A Thief of Nightshade

by J.S. Chancellor

Avalar isn't real--at least it wasn't supposed to be. Aubrey never expected to fall in love with and marry her graduate writing professor, Jullian. His life's work, a grim fantasy titled A Thief of Nightshade encompassed everything Aubrey hated about fairy tales and make-believe. After Jullian goes missing and is eventually presumed dead, Aubrey discovers just how make-believe the world of Nightshade is. Not only is Jullian alive and well in Avalar, he's at the mercy of the Dark Fae, condemned to a fate worse than death, with no memory of Aubrey or his time in her world. In order to save him, she'll have to confront more than just the demons in her past, but the very real ones that await her in a place she never thought could exist. All of them will do everything in their power to stop her.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult, Fae, Fairies, Fiction

350 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2012

Reviews

[Terry (Ter05 TwiMoms/ MundieMoms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book better than I did and was going to give it 3 stars until the last two pages, and then had to give it 4. I have some favorite books that are about the fey, but this one is more of a fairy tale than they are. It's well written and this author's "Guardians of Legend" series is a big favorite of mine. But somehow this one just did not appeal to me as much. I did like the way she started with the funeral of Aubrey's husband Jullian who is presumed dead but whose body was never found when he disappeared on a hunting trip. Jullian had been her professor in college at one time, and he was writing a series of fantasy books about a world called Avalar. We quickly realize how devastated that Aubrey, is and then the author does a series of flashbacks throughout the book so we see into her married life and into her life with her family before and after her marriage. This method of writing does not always work well, but in this case it did. Although Jullian and Aubrey actually spend very little time together during the story, this is definitely a love story.

We follow Aubrey after the funeral as she goes to the lake house that Jullian built for them. There something unexpected happens and Aubrey finds herself in Avalar. She meets a talking bear and a talking squirrel which probably turned me off a bit at that point. They tell her that Jullian is alive, but he can't go back. It is then that Aubrey remembers the prologue of the book about Avalar that said,

"And so it was done. Every generation the eldest of the royal family came to the Queen's Winter Court, forgetting everything of his life once he entered. He became King, only to wither at her side and wait for the moment when the next prince would take his place and let him die."

Then begins a series of adventures in this land of fantasy where Aubrey finds she is much stronger than she ever imagined. She meets a variety of people including a girl named Given who is a shade (part fey/part human) and one of my favorite characters in the book. As we go along with Aubrey in her quest to find and free Jullian from the evil Queen, we also follow their previous time together through flashbacks to the time they fell in love and were together. We see into Aubrey's life and finally come to realize why she is so insecure and how she has had to get past things that happened in her childhood. There is a definite message in the story - but then there are in a lot of fairy tales if you look for them.

As I said, the end of this tale is beautifully done, but I can not say more without spoiling it, and as so often happens, the reader needs to find things out as they go along.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thief of Nightshade is a wonderful, spell-binding and sometimes all too real novel. Chancellor weaves both light and dark and the fanciful and serious together very well. It's a story both about love and fighting. While I did miss the great battle action that I know J.S. is fantastic at, especially as some of it is hinted at, but the main battle is an internal thing and you can never go wrong with that as all people have their own deep, dark struggles. The first half of the book switches from the heroine Aubrey's past in the 'real' world to the current happenings of Avalar about every chapter. That's something I don't usually care much for but it was quite necessary in this case. I did however relish the moment when we stayed on the journey to rescue her beloved Jullian from the Fae Queen. That's one of the parts I like best about Nightshade, the traditional fantasy rescue and save the world scenario is flipped on it's head. It's the damsel that saves her prince and the whole world of Avalar while she's at it too. And Aubrey, I'm sure, is a character that many (especially women, I think) will relate to, whether they've had the worst of her experiences or not. All in all, a very moving, entertaining and solid work that lives up to the growing J.S. Chancellor tradition.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into the story at first. But I soon realize the glimes of things she remember from the past was important so we could understand what was happening. I have to say I was surprise that I really enjoyed this book.

WARNING this is a tear jerker. I was not expecting to get so emotional about it but I have to say it really got to me and I cryed my eyes out. GOOD book.

[Black Queen]

I've read the review and love it...at that moment I wanted to start reading this book! And then I heard about this giveaway and said to myself this the chance to win a copy...So I hurry up and enter this wonderful giveaway..:D I hope I win...One awesome book review.

