#Review - Light Singer by Audrey Grey #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Kingdom of Runes # 4
Format: Kindle, 476 pages
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Publisher: Starfall Press
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Haven escaped the clutches of the new Sun Sovereign and found solace in Shadoria, but for how long?

Now that the extent of her powers is known, Solis, Noctis, and mortals all hunt her. Meanwhile, chaos reigns across the land. The immortal realm is ruled by a depraved King who will stop at nothing to reclaim Haven as a weapon, while the mortal lands must choose between serving a tyrant or following Prince Bell, the Kinslayer.

And below, in the Netherworld, a great evil awaits, amassing an army of untold powers.

Hunted, plagued by doubt, and torn between duty and love, Haven must find a way to broker peace between the nations before it’s too late.

Light Singer is the fourth installment in author Audrey Grey's Kingdom of Runes series. Haven Ashwood and her allies, Stolas, Demelza, Surai, Bellamy, Delphine, Ember, Xandrian, and Nasira have made it to Shadoria, the former home of the seraphians and Stolas and Nasira family castle. But things are far from peaceful. Haven's former ally, Archeron, is trying to destroy everything and everyone Haven cares about in order to force her to return to him and submit to being his weapon.

Since that isn't an option for Haven, Archeron puts a bounty out on her head so large that every Solis, Noctis, and mortal mercenary and assassin for hire from Ruinland to Asgard to the Selkie Sea wants a shot at taking Haven down. Haven is Goddess-born stuck in human form and infected with Odin’s darkness which means she has light and dark magic. Which also means that we get to see another side of Haven in this story. Haven carries within herself a heavy burden from her lineage, as well as a prophecy that could see her rise up and save the world or join with her father to destroy it.

Haven struggles with her newfound status as the Goddess born, long foretold to come and all the trust she's feeling burdened under. She could eventually be the most powerful being in existence. But she doesn’t feel worthy of the title and it takes lots of work and training with Stolas to gain comfort in her new role. Her feelings for Stolas has grown leaps and bounds from when they first met. Stolas knows that Haven has it in her to become immortal and therefore unstoppable if she just lets go of her emotions.

While they are flailing away with their emotions for each other, a darkness is eager to rise up and create catastrophe. After sending out emissaries across the world hoping for an alliance with no responses, Haven finally gets a response from Eros, King of the Broken Three. All Haven has to do is pass a few tests first and an alliance will be hers. From Veserack, Haven and her allies travel to Solissia where the Morgani Queen is holding an archery contest for all comers. Add another ally to Haven’s group after she, and Ember help drive off Morgryth’s Shadelings and are given access to the Demon Realm where another key piece of the puzzle awaits.

Haven’s allies are an eclectic group. A fallen lord of the Netherworld (Stolas), a traitorous sun lord (Xandrian), a Kingslayer would be king (Bellamy), a warrior who lost her mate, and her brother in arms (Surai), and a princess who lost her home after she chose to follow Haven (Ember), plus two Seraphian who are unable to speak, and a Princess of the Netherworld (Nasira) who might be the one person to bring this group to its doom.

I mention Nasira last because it is her actions that lead to a stunning cliffhanger ending which will have to tide us all over until the finale is released next year. 

"Beneath these hallowed lights of my ancestors, I see the daughters of queens, the sons of sovereigns. I see a king twice over chose by Freya herself, a Seraphian Empress who terrifies even the Shadeling, and a Goddess so ferocious even the heavens tremble when she's angry." 

 

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#Review - Shadow Ruin (Shadow Fall #3) by Audrey Grey #YA #SyFy

Series: Shadow Fall #3
Format: Kindle, 314 pages
Release Date: May 25, 2020
Publisher: Starfall Press LLC
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult / SyFy

My name is Maia Graystone: soldier, commander of the rebel army . . . and the Emperor’s worst nightmare.

After going from scorned traitor to leader of the rebel army overnight, I’m now the most powerful girl in the empire.

But power always comes with a price.

My mother questions my position at every turn, my enemies wait for the right moment to strike, and the burden of leadership threatens my relationship with Riser.

When the Emperor kidnaps someone I love, I’m faced with the impossible—sneak onto Hyperion, his highly-guarded palace in the sky.

I’ve survived the Shadow Trials. I’ve survived the violent Blood Courts. But surviving this final mission means deciding once and for all who to trust—the golden prince from my past or the dark soldier from my future.

With Pandora’s wrath only days away, I’ll enter one final twisted game of treachery, secrets, and deceit.

Winner takes all . . . let the games begin.

Shadow Ruin is the third and final installment in author Audrey Grey's Shadow Fall Trilogy. The story begins right where it left off in Shadow Rise. The fate of the Earth depends on the successful infiltration of the castle on Emerald Island, locating and activating the Mercurian to deal with the Pandora asteroid about to destroy the planet, and taking out the Emperor. Maia Graystone has done some impossible things over the course of this series. She's survived 7 years in the Pit after being caught trying to feed her brother Max. 

