The Door into Shadow
core novel 1984 The Tale of the Five
Record
| First published | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.03 (500 ratings, collected 2026-11-02) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780312941109 |
| Internal chronology | 2 |
Synopsis
The royal magics of the Middle Kingdoms are failing while the armies of the Reavers gather with the Shadow, an old enemy of the Goddess. Herewiss, Freelorn, the fire elemental Sunspark, Queen Eftgan and Segnbora, who carries a dragon's memory, have had their differences. They must put them aside and unite against the enemy, because doubt and distrust among them may do the Shadow's work for it. Each of the friends has a share of the coming defence, and the pressure falls hardest on the new wielder of the Flame, whose power has yet to be tested against so great a threat.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Tale of the Five
- Series: The Tale of the Five core; position 2 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Diane Duane
Notes
- From the series record (The Tale of the Five): Fantasy of the Middle Kingdoms, centred on Herewiss, Freelorn and the struggle against the Shadow.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series The Tale of the Five: position 2 of 3: previous The Door into Fire (1979) · next The Door into Sunset (1992)
Sources
← The Tale of the Five dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.