The Shadow Road

by K. D. Kirchmeier Narrated by Erin Walther, Ryan Wilson

Overview

Bloomsbury presents The Shadow Road by K. D. Kirchmeier, read by Erin Walther and Ryan Wilson For fans of Rick Yancey and Neal Shusterman, comes a thrilling tale of survival as dragon-like monsters invade, and two unlikely heroes must save humanity from annihilation. When the monsters came, the power went out. Towns and cities became darkened ruins, and terrified survivors fled west, trailed by the blitz, dragon-like creatures screeching down from the sky enshrouded in lightning, delivering death. The old world is ending, but not all hope is lost. Left behind is a timid dreamer, Thomas, and a brash and outspoken daredevil, Cassie. When their paths unexpectedly cross, they must outwit both monsters and humans alike on an epic journey across a dangerous ravaged landscape if they hope to do the impossible: Reignite hope. Defeat the blitz. Save humanity. In this postapocalyptic fantasy perfect for fans of Rick Yancey and Neal Shusterman, readers will find high-stakes adventure and compelling characters they won't soon forget.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

“A thrilling coming-of-age tale of survival, magic, maybe-miracles, and monsters. . . . I was hooked from the first page.” —Lora Senf, Bram Stoker Award winner and author of THE CLACKITY

“Truly original and breathtaking, this book is a marvelous ride! The action, tension, and drama burn at a high level.” —Arthur Slade, Canadian Governor General's award-winning author of DUST

“Kirchmeier skillfully balances tension and wonder, making the book an engaging journey through a perilous yet enchanting world.” —School Library Journal

“The book's message that most of humanity might actually come together in kindness rather than violence at the end of the world is a refreshing one.” —BCCB

“[A] propulsive adventure.” —Publishers Weekly

“Themes of destiny, dreams, and intuition round out a well-paced story of survival.” —Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

2024-07-19
Two teenagers are determined to stop monsters from wiping out humanity.

The blitz, short for blitzesser (or lightning eaters in German), are dragonlike creatures with strong electromagnetic fields. They caused a major blackout and have terrorized humans into hiding. Sixteen-year-old Cassie lives in a forest camp with other survivors, relying on her strong intuition to keep her safe from the blitz. Miles away on the prairie, 16-year-old Thomas, left alone after his dad’s death and armed with a book on mythical creatures, hitches a ride west with Danica, a truck driver who’s determined to bring hope to survivors. When the teens’ paths cross, their destinies become closely intertwined. To stop the blitz from eliminating the people who remain, they’ll have to deal with enemies both human and otherwise. Magic abounds in this post-apocalyptic tale of an otherworldly invasion. Kirchmeier draws on folklore and legend to populate the world with mythical beings from various cultures. Themes of destiny, dreams, and intuition round out a well-paced story of survival. The worldbuilding is excellent when it comes to the mythical creatures, but weaker when depicting the human beings who are left on a battle-scarred continent, and some interesting scenarios, such as a cult of religious scavengers, would have benefited from more robust descriptions. Most characters are cued white.

A dark look at a post-apocalyptic, magic-filled world.(Dark fantasy. 13-17)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940195083069
Publisher:	Bloomsbury YA
Publication date:	10/15/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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