She survived the Shadow Trials after having had a complete makeover by a former guard of the families to become someone entirely new. She survived the Blood Courts against her once lover Riser and her alleged ally Nicolai. She's put together a large army of the willing including Prince Caspian and her own brother Max. With her mother alongside, a mother who turned her back on her family and became an ally of the Emperor, a mother who created she Shadow Trial, who now claims it was all part of a larger plan that involves Maia and Max having pieces of a puzzle that will lead to finding the Mercurian that her own father developed to save the world from Pandora.

What's interesting about this story is that sleepers are waking up and they are a major part of Maia's army. Sleepers include people from all walks of life including Bronze and Silver, and people who are weak and hungry. The bad thing is that half the people are starving and weak and really can't be relied on to face off against Nicolai's people, the Archduchess, or the Emperor for that matter. After Nicolai throws a wrench in her plans, as always, and the psychopathic Archduchess kidnaps Max, Maia is forced to choose between finding the Mercurian so she can save the planet or saving her brother.

The story moves to space station Hyperion, a floating city of wonder where Maia, posed as Delphine, is expected to marry Prince Caspian. Things quickly spiral into dangerous territory and it's only a matter of time before choices and decisions will need to be made. For some, the revolving door between Maia, Caspian and Riser is considered a love triangle. But not really. Maia once loved the boy Caspian, but it is the man, Riser, who holds her heart even after all the bad things that he's done for her. Would I have preferred Maia with Caspian? Perhaps. Caspian never once betrayed Maia. Oh, sure, he blamed her for his sister’s death but that was due to being emotionally distraught. The ending is part violent, part emotional, and part heart breaking. It's a good ending. There's not much I would change including the high body count. 

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#Review - Shadow Rise by Audrey Grey #YA #Fantasy

Series: Shadow Fall # 2
Format: Kindle, 312 pages
Release Date: April 17th 2020
Publisher: Starfall Press LLC
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Young Adult / Dark Fantasy

Terrorist. Rebel. Traitor.

One rash decision during the Shadow Trials led to unspeakable horrors that left innocents dead, friends injured and hunted by the Empire, and Maia Graystone imprisoned in the Tower at the Archduchess’s mercy.

Unsure if Riser Thornbrook survived, Maia must find a way to battle the Empire from within its own walls and escape so she can fulfill the promise to her father and stop the asteroid. But when she breaks free and joins Nicolai's Rebel army, she discovers she’s been branded a traitor. With war between the Rebels and the Empire looming, old alliances shifting, and suspicion hanging over her head, she must fight in the Rebel Blood Courts—and win command—to regain their trust.

Only problem is, first she has defeat the reigning champion, someone she knows all too well. Will Maia’s emotions lead to her defeat, or will she rise up and claim her victory?

“May the gods favor chaos over tyranny, Rebels over Royalists, and a quick death for the brave.”

Shadow Rise is the second installment in author Audrey Grey's Shadow Fall trilogy. Maia Graystone is a prisoner of the Emperor and the Archduchess who has figured out who Maia is. Maia is the digger girl who survived the Pit for 7 long years after losing her brother Max and being caught stealing food to survive. She is now called Lady Everly who is called a Fienian scum, a terrorist, a rebel, and a prisoner. She lost the support of Prince Caspian after his sister Ophelia was killed during an uprising against the Emperor that didn't go as planned.

Maia has other things on her mind as well. Her father built a device called Mercurian that can destroy Pandora which is traveling towards Earth and the inevitable destruction of the planet. The problem lies in the fact that Maia has one part of the plans, while her missing brother has the other piece of the puzzle. Maia finds herself among Nicolai's rebels. He refuses to help her find Mercurian so that Maia can save the planet from destruction. He wants more than Maia understands. Maia discovers some curious surprises along the way.

Her brother, Max, is alive and part of Nicolai’s rebellion. Riser, aka Prince Dorian Laevus, is alive but his memories have been altered. He was told that Maia had died at the Emperor’s palace along with Ophelia. Maia’s only chance of proving herself and gaining the much needed supporters she needs in order to go on the offensive against the Emperor and save the planet, is to enter the Blood Court and defeat the King of the Court, Riser. Maia is also dealing with lots of issues. She’s hearing voices in her head likely from sleepers who were downloaded into her head. 

As part of the previous challenge, all sleepers were uploaded into the finalists. The court is preparing to exodus to Hyperion, the space station orbiting the planet where the Emperor and Maia’s mother have taken refuge. There are new characters introduced as well. Lash, Teagan, Rhydian, Rivet, and the reappearance of Prince Caspian who was once Maia’s betrothed. I’m still not a fan of Maia’s mother. The mother who disavowed her daughter and son. The mother who created the Labyrinth that killed one of Maia’s good friends. The mother who is a loyalist and friends with the Emperor himself.

Maia’s growth has a whole lot to do with her experiences. She’s survived the Pit, reconstruction to make her Lady Everly, Shadow Trials, the Archduchess more than once, the Blood Court, a broken heart, a reunion with a brother who has been told that she left him behind, and the Emperor who wants to allow the world to be destroyed so that he and his loyalists can survive on a space station high about the apocalypse. She will also have to take a stand against Nicolai and Riser while creating her own army. If she can do that, there may be hope that she can find a way to save humanity.

 

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