I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Between the Shade and the Shadow
by Coleman Alexander
on June 21, 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 487
Format: Kindle
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
In the deep heart of the forest, there are places where no light ever shines, where darkness is folded by pale hands and jewel-bright eyes, where the world is ruled by the wicked and kept by the wraiths. This is where the Sprites of the Sihl live. But Sprites are not born, they are made. On the path to Spritehood, spritelings must first become shades. They do so by binding a shadow: a woodland creature, who guides them through their training. Together, they keep from the light and learn to enchant living things, to bind them, and, eventually, to kill them. Yet, not all spritelings are born with malice—they must earn it or they are condemned. What happens then to the spriteling who finds a shadow where she shouldn’t? What happens if that particular spriteling wasn’t born with malice at all? Ahraia was that spriteling. She ran too close to the light and bound herself to a wolf, a more powerful shadow than any that came before it. Now a shade, her shadow marks her for greatness. But a test is coming, and the further they wander out of the darkness, the deeper they wander into danger. Ahraia’s time is coming and what awaits her at the end of her test will either make her or kill her . . .
Will Ahraia lose herself and her shadow?
Between the Shade and the Shadow by Coleman Alexander is a book that quickly compels you into reading it. I was able to read this book in two days, and ordinarily, dark fantasy books aren’t my thing. Mr. Alexander was able to write a great book that makes you believe that you are right there with the characters. Experiencing the same things that they do. We have Ahraia, her shadow and a bunch of other characters that feel like they are alive.
Ahraia
Ahraia grows a lot throughout the book. When we first see her, she is just trying to find her shadow. After that, it’s a domino effect on how she has to deal with everything people throw at her. She has had a rough life, since bonding to her wolf. However, Ahraia is quick on her feet and doing things that a natural shade or sprite will not think to do. After all this time, she has genuinely bonded to her shadow, and she has been dreading her shadow test. Now, something happens, that makes her the oldest, and she has no choice but to start her shadow test.
She doesn’t like anything that the shadow test is making her do, or what she is feels she is becoming. She grows to know not only her shadow but herself; this makes her realize that she wouldn’t do the tasks in the shadow test if she had a choice. What I like about her is that despite all the rules, Ahraia is still willing to test the boundaries. Another thing that I love about her is that she isn’t afraid to venture out in places that shade or sprite would avoid at all costs. The thing that I dislike about her is that she doesn’t stand up for her family or even to tell off the leader of her clan.
Losna
Losna is Ahraia’s shadow. In the book, you couldn’t find Ahraia without Losna around, and these two are the best of buds. They should be as they are an extension of each other. Losna is a gorgeous wolf who is a great runner and huntress. What I like about Losna is that she is Ahraia’s conscience which is pretty cool. She is also Ahraia’s voice of reason. What I don’t like about Losna is that she knew from the beginning that shade has to cast out her shadow at some point, but Losna didn’t want to be cast out.
The Others
The others are everyone else that Ahraia and Losna have encountered in the book. These are the bad guys, good guys, and all the neutral guys. Ahraia and Losna have struggled a lot, and a lot of these people had a hand in Ahraia’s fate.
What I like about some of them is that they are either protecting her or helping her because they know it’s the right thing to do. The other thing that I also like about them is that they trust that she and Losna won’t kill them.
What I dislike about some of them is that they are using Ahraia to move further up a food chain or to get something that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. Either way, nothing happens the way that Losna and Ahraia thought or anyone else wanted.
Five Stars
Between the Shade and Shadow by Coleman Alexander is an excellent book about sprites. It was the first thing that drew me in since I have never read a book about a sprite before. Well really of one turning into a sprite or a sprite.
The book is fast-paced and had me thinking about it constantly. It even kept me up at night. I am giving this book five stars since I enjoyed it so much. I am delighted with the ending of this book.
If you are still on the fence about this book, check out the excerpts. Excerpts
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by
About Coleman Alexander
Coleman Alexander lives and writes in Portland, Oregon. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, exploration runs deep in his blood. Whether visiting the remote wilds of Alaska or the imaginary lands of his books, he is happiest with his head in the woods or the mountains. The farther off the beaten path the better.
His favorite author’s include J.R.R. Tolkien, Patrick Rothfuss, and J.K. Rowling, and his work is influenced by a great number of fantasy and science fiction movies and books. Music plays an integral part of his writing process, and he is always diving down the rabbit hole for new musicians.
Between the Shade and the Shadow is his debut novel, but is only the first piece of a much greater world he is creating, the world of The Realmless.
Bio was provided by the author.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge
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