Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns
Shadow Thieves is to debut middle grade book from Peter Burns. He shares some insight into where it all began in our blog today!
Ten years ago, I was on holiday in Highland Perthshire with my two oldest kids. We were staying in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, high on a hill surrounded by thick forests,and jagged mountains covered in heather. Out for a walk one day, a thought struck me (and it may or may not have been inspired by their behaviour): imagine if there was a secret school for criminals out here . . .
That was the kernel for Beaufort’s School for Deceptive Arts, otherwise known as Thieves School.
As I worked away at the idea over years that followed, the school went from being based in the Highlands (where, inconveniently, another famous secret boarding school is located) to the French Alps. That school then became four schools , each teaching the different disciplines of the four guilds (Thieves, Spies, Assassins and Politicos) that make up the international criminal organisation, the Shadow League.
As I began to plot the kind of action that might occur in a world like this, the central character emerged almost fully formed in my mind. Daring, brave – and sometimes rash – Tom Morgan has always felt intensely real to me.
Tom’s journey into the world of the Shadow League mirrors the reader’s: he has never heard of the League before and has no idea how profound its influence is around the world.
Tom has come from nothing, has experienced horrific cruelty and loss and has no idea who his parents are or where he’s truly from, so he is constantly trying to figure out who he is. His entry into the Shadow League not only offers him a chance to forge a new life for himself and give him some real agency for his future for the first time in his life, but it also has the potential to also change the lives of his friends in London, who have been rounded up and sent to a brutal workhouse. The promise of the skills he’ll learn at Thieves School will, he hopes, enable him to rescue them; but as Tom quickly learns in the snowy Alps, this is no ordinary school.Dark forces are at work and real danger – to the whole world – is coming . . . Can Tom stop them? And will he ever get back to London to save his friends?
I’ve written non-fiction for years, but slipping into Tom’s boots and bringing his world to life has been the most enjoyable adventure of my creative life. It’s a story for fans of Skandar and Percy Jackson, for dreamers, rule-breakers, and anyone who’s felt like their true potential is still waiting to be discovered.
Shadow Thieves is everything I loved growing up – action-packed heists, a mysterious world full of intrigue, and a band of mismatched friends who’d do anything for each other. I wanted to create a story with heart-stopping adventure and daring challenges, yet one grounded in personal sacrifice and belonging. I hope it captures young imaginations and steals their hearts as much as it claimed mine while writing it.
Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Federation.
