“In a forgotten time, in a forgotten world, deep within a forgotten chamber few have ever seen, the Shadow Glass sees all.”
So begin the opening cords of The Shadow Glass, a fictional movie set in an alternate Britain where the puppet-fantasy boom of the 1980s had an additional title to its roster. In this book, author Josh Winning has woven this tale of a father’s lost legacy, the power of creativity and puppets come alive so seamlessly into the lexicon of the sub-genre, that fans will immediately recognize it as a natural sibling to the epic stories of Jim Henson. The Shadow Glass is a love letter; a book written by and for fans of The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and The Neverending Story.
We begin with Jack Corman returning to his childhood house, a place metaphorically haunted by his late father Bob Corman, a creative genius who saw his beloved movie, The Shadow Glass debut with mixed reviews. Immediately fans will spot the parallels with Jim Henson, who poured his soul into The Dark Crystal, only for the film to have an ultimately lukewarm reception. Tortured by this perceived failure, Bob sunk into alcoholism.
As Jack struggles to move on in the wake of his father’s death, he searches the house for the main puppet to sell to a collector. There he runs into teenage super-fan Toby, right as a mysterious storm strikes. As he goes to investigate the strange sounds emanating from Bob’s studio, Jack and Toby make an unsettling discovery: not only have the puppets of the Shadow Glass come alive, but they’re searching for Jack.
Two anthropomorphic foxes named Zavanna and Brol are looking for Jack and the shadow glass prop used in the original filming. Broken into four pieces and scattered amongst Bob’s film empire, the foxes tell a tale of the villain Kunin Yilda, who wants to use the shadow glass to enslave the fictitious world of Iri. Not only is the world of The Shadow Glass real, but it is in danger.
Throughout the book, Jack reluctantly teams up with Toby and his band of Shadow Glass super-fan friends called the Guild. It is in this rag-tag band of heroes where the book’s main strengths lie. While the foxes have the earnest personalities of fantasy heroes, they are mirrored by the nerdy sensibilities of the Guild members. It grounds the book, balancing its whimsical nature. It is here where my favourite exchange of the book takes place:
Thank you,” Brol added, giving each of the Guild members an earnest look as he wiped crumbs from his chin. “We are most humbled by your assistance, gilded comrades of new friend Toby.”
Huw burst into tears.
With them, Jack searches the four corners of Bob’s empire while confronting the demons of his past. Jack is reluctant to see his father as anything but an alcoholic so wrapped up in the world of his magnum opus that he fails to see his son. But as he meets with Bob’s friends and collaborators, he begins to see his father as a more complicated man, all while following a paper trail of clues to the whereabouts of the shadow glass.
The troupe crashes a fan convention in search of the elusive Rick Agnor, the concept artist of the Shadow Glass and ode to Brian Froud, Jim Henson’s right-hand man. This is where the book gets tricky. Agnor reveals that he is a mystic originally from the land of Iri, a being created from the purity of Bob’s creativity. But he also lives in a shrine to the eighties— complete with neon bowling-alley carpeting and plastic-form appliances. The book can suffer from an unending list of pop-culture references, veering into the land of Ready Player One and fanservice, which can shatter the suspension of disbelief quicker than a fourth-wall break.
As much as this made me want to put the book down, I didn’t— and I’m glad I pushed through. Agnor gives Jack and his companions the final push they need to find the remaining pieces of the glass. With the help of the foxes and the Guild, Jack finds all four pieces of the glass and saves the land of Iri in a scene reminiscent of the climax of The Neverending Story.
Jack’s internal journey towards acceptance of his father as a complicated man is done exceptionally well, and yet some major emotional beats are brushed over, including character deaths. Winning expertly weaves a tale that is both light and dark, as puppets come alive and in the same breath deals with dark concepts like failed potential, alcoholism and toxic parental relationships. The cinematic storytelling is appropriate for a book about movies, and yet at times feels as if Winning doesn’t make total use of the written word.
Instead of an actual movie (and I’m waiting for this book to be optioned), The Shadow Glass is perfect for nostalgic cinephiles and those who loved the 2019 Dark Crystal reboot and yearned for more. A contemporary take on the hero’s journey, The Shadow Glass expertly retains the elements of high fantasy while remaining grounded. Cinematic storytelling blends seamlessly with a character-driven plot that will draw even the most reluctant reader in.
I give it four stars.
Daniela Ricchezza 