Nightwalker: The Warlocks of Talverdin (Nightwalker Book One)

K. V. Johansen
Orca Book Publishers (2007)
ISBN 9781551434810
Reviewed by Simon Smith (age 9) for Reader Views (5/08)


“Nightwalker: The Warlocks of Talverdin” is a book that tells about an odd boy named Maurey.  He is odd because of his black hair and eyes.  Also, he is the son of a warlock (his mother is dead before the story begins) and was called a nightwalker even before people knew that he was a nightwalker because he just looked like one. A nightwalker is a kind of sorcerer that, using a shadow, can disappear into a dimension called the half world. This is a place where everything is made out of shadow. Nightwalkers are able to perform spells as well as go in and out of the half world. The other power that the nightwalkers have is being able to see very well in the dark. You might think that it would be cool to be a nightwalker, and if you think so, then you are right. Or at least you would be right if almost every human on the earth did not try to destroy you.

The method that the people used to find, take out, and destroy all of the nightwalkers, was an odd thing -- a creation of alchemy called philosophers’ fire, which only harms warlocks.  Philosopher’ fire is difficult to find and making it is very dangerous because if you don’t do it exactly right it could kill you.  Maurey has to flee for his life after the rings -- the only things which he had left from his mother -- were taken from him and he was put to the test by Philosophers’ fire to see if he was a warlock or not.  After being proved a warlock by the Philosophers’ fire, Maurey meets the Baroness of Oakhold, who attempts to free Maurey because she knows that humans have more evil than warlocks.  You’ll be amazed at the unusual way that she tries to free him!

I really liked how the author described the half world and how the adventure unfolded in “Nightwalker: The Warlocks of Talverdin.”  I didn’t understand the beginning very much when I started but it gets better when the book goes on.  I think this is a very good book for boys and girls, aged eight and up.

Make comment on weblog