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Tod Newman discovered his calling as a storyteller during his engineering studies at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and eventually, long watches at sea sparked an imagination that would eventually span from ancient prophets to imperial Rome. What began as tales inspired by maritime lore has evolved into something far more ambitious: novels that excavate the buried truths hidden beneath history's surface.
Drawing from influences as diverse as George MacDonald and the Inklings (Tolkien, Lewis, Williams) to the psychological depths of Russian masters, the stark beauty of Cormac McCarthy, the magical fiction of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, and the agrarian wisdom of Wendell Berry, Tod crafts stories where powerful ideas emerge naturally from character and conflict rather than heavy-handed allegory.
The Halls of the Shadow King series imagines third-century Rome, walking the marble halls where emperors plotted persecution, and following the hidden networks that kept faith alive in history's darkest hours. Here, Tod's signature magical realism finds its perfect setting: a world where the divine still intervenes through ordinary people called to extraordinary purpose.
When he's not researching ancient trade routes or imagining conversations between emperors and mystics, Tod can be found exploring questions that have haunted humanity since stories began: What if our most cherished myths contain echoes of forgotten realities? What if the miraculous wasn't miraculous at all, but simply the natural state of a world where heaven and earth touched more freely?
The answers, he believes, are buried in stories waiting to be told.
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
The Halls of the Shadow King by W. Tod Newman follows Amal, who takes command of a far-reaching network after the death of his mentor Bazir. With his sister Neffie maintaining operations, Amal investigates reports from Britannia describing open gatherings where fear once ruled and accounts of a hidden force that takes control of individuals through direct influence. Guided by a historian named Andreas and joined by Finn, a warrior tied to the region, Amal is identified in an early prophecy as the Wanderer required to confront the threat. As he moves toward the northern islands, he learns that the force behind these changes is a dragon whose power spreads through human minds, and that stopping it depends on reaching its lair and carrying out a binding that no one has completed before.
W. Tod Newman’s The Halls of the Shadow King is a unique Christian speculative novel, taking place across regions connected by a traveling network of believers called The Way, who share resources and guidance while living under Roman rule. Newman establishes this world well through customs, and unseen forces influence daily life, so survival depends on both cooperation and awareness of changing conditions. Newman's antagonist is a dragon; let's face it, any book with a dragon is a win! Still, Newman's dragon doesn't rely on physical attacks alone; it reaches into the minds of people, turning them into extensions of its will. This fits in neatly with the Christian elements, as the book's central power comes from a figure referred to as the Great King, understood as a divine authority. We also see the halting of hostile influence through prayer. Creatively written and easy to follow, this is a story that's a perfect fit for readers looking for solid, faith-based journeys grounded in history. Recommended.
