Campfire stories don’t stay in the dark forever…
…and now that the Shadow stirs…
…Amelia must bring the fight into the light.
Amelia Moon and
The Sundance Shadow
The Sundance Shadow isn't just a local legend anymore—it's hunting thirteen-year-old Amelia Moon.
Her nightmares are bleeding into reality. Darkness from her dreams now stalks the streets of her quiet Wyoming town, growing bolder with each passing day.
With her quirky best friend Veyla, Amelia races to uncover the Shadow's hunger. Forbidden secrets, long-buried, surface fast—with every clue pointing to one impossible truth: her cryptic family history holds the key.
In a world where ancient powers hide behind small-town legends, Amelia must decide: keep running from the spreading darkness, or turn and face what she was born to become.
Even if it means being rejected by the light she is destined to carry.
~ Early Praise for Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow ~
"If Harry Potter’s coming-of-age journey and discovery of hidden family history resonated with you, then you will feel right at home with Amelia Moon’s story...Author RJ Roark’s world takes the mythology of ancient civilizations and places it right in the heart of modern America...”
– Review from BestBooksLike.com
Behind the Amelia Moon Magic
Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow is the first story in the Adventures of Amelia Moon series by author R.J. Roark.
Writing from the mountains of New Hampshire, Roark homesteads with his wife, daughter, and two German Short-Haired Pointers. When not reading or writing or thinking about lost civilizations, he can be found outside, tending to the fruit trees and plants. Or filling in the holes around the yard that the dogs insist on digging. Or trying to keep the backyard black bear out of the blueberry bushes. And away from the bee hives. Basically, anything other than building the bed frame that his wife’s been requesting for years.
4.72 ⭐️ / 5 on Goodreads.com
Read what other super smart readers like you have to say about Amelia Moon 😎
FAQs
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Amelia Moon was written specifically for my niece—a bright, curious little girl with an endless sense of wonder and a deep love for stories. She devoured the Harry Potter series as a young reader, getting lost in its world of magic, friendship, and discovery. I wanted to create something just for her: a new universe she could explore on her own terms, full of mysteries, ancient secrets, and a brave girl at the center who uncovers her own destiny.
Amelia reflects that spark of curiosity and resilience I see in my niece—facing shadows (literal and emotional), forging bonds with quirky friends like Veyla, and stepping into a bigger role than she ever imagined. The book's themes of family heritage, light triumphing over darkness ("Lux et Cor"), and finding belonging after loss draw from that desire to give her a world that's immersive and empowering, where a thirteen-year-old can be the hero who brings the fight into the light.
It's a personal gift that grew into something bigger—a story I hope inspires other young readers with the same sense of adventure and heart. (And yes, there are more adventures still to come in future books!)
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Blending modern small-town life in Sundance, Wyoming, with ancient mysteries and a local legend that twists into real danger. It's a grounded fantasy adventure with emotional stakes around grief, belonging, and family secrets—ideal for fans of mythology-meets-modern-world stories like Percy Jackson.
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Recommended for ages 10–14 (upper middle grade to early young adult). Perfect for readers who enjoy adventurous fantasy with mystery, family heritage, mild peril, emotional depth (grief and belonging), and no graphic violence or romance—similar to the early books in Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.
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Yes! This is Book 1 in a planned multi-book series. It focuses on Amelia discovering her lineage and her destiny—setting up future books that will explore more about her grandparents' past, Professor Humboldt's full backstory, the other Sage bloodlines, 52-Blue whale connections, and Kraxen's deeper motivations.
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If you love epic tales of young heroes discovering hidden destinies, ancient secrets, powerful artifacts, loyal friendships, and thrilling battles against darkness—like the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend, Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger, or The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani—Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow delivers the same heart-pounding wonder with a fresh twist on family heritage, ancient wisdom, and Atlantean technology in a small-town setting.
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Short answer: Yes! If you love Harry Potter's mix of hidden destiny, powerful artifacts, ancient mysteries, and fighting darkness with friends and heart, Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow delivers a similar magical adventure.
Longer answer: It's not a direct clone—there's no wizard school or wands; instead, it's grounded in modern small-town America with sci-fi/fantasy fusion. This makes it feel fresh, like a blend of Harry Potter's wonder + Percy Jackson's mythology + A Wrinkle in Time's cosmic/family vibes. As Book 1 in a series, it plants seeds without resolving everything—similar to how early Harry Potter books build toward larger arcs.
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Yes! Fans of Percy Jackson will love Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow. It captures the thrill of discovering a hidden destiny, battling ancient darkness with friends, and uncovering family secrets—blending modern life with ancient mysteries, powerful artifacts, and heartfelt adventure. Think demigod quests meets Atlantean heritage in a small-town Wyoming setting.
This makes it a strong comp alongside Nevermoor, Keeper of the Lost Cities, or other "books like Percy Jackson" lists.
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Yes, Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow shares strong similarities with Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor series (starting with Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow), making it a great fit for readers who love Nevermoor's blend of wonder, destiny-driven adventure, emotional depth, and magical discovery. Both books deliver that same sense of a young protagonist uncovering a hidden heritage and stepping into a larger, wondrous world while facing personal and supernatural threats.
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No heavy romance or mature themes—focus is on friendship, family bonds, adventure, and coming-of-age destiny. Mild peril includes supernatural threats and near-death moments, but it's handled sensitively for ages 10–14, much like the early Percy Jackson or Nevermoor books.
for Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow