Tags
epic fantasy, indie author, indie book review, mande matthews, mytholgoy, nordic, norse, novella, prequel, self-published, series, the light keepers, the shadowlight saga, viking, ya, young adult
Isolated because of what she is—because of the power she holds inside—Astrid longs for contact with another human being. Her well-intentioned mother locks her away from society in order to protect her from an evil that seeks to use Astrid’s abilities for his own means. But the resulting loneliness drives Astrid deeper into the shadowwalk—a power she is forbidden to use, a magic that lands her directly into the arms of the Shadow.
This short prequel to the ShadowLight Saga offers a revealing glimpse into the history of the beautiful and mysterious warrior maiden known as Swan, called Astrid in this prequel. It takes place a few moons before Bonded begins and is a self-contained novelette of approximately 10,000 words.
Includes bonus chapter preview of Bonded, Book One of the ShadowLight Saga.
Blurb and cover from Goodreads
4 out of 5 stars
This is one of my Kindle freebie grabs that I half-heartedly opened out of desperation thinking I had nothing but time to lose. The result was me gripping my Kindle, debating how soon I could get the rest of the story.
The plot:
This is a brief book that still boasts sword fights, magical intrigue, and deeply rooted mysteries. I found myself enjoying it far more than I expected to and whizzed through the brisk plot in no time at all.
The characters:
We do see some of Astrid’s mother and her mother’s protector, who is also Astrid’s teacher. However, the main focus is undoubtedly on Astrid. Astrid has many frustrations, mostly about her inability to speak and her lack of understanding just what it is her mother and mother’s protector are preparing her for. It was easy to understand why she got so angry, even if it was also easy to see why they pushed her mentally and physically. I don’t usually find rebellious characters sympathetic, but I adored Astrid and I was very eager to read Bonded.
A plunge into a fantastical world based on Norse mythology complete with dark lords, mystery, and lots and lots of sword fights. I highly recommend this series and am eagerly awaiting the third installment.
Find The Light Keepers on Goodreads
Inkspelled Faery 