Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1) by Sophie Jordan
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher, courtesy of Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Book Summary
Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.
But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.
With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.
With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best.
Book Details
Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
Reign of Shadows #1
Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy/ Retelling
Published February 9th 2016 by Harper Teen
Hardcover, 293 pages
My Rating: 4 Stars
Book Review
REIGN OF SHADOWS by Sophie Jordan is a YA fantasy inspired by Rapunzel. Only, this story is set in a world of darkness where zombie-like creatures called Dwellers roam and giant bats fly.
I usually grab up stories if they are in any way a retelling or inspired by a fairy-tale, and Reign of Shadows is no different. I finally pulled this duology of my shelf and cracked open this terrific series starter.
The setting is dark. Jordan manages to write this world of perpetual twilight as both lush and bleak. Even though the night is never-ending and populated by creatures, the writing is still gorgeously descriptive.
“The eclipse spanned all my life. It invaded everything. A deep, seeping blackness that poured into every crack and fissure like pooling blood. The darkness was especially dense outside my tower, sliding like ink to where I stood on the lighted balcony, listening to the hum of hungry insects and animals. And them.”
Told from alternating narrations, Jordan sets our two teen protagonists, Luna-princess and lost heir to the kingdom of Relhok and Fowler, the the handsome archer who hides his secrets, into this bleak world.
Luna is blind but is no damsel in distress. Taught by her guardians to be self-reliant, she does not let her lack of sight hinder her. The moment she rescues the mysterious archer in her woods, she finds herself drawn to Fowler even as he presents a danger to her.
The romance is star-crossed and the attractions immediate even as each tries to deny it. Jordan writes some of the best YA kissing scenes. Fowler and Luna complement each other and I enjoyed their growing romance with plenty of swoony moments.
As to the plot, when soldiers show up at the tower, it sends Luna and Fowler on a dangerous quest where they come across all kinds of dangers. By both man and creature.
This is where the story goes from the mainly character-driven, to an action and adventure quest across a deadly, dark terrain. This story swept me up. The mix of engaging narration, which alternates between Fowler and Luna, and the dangerous quest made the pages fly by.
Although, I would have loved a deeper insight into the world and backstory of the kingdom of Relhok. I will say the ending is an almost cruel cliffhanger that would have seriously frustrated me had I not had the next volume in hand.
I would recommend this to romance-driven YA fantasy readers. I’m reading the second installment next and can’t wait to see where Jordan takes the story next.
