A Shift in Darkness

Lost Legacies #0.5

by Maddox Grey

Before she was captured. Before she was saved. Nemain went looking for magic... and found monsters instead.

Nemain has been hunting the merciless warlock Sebastian for decades. As a centuries-old feline shapeshifter, she is well acquainted with dangerous hunts. Unfortunately Sebastian knows her well, and he is always one step ahead. Nemain refuses to give up despite the toll it's taking on her body and soul.

After ignoring their pleas for her to take a rest, Nemain's friends take matters into their own hands and arrange an easy job. To further tempt her to accept, they sweetens the deal – take the job and they’ll give her a promising lead on Sebastian’s whereabouts when she returns. Realizing that her friends might have a point, and this is the break she so desperately needs, Nemain agrees to escort the magic-barren Kalari back to their home realm on a quest to find their lost magic.

But the realm that had been decimated by volcanic activity isn’t the empty wasteland Nemain was told it was. Something still lurks there. Something monstrous… and hungry.

This is a prequel novella to the Lost Legacies series and takes place directly before the events of A Shift in Shadows.

Genres: Fantasy, Novella, Paranormal, Romance, Magic, Audiobook, Shapeshifters

140 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2022

About the author

Maddox Grey is a queer nonbinary elder millennial who still remembers vividly what it was like to be emotionally damaged by the season two finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

They write morally grey characters who fall for equally unhinged morally grey love interests. And the banter flows as fast as the action in the stories they craft.

When they’re not putting their characters through hell, Maddox is playing video games, reading smut, burying their nose in comic books, or hiding behind a pillow while they watch horror movies.

NOTE FROM AUTHOR:
Hey there! I'm rarely on this site, only popping over occasionally to make sure my books updated correctly. If you have any questions for me, please use the contact form on my website or message me on Instagram : )

If you’re curious about what I’m reading, you can follow my “reviews” here. Personally I’m not comfortable publicly reviewing other authors books. So if I enjoyed it, it gets five stars from me, lol. My taste in books is… chaotic… but mostly some flavor of fantasy.

Reviews

[Sarah | Retro Girl Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Shift in Darkness” is the prequel novella to Maddox Grey’s Lost Legacies fantasy book series.

In this novella, the reader is introduced to the FMC, a centuries-old feline shapeshifter named Nemain.

Nemain’s main goal in life is to find and kill the warlock Sebastian, her ex and the man who won’t let her go.

This hunt has consumed Nemain’s life, and her friends, Pele and Kaysea, become concerned for both her mental and physical health.

Nemain’s friends convince her to take a job assisting the Kalari, a group of magic-barren people who are trying to return to their homeland.

I thought this was a really great introduction to this world that Maddox Grey has created. I’m intrigued by Nemain, and I definitely want to know more about her.

This novella was very interesting, and I’m looking forward to continue with the series!

[Vanessa (bookfairy95) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! Obviously this is a prequel novella so one shouldn't expect too much, because there is simply no time for character development and the like. I enjoyed it though! It was a nice introduction to the world and main character that makes me curious for the full first book in the series. 😊

[Sam | Haus of Fables · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the world, the FMC, magic system and all the creatures that can be found! I love that the FMC is a feline shifter that is centuries old hell bent on revenge.
It did a really good job of setting up the big bad for the series - it made me want to pick up b1 immediately with the way it ended
3.75 ⭐️

[Kyla Clarkston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to a series I just may have to get my hands on now. Nemain is a feline shifter with hidden magic. Leading the Kalari on a journey to find the springs that contain their magic, she fights off devourers. And seems to start opening her heart and in a moment of self reflection makes the mistake of letting her guard down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Shift in Darkness is am entertaining prequel novella to the Lost Legacies series. In this book, you meet Nemain, the FMC and a woman intent on revenge. You learn of her mission to find Sebastian, her ex lover and the man who killed the woman she loved.

This novella does a great job of introducing you the world Nemain lives in, as well as some of the characters that will be appearing in subsequent books. You also get an exciting adventure when Nemain, a feline shape shifter, leads a group of people to find their lost magic in the world they had to evacuate from due to invaders.

