In the wake of Harry Potter’s phenomenal success, we’re seeing a fair number of books aimed at capturing that same interest, many of them tweaked a little to offer a slightly different experience. Sorcerers of the Nightwing, which bills itself as the first in a new series which picks up where both Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer leave off, definitely falls into this category. It’s got the teenaged protagonist (Devon March is 14) who’s either orphaned or doesn’t know his birth parents (right before dying, his father told him he was adopted), and who subsequently discovers his legacy/heritage as a magician (or in this case, one of the Nightwing, an ancient order of magicians who fight demons and keep them locked away in their Hellholes) while simultaneously battling some great evil (such as Jackson Muir, the Madman of Ravenscliff). Along the way, he picks up several stalwart teenage allies of both genders, and achieves some small enlightenment as to his past while leaving the room open for sequels. It’s simply not customary to give us all the answers in one book anymore, when a series will do.

If I sound a little down on Sorcerers of the Nightwing, it’s possibly because it tries a little too hard to be like the other kids on the block while still maintaining its independence. It has a terrific, spooky setting, the majority of the action taking place either in the small Maine town of Misery Point or the sprawling Gothic mansion of Ravenscliff, complete with sealed-off wing, mysterious tower, and secret tunnels. It has a likeable, persistent protagonist who’s simply not content to let others leave him in the dark, the sort to throw himself into danger while invoking Spider-Man and Harry Potter. It certainly doesn’t skimp on the potential sexuality, with one supporting character who’s gay and proud, and Devon himself rapidly finding a girlfriend, who may or may not be socially acceptable; certainly, he has his doubts. It’s well written and fast-paced, leaning more towards horror than fantasy. Unfortunately, as long as the Ravenscliff series continues to actively suggest comparisons to Buffy or Harry, it’s bound to take second place, a shame since it really does have great potential.