The Shadow of Theron

Age of Shadows #1

by Kathryn Troy

The powers of old are fading. A new Age is dawning.

Holy relics are all that remain of Theron's sacred legend. Now those relics, the enchanted weapons forged by the Three-Faced Goddess to help Theron defeat the wicked Sorcerer Argoss, are disappearing.

Lysandro knows the village magistrate Marek is responsible, and he searches for proof disguised as the masked protector the Shadow of Theron. But when Marek wounds him with an accursed sword that shouldn't exist, Lysandro must find a way to stop Marek from gaining any more artifacts created by the Goddess or her nemesis. The arrival of the beautiful newcomer Seraphine, with secrets of her own, only escalates their rivalry.

As the feud between Lysandro and Marek throws Lighura into chaos, a pair of priestesses seeks to recover the relics and return them to safekeeping. But the stones warn that Argoss is returning, and they must race to retrieve Theron's most powerful weapon. But as they risk their lives for a legend, only one thing is certain. The three temples to the Goddess have been keeping secrets: not just from the faithful, but from each other.

Wheel of Time readers and fans of Sarah Maas, Saladin Ahmed, and Trudy Canavan will delight in this fantasy adventure duology infused with romance.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

452 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Anastasia ｼ · Rating 5 out of 5]

╭ ✦ •
│
│ ⊹ 𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐! ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •

The Shadow of Theron by Kathryn Troy is an exhilarating adventure and romance novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This book is a perfect blend of action, adventure, and romance, which makes it an all-around engaging read.

The story follows Lysandro, a masked protector of his village, who finds himself falling for the beautiful Seraphine, just as someone starts stealing ancient relics and leaving death in their wake.

The world-building in the novel is remarkable. The author has created a rich and complex world that is reminiscent of classic fantasy stories. The attention to detail in describing the different cultures, lands, and religions of the world is impressive. The mythology and folklore of the land are woven into the story seamlessly, providing an additional layer of depth to the narrative.

The characters are well-developed and likable, and the female characters are noteworthy. They are strong, intelligent, and skilled, with their own lives and storylines that are not entirely dependent on the male protagonist. Lysandro and Seraphine's courtship is beautifully portrayed, and the slow-burn romance is captivating.

The villain, Marek, is a fantastic antagonist who will make you loathe him. The author gives us a peek into his twisted psyche through his POV chapters, which adds a chilling layer to the story. The multiple points of view used in the story work well, providing hints and building anticipation toward the thrilling climax.

I loved the author's writing style, it was sophisticated and engaging, with vivid descriptions that paint a picture of the rich and complex world she has created. The pacing is well-balanced, and it moves along at a steady pace, keeping you engaged from beginning to end. 

Overall, The Shadow of Theron is a fantastic read, I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys action, adventure, and romance. It's a well-crafted and gripping story that leaves you wanting more. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

*a copy was provided by the author*

_________________________________

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[caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0/5 stars.

thank you to the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
and thanks to gray for venting with me 🫶

the shadow of theron is the first in a romantic fantasy duology following the mmc, lysandro. it is the first in a duology, though it has a happily-for-now ending.
to be honest, i was excited for this, and came away a bit disappointed. i think the tldr of my experience with this book is that there was so much potential, yet i routinely found myself disappointed.

to start, lysandro is insufferable. lysandro is the masked savior of his small town, known colloquially as "the shadow of theron," as theron was the god who saved the town from evil long ago. while it is later revealed that lysandro had reasons for stepping up (though unbeknownst to him), it read more that lysandro was just on his hero complex shit and trying to be a superhero, which wasn't the ideal first impression for me.
"the shadow of theron" wears a mask. for some reason, NO ONE was able to recognize lysandro as the shadow, despite that this mask covered only his eyes and that upper part of his face.
even his father didn't recognize him.
you know who did though?
can you guess??
enter, sera, the love interest.
sera had potential.
when she first appeared in the story, she was a woman of intrigue with a mysterious past of ignoring her parents and making a way for herself, so naturally i was excited. sera did have a rounded personality, but she just wasn't interesting. she is rather weak for a main character in a fantasy novel.
the world in which these characters live also is chock full of harsh societal roles and misogyny reminiscent of high society values of the victorian era and early 20th century, and this would have been a perfect backdrop for a strong female lead to challenge some of those boundaries. sera did not.

lysandro and sera's relationship. this was probably the most challenging part of the story for me. their relationship was ENTIRELY insta-love. at no point did i even vaguely understand why lysandro was screaming-crying-drooling-spewing love ballads at sera. and that's not an exaggeration: at least 80% of his internal monologue was proclaiming sera to be the love of his life, and this book was 550 pages.
and don't get me wrong- under the right circumstances, i am trash for cheap and exaggerated drama. reality tv is my comfort crutch. but with most of the interactions between sera and lysandro, i felt like i was reading a bad episode of the real housewives. and i'm more a love is blind girlie.
basically, to me, their relationship felt like a bad episode of "are the straights okay".

now, we meet my two favorite characters in the story: eugenie and asha eugenie and asha are two lesbians friends who are tasked with working together to recover some artifacts stolen by lothan, the bad guy. they are their own sub plot line until about 70% and frankly, should have the primary plot line. they were thoroughly more interesting and relatable characters than lysandro or sera or lothan.
NOBODY CAN CONVINCE ME THAT THEY AREN'T QUEER AND IN LOVE AND PERFECT.
i'm not going to call it queerbaiting, but they obviously have every single one of the trademarks of the cutest sapphic relationship and have much better chemistry than anyone else in the book (*cough cough* lysandro and sera)
i firmly hold the belief that they are in love because i ship them and i honestly wished they were because it would have made this book that much more interesting for me.

another thing, side character and friend of lysandro: sancio. sancio is given barely any page time, but whenever he is mentioned, the reader is constantly reminded that he is overweight. this is honestly one of his only character traits, and that in combination with how the other characters and his supposed friend treat him because of his weight, makes me incredibly uncomfortable. it is very overtly fat phobic.

also, it's worth noting that the characters are entirely static. those who start out good, end good, and those who start evil, end evil. it's definitely more plot driven, so if you prefer character development driven books, this might not be for you.

