Shadowmancer by G.P. Taylor is a dark fantasy novel set in the windswept cliffs of 18th-century England, blending supernatural intrigue with Christian allegory. The story follows Obadiah Demurral, a power-hungry vicar turned sorcerer who seeks to overthrow the divine order by summoning the ancient entity Riathamus—the god of all evil. Standing against him are three unlikely heroes: Thomas, a smuggler’s apprentice; Kate, a headstrong orphan; and Raphah, a mysterious traveler from Africa wielding a sacred artifact.
Taylor’s gritty, atmospheric prose evokes the eerie moors and occult undercurrents of Yorkshire, where demonic forces lurk in shadows and ordinary objects pulse with forbidden magic. Themes of redemption, spiritual warfare, and the corrupting lure of power unfold as the trio battles ghastly creatures (like the skin-crawling “Familiars”) and confronts the nature of true faith.
Marketed as “the next Harry Potter,” its overt Christian themes sparked debate, but its gothic tension and folklore-infused world-building earned a loyal following.
“Taylor’s moorland Gothic proves that the oldest battle—light versus shadow—is also the most chilling.” — The Guardian