Shadowcaster: A Thrilling YA Fantasy of War, Dark Magic, and a Reluctant Heir's Fight (Shattered Realms Book 2)

Some minor spoilers below in321....Something I wish I would have known before going into this book is that there is really no Ash in it….*gasp* He is there in a few flashbacks and he is mentioned but he doesn’t get a PoV and we never see him after the timeline events of the last book.I tell you this because I think that my frustration with the first half of the book was partly because I was waiting to get to a part with him in it. Had I known going in this was the case I wouldn’t have been so distracted by it.The first half of this book went a bit slow for me. I expect this for the first book in a series because we are ramping up the story, but in the second book I usually feel that it should pace faster than the first since we have already gone through character introductions and set up. But because this book has an almost entirely new cast of characters there is that necessary slower time for introductions….again.Don’t let this discourage you though. Alyssa ana’Raisa was great. She is one of the reasons I really enjoy Cinda Willaims Chima as an author. The women in her books are allowed to be strong in different ways. Alyssa is strong in both leadership and warrior prowess. She is a fantastic soldier and gets to show that off not only in a physically way with a sword on the battlefield. But, she also shows that to us off the field in the way she trains her soldiers, carries herself and treats her enemies. I loved her as a character and in a lot of ways she is really the best of Raisa and Han together.In true Grey Wolf Queen fashion she has also formed an attachment to the least acceptable person possible. Halston Matelon is a captain of the enemy army. He is the last person in the world that Lyss should form a bond with of any kind but as the two talk, spar and get to know one another you can see that this doomed relationship is one that you really want to root for. “Perhaps not a potion to kill, but one to . . . to turn us into something we’re not.” “You mean . . . like a toad or— or— a billy goat?” Her lips twitched, as if it was all she could do not to burst out laughing. “I know! A flock of chickens. We could use some fresh eggs around here.” Hal stared at her. Did she really not understand what he was talking about? “We’ve heard stories of spells and potions that steal a man’s courage or his strength. That cause him to turn against his fellow soldiers and kill them. That give him such a massive case of the itches that—” “Believe me, Captain, if I had that power, I would have sent you all home with the itches a long time ago,” Gray said, wiping at her eyes.This book also comes with a new character with that strange jewel on the back of his neck and an eager Empress that is willing to do just about anything to find him. He was the secret jewel of this book and I hope we find out more about him soon. He didn’t get a ton of page time in this and I won’t tell you who it is since it isn’t discovered for quite awhile, but I’m hoping to find out what magics he has locked up inside him.JENNA and Flamecaster do make an appearance and get a PoV in this book. I was excited to see them meet up with a few of the characters from Ash’s past and Lyss’s present and I’m still just waiting for that moment when Jenna realizes Ash’s true name and his connections to the other characters of the book. Flamecaster is growing up and we are getting a few new clues into where Jenna might have come from and why she is in hiding. She also picked up an ally or two along the way.The problem with this book is that the second half is so good and then it was over, just when some of the best things were happening and then…that’s the end???? Dang it.My hope is that the next book will be able to blend all of the MC PoVs from the first two books and we don’t just get a new ‘new’ cast of characters to work with. Honestly this didn’t feel like a second book but one that should have been intertwined with the first book for just one big book there. I know that YA doesn’t like to do 1000 page epics for teens but for me it would have read better that way.Now to wait…..again.P.S. For all of you who have read The Seven Realms Series.The hardest thing about this continuation of that world is that you get to find out for sure what happened to the characters you loved for so long in the prior series. Sometimes that is great because you find out Dancer married Cait and they have a son about Alyssa's age. The bad part is that some of the characters are dead now and so you find out what happened to them only to realize that they are now gone from that world. And usually because this is not their story it is kinda throwaway and told to the reader in a few sentences, like ripping a band aide off fast.

First of all spoilers bellow:I want to start by say I still liked the book I was great as is all of chima's work. With that said there were a few things that I was hopeful for but got let down.I liked that they came back to the fells and the queendom we love. This book gave us some really good new charecters like Alyssa, Capitan Maelston, Shadow, etc. I liked them all and I added some awesome new color. But this book felt less like a second book and more like a parrralel to the first book. I disappointed me that Ash wasn't given even a single P.o.v. . Even though he was mentioned a few times I felt a little empty without him.It did occasionally make me happy the Jenna had a P.o.v. but there was only a single mention of him from which was confusing because i thought they had a deeper conection than that.The ending started with a cool siege at the Chalk Cliffs. I was really cool until all of a sudden the book was over and I thought there could have been much more.For the next book/last book I would love to see something that is up ward of 700 pages to tie all the characters together.

The second book in this series (Shattered Realms) which is set in the same world as the Seven Realms (although a few years later).The second book is somewhat concurrent with the first (meaning the event in this book happen at the same time or very nearly the same time than the first book) which means you won't see the main characters from the first book in this book.In addition, this book doesn't pick-up where the last one ended. So you want to know what happened to Ash or Lila I am sorry to say that you will not know at all in book two (yep you'll probably have to wait to book three or four?). Yet I still loved the book and forgot all about Ash and Lila and even Jenna. Good news you get to see Jenna and Flamecaster in this book but she's still not there much either.If you read book one (which if you haven't you should) you'll know immediately who the Shadowcaster is once you get to meet the character. I won't spoil it but again just like in the first book the central character of this book is not Shadowcaster although it is an origin story of sorts for Shadowcaster. It will also be obvious to you by now who Stormcaster is since you've already met him in book one and there is one scene with him in this book.My only negative comment about this book is that I finished it too quickly and now I have to wait six months for book 3? Aaaaaah Chimaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!Cinda Williams Chima is one of the most consistent authors out there. She is a good writer and the perfect mix of romance, violence, adventure, intrigue without getting bogged down with overly descriptive vocabulary.

