In the summer of 1957, two impressionable young boys, Tom and Del, arrive at the secluded Vermont estate of ‘Shadowland’ after a series of unsettling incidents at their boarding school. They are to apprentice under the enigmatic and terrifying Master Magician, Coleman Collins, Del's reclusive great-uncle. What begins as a summer of learning parlor tricks quickly devolves into a descent into genuine, ancient evil. Collins is no ordinary illusionist, but a practitioner of true, dark magic, drawing the boys into a macabre world of terrifying rituals, disturbing transformations, and unspeakable acts. As the lines between reality and nightmare blur, Tom and Del find themselves trapped in a horrifying apprenticeship, forced to confront their deepest fears and the true nature of the evil that permeates Shadowland. Only one of them will survive this harrowing season of initiation into a world of incalculable darkness, forever marked by the secrets they uncover.
Critical Reception
"Peter Straub's 'Shadowland' stands as a seminal work in the horror genre, lauded for its intricate blend of dark fantasy, psychological terror, and a masterful exploration of childhood dread."