Overall, the book does what it should do, get you interested enough in the series to continue reading it. Since it ends on a cliffhanger, I’m definitely looking forward to reading what happens next!

[Cheyanne Folman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good. Would definitely buy the 1st book on audio if I ever find it on sale.

[ConsuelaReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw I had this prequel on my kindle and needed a short read….

Wow I loved this…
I will get the other books, I want to know what happens

[J. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite genres is urban fantasy, but the problem with that genre is that most everything I come across is part of a series. I don't mind reading series; I genuinely love them. But when trying to pick something new and something that sounds interesting, I know that if I like the first book, it will lead me to investing a lot of time in reading the entire series because I typically don't like to read anything else between installments. When I came across A Shift in Darkness, I thought it'd be a good try. It's a prequel novella to a series, so if I could get engaged with it in just a novella, there would be no doubt the series would be good. If it couldn't catch my interest by the time I finished it, then I wouldn't be left wondering what would have happened if I didn't continue with the series.

Now that I've completed this read, I can honestly say that the Lost Legacies is a big maybe for me to continue with the series.

Our main character, Nemain, is a feline shapeshifter hunting down the murderer of the love of her life. Her pursuit has been so relentless that her magic is running thin and she isn't healing from her adventures as she should. Her friends push her to take a break to heal up and allow her powers to fully replenish, but taking a break is the last thing on Nemain's to-do list. To solidify their wants though, one of the friends teases Nemain with a strong lead on the whereabouts of Sebastian, the warlock who killed Nemain's love. All Nemain has to do to get the info is an easy little job escorting a group of Kalari to their home realm. It should be an easy, cut and dry job, but still last long enough for Nemain to fully heal up.

Nemain reluctantly accepts, and that sets the stage for the rest of the story. It becomes clear pretty fast that the hunt for Sebastian is part of the series arc. This story itself focuses on the job escorting the Kalari to their home realm.

The Kalari are a race of beings with empath magic, or they are suppose to have. Their home realm has suffered catastrophic climate issues, and they have been living in the human realm for generations now, leaving them without their magic. The source of their magic lies within magical springs in their home realm, and it is now believed that enough time has passed that their realm is safe enough for quick visits to the springs. The group that Nemain will be escorting is the first to try, and the world is so changed by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that the precise locations of the springs are no longer known.

The journey there sets the groundwork for what I presume is the foundations for the remaining of the series. There are multiple races of magical beings, all having their own realms. Many of the beings travel between realms while some stay mostly in their home realms. There are safe zones set all around the human realm, what I take as earth as we know it since Tokyo, Cairo, and Paris are named specifically. Different taverns are spread about, owned by various beings, that contain gateways for travel between taverns and magical realms themselves.

The adventure itself that takes place in A Shift in Darkness is interesting enough, but the groundwork set for the series itself is what's intriguing me, if it's done well. There are a ton of magical beings mentioned in this novella, so I could see the series getting a little busy if not executed well, but based on the novella alone, there was a good balance of background info versus the main plot of the story. I was a bit worried starting out about how many beings were being introduced, but the story quickly falls into pace and focuses on the main plot only.

The main focus of the story, at least for me, was the emotional makeup of the main character, Nemain. We learn from this story alone that she is a feline shapeshifter, but she also carries some powerful magic that no one knows about; some magic that could even possibly threaten her life if the knowledge of it comes out.

Nemain is a dark, brooding character since the death of her love, a mermaid named Myrna. It was a concept I enjoyed, but personally I could have seen her a lot more dark and brooding. I'm a huge Batman fan, so I saw places where Nemain's personality could have been pushed more, but again, there is an entire series that follows, so the character may develop more.

All in all, this novella doesn't have me wanting to jump directly into the series, but it has me interested enough to check out the descriptions. I don't think the meaning of A Shift in Darkness was to draw you into the series though. It was published after the main two books in the series, and not included in the main line for it. More than likely, its a one off shorter story that the author just felt she had to get out to the world. Trust me, I've been there before.

[babs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably would’ve enjoyed this more if it had been longer and written in 3rd POV. It was a good concept but I don’t think it was executed right.

