, I can see how the overtness might turn off a non-Christian reader. I would say that in terms of subtlety and depth, Shadowmancer is out of its league compared to classics such as C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. I also found the characters to be a little flat and underdeveloped. However, I still enjoyed the story and think that Taylor’s writing shows promise. He has the right message, but needs to say it with more creativity and flair.

The other day I picked up a copy of Taylor’s second book, entitled Wormwood. A friend told me that it is an improvement over Shadowmancer. I hope this is a true statement, as you often hear that many times an author’s debut novel is his best work.