Review of Sylvia Mercedes's Song of Shadows

 

Hollis trained for years to master the possessing spirit inside her. One wrong move and the spirit will overwhelm her body and damn her soul . . . but as long as she maintains control, Hollis wields incredible magic in the service of her Goddess.

Fendrel is her partner and fellow soldier in the war against heretic witches. Together they join a mission to retrieve an important prisoner from enemy territory. When disaster strikes, and the mission is compromised, they must depend on each other for survival across a perilous mountain range.

But as danger draws them closer than ever, the secret feelings Hollis harbors for Fendrel grow harder to ignore. She knows the Law. She knows love between members of her Holy Order is punishable by death.​

She doesn’t know how much longer she can deny the passion threatening to ignite between them.

A story of forbidden love, breathtaking action, and terrifying magic. If you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, try Song of Shadows today!

Now published in a Fantasy chairty anthology 

My Review:

I love the Venatrix Chronicles and was about halfway through book six before doubling back to read this prequel. And I would certainly recommend anyone reading that series to read this because it's such a good story set in this dark world following Ayleth's mistress and Terryn's master as they show that their apples didn't fall far from the tree.

Concerning Hollis's initial backstory, I need therapy.

Concerning the rest of it, the story was absolutely engrossing, the chemistry between Hollis and Fendral drawing me in while their traveling companion and I shipped them on when he wasn't also flirting with her. It was also compelling to see the things set in place that would lead to the events of the full series. 

The ending was bittersweet. In light of where I had read in the series when I read this, it was also unsettling and filled me with nail-biting anxiety. In light of the end of the series, well, see the spoiler note below- but only if you've read everything.

Non-spoiler note: I'm not completely sure who thought it was a good idea for there to be an order of celibates where guys and girls of approximate ages keep getting paired together in remote and dangerous situations. But someone really needs to have a good sit-down with the Venatrix leadership.

Spoiler note: Fendral gets painted as a villain in the series, especially near the end, until a redemptive death. And even before reading this prequel, I was not okay with that. He had his reasons, and they were good reasons, and then those reasons were taken from him and grief twisted him like it does. And poor Hollis also had her reasons and even repentance for where those reasons took her too far, but neither of them get a happy ending even when they were so close to being able to be together on the other side of the Venatrix order. And I'm not okay with that. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.