I've been anticipating this new release from Larson for some time. Read an
excerpt here, and check out my review and enter the tour giveaway below...
excerpt here, and check out my review and enter the tour giveaway below...
Sisters of Shadow and LightBy Sara B. Larson
YA Fantasy
Hardcover, Audiobook & ebook, 368 Pages
November 5th 2019 by Tor Teen
Summary
From the acclaimed author of DEFY, Sara B. Larson, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT is a timeless and fantastical tale of sisterly love and powerful magic
"The night my sister was born, the stars died and were reborn in her eyes…"
Zuhra and Inara have grown up in the Citadel of the Paladins, an abandoned fortress where legendary, magical warriors once lived before disappearing from the world―including their Paladin father the night Inara was born.
On that same night, a massive, magical hedge grew and imprisoned them within the citadel. Inara inherited their father’s Paladin power; her eyes glow blue and she is able to make plants grow at unbelievable rates, but she has been trapped in her own mind because of a “roar” that drowns everything else out―leaving Zuhra virtually alone with their emotionally broken human mother.
For fifteen years they have lived, trapped in the citadel, with little contact from the outside world…until the day a stranger passes through the hedge, and everything changes.
My Review
SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT is a book that takes readers back to ancient history and a fantasy world found through a gate. The characters are likable and easy to relate to, with complex relationships between family, friends, and love interests. Then there's the story, which is full of tension, loss, pain, love, determination, and magic. A book to easily get lost in from the beginning to the very last page. Highly recommended to fantasy readers!
I've read several series where there are gates to other fantasy worlds. Not all of them handle this trope well, but Larson does an excellent job in making it believable and work in this story. The ancient world and the fantasy world both felt realistic and believable, although I would have liked them fleshed out a little more. I still have a few lingering questions. I did love the way magic worked in this world and how it is wielded. I'm looking forward to discovering more as the characters figure things out in the future.
I liked the characters from the beginning! They each had their own weaknesses, faults, and strengths and there were moments when I wanted them to move forward more, but these more difficult parts also felt realistic. Some things that usually might've bothered me didn't here because of the background of these characters (like if you go your whole life never being around boys, would you know how to react to them; or never knowing your father, other family or others like you, how would you react to those new experiences; and how do you know who to trust when magical bonds are thrown into the mix and you've been naively sequestered your whole life?). There were so many different relationships and they were each complex, which just added to the emotional pull of the story. There was a touch of romance, but it felt like a beginning, something that will grow more as the series progresses, and not the main focus of the story. Foremost, this was a story of the bond of sisters, the friction of two worlds colliding, of growing into your own, and fighting for family and love.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I literally could not put this one down! It held my interest from beginning to end. If you like stories that are a balance between character and plot driven, and enjoy new love, complex relationships, and fantasy then this is definitely one I'd recommend.
Content: Some innuendo and violence, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley through the Fantastic Flying Book Club, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of the YA fantasy DEFY trilogy (DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE) and the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology. Her next YA fantasy, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT, comes out November 5th from Tor Teen. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.
Tour Schedule
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Win (1) of (10) copy of SISTERS OF SHADOW & LIGHT by Sara B. Larson (US/CAN Only)
Ends November 13th 2019
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have you read this one yet? Will you be?
No comments
Post a Comment
I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.