Review: Daughter of Shades by Sylvia Mercedes

 

Forbidden love, breathtaking action, and terrifying magic, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo!

A huntress with no past.

A rival with a secret.

A kingdom’s fate hangs in the balance . . .

Ayleth and her shade move as one, ever hungry for the hunt. Under her mentor’s tight control, she fears her memories are being stolen. Now nineteen, apprenticed for as long as she can remember to the mysterious Holy Order, she longs to rise in the ranks and banish untamed spirits for the prophesied Golden Prince.

When shadowy threats descend on the crown, Ayleth seizes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove her worth in open competition. Seeking to win the prince’s favor and escape her scheming mentor, she resolves to hold her own against Terryn, a handsome, arrogant opponent who may be more than a match for her untested powers.

But as the two rivals follow a trail beyond the Great Barrier and confront legendary evil, the stolen secrets of Ayleth’s past may return to haunt her . . .

Can Ayleth win the trial and reclaim her true self? Can she even survive her first day?

Daughter of Shades is the first breathtaking book in The Venatrix Chronicles YA fantasy series. If you like kick-butt heroines, intriguing worlds of magic, and slow-burn romance then you’ll love Sylvia Mercedes’s action-packed story.

Buy Daughter of Shades today, and journey into a vivid medieval world of honor and deception, rivalry and love, valiant hunters and malevolent spirits from another realm . . .

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                                                                 My Review:

This book was a roller coaster from start to finish. It begins with a full immersion into the multi-layered world and magic system our heroine finds herself living in- though, without much memory of how her life began. What she does know is that she wants to make something of herself in her holy order. And so she comes in like a wrecking ball into the life of the hero and tangled into the prince's slight intrigue.

 

But in all the webs of mystery, layers of horror, and flashes of adventure, the most compelling part of the story is the rival relationship between the title venatrix and her competing venerator as they find themselves on the opposite side of everything but in actual battle. 

 

I love the underlying story and the world and how fresh and unique it all is. But most of all, I love the characters and their relationships with each other: the Golden Prince, the wild heroine, and my heart, Terryn. Can't wait to read more, especially with Terryn reluctantly getting dragged along with Ayleth and the need to rescue her no matter what.

Note to more sensitive readers: This book had some bad language, violence, and horror elements.

 

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