Release date: 22nd January 2014
Publisher: Createspace
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5 stars

 

Synopsis

When Jinji’s home is destroyed, she is left with nowhere to run and no one to run to–until she meets Rhen, a prince chasing rumors that foreign enemies have landed on his shores. Masquerading as a boy, Jinji joins Rhen with vengeance in her heart.

But traveling together doesn’t mean trusting one another, and both are keeping a deep secret–magic. Jinji can weave the elements to create master illusions and Rhen can pull burning flames into his flesh.

But while they struggle to hide the truth, a shadow lurks in the night. An ancient evil has reawakened, and unbeknownst to them, these two unlikely companions hold the key to its defeat. Because their meeting was not coincidence–it was fate. And their story has played out before, in a long forgotten time, an age of myth that is about to be reborn…

 
The Review

All I can say is wow. I read the novella before this book and initially I didn’t see how it all related until half way through the book where all the pieces started to fall into place.

Jinji is part of an old tribe known as the Arpapajo and is gifted with the ability to communicate with the spirits. She can see the spirit elements (water, fire, earth, air). She is about to take her place beside her mate to become the leader of her people, a role her twin Janu was meant to take up before his death.

On the day of her joining, Jinji can feel that something really bad is about to happen. When all the people she loves and her home is destroyed by a mysterious shadow she does nothing more that lay down anticipating her death. This is until Rhen comes along.

Whylrhen the prince and 3rd son to King Whylefrick is carefree and adventurous with a secret of his own. In his quest to investigate the whispers he has heard about an oncoming war he finds Jinji who has disguised herself to look like her brother Janu and takes her back with him to Rayfort.

And along the way they are faced with enemies and new found allies. As more secrets are uncovered Rhen wonders there will be enough time to stop a war from ravaging his home and its people that he loves soo much. Also will Jinji find out the truth about the unknown evil shadow.

What did I like? This book was just epic. The author just knows how to draw you into the story, trust me I was hooked until the very end. I liked how everything was not overdone in the book. It had just the right amount of magic, action, maybe not enough romance but I am still hopeful that it will come.

There are twists and turns, suprises that keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are so well developed that you can help but start o feel like you know them. In term sof the characters in the book, Jinji’s strength and courage was just amazing.

I kept thinking to myself “when will she get a break?” Rhen was just a whole heap of laughs. I felt for him because all he just wanted was to be accepted by his family and everyone around him.

Did I mention the book ended on a cliff hanger? Oh wow…Book 2 is on its way as I just can’t get enough of this series.

You can find The Shadow Soul here.

 

 

Guest review contributed by The Angel’s Pearl. Her passion is coffee, photography, reading, and book reviews.

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Bridge to Desert Desire

Texas Miz Mike regrets the shattered romances scattered through her life like wind-thrashed flower petals. She resolves to end dystopian relationships by outdistancing the mysteries that seem to stalk her even when she is busy minding her own business.

Little can she afford another mystery to sweep into her life and separate her from her new love, Scottish Reverend Alan Evan Kirkland, who is already separated from her by the ocean until she receives her United Kingdom Visa.

She flees to the Nevada desert to visit an artsy friend, expecting the empty desert to shield her from murder, mystery, and mayhem. The desert proves far from empty and the secrets it guards are deadly. Mike must not only save her own life, but also that of a rebellious teen who hates her, does not believe in God, and is determined to engineer the same level of dystopia that Mike fled to the desert to avoid.

Even worse, Flame’s father, Egan Firewalker Quartz, is determined to give Miz Mike every reason to discard her upcoming “traditional wedding” to her “traditional Scottish minister” and marry him instead. He needs a mother for his unruly daughter and Mike seems like a good candidate for the job.

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