Meet the Cast
Will Stanton
He might just be eleven years old, but Will Stanton knows how to hold his own against the vicious powers of the Dark. Well, he does by the end of the novel, anyway. Let's take a look at his journey...
Merriman Lyon
Will's mentor, Merriman Lyon, was the very first Old One. He's been around for all of time—before there were iPhones or Twitter; heck, even before indoor plumbing. (Ew.) This guy's been in every...
The Rider
This guy is bad news, right from the start. He's the antagonist, Will's nemesis, and all-around bad guy in the book. Why? He's one of the Dark for one thing, purposely using his power for evil in t...
The Stanton Family
Will has a big family. No really, here they all are: Roger (dad), Alice (mom), Stephen, Robin, Paul, Max, James, Barbara, Gwen, Mary, and Tom (who's dead). We'd hate to grocery shop for this group...
Hawkin (a.k.a. the Walker)
Hop into your way-back machine, Shmoopers, because we're taking a little trip to the 13th century to meet a guy named Hawkin. Hawkin gets to know Merriman pretty well and agrees to do a mission for...
Farmer Dawson
Farmer Dawson isn't just Will's neighbor; he's the guy who gives our main man his first Sign. Of course, Will doesn't exactly know it's a Sign at the time—in fact, Will is a little confused by wh...
The Old Lady
As one of the Old Ones, the Old Lady (a.k.a. the Lady, as she's sometimes called) is very knowledgeable and wise, but she never makes anyone feel dumb—kind of like the ultimate school librarian....
The Hunter
When we learn that the Hunter will fight the Rider in the woods, we're not sure what to make of it since we don't know the guy very well—or at all, really. Before the Hunter and the Rider can duk...