• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

After his guardian dies, Maurey is reduced from student to unpaid servant at his grammar school and bullied because of his black hair and eyes, which make him look as if he is related to the sorcerers who once inhabited the island. When it is discovered that Maurey is indeed a descendent of one of those sorcerers, or Nightwalkers, he is sentenced to be burned alive. He and his young rescuer flee for the Nightwalkers' hidden kingdom. Any reader who enjoys otherworld fantasy, or just a good adventure story, will not be able to put this book down.

K.V. Johansen has Master's Degrees in Medieval Studies and in English. Her main scholarly interests are ancient and medieval history and languages, and the history of children's fantasy literature. She held the 2001 Eileen Wallace Research Fellowship in Children's Literature from the Eileen Wallace Collection at the University of New Brunswick. She also received the 2004 Frances E. Russell Award for research in children's literature from the Canadian section of IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People. Johansen received the Canadian Authors' Association 2006 Lilla Stirling Award; she has had fiction titles nominated for the Silver Birch Award, the Diamond Willow Award, shortlisted for the Canadian Association of Children's Librarians Book of the Year for Children Award, and included on the Ontario Library Association's "Best Bets Top Ten List" and Voya's "Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror" list. Her adult non-fiction book Quests and Kingdoms: A Grown-Up's Guide to Children's Fantasy Literature, has been highly praised internationally and was shortlisted for the 2006 Harvey Darton Award in the UK.
She has an arboretum in her backyard, grows exotic trees indoors, watches a lot of anime, and should probably have been an eighteenth-century landscape gardener. Visit her website: www.pippin.ca.

 

K.V. Johansen's profile page

• Short-listed, SYRCA Snow Willow nominee
• Winner, Ann Connor Brimer Award
• Commended, CCBC Best Books
• Commended, OLA Best Bets
• Long-listed, YALSA Quick Picks
• Commended, VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror List

"The book is fantastical - set in medievalish worlds, with magical beings - but it is also quite realistic in the telling. Characters use magic as a tool, but they are forced to struggle and work for their goals, and magic does not become a prop to them. I really enjoyed this book."

Mad Tales blog

"The vaguely medieval fantasy past…gives [Johansen] a chance to use both her background as a medieval scholar and her fascination with The Lord of the Rings."

Quill & Quire

"All I can say is WOW!...Amazingly well-developed and imagined...intelligent and witty."

TeensReadToo.com

"The fast-paced adventure, compelling characters and conflicts that make sense will reward readers of this fully-realized fantasy."

Booklist

"Johansen has created a world and a cast of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed journeying with."

Resource Links

"Fantasy fans who favor rich settings are likely to find [the main character's] quest through dangerous landscapes...compelling."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Remarkably easy to get into and straight-forward. The characters of Maurey and Annot were interesting and relatable, and I liked the book’s theme of acceptance."

Amy's Marathon of Books blog

"Johansen creates an elaborate world populated by complex characters...Readers will look forward to the sequel."

VOYA

"A fast-paced adventure story...The main characters are multi-dimensional and should appeal to readers of either gender. Highly recommended."

CM Magazine

"Filled with pathos, humor and plenty of action, this should satisfy most YA fantasy readers...Sure to bring requests for the next in the series."

KLIATT

Nightwalker (Warlocks of Talverdin)

In this otherworld fantasy, Maurey receives hints of his true ancestry and must flee for the land of the Nightwalkers or burn in the philosopher’s fire. Book One in the series.