moving on- the plot (and other points i want to make). i was really feel like this, specifically the magic systems, had a lot of potential and though i was disappointed, there were redeemable qualities!
for one, i did not enjoy the world building. i will say, i am not always the most observant, but i found myself very confused by a lot of the world building. i feel like in starting this book, i was thrown into maybe the second book in a series insofar that i was already meant to be aquatinted with the world and the magic systems, and because of that, a lot of it confused me and went over my head entirely. i am left with plenty of questions which i feel like may have been addressed at some point in the book but was lost on me for a lack of clarity.
also, the characters and their places in the plot fell flat. most characters feel like cookie cut stereotypes that i've read of countless times before. specifically lysandro and his hero's journey arc/rise to power. for something pushing the plot forward, it was incredibly predictable and even dull.
i did enjoy lothan and his villain persona. the chapters from his pov were interesting and enjoyed experiencing a villain who was just a villain for the sake of it. it made him a bit one-dimensional, but i do miss having characters that are just evil for the sake of it, and on that, he delivered. (though his final scene at the end of the book was incredibly anti-climactic for me and i wanted more)
i think there is a lot of promise in the system of religion and government that ruled the lands. there is a reining goddess with 3 parts to herself: the lover (faelia), the warrior (arun), and the sorceress (morgasse). each facet of her personality has its own temples and people who live under them. they are all responsible for different actions within their shared communities. that feels like a more unique idea to me and i would have really enjoyed being able to understand more of that.
i guessed most of the plot twist. i am someone who is generally pretty blind to most plot twists and considering that i only understood about 25-40% of the world building, i think it speaks to just how heavy the foreshadowing was. because like i said, even i saw it coming from a mile away.
it also took me a while to finish. i just found it a bit slow moving and had to push myself to continue on.

and random side note, but the characters formally refer to each other in what i'm pretty sure is italian. ie. "signorina sera" and "signor lysandro." this seems to be a societal norm within the world, i'm just confused as to why? it's meant to be a completely fictional world and that kind of pulled me out of any escapism.

[Pluto_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

rounded up rating because that ending dropped my jaw (physically)
RTC.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up, for the fun time!

I would like to thank Kathryn Troy for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of her newest book (first in a duology) in exchange for an honest review, so lets get to it:

TW: death, torture, rape and periodical stereotyping of gender and homosexuality (none of it too graphic)

Short story overview:

Fellow reviewers stated that the story reminds them of the Legends of Zorro or an episode of the Zorro TV-series and I would say they are not wrong. Mind you this is in no way meant negatively,
it made the read very enjoyable for me since I loved both.

We follow our main characters in a fantasy setting resembling 18th Spain. In a small village by the sea, Marek (an evil Magistrate) has his squabbles with Lysandro (richest don in town) and more deadly duels with his alter ego the Shadow of Theron. All is not well, when Seraphine (Sera) comes (back) into town and Lysandro falls head over heels in love. His wooing would be smoother, if this was not the month in which Marek decides he has enough magical relics to start his evil plan to take over the world.

The good:

One of the things I liked most was the introduction into this world. It wasn't a standard info dump at the beginning and more like a (easy) puzzle given to the reader throughout roughly the first two hundred pages in the form of dialogues, scriptures and sermons. That leads to a bit of confusion but also to some aha-moments when somethings fall into place. Little things, like if the hero of the past defeated Goblins, where are they now? Only to learn later that in the great battle all monsters were thrown back into the underworld. Building my understanding of what's going-on didn't end until the last page, there where always further information and foreshadowing of things to come.

All of this was helped by a solid writing style. As a non-native speaker I needed a few pages to get into the flow but then it was fun to read. Not as easy as, say a S.J. Maas book, but not overly convoluted either. The descriptions helped the world building in small ways, when it was not simply 'a chair' but 'a wicker chair'. Of course we had some descriptions of clothing but there where tastefully done and not overbearing in length.

The Ok:

Into this category fall sadly the characters themselves. This has to do with my aforementioned feeling that we are reading an episode of Zorro. You have the stereotypical good guy, the bad guy and the love interest. All of them have a very flat character arc.

This doesn't mean they are bad characters, but Lysandro is a goody two shoes at the beginning and he's a goody two shoes at the end. Sera is a witty capable young woman (with mild bouts of damsel in distress) and stays a witty, capable woman. And Marek is evil and stays evil (actually his psychotic behavior get worse).
The saving grace was the very well written flirting between Sera and Lysandro, the downside Lysandro waxing lyrics about his love for her (not often, but boy did it have my eyes rolling. I have a low threshold for such things, so if you like it don't pin your opinion about this on mine). Here's one line to test the waters: 'You are the most perfect creature I have ever seen. It would be utterly impossible for me not to love you.' (chapter six)

All three MC get a look into their past in later chapters that makes them a bit more relatable and/or explains their previous actions but as I said, no character growth. This book is definitely on the plot side

The Examiner nuns send from the temples to investigate the stolen relics are my favorites (I hope I will see more of them in book two). Eugenie and Asha are competent (mostly since Lysandro needs to 'come into his heritage of his own' without their help) and their characters complement each other greatly: Warrior nun to Sorceress nun. Their friendship was a personal highlight even thoug they came from different backrounds their care for each other was wholesome. The secondary characters where also not rounded out but, had the advantage of funny banter (looking at you, Raphael!) and being charming a lot of the time.

Concluding I had a lot of fun with this book (in two sittings, sleep was sadly not optional) and am very curious how the higher stakes will be played out in the following book. I found it to be a solid fantasy romance novel (more on the romance in this book) that is worth a reading, especially if one likes more adventurous fantasy.


On a side note Kathryn Troy wrote a theater play into this, where Sera has a lead role and Lysandro is watching it. Fifteen pages of descriptions of what goes on upon the stage and I was so enthralled it isn't funny anymore. Not plot relevance whatsoever (I hope, did I mention foreshadowing?) and I couldn't put the book down. Perfectly done!

[KKEC Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shadow of Theron by Kathryn Troy

Published: February 28, 2023
City Owl Press
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 534
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Kathryn Troy teaches in the Department of Social Sciences and Criminal Justice at Suffolk County Community College and the Department of History, Politics, and Geography at Farmingdale State College, State University of New York.

