Shadowmagic is the story of a boy taken at birth from a magical land to live in the mundane world. He is a teenager and unaware of his history when that magical land reenters his life – rather abruptly.

Sound familiar? Well, yes, on the surface, Shadowmagic does sound a bit like Harry Potter. However, whereas the Potter novels feel ponderous, weighed down by their own narrative girth, Shadowmagic is exhilarating, fast-paced and refreshingly adroit, with a protagonist who seems so credible, you can as easily imagine him hanging out at the mall as you can battling nightmarish creatures in a fantastic world.

The Bard Electric. Shadowmagic is a stellar example of an exciting new way to deliver a story to an audience: The podcast novel. Put simply, a podcast novel is an audiobook – the recorded reading of a long-form story – that is made available for download in installments over a period of time. Podcast novel chapters can be downloaded either manually from a website or by subscribing to an RSS feed using a podcatcher application, like Apple’s iTunes. Shadowmagic is read by its author, as is typical of podcast novels. Just go to podiobooks.com, register with the site and add Shadowmagic to your queue. There’s no charge, only a request for a donation (which I highly recommend you honor.)

What makes podcast novels like Shadowmagic so exciting is they are breathing life into what is, in reality, a very old art form: Storytelling. And when it comes to storytelling, Shadowmagic’s author and reader, John Lenahan, weaves a tale so full of fun and adventure, I can hardly imagine one better to share around the campfire. In fact, I find impossible to imagine this story not being read aloud; testament to Lenahan’s free-flowing prose and bardic talents.

Blarney Honed. Being part Scottish, I have more than a passing interest in Celtic lore, and Shadowmagic draws more than a little from that particular well: The story is told from the perspective of Conor, the aforementioned escapee from a magical land called Tir na Nog, who one sunny morning is taken captive by his young and beautiful aunt (turns out she’s a good deal older than she looks, as are most of Tir na Nog residents) who clearly intends him no good. You see, there’s this prophecy and Conor doesn’t come off well in it. In fact, it’s predicted that his mere existence is harbinger of the utter annihilation of Tir na Nog. Thus everyone, including his closest kin, are out to end that existence and save their undying land.

He is rescued by a mother who he thought was dead and is even more beautiful than his aunt (are there no fat, ugly people in Tir na Nog?) But the rescue soon goes awry and he is left alone to fend for himself in this strange country positively brimming with people who want to kill him. What happens next is a breathless ride through mythic vistas with no shortage laughs to flavor the adventure.

Long favoring a verbal tradition, the ancient Celts were known in the pre-Christian world as storytellers of no equal. The Irish have perhaps done more to preserve that reputation, and in no place is that better demonstrated than in Shadowmagic. Just put on your headsphones and settle back in a comfy chair. If within minutes you don’t feel the heat of a hearthfire or smell the malt aroma of warm beer served on oaken platters as Lanahan weaves his engaging tale, then I’ll be a one-legged banshee.

Geek-o-Meter: Shadowmagic is one of those rare stories that is fun, intelligent and accessible, all at the same time. John Lenahan is an engaging reader who adds just enough characterization to his performance to keep things interesting without being distracting. About my only complaint is the intro and break music can be a bit jarring, mostly because it’s louder that the reading itself. In all other ways this is a wonderful story that fits the serialized podcast format perfectly. It scores a 10 on the Geek-o-Meter.

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