Shadow in the Dark

He has no memory of what happened. Or who he is.

Because his past is blank, Brother Andrew decides to name him Alexander – Xan for short.

So Xan joins the life of the Abbey, hoping that at some point he’ll remember what happened and find his real family.

Shadow in the Dark by Antony Barone Kolenc is based in Medieval England – a time of crusades, knights, threshing wheat and struggle between the king and the Roman Catholic Church.

The plot is interesting. The characters less so. If your upper elementary student is studying the Middle Ages and needs more reading material, I’d recommend handing them this book.

However I can think of many other books much more engaging – The Door in the Wall, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! are favorites – especially for a reluctant reader.

I am also not a fan of the introduction “How to Read Historical Fiction” – it felt forced. I’d prefer to enjoy a good story. For those unfamiliar with words of the time, there’s a glossary in the back.

Overall – meh. Not bad, but definitely not a classic that I’ll personally return to – even for the next book in the series.