“So he sought justice from the shadows.”

Lysandro spends his days avoiding talk of marriage with his father and his nights as the masked protector of his village. Until the beautiful Seraphine returns home. Now, Lysandro has his heart set on the possibility of forever. But someone is stealing ancient relics and leaving death in their wake.

I don’t read fantasy novels, and I would not call myself a fantasy fan. However, I enjoyed this story a lot. This is the beginning of what is going to be an incredible series and a sordid tale.

I liked the characters in this novel. Our hero, Lysandro, is gentle and sweet but also fierce and protective. He will destroy anyone that threatens those he loves. Sera is sassy, intelligent, and brave. She is fearless when it comes to doing right by her heart.

I enjoyed how this story unfolded and found the telling clever. This introduced the characters, the plot, and the journey. This was also the beginning of the coming war, and the two points were woven together seamlessly.

The Shadow of Theron is a bit of Zorro mixed with The Lord of the Rings. I enjoyed how all elements came together and how each character carried their role. The use of magic was well done, and the romance was sweet.

I devoured this story, which for me was surprising. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this being a fantasy novel, but I am pleased to say I enjoyed this.

The writing was superb, the pacing was fast, and the plot flowed nicely. The elements all came together in a perfect balance. I will be reading the next book in this series.

[Shaun Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I got emotional twice and had to force myself to take a break but came back pretty quickly. I thought it was going to be a pure zoro knock off, but it picked up pieces from different worlds such as the wheel of time and the count of monte cristo. This thing had an amazing cast of characters, world building, and it just sucks you in to the void. It had a love triangle, unconventional friendships/ courting, revenge, love, boyhood friendships, evil, crooked law, the beautiful girl, an under estimated hero, magical treasures… I could go on forever it seems. I highly recommend.

[gigi (literally futaba yoshioka) · Rating 2 out of 5]

i'd like to thank katheryn for allowing me to read the arc of this book! :D

firstly, i'd like to begin by stating that i do not enjoy a lot of the tropes used in this book, so i may be biased or exaggerating. initially, my first impression of the shadow of theron was that the writing style was remarkably descriptive. this was a nice touch in my opinion, it made the scenes clear and easy to read.
however, the tropes. sera and lysandro's "insta-romance" was certainly not for me. they had no connection in the first part of the book, and it fell flat. also, the fact that lysandro's character practically revolves around sera is something i found pretty annoying.
moreover, sera is this 'witty', 'intelligent' woman, yet she does nothing with this? all of the women in this book conform to society's expectations, and i understand that it would be historically accurate but we are not living in the 1600's. a female lead that breaches these stereotypes would have been way more effective.
overall, i did not dislike this book, it is just underdeveloped. i adore troy's style and how she captures scenes & people though!

[Sameeksha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started with a bang, and it had all the elements: a world with history, magical objects, a villain, and a hero, which makes it fit right into the high fantasy genre, which I love, but this book's first 50% didn't work for me at all.
2.75

I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

Summary
We start with a very strong scene where a man is going to be hanged, and from there, the book introduces us to its main characters. Lysandro is an upright citizen and belongs to a powerful family. At night, he protects the village as The Shadow of Theron. Recently, he has observed that some things of high value are getting stolen all over the world, and he suspects that his longtime arch-enemy Lothan Marek is behind it.
Lothan Marek's greed for power has landed him in a perfect position as Magistrate of the village, and now he is only a few steps away from achieving his long-awaited dream of being the most powerful man in the world. The only person who has been causing him trouble is the shadow of Theron. He longs to see the day when he will kill the Shadow once and for all.

Plot and World Building
As I said, the world that the author tried to create had all the interesting elements and a few unique ones, which I enjoyed and will remember. But, and it is a huge but, for me, the world building felt very confusing. In the first 50% of the book, I keep trying to place the bits—the gods and goddesses, their biographies, the historical battles that took place, and all that.

Writing
For me, the small scenes of the plot were written very nicely, and it hooked me in, but there were random jumps from one scene to the next, which left me quite confused as to when we had left the scene and where we were at this point. In addition to that, we also have multiple POVs, which also adds to the confusion, as I had to guess whose POV I was reading right now. The first half of this book had many confusing elements, and it read more like a second book in the series than the first book, which should have all the introductions. Once I had crossed the first part and had placed the things in my mind, I started to enjoy the plot. I felt the writing and pacing improved as well in the last part of the book.

Romance
I am not a fan of insta-romance, so when it happened, I was not able to connect to their relationship. Lysandro fell head over heels in love with Sera right away and began professing his love for her and making all kinds of promises. As a reader, for me, it felt a bit flat.

Characters
This book has a lot of characters, and while I enjoyed a few of them, others felt underdeveloped. The antagonist, Lothan Marek, is one of the characters that is described in detail.. Like him, Asha and Eugenie were also a bit enjoyable. I wanted to like Sera, and I did in some parts, but I wanted the author to give me more. I thought the rest of the cast lacked a little something.

[Sammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadow of Theron" by Kathryn Troy is an engaging fantasy with romance and mystery. Overall, the book delivers an engaging and enjoyable reading experience, although it does have a few areas that could have been developed.

While the writing is good, it occasionally lacks nuance and depth that would have helped clarify certain situations. At times, events occur without much prior explanation, leaving readers craving more context to fully understand the reasons behind certain actions. More backstory would have better helped the reader understand the characters' motivations (I'm also just a sucker for obscene amounts of backstory and world building!).

One of the highlights of the book, however, is of course the romance aspect, which does add depth and emotion to the story. The portrayal of the romantic relationship is well done, featuring genuine chemistry and heartfelt moments. Readers who enjoy a touch of romance alongside their fantasy and mystery will definitely enjoy that part!

My overall opinion is that Troy effectively transports readers into the world she has created, allowing them to immerse themselves in the story. Recommended for readers who appreciate a mix of romance and mystery.

(I got this book by the author for free to read and review)

[lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first and foremost would like to thank Kathryn for the arc of this book. A million thank yous.

