#Review - Shadowborn by Katie MacAlister #Fantasy #Romance

Series: The Born Prophecy # 3
Format: Ebook, 200 pages
Release Date: June 9th 2020
Publisher: Rebel Base Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy

Liberated from exile, the brutal god Nezu is leveling his vengeful wrath against the blessed lands of Alba, and only three heroes stand a chance of stopping him. Fireborn Allegria, with her ability to harness the power of light; her Starborn lover, Hallow, who leads the society of mages; and Deo, a warrior born of both worlds . . .

But the circle of friendship is broken when Allegria is imprisoned in the spirit world of the Thane. Surrounded by long dead warriors bent on revenge, Allegria is losing her grasp on the mortal realm. Now she must fight to hold on to the memories she has left—and the hope that help is coming from a world away.

The ultimate battle between good and evil is breaking, and Hallow and Deo need Allegria to win it. But even then, how can they achieve the impossible? For it’s not just one destructive god they must face, but also his creator. Only an arcane prophecy and the untried power of their joined magics can save the Fourth Age.

Shadowborn is the third installment in author Katie MacAlister's The Born Prophecy series. It is highly recommended that you read these book in order to ensure that you don't miss anything important. This is a series that focuses on (3) main characters: Deosin Langston is the son of a Starborn Queen as well as Fireborn father who has a prophecy that he will either save the world, or destroy it; Allegria Hopebringer is a Sunborn Priestess who has the touch of the Goddess known as Kiriah Sunbringer; Hallow of Penhallow is Allegria's husband, & Master of Kelos, leader of the arcanists who has access to (3) types of magic.

There are several other key characters in this story that stand out more than others: Lady Idril Jalas who is supposed to be betrothed to Deo but has had more than one detour over the course of the first two books in this series; Lord Israel, Deo's father who lost an important battle and is trying to regain his footing as well as learning how to trust his son and his appetite for destruction; Quinn, the Captain who can't die; Dexia, a Vanith who can shape shift, and Ella, a Shadowborn who escaped with Deo, Allegria and Hallow from Eris.

As a summary, Deo leaves Allegria and Hallow behind to set things straight which he seems to always be breaking. In fairness, he wants to reunite with Idril. Deo's former Banes of Eris have been told he is dead, and they end up allying themselves against him leading to the death of someone thought indestructible. Deo's actions pit him against his own mother but surprisingly, his father takes his side in finding a way to reunite with Allegria and Hallow who he needs to defeat Nezu.

During a battle against Eidolon, spirits of former arcanists and magic users, Allegria ends up being captured by one of the Thanes who once ruled Eidolon and ends up with a woman, Mayam, she can't trust. The longer she remains in the spirit realm, the more of her memories she loses including why she's here in the first place. Allegria might now be the most aggravating character with her constant whining about how she's been abandoned by Kiriah. Everyone else around her calls her out but right until the final page when she learns of a stunning death, she refuses to listen.

Hallow, meanwhile, faces a devastating attack by Lyl of Starfall who has not only supplanted the former Queen from her throne, but now takes Hallows title of Master of Kelos. Hallow and Lyl continue to battle for a large chunk of this story until he, Allegria, Deo and their friends are finally reunited to battle Nezu. To be fair, this book has a whole lot of conversational situations that involved what sexual positions certain couples want to try out while they are also trying how to defeat Nezu. 

To also be fair, this book really doesn't resolve anything and leaves a cliffhanger ending, again. Idril & Israel still want to take out her father, the Queen seems to be under some spell, Starfall needs saving from those like Lyl, the Eidolon are still a threat, and we need to give Allegria a kick in the backside to understand that she may be the most powerful character in this story.

 

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