Shadowdoom

Shadowdoom is a book, the ninth book in the Magick and Monsters spin-off series Dark Realms, that Greg brings to the "Reading Is Fun" club whilst he is in the middle of reading it.

Plot
After the events of the eight book, Gakar's Return, Thurot is left for dead by Gakar's final remaining servant, Seratar. Thurot survives, however, and hunts down Seratar, interrogating him for information as to Gakar's whereabouts. Seratar, before escaping, reveals Gakar has captured Thurot's brother Nithen, and has extracted his Soul Jewel in order to create a potion that will turn Gakar into "the Shadowdoom", a mythical dragon-like beast that destroys everything in its way. After his escape, Seratar tries to report back to Gakar, but Gakar will not reveal the location of his moving underground fortress, and tells Seratar that Nithen, since having his Soul Jewel removed, is now his new servant, and Seratar is useless. Gakar then sends orcs after Seratar.

Seratar comes crawling back to Thurot for protection, deciding to become good, but the orcs find them at the inn Thurot is staying at, and Thurot is badly injured trying to protect Seratar. He slays all the orcs, though, and they start travelling in search of Gakar's fortress. Gakar, meanwhile, sends Nithen to look for the orcs' bodies, having seen everything through his crystal ball, and Nithen takes their Soul Jewels, putting them in as the final ingredient for the Shadowdoom potion.

Thurot sees a fissure open in the ground across the valley, where they realised Gakar's castle was, and Gakar, reincarnated as the Shadowdoom, emerges and kills Nithen in a fit of rage - he has no reason anymore. He also destroys some of his orc armies, and sees Thurot and Seratar watching, crossing the valley. However, Thurot has one trick up his sleeve - he summons the Five Wizards and together they unite, turning Thurot into a magical force that battles the Shadowdoom. Gakar's orc armies fight the Wizard's elven allies in the hills below, but the orcs, having seen the Shadowdoom kill some of their comrades, switch sides and teh two armies begin firing their arrows at the Shadowdoom, who collapses and is stripped of energy by the Wizards, eventually burning up until only a dying Gakar is left at its centre. Gakar is swallowed up by the fissure of his fortress, which is sealed by the Wizards so even if he reincarnates again, he is trapped there forever.

Thurot awakens after the battle, and slips away quietly before the Five Wizards and Seratar can find him.

The story is concluded in Thurot's Journey - volume 10.