... a delightful fantasy with a goodly dose of the macabre!

-

Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan. Illustrated by Ben Hibon.



A macabre fantasy that has it all. A peasant enslaved becomes a hero, a Princess becomes a queen before her time, along with murder, ghosts, and zombies.
But then the action takes place at Castle Gloom in the Kingdom of Gehenna. A dark secret entity is gathering together an army of the undead to conquer all.
This is really enjoyable.
Thorn is the pigheaded forester's son who has his own special abilities, a peasant's common sense (sometimes) and who ends up on a fantastical journey--after having been bought from the slavers by Ghenna's executioner, Tyburn.
Lilth Shadow became the ruler of Gehenna when her family (parents and brother) was attacked and killed in the forest when returning from a state visit to a neighbouring kingdom--Lumina. 
Then there is K'leef, a captured Prince, held hostage by Duke Raphael Solar, the enemies of the Gehenna for eons. Lily's parents' royal visit had been to arrange for Lily is to marry the Duke's   son Gabriel, to bring peace between the two kingdoms. Did I mention that Lily cannot stand Gabriel?
It seems like Lily might have a little of the family's necromancer magic--a dangerous thing as women with that sort of magic are killed in Geheena.
A host of other interesting characters support the cast--along with Hades! I love Thorn's way with difficult animals, and other monstrous type mammals. In fact the pure delight of Hades and Thorn together is beautifully penned.
Tightly written, with plenty of action, and a nicely woven plot, the story races along with no being bogged down (unless you're reliving a dying maid's last moments!) 
Recommended for Grade 4 and up, however a good book is valued by any age group, and as an adult I certainly enjoyed reading this

A NetGalley ARC

*****

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things aren’t as they seem!

-
Image
A Murderous Tryst  (Beatrice Hyde-Care Mystery #11) by Lynn Messina    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oh my! Bea certainly has a lot to contend with. Bea’s rattled! The Duke has been missing from their bed for a night. When a distraught Bea come downstairs the next morning she finds her beloved husband Damien clasped in the arms of a glamorous female. A female who turns out to be Kesgrave’s first mistress, Mrs. Penelope Taylor! What?! Of course Bea’s heart sinks and she falls back on her painful memories of Aunt Vera’s responses to such a situation. Bea is both shaken and traumatised, but determined not to show it.  It seems Penny has been accused of murder. Actually  Penny’s desperately trying to avoid Newgate.    As a former mistress Penny does the unthinkable thing in society’s eyes. She asks for help from Bea. Bea’s response is just as shocking. She says yes. Kesgrave is as usual inscrutable. Of course this is the beginning of a harebrained chase, complications between Bea  and Amien,  and an investiga
Read more

Women in war—Internment by the Japanese 1942-45.

-
Image
Sisters Under the Rising Sun  by Heather Morris    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fitting tribute to the women interred by the Japanese in Indonesia and Malaya during 1942 until liberation in 1945. Amongst the internees are a group of Australian Army nurses who were not given recognition by the Japanese as members of the armed forces and therefore not prisoners of war according to the Conventions of war.  Sister Vivian Bullwinkle is the only survivor of the massacre of a group of soldiers and nurses on Radji Beach, Bangka Island near Sumatra  in 1942, after the sinking of  HMS Vyner Brooke. There are a number of civilian prisoners in the camps like Norah Chambers and her sister Ena.  Combined, the story of these women interred under terrible conditions, their struggles and achievements are monumental.  Their gifts to their fellows beyond speech. Music plays an important part in uplifting the prisoners’ spirits. It’s truly a privilege to read about their plight, their vows to each other, and their braver
Read more

The Three Muscateers—three widows, three sets of different circumstances

-
Image
The Widows' Wine Club  by Julia Jarman    ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Different enough to be interesting but I kept losing which character was which. I almost feel I need to read it again to follow who’s who. I do know that three women came together to form a support group, going to the pub for lunch etc. Better than the local widow’s group in the church hall.  All three had recently lost their husbands and now had to find a way to face their new lives. Viv Halliday is a knowledgeable gardener. Zelda Fielding is setting herself up with internet dates and searching the web for her unknown father. Janet had a controlling husband who it turned out was having affairs, and their son is just as controlling. How their lives unfold is the new challenge. A Boldwood Books ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Read more