Sorcerers of the Nightwing

by Geoffrey Huntington

ReganBooks, August, 2002.
Hardcover, 288 pages.
ISBN: 0060014253

Sorcerers of the Nightwing by Geoffrey Huntington

Most children at one time or another are convinced that there are monsters either under their beds or in the closet, although their parents tell them that the monsters are not real and cannot hurt them. Six year-old Devon March knows that the monsters in his closet are quite real; he and his father Ted March have fought them off together many times. Ted tells Devon that as long as he remembers that he is stronger than they are, he will always prevail. When Devon is fourteen, his beloved father dies and he finds out that he is adopted. Ted March has made arrangements for Devon to become the ward of a Mrs. Crandall, who lives with her son and daughter in a big, gothic mansion called Ravenscliff, which is perched on the edge of Misery Point. Mrs. Crandall is most uncommunicative with Devon about who his real father is and she refuses to discuss his magical powers with him. But magic follows Devon, and if he doesn't learn about his powers soon, the demons will emerge from their prison and wreak havoc on the Earth.

This is the first in an interesting new gothic/horror fantasy adventure series from the pseudonymous Geoffrey Huntington. With an excellent premise that those monsters in the closet are real, the book begins young Devon's journey from being a boy to accepting his destiny as a Sorcerer of the Nightwing, an ancient order which protects the world from evil. The writing is excellent, the characters are well-drawn and the gothic and adventure elements are very well-done. But the cover art is most off-putting (an evil clown with fangs leers at the reader, which brings to mind the most cheesy of horror films). In fact, the cover art will be so repulsive to the many readers who despise clowns in any form, that one can only hope that a new cover will be chosen for the next book in this otherwise excellent series. Note to the art department: Why not put a darkly handsome young Devon on the cover?

Sorcerers of the Nightwing is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the September, 2002 of The Internet Writing Journal.