Life is returning to normal for Denizen Hardwick. Well, the new normal, where he has to battle monsters in quiet Dublin bookshops and constantly struggle to contain the new powers he has been given by Mercy, the daughter of the Endless King. But Denizen may need those powers sooner than he thinks – not only are the Tenebrous stirring again but the Order of the Borrowed Dark face a new threat from much closer to home…
Recently we had Dave Rudden on the blog, talking about his life as a writer, the world of the KOTBD and a little about the new book, The Forever Court.
Having recently finished this myself, I can assure all fans of the first book that this second one is just as good, and in many ways better.
Like the Empire Strikes Back to Star Wars, this sequel expands the world of Denizen Hardwick and introduces new foes and a deeper understanding of the Tenebrous.
The book beautifully builds in an interweaving, complex and deceptive set of interrelationships between the larger cast of characters, all of whom Rudden writes articulately and uniquely, so that within a few sentences, each one appears fully formed in the readers mind and distinct from the others.
The plot links smoothly with the previous book and leaves plenty of scope for further books (we all hope!!😉) and once again, like in KOTBD, Rudden’s description of rural Ireland and Dublin are expert, detailed but never at any point detracting from the present action in the story…a wonderful skill indeed.
In what is a darker book in many ways, and more grown up, it loses none of it’s humour and the lighter moments are at time, laugh out loud. A quality I rarely find when reading any novels.
And the concept and world building in both books is incredible – Dave goes to ends of this world, and into others, to give us a unique and fresh perspective on the adventures of young Denizen and his fellow Knights – from the Tenebrous, to the logistical and geographical details of the Knights themselves, to the particulars of how their particular powers work, I was continually taken aback by this new world I’ve explored, but know that there is much more to come!
I’ve said before and I’ll say again, KOTBD is the best children’s book I’ve read since Harry Potter, and once you’ve read it, you’ll see the likeness both in style and in quality.
The Forever Court is available here, while the first in the series (as if you haven’t read it yet! But seriously do!) is available here.
And I’m once again, putting this excellent video featuring Dave below, as it’s certainly worth a watch.
The Scribblers 