I would give The Shadow of Theron a 3.8. This book was beautifully written, I marvel at Troy's writing style and lexicon. The worldbuilding in this book was brilliant and I loved the characters. Sera and Lysandro's romance was like a flame, immediate. I would have wished there to be more than just Lysandro immediately deciding he was in love with Sera, however, I cannot be entirely disappointed by that, for their chemistry is fantastic, and at times was left swooning by Lysandro's affections and words towards Sera. It was like pure poetry!

I will most definitely be paying attention to the next of Troy's work, and highly recommend you check out this book!

[Olivia Wildenstein]

Brimming with pulse-pounding adventure and sweet romance, this retelling of Zorro was such a joy to read.

[Victoria Roe (Reading Addict) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

My review will follow the format of CAWPILE

Characters

Atmosphere

Writing

Plot

Intrigue

Logic

Enjoyment

Characters

The characters in this book were really enjoyable. I particularly liked the vulnerability of Lysandro the MC. His strength and protective nature really gave him a relatable stance throughout. He was a steadying presence that I found very reassuring. The same can be said for Sera too. I enjoyed her sassy yet elegant and self assured persona.

Atmosphere

A great deal of the time when reviewing a story such as this I find that pacing and atmosphere are two elements that need to work hand in hand. The atmosphere can sent the tone and therefore the pace of a book sometimes unintentionally. This is what I found in this book. There was a really enjoyable gentle flow to this book which meant the atmosphere developed quite stealthily and you sometimes lost yourself in it which is always a good thing when in a fantasy setting in my opinion. I enjoyed how this book did that for me.

Writing

I really enjoyed the ease of this writing style. As a reader that enjoys a lot of epic fantasy series, I am used to what some might call a 'dated' type of language. But this was a refreshing change from that. There was a great deal of detailed descriptions but it didn't feel like the usual 'info dump' that there usually is in the first book of a new series, which can sometimes be very overwhelming.

Plot

I enjoyed this plot. It had an interesting dynamic and pace. It kept me turning the pages, chapter after chapter. The introduction into this world was richly composed. There were moments where I had to concentrate more than I typically would to avoid any confusion and disconnection but thankfully most of the questions I found myself asking were explained nicely as I progressed.

Intrigue

The language of this book falls into the intrigue category for me because of the dialogue and scriptures. It took some getting used to but when I had read a while and got into the rhythm of the writing I enjoyed the book.

Logic

As I have discussed in previous paragraphs with some added concentration, I was able to avoid any serious problems with logic and loss of connection with either the plot or the characters which made my experience more compelling.

Enjoyment

Overall I had a really good time with this book. I am looking forward to seeing the progression of the series.

Thank you once again to the author for the copy of this book for review.

[Héloïse ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where do I start ? The construction of the universe is well done, it was easy to dive into this new world. However, I had a hard time getting into the story because I didn't manage to get attached to the main characters despite the 500 pages. They seemed distant, not really human, a bit two-dimensional in the end, compared to other characters like Sancio, Eldias or Marek. Speaking of the latter : wow it's been a long time since I've seen a villain doing villainous things in his pov. It was refreshing (though disturbing).

I'm conflicted about Sancio's character who sometimes makes me feel sorry for him, when I read how he was treated by everyone, even his best friend (just because he's fat???), but at the same time I didn't understand why he hated Sera when he had never seen her? It was a bit confusing.

The queens of this book are Eugenie and Asha, the Examiners, who I haven't seen nearly enough of. They help unlock the story and at the same time I found that at the end of the story their involvement was like secondary when their role was essential.

I didn't like the insta-love between Lysandro and Sera at all. To me, he seemed like a selfish character, who put her before everything and everyone else, while at the beginning he is presented as a hero who helps everyone. It's a pity that he sends everything and everyone to hell for a woman he doesn't know very well at the beginning. And the fact that he wants to die because he thinks he has hurt her? That seems a bit extreme.

Aside from the personalities of the main characters, which I didn't really like (and which is still a point that takes a lot of space in my rating), I found The Shadow of Theron to be a very promising fantasy novel, in a well-constructed universe and with a story that seems well conceived. The rest of the adventure will surely appeal to many fantasy-romance fans.

What I liked :
- The world-building
- The villain is actually a real villain
- Eugenie and Asha
- The plot twist at the end
- Sera isn't stupid or useless

What I didn't like :
- The insta-love
- The personality of the main characters, Lysandro and Sera
- The way Lysandro treats his ''friends'' (Sancio in particular but also Rafael)

Thank you to Kathryn Troy and City Owl Press for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Moto Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are not ready for this book cause yo!

Thank you to the Author for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: it has a rape scene but it’s not graphic!
Spicy level; 🌶️
My review;
The book is an awesome historical fantasy with a little romance. In the beginning, I thought it was a love at first sight but I was wrong. Throughout the book you see the characters develop and you start to have favorites( the book contains multiple POVs). I like Sera, she was a strong female lead who was perfect for the MMC.

[MidnightReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very decent read. This book had everything I love, romance, fantasy, and angst. I loved the dynamic duo between all of characters especially the main character and the love interest. There were times where I got lost, but it was probably because I haven’t read a fantasy in such a long time. Overall, this book has so much potential and the world building is exceptional. I can’t wait for it to be published!

[Sandra 💜]

Why I dnf'd this book

1. I read this as an ebook, and I generally don't like ebooks, but I read if I have to.

2. The start was extremely slow. I just couldn't bring myself to care about Lysandro and Sera. Ik how this ends (probably). Lysandro and Sera end up together and he finds whatever he was trying to find. The end 🙄.

3. This book was loooong. Anything over 500 pages is 'ling' in my opinion, and i will only read if it is addicting, which this book definitely wasn't.

Tbh, i don't think i gave this book a chance, but i probably won't pick this up again.