Waiting for the final book

I love this book

Excellent continuation of the series, even though my favourite character was missing from this book...

Flamecaster left us with a cliff-hanger and unfortunately, Shadowcaster doesn’t follow the timeline, until half of the book, so be aware of that. Still, this was an entertaining reading because in this we get to know Lyss, the princess heir to the throne.She’s a complicated person and my new favorite character because she never intended to be queen, and yet, she tries her best to save her Queendom and to change the pace of the War. She truly cares about her people and she’s a soldier that happens to be a great strategist too. She can be blunt at times, and she may not be the most feminine girl on the court, but she gets the job done and I admire her for that. She also has a soft, vulnerable side, and the only thing she wants is to have her brother, Adrian/Ash, back.I may add that Lyss and Raisa’s interaction is so much like Raisa and Marianna was in the past. They both have their points of view, but what I really liked was that Raisa was willing to listen to her despite the fact that Lyss’ plans were somehow risky. I’m absolutely proud of both of them and I feel like I’ve known them for years, even though I only read The Seven Realm series just a few months ago.Anyway, we get introduced to new characters such as Bree and Hal. Breon, aka Bree, is a junkie that has a magemark at the back of his neck, just like Jenna did. He is a musician that can play the song of everyone’s soul, which is both good and bad, and he gets involved in an attack to the princess heir. On the other hand, Halston Matelon, aka Hal, is a southerner that remains a hostage among the Gray Wolf’s orders. He’s a soldier of the enemy’s army, and yet, he’s interested in Lyss and her way of commanding.And, as you can imagine by now, another crack ship appears: Lyss and Hal like each other and are kind of like Raisa and Han in the previous series, because they come from different worlds and yet, they feel drawn to each other. Though I’m glad that these books are not heavy on the romance or else I’d be bored.Now, like I said, this begins a little bit earlier than when Flamecaster ended, but around half of the book, we get to the same timeline. I must add that I felt like this book was a bit more political, which is not everyone’s cup of tea. Consequentially, the pace was slower in some chapters, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I think that Cinda Williams Chima has improved her writing and has created this marvelous world that I just want to sink in whatever she writes.I totally recommend you to follow this series and I can’t wait to read the next book! I’ve heard that there’s a queer couple and I’m excited to know who!

Que livro incrível! Essa vai ser uma das minhas menores resenhas, porque eu sempre fico sem ter o que falar quando o livro é tão bom como esse! Não que eu precisasse, já que amo a série Sete Reinos, que vem antes dessa, mas agora percebi que a Cinda Chima é uma das minhas cinco autoras favoritas e preciso ler todos os livros que ela lançar.Essa sequência conseguiu ser melhor do que o primeiro livro. Ela se passa praticamente na mesma linha do tempo que o Flamecaster até a metade, depois continua daí. Por um tempo, achei que isso fosse ficar chato, mas na verdade foi ótimo. Pela visão do Ash, eu achava que a Lyss tinha ficado em sua casa (ou seja, no castelo), não fazendo nada, mas aqui eu vi que ela teve uma jornada ainda mais interessante do que a dele. Dica: é ela na capa.E o dragão não é minha parte favorita desse livro. Na verdade, o romance tomou o lugar dele. Primeiro, porque eu amo os dois personagens do romance. A Lyss, principalmente, é muito incrível, daquele tipo de protagonista que faz livros valerem a pena. E o carinha, cujo nome eu não vou dizer, combinou tão perfeitamente com ela! Aqui, o romance não é corrido, fácil ou intenso demais na hora errada. E pensar que a Lyss é mais nova que o Ash.A falta do Ash, na verdade, é o único problema desse livro. Senti muita saudades dele! Não tem o ponto de vista dele, da Lila e do Destin aqui. Mas tem do Hal e do Bree, dois personagens novos ótimos também. O Bree demorou um pouco mais para me conquistar, mas eu já estava adorando ele no final. E a Jenna demora, mas volta, com o Cas.E o dragão é a minha segunda coisa favorita do livro. É tão difícil não amá-lo (confesso que nem tentei). Tem uma hora (não é spoiler, não se preocupe) que a Jenna o deixa para trás porque ele é grande demais e ele encolhe as asas e diz que agora está pequeno. Como não ser conquistado por um amorzinho desses? Que mata ovelhas para comer e solta fogo pela boca, mas mesmo assim.Pense em um livro delicioso de ler, daqueles que você lê trezentas páginas em um dia e não quer ter que parar. Nem sente as páginas passando, só vai se envolvendo cada vez mais com os personagens. É tão triste chegar no final. Não queria que acabasse nunca. Entrou fácil para os meus favoritos. O mais incrível é como a autora consegue combinar um livro super fácil e divertido de ler com uma história complexa, cheia de ramificações, batalhas, reinos, política e personagens complexos e humanos. Que obra prima.Só um detalhe: não compare com a série Sete Reinos. Por favor, não compare. Eu não comparei, não fiquei esperando nada no mesmo nível, mas não esperei me decepcionar também. Essa série é maravilhosa por si só. Ela e a Sete Reinos não merecem ser comparadas ou diminuídas por causa da outra. Pense nas duas como uma só, se preferir, ou como duas séries não ligadas. Só fique aberto para se divertir, se emocionar e se apaixonar por cada uma, que já está bom. Você não vai se arrepender.