[Michele (Reading Lark/CanadianTwiMom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can also be found on Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.ca/2012/0...

The best way I can describe this wonderful little story is that I would liken it to a faery tale for grown-ups. Everything you have come to expect in a child's story -- magic, faeries, dragons, talking animals (don't groan!), other worlds and the notion that true love conquers all -- can be found in A Thief of Nightshade but stepped up just a bit to make for an enchanting and enjoyable read for us 'big kids'. I was totally swept up in it!

J.S. Chancellor's stand-alone novel follows Aubrielle (Aubrey) Wright Sellars -- a 20-something woman who, like most adults, does not believe in magic or faery tales. Of course, she doesn't. But those steadfast beliefs were greatly challenged after she loses the love of her life, Jullian, in what appeared to be a terrible hunting accident. Aubrey was inconsolable and very fragile -- compounded not just from the death of her husband but from the secrets of her past.

Jullian seemed to have an odd fascination with faery tales and even wrote about them. Subtly challenging Aubrey to open her mind to even the possibility of some truth to the stories he wrote about proved to be a daunting task for him and, as the story unfolds, we learned why it was important to him to slowly unlock her imagination.

There was nothing extraordinary about Aubrey... she was a regular human being, albeit, she was somewhat broken due to those secrets she kept hidden, but she became a force to be reckoned with once she put her mind to the task of trying to get her husband back against undeniably terrible odds. Everything she went through, brought her that much closer to her overcoming her demons. Aubrey was an amazing heroine.

Jullian came into Aubrey's life as her writing class professor. To say he was smitten by her the moment their eyes met would be an understatement. He literally became her prince charming -- almost to the point of unrealistic perfection -- but just shy of it. He was gentle but had the undertone of strength. He was patient with Aubrey, knowing she was very reluctant to share her secrets, even with him. She was too ashamed but he loved her unconditionally despite the emotional baggage she was carrying.

Their love story was retold in the manner of cleverly inserted flashbacks, which, by the time the flashbacks caught up to present time, we had full appreciation of how their relationship evolved and it was all kinds of wonderful... truly worthy of the greatest of faery tales. From that point on, I was rooting for Aubrey every step of the way.

The complimentary cast of characters, I actually loved as much as Aubrey and Jullian. Aislinn (pronounced Ashlinn) is an Ellohim in the world of Avalar, a former human cursed to live the rest of his life as an animal... in his case, a bear. He was sarcastic and bristley... but also had huge compassion and took great lengths to protect Aubrey in her quest to save Jullian.

Given also proved to be a great friend to Aubrey and someone they could count on to help them in their journey as well. Given was a Shade, a half-faery often looked down up in this world, but the revelation of who she really was, was something I didn't see coming. The banter between Given and Aislinn was mostly contentious but you could see their growing connection and it was wonderful to witness.

And Lipsey... OMG... he was soooo dang cute!!!

Aubrey's journey was incredibly difficult and dangerous... but she rarely faltered in her selfless determination to make sure Jullian wasn't condemned to the life he was destined to fulfill... even if it would be without her. Isn't that the stuff of great faery tales? I think so, which is why I adored this well-told story specifically designed for us grown-ups. Having said that, this book does have some mature subject matter but there was nothing overtly graphic. It was a refreshing change of pace and I appreciated the messages throughout. J.S. Chancellor's spin on traditional faery lore was magical in itself. A Thief of Nightshade was nothing that I was expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Oh... and have some tissues handy for when you reach the last couple of pages! ;)

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Info: Genre: Paranormal Suspense/Faeries Reading Level: Adult Available Available in hardcover and eBook editions now; Available in Paperback October 1, 2012 from Rhemalda Publishers

Disclosure: I received a free eBook copy of this text from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Avalar isn't real—at least it wasn't supposed to be. Aubrey never expected to fall in love with and marry her graduate writing professor, Jullian. His life's work, a grim fantasy titled A Thief of Nightshade encompassed everything Aubrey hated about fairy tales and make-believe. After Jullian goes missing and is eventually presumed dead, Aubrey discovers just how make-believe the world of Nightshade is. Not only is Jullian alive and well in Avalar, he's at the mercy of the Dark Fae, condemned to a fate worse than death, with no memory of Aubrey or his time in her world. In order to save him, she'll have to confront more than just the demons in her past, but the very real ones that await her in a place she never thought could exist. All of them will do everything in their power to stop her

My Thoughts: I have really loved the first two books in Chancellor’s Guardians of Legends series; she has a great writing style and imaginative ideas. This book is very different, plot-wise, but maintains that high level of writing skill and imagination. I enjoyed the dark nature of this faerie story; a lot of people think all faeries are goodness and light and little flying people, but that’s not the case at all. Those stories came about because people were scared to death of the Good Folk, and called them such in an attempt to propitiate them and keep them happy in hopes that they wouldn’t decide to do something nasty in retaliation.