- Thank you Kathryn Troy for the ARC. i am so sorry I didn't get to finish the book 😢

[Ana-Maria Derzsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
Initial score 3.50 stars

⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
There were a lot of characters to track and read their pov, which most of the time made me confused, especially when the pov's were jumping from one character to the other. However, some of the characters in the story did catch my attention and those were Eugenie and Sasha, I definitely enjoyed them and they really gave me the impression they were going towards the sapphic relationship - even tho it wasn't 100% said or shown as such, but the way they were together just denoted that they may be - which I hope they are in the next book because they've really added a nice touch to the story.
Sera I felt she started strong and had a big mouth and put those bad boys in their place, but along the way, she lost that spark and just became meek, or kind of, I felt her to be helpless and just a damsel in distress and I kind of lost connection with her character and didn't quite care about it.
Lysandro was so strange in my opinion. For someone who's supposed to be the savior of their people, his main worry was Sera, everything was about Sera, and at one point I legit thought he is a bit of a stalker and perhaps a bit toooooo "crazy in love" with her to the point it annoyed me. In general, I'm not a fan of Insta-love, that doesn't really work for me, but this wasn't even Insta-love, it just felt a bit of Insta-stalking and not the hot kind.

⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
Their world is definitely either you're rich or you're poor. The world was interesting, felt a bit ruthless with bad guys just doing villainous things while the innocents were going through hell. The information about the goddesses and their powers and such felt a bit rushed and I'm still not understanding exactly the whole goddess thing - I feel this information kind of was missing from the book or wasn't explained properly.

⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜

I definitely liked the Zorro vibes from the book - Lysandro being the masked Shadow of Theron and trying to do good for his people, but I felt he kind of lost focus of his main mission which means eliminating the bad guys who he knew are, instead he fell head over heels for Sera and just became overly obsessed with her, and his silly games were just making me more annoyed.

I thought Sera has potential, but she just lost her spark and became another girl who just obeys whatever the patriarchy is telling her to do, instead of standing her ground and her morals - that plot would've been a really nice touch to the story, especially since the story is very old fashioned where females have to marry and so on and so forth.

I definitely enjoyed Eugenie and Sasha, I think they were my fave in the entire book and I hope they are together in the next book because they for sure deserved that.

I felt a bit weird about Sancio, I felt his character was always put into a corner for liking food and being fat, and kind of those were his all qualities? As someone else mentioned, it felt a bit fatphobic - instead of using his character and showing us the readers that no matter how he looks he can still be a good addition to their fighting brothers and sisters, I just felt he got the short straw in the entire book.

The story in general didn't feel like a bad book to me, I enjoyed a few things, and disliked some things, I do think the book needed a bit more brushing, more character development and perhaps the history thought out more so us the readers don't get lost into so many details at once without a proper explanation and/or a proper linage of events, so we can actually understand what or why X, Y is happening. And also if the book has a lot of POVs jumping from one scene to another scene with another pov is not the greatest idea in my opinion because more often than not I was just confused who's pov is it now and why is this scene happening.

⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
The book is not a clean romance, I didn't really care about the sex scene and I felt that could've easily not been in the book, it didn't add anything to the story to make it more interesting in my opinion and I cringed a bit when that scene came up because I didn't think it was really good made.
There are also hard subjects like hanging, killing, blood, fire and so on. I didn't got triggered by the book tho.

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[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Kathryn Troy for this ARC. I am writing this review of my own volition.

This epic fantasy is fast paced, full of fun, engaging characters and a vivid, bright culture.

Short synopsis (no spoilers)
Lysandro, dashing bachelor Don by day, Zoro-esque hero for the oppressed by night, falls head over heels for the beautiful Seraphine at a time when the very foundation of their lives are shaken by the murderous Lothan and the mystery of the missing relics, imbued with a terrible and great power. They must navigate their growing feelings for each other while balancing their roles in society and Lysandro's secret role as the protector of the good and threat to the evil.

Full of engaging and fun side characters, The Shadow of Theron is an excellent book, full of solid writing, an engaging plot and a mostly HEA. There were points in the story where I got confused by the lore and religious foundation. I think it's probably very clear in Troy's mind, but perhaps it did not translate well to the page. I was also confused by the purpose of the relics and where they actually were. There were a few other places I was confused or a bit perplexed. Why the pages long description of the play? What did that have to do with the story? It didn't fit in anywhere else. The whole bit with Marek and the blood sword and his abilities later in the story were unclear. I didn't quite get his motivations; just power? Maybe, but that needed to be explored more. The whole subplot with Asha and Eugenie also needed more fleshing out. I loved those two as characters, but don't feel like they got the attention they deserved. Why did Lysandro fall in love so quickly and just ignore everything else in his life? I was a bit annoyed he only seemed to really focus on how hot Seraphine was; it made our hero seem a bit shallow. Their falling so fast was sweet and all, but even in a fantasy story, I had a hard time buying it. I also was really shocked by the abrupt a**ault scene later in the book; a trigger warning would have been helpful as it came out of left field and was a bit traumatic.

Ultimately, The Shadow of Theron is an engaging story with fun characters and a good writing style. Despite my comments above, I did thoroughly enjoy this story and look forward to an eventual sequel (I hope!).

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author who offered me an arc for a honest review.

At first, it took me a while to get into the book because I was confused about the settings and the characters and I found myself questioning who the shadow man was 😭
But as I got more into the book, about 50-100 pages later I finally started to understand the plot and the characters. Lysandro was a good character and the author portrayed his feelings vividly.

The writing was also really good and I enjoyed it once I got the gist of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I’m happy that I continued to read the book despite its confusing beginning. If you are a fantasy fan and like a bit of romance then this book is definitely for you!

[Allison Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ Received from author, in exchange for an honest review ⭐️⭐️

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, not being a huge fan of fantasy novels; but I was not going to turn down an opportunity to read something that might be amazing.
And I'm glad I didn't miss this chance.
The title instantly gave me Lord of the Rings vibes, but the story line is unique on its own. It's a nice melding of a Zorro-esque romance, with a fantasy adventure; I'll be waiting anxiously for the next one in the series.
Without giving out spoilers; bad man wants to take over the world by misusing precious religious artifacts and killing anyone in his way; and there are certain people (our power team...but not really a "team" per se) trying to make sure that doesn't happen. I loved so many things in this story; the pagan references, the romance spread throughout, the characters. The only thing I didn't enjoy is that gut punch cliff hanger we were left with, although I knew there would have to be more...there are too many questions I still have, things that haven't been fully explained. Plus. I need to know the rest of Eugenie and Asha's story.
My only suggestion, moving forward, would be to describe more and name-drop less. There were a few points in the book that I had to remind myself what was what, as there were so many things introduced at once. I know this is such a hard thing to balance when creating a new world though, and it didn't detract from the story line at all.

