From its enticing opening (“If there’s one thing I am absolutely and utterly sure about,” said Maya Murphy ducking under her desk on the classroom floor, “it’s that Mr Winter is a monster”), through its 300 pages of character-driven action, The Light Hunters is a stellar start to a new Middle Grade series.
At school, twelve-year-old Lux and best friend Maya are drilled in the art of what to do in the event of a monster attack. At home, Lux lives with his sick granddad, a clock repairer, and Miss Hart, Grandpa’s carer. Oh, and he’s also the most accomplished Light Hunter of all time and manages to save Maya when she’s gravely injured in a monstrous attack. But this brave act of friendship brings trouble, for it draws a mysterious stranger to town, someone who’s set on misappropriating Lux’s powers. With Miss Hart’s guidance (for she harbours a secret…), Lux steps-up his training in the ways of Light Hunting as word comes of the impending attack of a monster to whom he’s painfully connected.
Skillfully blending relatable real-life emotions with a vividly conjured fantastical world, and an overarching race against time, this comes recommended for nine+ year-olds who enjoy epic action delivered in a descriptive style, such as fans of Peter Bunzl’s Cogheart series and Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines.
“You ask me what Light is, Lux? Light is everything. Every single thing. The very fabric of our world is made up of this force - people, trees, the chair I am sitting on, this pen I am writing with. Few can access this Light, control it. You are one.”
Huge Monsters roam the land, smashing towns to splinters. For centuries, energy-wielding Light Hunters battled the creatures, rescuing the townspeople of Daven from a terrible fate. Then, a single, disastrous mistake turned the people against Light. Now, this powerful and ancient force is mostly gone, all but a memory.
Lux Dowd lives in a clock repair shop with his ill Grandpa and the old man’s live-in carer, Miss Hart. Although he might seem to be a normal 12 year old boy, Lux has a secret: not only can he wield Light, he might be the finest Light-healer the world has ever seen. But when Lux uses his power to save his best friend Maya after she is mortally injured in a terrifying monster attack, his Light draws a strange, shadowy figure to town, one who would use Lux’s powers for evil.
He is rescued from the stranger’s clutches by Miss Hart, who reveals to him that she is one of the last of the undercover Light Hunters tasked with watching over Lux. After a dangerous air ship journey to the Light Hunter HQ, Lux begins to learn the Light Hunter ways and form a bond with his new squad of apprentice hunters. But before he can settle, the Hunters receive a warning about an upcoming Monster attack near Lux’s hometown. The Monster that destroyed his family is back.
Lux and his new friends find themselves in a race against time to locate the Monster and stop it before it can destroy the town. But is the Monster the real terror, or is there a greater danger lurking in the shadows, waiting for its moment to strike?
Dan Walker, 32, lives smack-bang in the centre of the UK, just outside of a city called Nottingham, with his lovely, patient and supportive partner Dominika.
Dan spent his childhood being dragged up and down the hills of the Peak District, frantically hammering away at computer games and raiding his cousin’s bookshelf for anything with a colourful cover. He later tricked the University of Derby into allowing him admission, before graduating with a First Class degree in English. Since then, he has worked with a procession of wonderful people in bookshops, libraries, and schools. He currently helps to run a specialist Autism centre.
On the rare occasion you find Dan away from the computer, he can be found trying to tease a melodious sound out of his guitar, re-reading his favourite books for the eighty-eighth time, or fighting off everyone nearby for the last blueberry in the pack.
Dan's books have been translated into four languages, and 'Sky Thieves' was shortlisted for the Brilliant Book Award 2018, the Reading Rampage Award 2018, the RED Book Award 2019, the Salford Children's Book Award 2019 and longlisted for the Derbyshire Schools Book Award 2019.
Which squad member are you? Are you an Archer with a handful of traps waiting to be set, or are you a Healer, ready to save your team? Take this quiz to find out!
