A Threat of Shadows, Book 1
This wonderful story goes from being about a personal quest to something much bigger, much more epic, and with ever so high stakes. I absolutely loved how this author manages to ease the reader into the epicness in a slow, gentle way. It kind of creeps up on you and that is so unusual and definitely something that made me take note.
Alaric also really resonated for me. He feels like he's a failure, but despite it all he keeps going and continues to try. Each decision he makes is the best he can at that moment, and I totally respected him for it throughout this novel, no matter how difficult things became. He just kept on doing his best.
The rag-tag and mismatched group that Alaric joins was also so much fun and the jibing between them added so much to the flow of the narrative. I was totally duped by one of the characters, and loved how the betrayal unfolded, not to mention how random coincidences turned out to be nothing of the sort. The plot twists were clearly thought out very carefully and the author offered some great red herrings or only provided information where absolutely necessary until the reveal at the end.
This is definitely a fascinating world and an intriguing set of characters. I also enjoyed how the story is contained and feels like a solid standalone even though it's the start of a series. I can't wait to get to the next instalment!
Pursuit of Shadows, Book 2
What an intense read! I loved every moment of this second instalment of the Keeper Chronicles. The author really surprised me with this one. What starts out feeling like an unconnected standalone, gently but deftly weaves itself into a sequel without you really noticing, and all of a sudden it really is a sequel with so much more going on.
I absolutely love the magic system and the consequences of the magic. The additional elements of the backstories interwoven through this volume, add a richness and depth to the fabric of the story that really made it resonate. Add to that the focus on emotions, and I really did feel EVERYTHING. It's brilliantly evocative and a wonderful puzzle to sit over, working out how everything fits together.
Will made for a fantastic main character and I really enjoyed his view of the world. His people skills are also absolutely enviable, just as Alaric said. The quest for peace, tolerance of difference, and finding common ground is defintely something I can get behind and is woven as a beautiful message into this story filled with tension, the unexpected consequences of actions taken, and more than a few nail-biting moments.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and will definitely be continuing with the series.
Siege of Shadows, Book 3
This series was absolutely charming. I loved every moment of this final book in the trilogy, and particularly enjoyed how each novel focused on a different character. Although I really enjoyed having Alaric and Will's points of view in the previous two volumes, Sini really made for a fascinating character and I'm so glad I got to experience her adventure. She's a very deep character and there was so much to unpack about friendship and goodness and doing what is right.
I also really love how this author puts limits on the magic so that when one miracle is achieved, it feels so much more powerful and meaningful because tragedies still happen.
The message in this book about good and evil being rooted in personal choices and what we are willing to hear/be open to is a powerful one, as is the message about seeing the good in people even when they do/have done bad things. This author explores the subtleties of human nature in beautiful and powerful ways, and it's definitely made this series unforgetable.
If you like high fantasy with personal journeys that run parallel to epic background plots and enjoy a sweet, slow romantic subplot, you'll definitely love this series.
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