Up there on your bookshelf between Tolkien and Watership Down is where this book belongs. As an anthropomorphic adventure that winds through the realm of animals possessing courage, savagery, perseverance, and ultimately wisdom in the face of mounting evil threats – humans disconnected from the natural world – the tale is relevant, if not necessary.
A stunning tale told through the odyssey of a loveable possum, and the friends and lessons he collects along the way. Embedded throughout are clues that lead the reader to reflect on how modern mankind fails to identify itself as part of nature, and the ramifications of this failure. Through deceptively sophisticated writing, Armstrong interweaves complex biological principles into an entertaining narrative laced with drama, suspense, terror, humor, beauty, wisdom and hope. This book should rank as a mainstay of environmental literature for generations to come.
This is an imaginative tale with a fully realized animal kingdom of colorful characters. The writing is original and often poetic, such as this description of “the large white tern who floated gracefully, like a ghostly marionette.” The environmental message is serious, but the story is often light and loving as the animals with their very human traits attempt to deal with the sans-pelages, while also trying to intuit the meaning of a “peculiar celestial event.” The event, observed by Stella, a wise upland sandpiper, seems to portend doom, but what, why, when? While a book narrated entirely by animals can be a tough sell, this tale is as delightful as it is dismaying and will surely resonate with a wide audience, particularly, those with a deep love of this earth.
This columnist found this book to be a true delight as well a quietly instructional guide on the plight of animals and the earth. I know that one day this book will be become required reading in schools and universities, but is a delight to read by old guys like this columnist.
In this charming debut tale, Armstrong adeptly blends classic storytelling with the usual genre tropes of literary fiction, creating a timeless, brilliant story of an animal kingdom … The forest folks (animals) are sketched with great skill and understanding. Zak is absolutely adorable, a possum of good intentions, a hero to root for; Armstrong makes his story both emotionally fraught and witty yet enriching for the reader … Armstrong captures the vast wilderness of prehistoric woodland and the barren beauty of vast ice belt in its full glory with breathtaking descriptions, executing a finely calibrated juggling act between the real and the imaginary. Filled with memorable characters, excellent world-building, and witty dialogue, Armstrong’s superb tale brilliantly speaks to the environmental issues of today. It’s as much a story of perseverance, courage, self-discovery, and friendship as it is of the battle between good and evil. Fans of Richard Adams’ Watership Down will feel right at home.
From the very imaginative mind of a razor sharp observer of wild and human nature springs this enchanting novel about the journey of the forest-folk, endearing woodland animals imbued with the innate wisdom to truly know themselves. We only wish that Armstrong continues to pursue his passion to craft such wondrous tales to help us see our place in the natural world.
An enchanting and imaginative adventure set in the days of old when animals could speak with one another and humans were still primitive, tribal creatures. The animal characters have a lively and sophisticated dialogue, replete with languages and dialects. This engrossing story makes us think about our identities and our place in nature.
Shadowshine is a delightful story about Zak, a possum who has a bit of trouble maintaining his train of thought. It’s what I would describe as a story akin to The Hobbit, or Homer’s Odyssey-lite. This book would make a great animated feature movie and I hope some astute script writer stumbles across it and sees its potential. Three words: delightful, entertaining, and enlightening.
…readers receive a solid adventure that is intriguing and hard to put down…Johnny Armstrong crafts an absorbing, fun story that will entertain even as it poses food for thought about the animals' relationships, choices, and evolutionary process. Adult enthusiasts of animal-based fiction are in for a real treat.—D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
This is an imaginative tale with a fully realized animal kingdom of colorful characters. The writing is original and often poetic, such as this description of "the large white tern who floated gracefully, like a ghostly marionette." The environmental message is serious, but the story is often light and loving as the animals with their very human traits attempt to deal with the sans-pelages, while also trying to intuit the meaning of a "peculiar celestial event." The event, observed by Stella, a wise upland sandpiper, seems to portend doom, but what, why, when? While a book narrated entirely by animals can be a tough sell, this tale is as delightful as it is dismaying and will surely resonate with a wide audience, particularly, those with a deep love of this earth.—Blueink 'Starred' Review
2020-02-26
In Armstrong’s debut fantasy, a possum undergoes a harrowing journey to get help when savage bipeds threaten the existence of forest creatures.
Zak became an orphan when, as a baby possum, he fell from his mother’s pouch. As a family of gray squirrels adopted him, Zak is bilingual, able to speak “the Rodent language” incomprehensible to most “forest-folk,” consisting of the varied species who thrive in a dense forest. In the forest, there’s been concern about bipedal creatures called sans-pelages (roughly translatable as “without animals’ fur coats”), as they make campfires. But a leader named Mungo, one particularly sadistic sans-pelage, has been attacking other sans-pelages with fire. A possum named Zak offers to go on a journey northward to learn how other regions have dealt with these problems. He faces many potential threats other than predators, including glaciers and raging river currents. Things turn even more burdensome when it’s fairly evident that Zak is lost. Fortunately, he stumbles upon a few four-legged allies, from Elbon the skunk to Sark the mammoth-esque mastodon. Meanwhile, Zak’s bobcat pal, Sena, and others back at home may be in danger as Mungo continues to lead his army of warriors down an infernal path. Before long, the forest-folk will have to take a stand against the sans-pelages to save their homes. Despite the variety of predominantly furry characters, Armstrong’s novel is not for children, as there are a number of bloody confrontations. Nevertheless, this environmental story often manages to be lighthearted. Zak, for example, is a self-described poet with a sophisticated manner of speech and an unusual preferred exclamation: “Incomprehensible!” A sharp focus on the forest-folk wisely keeps the land, the time period, and the humans relatively vague. At the same time, the narrative periodically slips into the otherworldly, with characters interacting with spirits in the Shadow World. Armstrong expressively details the animals’ perspectives: an upland sandpiper who witnesses “an unbalanced sky” or Zak’s first seeing Sark upside down as he dangles from the mastodon’s trunk.
A memorable cast of animals leads a tale with a strong environmental message.
