This is a spoiler-free review! The Shadow Prince is currently available for free on iBooks and Kindle.
I have been trying to get back into the fantasy genre, and a quick novella seemed just the thing to light that fire. As an introduction to the Mortal Enchantment trilogy, this novella allows readers to get to know the main character, Rowan, and the impossible task given to him in order for him to claim his right to the throne. I loved the elemental aspect of this story -- I feel as though it is so rarely seen in young adult and adult fantasy novels, with the only one coming to mind is the Akasha series by Terra Harmony.
For being such a quick read, the author does a great job at world-building in the limited pages, and when it comes to character development, Rowan is quickly presented with a number of moral dilemmas and does a decent job navigating them. Along with his best friend, Marcus, he is set up to face the ultimate choice alongside a number of obstacles once he travels from the mortal world back to Avalon.
I am usually not a fan of fantasy books transitioning between the mortal world and their magical land, but the author only references a few specific real world items during the story, which allows the reader to maintain their presence in the elemental courts. While being categorized as young adult, I could see the story well-placed in an adult setting, especially when it comes to the shape-shifters introduced -- there is something sinister with their significance in the story.
Rowan spends a decent amount of this novella battling his inner thoughts regarding the task of killing the princess of the air court, and while it is always important for us to see the lead character experience challenges, his back and forth was starting to get a touch old for my liking. Hopefully in Storm Born, he will be more decisive as his story unfolds. The side characters provide conflict for Rowan as expected, and I look forward to seeing him gain some allies in the rest of the series.
I would definitely recommend this to fans of The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black -- it reminds me so much of the world if you swap out faeries for elemental beings, and the stakes are just as high. This was a great way to get readers interested in starting a new series, and I certainly plan on continuing with Rowan's story.
You can add The Shadow Prince on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.
No comments:
Post a Comment