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A Kingdom of Shadows
  • Published: 3 March 2026
  • ISBN: 9780593601457
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $24.99

A Kingdom of Shadows

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A band of misfits seek to fight the darkness that's slowly overcoming their kingdom—the start of a grand adventure series in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Wingfeather Saga.

A band of misfits seek to fight the darkness that’s slowly overcoming their kingdom—the start of a grand adventure series in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Wingfeather Saga.

“An incredible adventure that is more than a mere quest.”—John Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of The Mythmakers

Ever since the Great Betrayal, the light in Wildfel has been dying. The sunshine is dimmer, it takes more firewood to brighten a room, and the shadows grow stronger by the day. Twelve-year-old orphan Finn survives in this world by being a thief. When he, his best friend Adrion, and younger sister Lydia meet a mysterious stranger who claims to know of a Lake of Light, they set off on an adventure to places where the mist can steal a precious memory, starlight gathers in waterfalls, and spiders spin shimmering webs of glass as deadly as they are dazzling.

But there are secrets hiding in the shadows that could change Finn’s understanding of everything he knows—and finding the Lake of Light could alter not only the course of his life but the very kingdom itself.
  • Published: 3 March 2026
  • ISBN: 9780593601457
  • Imprint: RHUS Children's Books
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 320
  • RRP: $24.99
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About the author

Emily Bain Murphy

Emily Bain Murphy is the author of two young adult fantasies: The Disappearances, which was a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, an ALAN Pick, and was shortlisted for the Waterstones’ Children’s Book Prize; and Splinters of Scarlet, which received multiple starred reviews and was nominated for the Mark Twain Readers Award. She is also the author of two historical mysteries for adults, Enchanted Hill and The Ivory City, which was an instant USA Today bestseller. A Kingdom of Shadows is Emily's middle grade debut.
portrait photo of Emily Bain Murphy

Praise for A Kingdom of Shadows

"Reading A Kingdom of Shadows is like a hearing a ‘secret song in the dark,’ a melody that pulls you into a world of magic and light. With world-building at its finest, Murphy constructs an incredible adventure that is more than a mere quest—with characters so richly drawn, readers will feel deeply invested from page one." — John Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of The Mythmakers

"Any reader who loves fantasy will enjoy this wonderful tale about a ragtag group of young explorers seeking light in a darkening world and discovering the meaning of true friendship along the way." — Karina Yan Glaser, New York Times bestselling author of the Vanderbeekers series

"This story is pure light! From Finn’s care for his sister and best friend to the fantastical creatures and settings, A Kingdom of Shadows buzzes with sparks of beauty and wonder that shine in stark contrast to a world where light itself is disappearing. Join this rag-tag group of misfits on their impossible quest. You won’t regret it!" — Carolyn Leiloglou, award-winning author of The Restorationists trilogy