[No Apology Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author, who offered a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time keeping my attention on this prequel. I was driving and my adderall had worn off, but I've paid attention to other audiobooks just fine under the same circumstances, so my mind was finding something inaccessible about the book. Could have been the influx of information, navigating a new world and meeting new characters, but I feel it was more likely due to Janae's narration.

She's very talented, but I don't think she's well suited to voicing Nemain's thoughts. Nemain has a fierce personality, tenacious, athletic, aggressive, physical. A force of nature. A dog with a bone (er....cat with a bone?). Janae does not sound like that. She sounds like a placid lake you gaze upon to relax. She sounds like she should be narrating women's fiction; I kept thinking she sounds like a mom. Her exposition was bland as cardboard, at least for a story full of action that needs verve. She infused the narrative with such little energy that sometimes I didn't realize an action scene had begun until Nemain was injured. Janae's dialogue delivery was better, but between conversations she lulled my mind into wandering. And thus, the difficulty following along.

Unfortunately, she narrates the six books of this series available to date, and will likely see it to completion, so I'm just going to have to deal with it.

That said, I like how Grey writes, and I liked this story. On to book 1!

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nemain and Jinz are bath feline shifters and are paired up to go on missions of various sorts for the Daemons. Nemain also has a very special enemy that they are wanting to kill. Apparently they were connected at some point but broke up and then the enemy, Sebastian, killed her mate, Myrna.

On this trip, Nemain is working with a type of creature than has lived in the human world for generations and has lost their magic. They want to go back and so back they go with Nemain as their guide and protector. That world has been taken by devourers, who are creatures that take the power of others as food.

Nemain builds quite a bit of a relationship with the beings she is working with and is delighted that she is able to keep them alive and back home. However then on Nemain's birthday, Sebastion has a special trap so the adventure continues with the start of the first book in the series, that this novella was the prequel to.

It was a fun read and included all sorts of beings including the reclusive fae and the more friend Daimon and even some vampires although they are less central to the story. It was quick read and well worth it to get an introduction to this "new world". At no time, does it clarify what gender Nemain is for sure so I was left pondering that even as the story ended.

[Marie Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nemain shows she’s a badass in this prequel. She’s in the search for her ex lover warlock, Sebastian. Sebastian ripped apart Myrna who was Nemain’s new and true love. She is on the warpath to find him and rip his world apart, but in the meantime, she helps the Kalari back to their realm for the search of their springs. The spring water gives the Kalari their empath magic. Without that spring water from their realm the have no magic abilities. Their realm was destroyed by volcanic eruptions and all that is left is ash and destruction. They trudge through the destroyed land and find what they are looking for, but the devourers that took over the Kalari’s realm before the destruction seem to have survived. Nemain devises a plan to get rid of the devourers in that vicinity of the realm so they would be able to build a gateway to the spring for continued use. With the help of the younger Kalari, she succeeds so the Kalari may once again gain their magic back. All is well and Nemain needs some rest, but Sebastian finds her. Will she escape him or get captured?

[Robin.Bookish.Escape · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic, lost civilizations, reminiscent of ‘Tremors’ but wayyyy cooler. Plots of revenge, assassin for hire, and new found friendships that will have you on the edge of your seat.

This prequel follows Nemain, the FMC feline shifter on her quest to hunt down her ex, a warlock who killed the love of her life. At the request of her friends and closest companion, she takes a job escorting the Kalari, a group of people who have lost their power of empathy through the generations because they have fled their home land to escape the devourers who destroyed their homes and leached their power, back to their homeland in hopes of regaining their power by way of a sacred spring. Their homeland is though to have no life at all, no plants, no animals, and more importantly... no devourers. When what was thought to be an easy mission turns for the worst, Nemain is forced to allow her true self to be seen despite her fears.

This novella was action packed and fast paced. I had a hard time pulling away from the story. Thank you Maddox Grey for this wonderful piece of Nemain’s story.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something dangerous under the earth!

