The Warlock's Shadow (Thief-Taker Series)

The sequel to The Thief-Takers Apprentice takes the reader back into the nocturnal and dangerous world of Berren, orphan and reluctant hero

Berren is not enjoying himself. Trapped in a temple, forced to learn how to read, how to write, and how to recall the histories of the Saints, all he wants is to be given a sword. As a thief-taker's apprentice he imagined a world of daring night-time chases, glorious victories, and a life of excitement. His dreams aren't quite coming true. So when a prince—the first and last prince he'll ever see—hires the thief-taker as a bodyguard, Berren is thrilled. When he hears that a troupe of Dragon Monks—exotic warriors and the best swordsmen in the world—are visiting, he sees an opportunity to learn how to fight. When one of the Monks turns out to be a girl of the same age, his future suddenly seems a lot brighter. But when a shadowy figure launches an attack on the life of Prince Sharda, Berren finds himself plunged into a world of danger, intrigue and terror. He may discover that being trained with a sword isn't enough—sometimes, you have to know who to fight.