Pip Summerdew, the Halfling assassin, has been sent on a mission by the elven prince of the Sylvan Marches.

He must retrieve the head of Graznik, the leader of the Dragonwood orcs.

But is everything as it seems? Why exactly does the prince want Graznik dead, and where is his long-lost sister, who should rightfully be on the throne? "Shades" is a series of accessible, original fiction by leading authors, written to appeal to the reluctant or disenchanted reader at KS3+.

They contain short chapters, an easy-to-read font and are available in a wide range of genres.