Namain's hatred for Sebastian has only increased day by day since he killed her lover. He will never stop trying to possess her and she will never stop hunting him but it has taken a toll on her body. Her feline shapeshifting magic helps her heal faster but her magic is depleted from fighting the devourer magic for control of her body. A job guiding a group of Kalari on a mission to their old home world should give her a chance to heal provided their world is no longer inhabited by the devourers who ravaged it.

I have been waiting for this book and couldn’t wait to start reading. There is plenty of action plus intrigue and magic. Sebastian is a particularly nasty villain that you just love to hate. The cliffhanger ending drove me crazy because now I will have to wait for the next book to see what happens. I finished it in one day. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Shift in Darkness is an excellent story that introduces us to Nemain! She has lived for centuries hunting her old lover Sebastian who is a twisted stalker who haunts Nemain‘a dreams and her real life. Always one step ahead torturing her by taking away what she cares about. Having taken herself to the edge of her limit friends worried about her health and sanity insist she step away from her hunt to take a job to allow herself to replenish her magic and recover from how hard she has pushed herself. The job should have been easy an realm devoid of life and a hunt to restore lost magic to clients who need magical waters from springs lit in the fall of their realm. But the realm isn’t empty something lurks in the dark hungry for magic. Follow Nemain as she tries to fulfill her assignment so she can return to her endless hunt. Captivating, fast paced and filled with dark secrets and subject matter. can’t wait to read more of the series!

[JoJoClassicComeBack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella was written as the book A Shift in Fate was on it's way to the press. Neiman and Jinx continue their adventures, the first of which is avenging the death of Neiman's lover Myrna. In the process they encounter a group of Kalari who need assistance in trying to return to their now destroyed homelands in hope of finding the spring which runs with water that supplies this group of Fae with their magic. Demons called devourers, however, lie in the path and must be conquered to reach their goal. The one responsible for Myrna's death appears at the last minute and leaves the reader with an impressive cliffhanger. The Shift in Shadows is the next book, a couple of chapters are included in the end of the novella. I chose not to read the chapters yet as I've got the book on order and prefer to read it all at once. An interesting series with lots of characters from the Fae, daemon and human realms.

[sairs_readsandreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this prequel to this series!

I’d not heard of the series before but saw the author wanted arc readers for the later books and the blurb for the novella had me intrigued, so I got this to see if I liked the story.

It was a refreshing story that was well written, had good pacing and an interesting storyline.

I really appreciated the world building and I’m excited to continue the story and start the series. The Kalari’s story was intriguing and only a glimpse into the worlds the author has created. I could really visualise the crystal forest and springs, as well as the barren Kalari realm. It was a novella so the surrounding characters weren’t delved into too far however it was a great set up for understanding Nemain’s motivations and her wider backstory.

Looking forward to reading more about Nemain and her issues with Sebastian!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Shift in Darkness is a prequel novella introducing Nemain, a skilled feline shapeshifter who possesses dangerous magic that she’s carefully kept hidden.

Nemain’s parents were murdered centuries ago and lover Myrna for decades but she hasn’t let them go or her perceived failure to save them. While jettsetting around the world and between realms taking jobs, she seeks vengeance against Sebastian, a powerful and sadistic warlock.

This book serves as a great introduction to the world of The Lost Legacies. With a strong and fierce FMC and unique magic system, I’m so excited to continue on this journey with Nemain and to further explore her relationships with Jinx, Pele, and Kaysea.

**I received a free e-ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Huge thanks to Maddox Grey for the opportunity!**

[Jozie Paterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.25☆

A Shift In Darkness is an adventure packed prequel novella to the Lost Legacies series. At the very beginning, I was getting Skyrim vibes.

The story follows Nemain, a feline shapeshifter. Nemain has become so fixated on killing Sebastian, a warlock, that she has exhausted herself both mentally and physically. Her friends are concerned for her health and convince her to take a job, escorting a group of people to their native land, where they will be able to reclaim their magic.

