The Shadow Glass

Josh Winning, Titan Books (MAR 22) Softcover $15.95 (400pp) 978-1-78909-861-7, FANTASY

Childhood nostalgia and resentment coalesce into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Josh Winning’s novel The Shadow Glass.

To the world, Jack’s father Bob was the beloved, eccentric creator of The Shadow Glass, a 1980s fantasy film and cult classic. But to Jack, Bob was a negligent alcoholic so immersed in his work that he became convinced that his puppet characters—and the magical realm they inhabited—were real. The discovery that Bob was right all along sends Jack on a quest to save two worlds, and to reevaluate his father’s complicated life and legacy.

A tense, atmospheric beginning gives way to thrilling suspense and action. Jack’s childhood dreams and nightmares erupt to life before his eyes in a way he hasn’t dared to imagine. Indeed, Bob’s personal failings overshadowed his son’s love for The Shadow Glass. Though Jack despises the film and the memories it evokes, he requires the aid of a fan club devoted to his father’s work. Their enthusiastic loyalty contrasts with Jack’s bitter disdain for everything his father ever did. Together, they have to defeat a wicked queen and a twisted fanboy whose puritanical vision threatens to destroy the world he claims to love.

Jack faces a growing army of impossible creatures and learns to cooperate with mythical heroes whose lives and personalities are so much more complex than they were on screen. The sacrifices that Jack and his allies have to make, however, prove all too real. An explosive finale forces Jack to confront his past and the thorny personal wounds upon which his entire adventure hinges. His ultimate decision—and its consequences—will satisfy anyone who has ever fallen in love with a story.

The Shadow Glass is a fantasy epic about the double-edged swords of imagination and obsession.