Overall, Ms. Troy has delivered an attention grabbing first book to what is sure to be an amazing new fantasy series.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SHADOW OF THERON is the first book in the Age of Shadows series and is set in a fantasy world where those in the nobility are called Don's and Dona's, inevitably drawing Zorro comparisons. They have three main factions of worship, each one a different face of the Goddess. And then they have the bad guys. I won't say too much as it will take away from the story.

Lysandro is a great character - well liked by those he watches over, and loved by the same people when he is his alter-ego, the Shadow of Theron. Sera is a strong character, having been through her own trials, and fully capable of standing on her own feet. They are supported by a large and varied cast, each playing their own role in moving the story forwards.

You also get an inside peek at Lothan Marek - the main form of the big bad in this book. Trust me, there are no redeeming features for this one.

If you are looking for a fantasy novel with plenty of action, drama, and angst, then I think this one will be right up your alley. It is a long book, with plenty to get your teeth into. Personally, I felt as though it could have been significantly shortened, with the story tightened, with no loss of action or drama.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 16, 2023

[Everlyn Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start? I should have been taking notes as I read this book, since there were so many things that made this a five-star read. The authors sophisticated writing style was the first thing to pull me in. I loved the slow simmering burn that started the second that Lysandro laid eyes on Seraphine. It was well worth the wait to see him FINALLY earn her affection. The world-building was epic and well laid out. The multiple points of view worked well to keep the story going, while only giving discreet hints as to how things would end. All the questions that I had throughout the book were neatly wrapped up in a pretty bow, with one tiny exception that alludes to a second book. Very well done!

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy Dionysiou · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who normally reads mysteries, I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I couldn't put it down. The way the author introduced the characters and the plot drew me in and took me to another time and place. I highly recommend reading this book. It was very well written and I cannot wait to see book 2!

[W.A. Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of The Shadow of Theron and am leaving this review voluntarily.

While fantasy and superhero stories don’t often cross over, The Shadow of Theron is an exception. As it chronicles the adventures of the heroic, titular Shadow of Theron, a guise adopted by nobleman, or Don, Lisandro as he battles the villainous magistrate, Marek. This book is packed with classic derring-do, in the spirit of The Mark of Zorro, Batman 66, The Adventures of Robin Hood The Princess Bride.

While Lisandro is the protagonist, Marek and Lisandro’s romantic interest, Seraphine, prominently feature in the book’s narrative. All three are entertaining to follow, but none have a strong character arc. While I was invested in their story, they don't exhibit any growth. Each character fits their archetype: Lisandro as the hero, Marek as the villain and Seraphine as the love interest. While well-written, the author paints these characters in black and white, without shades of grey. This may irk some readers, but them fitting snugly within their archetypes serves the story well. The Shadow of Theron is escapist entertainment, with its characters fitting the spirit of the aforementioned works.

At points, the book is fairly heavy on dialogue, and each character's dialogue delights. It is clean and easy to follow. Every character sounds distinct and feels believable in context of the book’s world. The conversations move along at a nice pace, popping as the characters go back and forth. Marek is particularly distinct, with a cadence that sounds like a pantomime villain.

This is a reasonably lengthy read. While the plot is a classic tale pitting good against evil that on first glance doesn’t need 450-odd pages dedicated to it, its length comes from its switching perspectives between the main characters, offering equal time to both the action-adventure narrative, and the romance. This balance works well, with the two through lines building as the book moves towards its climax. It's paced wonderfully, keeping the story moving forward while increasing the pace in the more exciting parts, while taking its time to luxuriate in the quieter moments. While neither the adventure tale or romance add anything new to the genre, this book takes joy in the tropes of its genres, and this joy is entirely infectious.

Much like the dialogue, the prose is a delight. While the author uses flourishes sparingly, whenever they appear, they imbue the book with many witticisms, all of them delightful. As much as I enjoyed the story and characters, the prose stands out as if it were its own character.

The author has made an interesting decision in setting the book in a fictional world . The use of honorifics like Don and Doña, and Signor and Signora are pooled from Italy’s history, yet sit within the book’s fantastical world. In some ways, had the author refocused the book’s mythology, it could have made for an enjoyable historical fantasy. But I enjoyed the setting and truly appreciated diving into a fantasy world where the world’s inspiration isn’t England during the Middle or Dark Ages.

This is set in a world where a privileged man puts on a mask and rights evil’s wrongs. It is a world where nobody can recognise this hero, well known in his civilian identity, through the cunning disguise of a domino mask. While it lacks realism, the need to suspend disbelief isn’t an issue, as iot captures a timeless feel. But while such timelessness is usually appropriate for audiences of all ages, this book is less so. Although the action is reminiscent of those stories, it results in violence that is a little more graphic, and the book features an amount of language. Sex is part of the book’s world, and its villain weaponises it. Although none of this subject matter is gratuitous, it lacks the innocence of those stories.

If you’re concerned about starting the first part of a series, in case you would need to read the remaining books for a complete story, allow me to allay your fears. It tells a complete tale, and a substantial one at that. This book provides an ending that rewards your investment. There is certainly more story to be told after this book, but any further adventures are a promise of more wonderful times.

The Shadow of Theron doesn’t feature in-depth characters, and it doesn’t reinvent the tropes that come with fantasy, derring-do action, or romance. It doesn’t need to, because it captures a timeless feel from stories told in bygone decades. Those stories are considered classics for a reason, and this novel captures their spirit wonderfully.

My full review, along with a host of other reviews, will be available on my website from 12 April 2023.