I thought this novella was entertaining and a good introduction into the world. It was enough to catch my attention and want to learn more about the characters and the lands. I loved the quest vibes. I could see Nemain's job escorting Kalari as a mission in a game.

magic • novella • paranormal romance • romantasy • shapeshifter

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this prequel novella from Lost Legacies by Maddox Grey. The main character, Nemain, a feline shifter, is given an assignment to guide a group of Kalari to visit their home world to see if they might be able to regain their magic. On that quest, they encounter some Devourers, who try to steal all the magic from their prey.
Not to mention her own personal quest for revenge on the warlock who killed the woman she loved.
The world building is great, and I can't wait to get to the next book to see what happens next.
This was the audiobook version, and the narrator, Krys Janae, did an astounding job with the different voices. I hope to continue with audiobook versions to continue enjoying her reading.

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an advanced reader copy from BookSirens for giving my two cents. This was a nice little backstory of Nemain. She is still looking for Sébastian with no avail and her revenge is still full throttle. However, her friend Pele has a job for her or the option to be sent back to Paris with Pele breathing down her neck...of course she chose the job. As she heads to Cairo to meet with thr Kalari, the job entails going back to their homeland to find water that will give back their empathy powers. When they arrive it is a desolate and barren land. Something is definitely afoot here and Nemain is determined to help the Kalari...but at what cost? Good read

[Rissa1516 · Rating 3 out of 5]

***ARC Review***

I went into this knowing very little of what this novella is about. I got Tremors/Dune vibes from the Kalarin realm. When reading the first piece in a series, I find it hard to put pieces together as the author is world building and introducing us to characters and how they connect to each other, if at all. Based on what I read, I think there will be a lot more world building in the coming books. I have read a handful of fantasy type novels but there were some "creatures" that I have not yet come across so I am interested in learning more about them.

[Rachel Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrator: 4.75/5
Book: 4.5/5 rounded up to 5
Spicy: 0

I had listened to the first audiobook before this one. You can truly read/listen to this book whenever. It's a great story that shows the FMC character being a badass solo. I love how this book leads into the first book of the series without it giving away anything or you missing anything if you read it out of order.

I really do enjoy this narrator and this book series has me hooked. I love all the different creatures in the world. I am excited to continue my visits to this world in future books. Please if you like paranormal books, read this series.

[Amanda Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really and truly enjoyed this book, and will be looking forward to reading more in the series.

One of my biggest pet peeves is 'bad-ass' women characters who are not bad-ass but keep telling people they are. Nemain is the perfect example of the opposite of that trope, and I couldn't have been happier.

I love that the character was troubled but capable, filled with hate but without an attitude.

I look forward to getting to know these characters better and to learn more about the world. I also enjoyed that demons are not 'bad' it is just who and what they are.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this series! This prequel has the same dynamic of the others two books.
Has a lot of action, magic and a good parts of humor.
We can discover more about the past of Nemain, what made me like her a lot of more.
You want pass some good time reading, you will need read this collection, especially if you like fantasy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting. This story caught me from the very beginning and didn't let go. The characters are enjoyable and believable, especially Nemain, and the different races are distinct without being overdone. The world building made me feel like I was actually there traveling with the group. I loved the story overall, and I highly recommend it!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Spellbound.Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

While so many of books that are currently being released are very similar, A Shift in Darkness is in a league of its own. At her friends insistence, Nemain, a feline shifter, takes on a job that should be easy and allow her to heal; however, the job ends up being more than anyone expected. This action packed novella will grab your attention from the beginning and leave you needing to dive into the next book to find out what happens.

[Sissy Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great prequel to this series, it has some backstory and good information about this world. I found it to be a good read and brought with it some great insight to the characters past and I feel that it is a great read! I Loved It!!! No Spoilers!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this did everything that a prequel should do, it was a great entry of the Lost Legacies series. I enjoyed the plot and what was going on in this world. Overall I was hooked from the start and glad to read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lirio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely engaging, intriguing, interesting, adventurous, and different from most fantasy books which is nice to see this world through a new lens with new possibilities and new magic! Reading the series would definitely be worth it especially if it’s anything like this Novella but reading it as a stand-alone did not leave you feeling lost which is another amazing feat by author Maddox Grey. I do look forward to reading the next book ‘Shift In Shadows’!!!
I received an advance review ARC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.