Shadow Magic

Haven #3

by B.V. Larson

In Shadow Magic, Book #3 of the Haven Series, Herla of the Wild Hunt makes his move to gather all the Jewels of Power. Hunting down and killing those who wield them, the undead king is as relentless as death itself. He is not the only interested party, however, as several armies march to meet Brand and his allies in a desperate battle for control of the River Haven.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Adventure, Epic Fantasy

Nook

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Brian Larson is an American science fiction and fantasy author

Reviews

[Andrew Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ambros has definitely left a lasting impression.

Amber Magic Review
Sky Magic Review
Shadow Magic Review
Dragon Magic Review
Blood Magic Review
Death Magic Review

Our hero of humanity takes a darker turn in this volume, although not an evil one. The berserkerer Ambros has definitely left a lasting impression. Larson's ancient history continues to keep me enthralled and awaiting the tale crafted through the remaining volumes.

Brand vs. Herla. The Axeman vs. the Huntsman. Ambros vs. Osang.

Learning more on the history, the River Folk clans were actually warrior classes for a kingdom, specifically the Rabing Clan of Castle Rabing. But war and peace, death and Pacts, has kept history from being handed down as knowledge to the people. Fair Folk lives also are not so easily replaced so here-in lies the forbidden union of women and fae, or even worse, women and goblins, which create rhinogs more quickly than fae, and gives the Shining Folk an army to fight with. History is a sordid past that haunts the present, especially when skeletons come out of the closet or more so out of the oak tomb.

Brand will find that the fae, scornful of humans, do at least fear to even mock the last human King. He'll also find he has walked a lonely path, from Dead Kingdoms to Twilight Lands, from walking through insanity as the Rainbow, and walking angrily as the Axeman. Undead Herla, River Folk Brand and Wee Folk Tomkin are tired of walking their paths at the mercy of others.

Character Reference:

River Folk
- Beatrice Hoot - lives in poor shack near dock; Piskin takes her baby's place in crib
- Timmy Hoot - 1-y-o that Piskin throws in Berrywine; saved by his brother
- Marie Bowen - one-night-stand with faery Puck; begats a child
Kindred
- Cardiff the Talespinner - ancient scholar of the 9 jewels and more
- Harlech the Talespinner - ancient scholar of the 9 jewels and more
- Jerd the Talespinner - author of the Teret
Wee Folk
- Dando - wields Lavatis and walks as the Rainbow but is not attuned and suffers for it
- Tomkin - wilder than most Wee Folk due to his more countryish upbringing
- Pliskin - haughty cityish changeling
Others
- Cewri - ancient Troll King of Gynwedd (Wales county), mentioned shortly
- Herla (Germanic folklore) - last human King; cursed for 900 years to not live or die; mastered by the bloodhound, Sange the Red
- Llewella - Oberon's daughter; silver hair; killed by Brand at Cairn Bronwyyd; Brand seems more hurt by her death than Oberon (twin sister named Kaavi)
- Puck (English folklore) - faery that tried to enchant Marie Bowen and later Telyn Fob but failed; Marie willfully lays with Puck and creates a half breed (Trev); Oberon's son
- Twrog - "lucky" club came from an overgrown oak tree where Vaul and it's master were unluckily entombed; the master was Twrog's mother, tricked by a young Myrrdin into destroying herself with Vaul


Creatures

- Black Mountain Wurm (Fafnir) - legend; supposedly swallowed Pyros the Orange, creating the Earthlight and a labyrinth below the mountains
- Redcaps (Scottish/English folklore) - bloodsucking dark creatures in the Dead Kingdoms, specifically in the ruins of Castle Rabing; possibly only one and is the last defender of Castle Rabing, cursed and ready to be released; vengeful angry spirit of butchered victims of the area
- Sun Dragon - powerful elder dragon in ages past; spawned 9 lesser dragons which killed the Sun Dragon; the 9 only received a portion of power but were themselves hunted down by heroes, leaving nothing but the lens of their eye, the jewels
- Voynod's Sword and Pipes - only thing left on battlefield, to be buried deep in the marshes


