EDEBÉ Young Adult Literature Award 2017: BEHIND THE SHADOW OF THE WITCH, by Francisco Díaz Valladares
Julen is a young man who lives in the United States, but is proud of his African heart. Maybe because he grew up there before leaving for America, maybe because his beloved grandfather lives and works there as an anthropologist. Or perhaps because he fondly remembers his childhood with his Maasai “sister”, Élodi.
Your visits to the continent are always synonymous with tranquility, away from the noise and hustle and bustle of the city. But this time something has changed: a solitary old lion has started killing humans from nearby villages. And Buku, a sorcerer who is dedicated to manipulating and sowing panic among the tribes, has convinced everyone that the old anthropologist is to blame.
Julen and his grandfather have no choice but to prove that Buku is wrong, and to do so they will need the invaluable help of the Maasai Kanja, a man as quiet as he is brave and always attached to his spear.
Tras la sombra del brujo It is an action novel in which the reader can glimpse the different landscapes of the rich African nature, and how this same wealth and the human interest in exploiting it brings with it a multitude of problems for these places.
Publication: March 2017
Fragment:
Pablo followed with his eyes the direction indicated by his grandson. He didn't notice anything.
–Under the tree –Kanja pointed out.
Then he saw it.
He was motionless, crouched next to the trunk of a tree. The reddish mane, barely perceptible, blended with the foliage. However, his murderous, yellowish eyes shone like two stars in the night. The three remained static, attracted by the seduction of that gaze that kept them trapped. The grandfather reacted and put the rifle in his face. Through the telescopic sight, he observed the lion's eyes. He was staring at him as if he knew he was going to shoot him.
The feline stood up and roared.
Pablo took a breath and kept it in his lungs so that the respiratory movement would not alter his aim.
The beast turned its attention back to the hunter.
Francisco Diaz Valladares
He was born in Aljarafe, Seville (1950) and lives in La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz). Since he was nineteen years old he has dedicated a large part of his life to traveling the world.
A born storyteller, he has an overflowing imagination, which allows him to create these adventures that take us to exotic places visited personally by him.
En Edebé posted The secret of Pulau Karang, The Flight of the Blue Shadow and The Tuareg's Daughter, all of them in the Periscopio collection. In addition, she has won the CCEI award with The Hill (Ed. Edelvives), the Alandar award with Antares (Ed. Edelvives), she obtained first position on the CCEI honor list for her novel On the shores of evil (Ed. Bruño) and was a finalist for the Jaén award for novels for The last hacker (Ed. Bruño).