[Amanda C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equal parts terror and thrill, The Shadow of Theron is a spine-chilling fantasy/mystery and action romance. It feels like Zorro but more fantastical, mystical, and filled with more gore. The villain Lothan Marek is detestable from the first chapter alone, yet I love how we get glimpses into Lothan’s perspective. Writing multiple perspectives can be a gamble but for The Shadow of Theron, Kathryn Troy’s hard work certainly paid off. I enjoyed reading from every perspective, from Lysandro to Sera to Sancio. I have to say that Sancio is one of my favorite characters apart from the male and female leads. Though he gets fat-shamed by those around him, he’s a loyal sweetheart and valiant too, especially as the story keeps going and the wheels of the plot turn toward the end.

I like the progression of the book and how the author introduces each character in their unique backstory and I really felt the rich worldbuilding take place around me as I read on about Lighura and the distant lands too. I think it would be cool if there was a map so readers could further visualize the lands and the distances between all the locations in the book.

Lysandro is such a swoon-worthy hero and Sera is just the match for him. Sharp, witty, animated and funny, strong just as she is delicate and shows her vulnerable sides to him. At the same time, Lysandro’s pull towards his destiny and duty could be a very big determiner in the fate of his future, including Sera too and I think this is seen clearly at the end of the story as different factors lead Lysandro to be more powerful than he ever thought he would be.

Eugenie and Asha’s characters are also intriguing and I like how their dynamic developed and they started to care for one another. Usually, more than three points of view is a bit much for me, but for me this all works for The Shadow of Theron. It does take some patience to sink into the story but once I started I really couldn’t stop, it was like I was holding my breath watching the story unravel. I don’t know if the romance element is as strong as is advertised but romance definitely plays a part in the character's motivations and desires, especially for Lysandro and the internal struggle of whether to reveal his identity to those he loves. I was on Sera’s side though since there were so many chances for him to reveal himself, but he was almost paralyzed by his indecision and fear of revealing himself, even as Sera had a secret of her own too in relation to his identity.

I don’t want to give too many hints or things to spoil the story for readers but one instance that still freshly haunts my mind is what happens towards the end of the book to Sera’s mother. That was a moment where my eyes felt like they were going to pop out and the words OH MY GOD kept repeating in my mind. That might have needed a trigger warning, but it makes sense to me because it shows the ruthlessness and cruelty of Lothan’s character as he goes further off the edge of what it is to be human and more into something sinister and otherworldly.

I also think it was cool how there was a solid chunk of the chapter dedicated to showing Sera’s love of theater, and as the viewers/readers we get to see a glimpse into what theater night looks like, with the main characters' reactions to Sera and her friends from Mîrene.

As the first in the Age of Shadows duology, this book sets an enticing scene for the next one. Though the book ends seemingly with the villains dealt with, we see more conflict and a contender for the most powerful antagonist rising up with even more power.

Stay tuned for more from this series and support the author Kathryn Troy by purchasing books from the series!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I was sent this book in exchange for my honest review via LibraryThing Early Reviewers**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶/4

This is the first book in an ongoing high fantasy series, set in a land steeped in magic, goddesses, and heroes of old. We are drawn into the story of Don Lysandro de Castel, a soft spoken man with a secret. By day he watches as his town falls prey to the misdeeds of the magistrate, Lothan Marek, but by night he becomes their hero: The Shadow of Theron. With the swagger and swordsmanship worthy of many beloved black-clad, masked heroes (Think Zorro meets The Dread Pirate Roberts from Princess Bride meets Spanish / Italian nobility), Lysandro enters into an ever escalating battle with Marek as his dark secrets are slowly reveled. While Lysandro embodies Theron, the hero who fought ancient battles on behalf of the Goddess, Marek follows Argoss, the very evil that Theron battled to overcome.

The first half of the book is focused on world-building while the second focuses a bit more on the story, but throughout we get treated to action, sword fights, daring rescues, and all manner of excitement. We dive into a diverse set of characters and the different temples that govern their world, hear about the various other cities and kingdoms, and learn the history of the ancient battle that has re-emerged for our hero to fight once more. We met Seraphine Alvaro, our fierce, intelligent, and beautiful FMC who has a fascinating back story, and who of course captures Lysandro's eye. And we learn about all of the magical and greater powers that be that are slowly coming together to bring legends back to life.

I enjoyed the first half of the book and took a while to get through it (life got in the way)... but once I hit 50% I couldn't put it down. There is a LOT going on and and even though we are treated to a vast rainbow of characters and story threads, the author does a good job of weaving those threads together to keep the reader engaged and to continue the storyline / plot across multiple character POVs. At it's core we have a hero who is learning to embrace his duty paired with a powerful love story... but then the story is enhanced with so many layers of detail and lore that I was always left guessing about who might pop up next or what their next move would be. Aside from the complex and engrossing storytelling, I also loved the subtle nods to the land having Spanish / Italian influence since that's not something a lot of fantasy lands are based on.

Overall I really enjoyed the story / plot, the MMC & FCM pairing, many of the side characters, and the pace & level of action. Luckily it doesn't end here! The last chapter (really more of an epilogue) REALLY set us up for the story to continue and evolve in entirely new ways. Can't wait to read the next one!

TW: violence, gore, sexual assault, rape.

[Fedythereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for sharing a copy of this book with me !!!

“You don’t know me,” she protested.
“I will spend a lifetime correcting my sin.”
“I don’t know you.”
“I will tell you all.”

“Sera look at me. He’s not going to hurt you. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

Thrilling, romantic and magical. These are the perfect words to describe the impact that this book had on me!! Saying that I am a thousand times grateful to the author for sharing a copy with me would be a huge understatement. A Zorro retelling with the same Latino vibes and more romantic times but also with gods and goddesses and magic !!!!!
Lysandro was … I don’t even know how to describe the deep love I have for this man. His sweetness, his devotion for Seraphine and his sense of justice was so enchanting and honest and completely wonderful. He was the perfect man and for the life of me I couldn’t understand how Sera didn’t jump his bones right then and there !!!!!
Malek was the perfect evil and antagonist. He was exactly like you would expect the monster Lysandro would fight against. And Seraphine … she is such a badass !!! I love her through and through. Everything she came through, only made her stronger and more determined to keep her love and relationship with Lysandro wonderful and cherished !!!
Their romance was everything I wanted but never knew I needed !!!! And the secret identity (him being the Shadow of Theron) that she uncovered as easy as the mysteries in her favourite books, only added to make their tension better and their story more interesting. Half the times I was giggling as a schoolgirl such was the effect that man had on me !!!! He enjoys making her laugh and smile, considering it the greatest accomplishment of life!!
And the ending … SUCH A CLIFFHANGER !!!! I can’t wait for book two to be available !!!! I need to know what will happen !!!!