I have to say I have a bit of a thing for the Goblin King – have ever since seeing David Bowie in Labyrinth. I think the Goblin King is a very lonely, very sad figure who just goes about trying to find love in the wrong way. Also, Goblins are notoriously cruel but they do have a form of honor and, if you understand their culture and are strong enough and cruel enough, you can survive. I probably get these ideas from reading the Laurell K. Hamilton Mercedes Gentry books, but I do know I’ve seen and heard stories about the Goblin King before, and it always struck me for some reason.

Be sure to read the afterword and acknowledgments; it provides a bit of background on the story, where it came from, and some of what Ms. Chancellor hoped to accomplish by telling it. It brought tears to my eyes – of course, almost everything it doing that right now, so I guess I should be sure you are aware of that.

The only real problem didn’t really have much to do with the book – it’s just that the graphics at the beginning of each chapter slowed my Kindle to a crawl when it came time to turn the page, taking in the vicinity of a minute each time I hit one of the chapter beginnings. I don’t know if it is was because this was a .pdf format document or if it is just my Kindle hates me, or if this is a common problem with graphics-intensive eBooks on the Kindle. Since I try to avoid reading graphics-intensive books on my Kindle for fear of just this sort of thing, it could be. I don’t know if the Kindle version will have this problem – I’m reading a .pdf format, so that could be part of the problem. Anyway, I soldiered it out until 61% on my Kindle, then gave up and read the rest on my computer. Edit: Please note that the actual .mobi format, for Kindle, does not have this problem - it was only the .pdf file that was slow to load at the chapter breaks.

At any rate, I highly recommend this book to just about anyone. Very well-done, great stuff, not that I expected any less from this highly talented writer.

[Spacklefritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ack This book killed me (-- and now I have to rewrite my review and gah! that just sucks --)

So the story starts out with Aubrey attending her husband's funeral (for whom no body has been recovered) and after which she ends up in Avalar, a world her husband wrote about in one of his books. It is in Avalar that she finds out that her husband is in the custody of the Dark Fae Queen and any memory of his life prior to his return to Avalar has been forgotten and such Aubrey takes on a mission to save her husband.

Ah Aubrey, she is such a strong character in the sense that she had to undergo a lot of battles within her own self, but she came out on top at the end of it all. And that's one of the main points that this novel brings about. That little light at the end of the tunnel? It isn't just mere hallucination, it's real, and if you persevere, if you don't shatter (a little cracking is okay, we're just humans after all) you'll make it. That's really what I loved about this book, because Aubrey really had some issues (with due reason) that she had to work out, however and this is what I really liked about the book, was that even though she had her own self doubts, even though there were times when she feared her efforts wouldn't been enough, she still persevered. She still fought to free her husband with everything she had.

Another character in the book that I think really bears mentioning is Given, and that's because she feels, and she shows her emotions. After all it's not weak to cry. It's human, it's how we know we feel, because there are times when things become overwhelming, so you end up having to let it out. There's nothing wrong with that. It's what you do afterwards that counts, and Given is another fighter --both literally and figuratively. And that's great.

And now onto what I absolutely love, love, loved about this book.

The romance.

Sure, for majority of the book the hero and heroine are separated from each other, but this is what I think made this book so great. You could still feel this romance and this love between the two characters and it was so beautiful and sweet. We see the story of Aubrey and Julian unfold through a series of flashbacks, in which we see how they first met, etc. There were also little moments that as the flashbacks ran parallel to the ongoing adventure, we see how Julian was showing his love for Aubrey in his own little way, and man if that didn't hit me. Also this book doesn't need the love scenes to show how the characters feel about each other. The most we've seen of them is a kiss, and even then it's touched upon lightly, but the feelings, the feelings are there for us the reader to see and feel and you're right there with Aubrey hoping that against all odds, they will be reunited, and darn if that isn't amazing right there.

p.s. Lipsey (a.k.a Lips) the flying squirrel is so cute and sweet, where can I get me one XD.

