- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Fantasy
The Shadow Keeper
Book 2 of 3 in The DreamsnatcherView the full series
The second Dreamsnatcher adventure sweeps Moll and Gryff to a smuggler-haunted coast in a race to find the Amulet of Truth. Darker and more perilous than book one, with betrayals, sea creatures and a heroine tested to her limits.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Dark
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Moll Pecksniff and her friends are living as outlaws, hiding in a secret cove by the sea from the Shadowmasks who hunt them. Further along the coast lies the Amulet of Truth, the one thing powerful enough to drive the Shadowmasks back and contain their dark magic. With Gryff the wildcat always at her side, and best friends Alfie and Siddy beside her, Moll must slip past smugglers, outwit cunning sea creatures and crack hidden codes to reach it before her enemies do. But the Shadowmasks are closing in, trust is dangerous, and not everyone is who they claim to be. The second book in Abi Elphinstone's Dreamsnatcher trilogy trades the forest for a wild, salt-sprayed coast, cranking up the peril and the stakes while keeping the fierce heart of the first. Atmospheric, fast and full of daring, it is adventure fantasy that keeps the pages turning.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A direct sequel for 9-12s reading independently, working aloud from about 8 for children who are comfortable with peril. The darker tone, on-page danger and a character death make it best for readers who enjoyed the first book rather than the youngest or most sensitive.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
None
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery, violence, death of character, animal harm.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Dark fantasy
- Atmospheric adventure
- Animal companions
- Brave heroines
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Scared easily
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Moll and Gryff are on the run again, and the coast is full of danger: smugglers, treacherous mer creatures and a hidden amulet to find before the Shadowmasks do. The stakes are higher, the betrayals sting, and the found-family Tribe keeps you rooting for them all.
- Going on a quest
- Surviving danger
- Animal companions
- Adventure and freedom
- Friendship and belonging
Why parents love it
Elphinstone deepens the peril and the emotional stakes without losing the wild, atmospheric prose that makes the series sing. Moll's loyalty and courage carry a genuinely tense quest, best for confident readers who loved the first book and want a bigger, scarier ride.
- Great writing
In the series
The Dreamsnatcher.
3 books · open the series →
About the author
Abi Elphinstone.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
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