“For all her love of mysteries, Lysandro was the greatest enigma she had ever encountered.”

“Lysandro was aware the timbre of his voice bordered on the hysterical, but the sound of her suffering was intolerable.”

[NikaMae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a digital copy of the book by the author for an honest review.

I’m this zorro inspired, multi POV fantasy world, we follow a multitude of characters:
Our main man Lysandro is a well to-do Don by day and a vigilante protector of the city by night.

There have been a series of break-ins resulting in the loss of priceless relics and Lysandro, also known as the Shadow of Theron has his sight on the culprit, ruthless Lothan Marek from the very beginning.
Convincing everyone of his guilt however is challenging, as Marek holds a high position of power as the city’s magistrate.
So begins the cat of mouse game between these two. Adding to that tension, they’re also of course, interested in the same young lady.

Sera is a headstrong and smart woman with obvious reservations to being courted by either man.
As it happens she seems to loose all her smarts when it comes to a certain hero and she miraculously figures out who’s behind the mask, falling equally in love with both of Lysandro’s personas.
Lysandro in turn, can’t keep his heart eyes away and personifies the “who did this to you” trope perfectly. For my taste they were a bit too sweet, too fast and I wished for a more in depth exploration of both of their personalities as I felt no connection whatsoever to either of them.
He does buy her books however which means I can’t be too hard on him.

The two examiners, Eugenie and Asha, puzzling together the happenings and connections between the thieveries were probably my favorite part of the story.
Their conversations flowed smoothly and their plot lines moved the story forward from the very beginning.

Sanchio’s plot line was ok, again I would’ve hoped for a bit more depth than him just being Lysandro’s best friend.

At the halfway is where the story really picks up quite a bit and developed much more naturally, the stakes seemed suddenly a lot higher which really added to the experience.

The overall lore and world building was done well and for the most part didn’t rely on info dumps.
The author shines with her writing and she for sure developed the base for an ambitious world for her to expand on in the sequel.

[Emmahind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it if you love:
✨️Zorro retelling
✨️he falls first
✨️strong FMC
✨️healthy relationships
✨️magic and mystery
✨️sword fighting and books
✨️an MMC who is a romantic at heart
✨️a great book with an amazing story!!!

Yep, this one is a Zorro retelling. I loved the Zorro story as a kid and when I heard that's what this one was I got so excited! This story is so much more than the original tale, though. The book gripped me and held on from the very first page. The writing is exquisite and really refreshing to read!

The world that was built in this story is so deep. There is a fully-realised religion, and it is the sacred relics for this religion that have begun to go missing. Of course... bad things happen if they fall into the wrong hands.

This book is told from multiple POVs. We get the POV not just of some of the main characters, but also from the villain, who is a certified Really Bad Dude ™️. He is a real villain who you love to hate. Pretty sure "Take that, dick magistrate!" left my mouth on multiple occasions. Because honestly, he was a dick.

The story is about Lysandro, who is also the Shadow of Theron. Theron is an ancient Hero who protected the people who need it... and so does Lysandro, under cover of night, whilst during the day he is a mild-mannered wealthy Don, who is far past the time he should be married (according to his father). Enter Seraphine, a smart-as-a-whip, witty, strong female character with a penchant for drinking, reading mystery books and doing what she likes.

My kind of girl. Go get that boy!

She captures Lysandro's heart and boy, did he fall hard. It takes some work but you can see they are headed for each other from the start and it is so worth it when they do eventually get together.

Ugh, I don't feel like this review is doing the book justice. There is magic, really bad people, really good people, people with normal human flaws, people with normal human wants, intrigue, so many GASP moments, so many layers and THAT ENDING!! MY GOODNESS! Yep, gonna be jumping straight onto the next book as soon as I can because damn, I loved this one.

[Pao Vilchis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way.

When I was approached by the author to read and review this book I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I don’t usually tend to read a lot of fantasy books, I have a hard time trying to understand everything that is going on in the world but the premise of the Shadow of Theron sounded good enough for me to get over my fears and give it a go. Needless to say I ended up loving this book and for sure I will continue on with the whole series.

In the world of The Shadow of Theron, magical relics are going missing and that can pose a great threat to the world as they know it. Lysandro knows that the magistrate of the town is responsible for this and he searches for proof disguised as the masked protector the shadow of Theron.

Like I said before, I absolutely ended up loving this book, the world building is very strong, the characters are developed, the plot is fast paced and interesting. The world Kathryn Troy created for this novel is outstanding, it was well structured and it all made sense. I do have to admit that in the beginning I had a hard time keeping up with who was who and what where the rules of the place however once I got the hang out it, it was pretty easy to follow.

This book has so many characters (I wished the author had put a cheat sheet at the end) we have Lysandro as the main character who for me was fantastic, Lysandro is brave, strong and an absolute adorable man. I was really able to connect with him and I really enjoyed being able to see him grow up to the man he was supposed to be. For me one of the best things an author can do is to get me to hate the villain or the antagonist, that for me, means that the author did a great job in terms of the writing style. This holds true for this book, oh how I hated Marek, I cringed everything I read about it and by the end I was so over him. My repulsion towards Marek goes to show how well written this book is. The secondary characters are great as well and for me they all had enough backstory for me to be able to care and connect with them.

The plot of this book is fast paced and filled with twist. I loved how fast the story goes and every time I picked this book up I didn’t want to put it back down. The author has a fantastic way of giving us enough details to keep us on our toes but still have us guessing about how it is going to end till the very last pages. My only complaint about this book has to be the length, this book is LONG, its over 500 pages, and even though I really enjoyed this book I think it could have worked just as well with about 100 pages less.

Overall The Shadow of Theron is an action packed fantasy novel about love, betrayal, and destiny. Thank you Kathryn for sending a copy my way and I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of the story.