A Tale of Light and Shadow: Secrets of Neverak (Book #2)

A Tale of Light and Shadow: Secrets of Neverak (Book #2) 

                                                                                                            by Jacob Gowans 

Blurb:

"Horrors await Henry and his friends after the disastrous battle at the Iron Pass. Crippled and broken, Henry must rely on his friends more than ever as they travel through strange new lands. New allies and foes find them at every turn, but which are friendly and which are deadly? Isabelle, now a slave in Neverak, finds herself surrounded by enemies, uncertain about the fate of her friends, and must rely on only herself to survive. Meanwhile, the Emperor moves forward with his plans of conquest, spurred on by the Seer's dark prophecy--but he has not forgotten who defied him. Return to the world of Atolas, where swords and daggers extend life or end it, where feuds and friendships influence kingdoms and courtships, and where magic is feared by all but a few." 

My Review:

It's always an adventure with Henry, Maggie, Ruther, and James! That Iron Pass must have messed with their values and their minds because they sure started doing some naughty things! I was actually disappointed in how they acted in Borderville. This book picks up and leaves off exactly where the last one ended. It is well written. The descriptions in this book are good. I definitely will not be traveling the Iron Pass any time soon! I like that these characters are not perfect. I like that they struggle with things, because it makes them seem more real. I liked Maggie more at the beginning than I liked Henry, Ruther, or James because she stayed more true to herself. The things that begin happening to her are a little confusing at first. Her first four visions are quite confusing for her and the reader. As bad as I feel for them, I feel equally as bad for Isabelle. She is definitely not in a good spot. Brandol and Atticus surprised me with some of their actions, and the evil Emperor is still just that--evil! I definitely do not want to meet him in a dark alley. If you enjoyed the first book you definitely need to read this one!

There is violence in this book. There are some gruesome fighting scenes, and an execution. Isabelle is a ("intimacy") slave for the Emperor. There isn't any profanity. There are a few value things that are added in this book; for example, gambling and stealing.  

Rating: PG-13 (There is violence in this book, including an execution of a character. There isn't any profanity, but Isabelle is a slave (concubine) to the Emperor, and there are discussions and scenes related to that. There is also gambling and stealing, along with holding someone at knife-point.

Recommendation: Young Adult (13-18)

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

                                                               

Light and Shadow (Book #1)

A Tale of Light and Shadow (Book #1) by Jacob Gowans

Blurb:

Enter Atolas, a world where feuds and friendships influence kingdoms and courtships. Henry and Isabelle have secretly sworn to marry despite his lowly station. Though Henry is but a carpenter, his devotion drives him to commit an unthinkable act that may cost both of them their lives. Meanwhile, a secret, dark prophecy has set in motion events that will affect not only them, but the thrones of rulers throughout all of Atolas, threatening to eclipse the world in shadow. But all is not lost while hope remains in the guise of an unlikely hero and the strength of friendship.

My Review:

Sword fighting, love, friendship, adventure, sacrifice, betrayal, and gold are a few words I would use to describe this book. What an adventure! I enjoyed this book. I thought that for the most part it is well written. It isn't a super fast read for some reason; it took me awhile to read it. The character development is done really well, and as you read you find yourself drawn to this new world. Henry and Isabelle are favorite characters; they are flawed, for sure. They are realistic characters that try their hardest to be all they need to be, but they do fail. I liked Maggie a lot too. Ruther is an interesting character, and you never really know if you can trust him or not, so it adds a little bit of tension to the mix. Brandol is a dull character who got annoying. You just want to scream at him to toughen up. The story is unique and creative. There's a hint of fantasy in it, but you never see anything more than just that far away hint. I love the friendship lessons that are taught in this book. Even though they may argue and distrust each other sometimes, you see how strong the bond of friendship can become. Henry, especially, shows how important that is. The evil Emperor is a great villain. You just love to hate him in this book. There are a few cheesy parts in this book, but it's fun and entertaining. I enjoyed it.

There are a few things in this book that make it inappropriate for children younger than 13. One of the characters is meant to be sold into slavery as a "concubine" to the evil Emperor. It doesn't go into a lot of detail, but you know that means that she will be his "intimacy" slave. Also, one of the characters is a drunk. He drinks constantly throughout the whole book, and there is at least one scene where several of them are drunk. There isn't any profanity, which is great. There is also quite a bit of violence in this book as the friends fight for their lives against a massive army. Some of the descriptions are quite graphic and are gruesome. I think the cover art is a little bit cheesy, and it's not my favorite, but I have seen worse.

Rating: PG-13 (There isn't any profanity, but there is talk of a woman character being sold into slavery as one of the Emperor's concubines, It doesn't go into more detail than that, but it is implied that she will be an "intimacy" slave. There is also some domestic violence, the deaths of a few characters, and some fighting. Some of the fight scenes are very detailed and can be gruesome.

Recommendation: Young Adult (13-18) and up

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.