Also, I think the cover art is absolutely beautiful, especially the close up of Aubrey, it really does capture her emotions at the masquerade ball.

This review can also be found at musingsandbooksandmore.blogspot.com

[Victoria Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this novel a woman loses her husband in what she thinks is a hunting accident gone wrong. Come to find out he merely was stolen away from her and taken back to his world where he must become the king only to rule until he withers away giving his youth to the Fae queen. Or does he? Distraught with grief, Aubrey finds herself in Avalar, the place her husband writes about in his novels. Novels she thought were all fantasy. Determined, and in a strange world with strange beings, she sets out to save her husband with the help of an Elloheim (a man turned into a bear) and other assorted creatures and beings known as Shades and Fae. Will she save her husband or will he always be lost to her with no memories of her?

The way this novel was written was very well done and very thought out. The entire time Chancellor has you hanging on edge as Aubrey and her companions' survival is constantly hanging by a thread. The suspense of whether or not they will make it through each encounter will leave you reading on, never wanting to put the story down. All of this is all well and good if you've never read the chronicles of Narnia. A lot of the overall feel of the book is very, very Narnia-esque as far as having to defeat a "witch" with the help of other creatures. All of which happens after being taken to a magical world that is very different from our own reality.

But if you have never read Narnia, then you will really enjoy this book. Shoot even if you have read Narnia, you'd really enjoy this book especially if you are good at the suspension of disbelief!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the above book for free from Goodreads First Reads, in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I enjoy and believe that my readers will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

[Kathleen Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story was really beautiful. It was captivating and magical. A true fairy tale for the grownups. I thought that the flashbacks to the begginnings of Jullian and Aubreys love gave us a real appreciation for their love, and we got to understand the deep love between the two. And I thought it was fantastic that instead of the Prince recueing the damsel, she was rescueing him instead! And while she was in Avalar she had to fight her inner demons as well as fighting all the obstacles to get to Jullian.

Aubrey isn’t some extra ordinary girl that just happens to end up having latent magical ability or her real dad was a wizard or anything like that. She’s a real flesh and blood woman, who has her flaws and insecurities and feels like shes damaged goods but she will not let Jullian suffer, even if he’l never remember her. I applaude J.S Chancellor for combining a beautifully written magical world with some of the darker facets of Aubrey’s life, and showing that there is always light to counteract the dark.

i read a lot and I've read quite a few books but there are only a select few that actually grab you and you go wow, that is just amazingly good book. And A Thief of Nightshade is that book for me. i find it is unique with a fairy tale twist for the adults. and isn't the cover just stunning! If you read it you won't be disapointed! now i have to go off and read her other books!

[Rachel Antzak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little torn with this book. I had a hard time envisioning the world the author created in the fea parts of the book(Avalar). At times the book was really good, well developed, and imaginative. I just would have liked more description at times since I couldn't get into the book right away.

The story was really beautiful. I love how deep and complex the relationship of Jullian and Aubrey is developed throughout the story telling with flashbacks. Also the very real way the author incorporated Aubrey's past and her feelings of self loathing into the relationship with her husband felt real.

When I first picked this book up the print was larger and the size of the book looked small to me, which made me think that this would be another young adult book, however since the protagonist, Aubrey, is an adult and married, I would say that this book is geared toward an older audience.

[Rebecca McKinnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the world of Avalar. It's very rich, imaginative, well-developed world.

While I usually don't go in for books that jump around with flashbacks, with the way this story is told, it doesn't bother me going back and forth between Aubrey's life pre-Avalar, and her current situation.

This book blends so many things together, and it's seamless. I think I'm going to have to read more of Ms. Chancellor's books!

[Nicole Trainor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the greatest novel, but not terrible, especially for a freebie. I was fairly interested in the world the author built. The heroine was kinda meh and her husband was extremely two-dimensional. I was a lot more intrigued by her siblings than her husband, which I don't think I was supposed to be.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful cover.

[Kristin]

i really wanted to like this book but i didnt

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

looks and sounds awesome cant wait to read it...

[Patricia Yost · Rating 5 out of 5]

looks and sounds awesome cant wait to read it...

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but I just couldn't stay engaged in the narrative. I actually gave up after a few chapters.