Geography:

- Cairn Bronwyyd - at Castle Rabing; four kings of honorable death buried here, creating a mound for faeries to enter
- Castle Rabing - ruins further North in the Dead Kingdoms
- Twilight Lands - eternal silvery night lands of the fae
- Vale of Flowers - legendary home valley of Cewri where he supposedly broke apart a Sunstone to create the 9 Eyes/Jewels
- Vale of Twrog - thorn thicket, hard to enter, where Twrog and his mother stayed; a younger Myrrdin tricked the large giant mother into using her Vaul jewel though she wasn't attuned to it, causing an oak to grow up around her and Vaul; a dim-witted Twrog helped Myrrdin remove a lot of the tree so Myrrdin can have Vaul; Myrrdin uses this enchanted oak to for Twrog to have a powerful club


Jewels:

Nine shards of one Sunstone or Sun Dragon; mixed or separate, they represent all forms of magic. Primary and Secondary are six colors of the rainbow.
Primary (most powerful) Jewels
- Ambros the Golden - embedded in an axe; of bloodlust and combat; causes berserker rage; enflame hearts for battle; most emotional; different Kindred possessed it, even Gudrin, now human Brand
- Lavatis the Blue - gem; rules rain, wind, and powerful on sea; the jewel of Madness that drives many insane, especially by walking as the Rainbow; Oberon had it for a couple centuries, then Wee Folk Dando and now Tomkin
- Sange the Red - crimson; blood magic; power over flesh and blood; heal wounds or worse; is the bloodhound that controls Herla for 900 years
Secondary Jewels
- Osang the Lavender - embedded in a dragon horn; wielder can cross over water, through objects, etc.; undead human Herla had until final passing and now Old Hob the goblin
- Pyros the Orange - not seen yet; heart of fire; Pyros, a human, was its cruelest possessor; set in a silver crown and shot out fiery beams, devastating the lake people (Merlings); swallowed by a Wurm/dragon
- Vaul the Green - embedded in an oak that grows around it continuously; power over earth, plants, growth, rot, poison, spoilage, etc.; wielder can shape nature or be overtaken by growth; Twrog's mother had it, now Myrrdin has it
Dark Jewels
- Necron the Black - onyx; not seen yet; death and decay; evil spawns from it
- Quick-silver - not seen yet; null-magic; removes color and life and magic
- White - not seen yet; basis for all other shards; creator

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better. As these are some of the earliest of Lasron’s books I’m not sure if this improvement is down to his getting better at the writing craft, or simply that the story has moved onto to a more enjoyable phase.
This instalment focuses on the defence of the ruins of Castle Rabb from a wide set of enemies including the Wild Hunt. To have any chance of success Brand must learn to master the axe ‘Ambros’ and amber jewel contained therein so that he can wield it in the upcoming battle without it sending him insane. Myrrdin is trying to agree a new pact between the Fae and the people of Haven to return the region to peaceful times. Brand is adamant that there should be no new pact the makes the people of Haven submissive to the Fae.
As the enemies arrive and battle commences Brand, Corbin and the others from Haven find not only their own individual survival at stake but probably the future of Haven and all its’ inhabitants.
Like the other books, this is an easy to read entertaining piece of light fantasy. It is nothing startling new but engaging enough to wile away a commute by train.

[Ralf Demuth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where the first part consisting of three books did a good job in in introducing the characters and the world the second (three books again) was a bit chaotic. The third part (one longer book) was packed to the brim and for my taste tried too much. Where several main characters are well developed several others who had potential seemed almost forgotten. So great start to the series but rather disappointing end. The appendices are a great resource though giving an introduction and overview of northern and irish legends.

[Estarianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finally had to give up on this series. There just wasn't enough development of the characters to keep me reading when per page I could get well written and edited books for the same price. I like to support self publishing, or I doubt I'd have made it this far.

[Arthur Lasky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot. Quick read. Held my attention. Book was a too short; I feel like I'm reading a serial in some magazine. I will read the next one, though.

[LordOfDorkness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ohhhhh. I'm finished and you love it!!!