Shadowforged

Light & Shadow #2

by Moira Katson

With Catwin’s help, Miriel has captured the heart of the King, but their victory has come at a cost: the suspicion and enmity of the Duke, and the unrelenting hatred of the Court. As they recover from the attempt on their lives, the two form a fragile alliance, promising that their first loyalty is to each other, and that their one goal is to survive.

But to survive, Catwin and Miriel need power, and the search for power of their own draws them ever further into the Court and inexorably closer to the throne. Enemies surround them, ruthless and vengeful, and the only way forward is a dark path that threatens to sever them from themselves.

For it is not only enemies that are a danger Light and Shadow now, but the weakness of their own hearts. As she protects them both, Catwin struggles against her love for Temar, the Duke’s assassin; to capture the King’s heart, Miriel must forget both her love for Wilhelm, and her passionate belief in the populist uprising. A reckoning is coming, a betrayal that has been in the making for decades, and if they are to survive, both Catwin and Miriel must be prepared to give up everything they hold dear.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Young Adult Fantasy, Ebooks, Fiction, Mystery

221 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2013

About the author

I am a transplant to the frozen wastes of the midwest, learning to love fried food on a stick, hot dish, and the winters. Having recently bought a house, I am also learning everything from how to wire chandeliers to how best to paint a room. (Also, I spend too much time at Menard's.)

I have been writing since I was old enough to read, and I write on every scrap of paper I can get my hands on. In the meantime, I read - oh, I read so much! I like to read articles about science, about economics, about psychology and neuroscience and sociology... Some of my greatest character inspiration has come from true-life tales of people at the center of historical events, and some of it has come from the "what-ifs" that academic inquiry produces.

I encourage you to stop past my website for the latest news on my work! You can find print copies of my work on Amazon and CreateSpace, and my books are available for Kindle, Nook, and through all channels served by Smashwords!

Reviews

[Paranormal_Madness · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked:
-Catwin and Miriel. The girls grew on me throughout the course of this book, and I found myself rooting for them constantly. They were learning to trust and rely on one another after realizing that there was nobody else they could trust. The two formed an almost sisterly bond, complete with arguments. I also love Catwin’s devotion to Miriel.
-Plot. There wasn’t a ton of action in this book, but there didn’t have to be. There was plenty of drama and intrigue and mystery surrounding daily life at the court. A large portion of this book was spent focusing on Miriel seducing the king—as per the Duke’s plans—but I didn’t get bored with it. The idea that a king’s mistress could have so much power was something I had never thought of, but Miriel pulled that off with aplomb. The rebellion resurfaces and takes up a larger portion of the plot, and I began to understand their goals a little better. The last couple of chapters were the best part of the book—I honestly never saw that end coming.
-Writing style. This was probably my favorite part of the book. The writing is beautiful without being bogged down by clunky, overly descriptive chunks of prose. However, there are incredibly long stretches of nothing but Catwin’s inner thoughts, and sometimes it seemed to go on for pages. But other than that, I found the writing to be incredibly enjoyable, and I was able to get inside Catwin’s mind and see her world through her eyes.

What I disliked:
-History. Some of the family lineages are still a little confusing to me, but I’ve started to get everything straight in my mind.

Overall, this book was even better than the first part. I would definitely recommend this to fans of medieval stories, strong heroines, and court intrigue. It has fighting, assassination attempts, forbidden love, and amazing characters. 5.0

[Andrea Anastos · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have not read "Shadowborn" you will want to do that before picking up this book. If you have already finished "Shadowborn", keep reading!

The writing gets better with each book by this author. The characters deepen; the relationships become richer; the plot moves with a steady pace which, as I noted in my review of "Mahalia" (a stand-alone by this writer), is much more realistic than the compressed frenzy of many fantasy books these days.
I won't spoil the ending, except to say that it caught me totally by surprise and then I wondered why it did since -- as soon as I read it -- it seemed an inevitable outcome of the earlier character development.

I am particularly intrigued by the depth of the characters (primarily Catwin and Miriel, but to a lesser degree the King and Temar) who are well-rounded. Both Catwin and Miriel are able to empathize periodically with others even in the midst of their own experiences. They are very real, in other words: neither too "perfect" nor completely self-absorbed. The girls mature toward womanhood in this volume, both chronologically and emotionally. In "Shadowborn", they seemed a little old for their years, but here they settle well into their mid-adolescence (15 -17).

I am eagerly anticipating opening "Shadow's End" which concludes this trilogy.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pacing to follow in this second novel. The plot thickens and the pace quickens.

After establishing her characters in Shadowborn, Katson launches her readers forward with an array of surprises. With Shadowforged uncertainty at court, assassination attempts and further deception prompts the reader to deeply question alliances.

Will Catwin and Miriel continue to play as pawns in the Duke's game? How close are we to a rebellion that will reshape the structure of their society? If either of the girls are caught deviating from his plan (or choose to act in accordance to their own will), how dire will the consequences be?

(cross-posted to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.)

[Tim Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS!!!! I enjoyed better than the first. Good read!

We continue with the saga of Catwin, girl of fate and prophecy. She has been trained as Miriel's shadow and protector and after a rocky start has become her friend and ally. Sometimes very slow moving, nonetheless you keep wanting more, to uncover the mysteries, untangle the plots and unravel the intrigues of the court. Will they survive? Will they break free of the Duke's control? Will Miriel attain her goal? What does Catwin want? What, if anything, does the prophecy mean to Catwin and Miriel. On to book 3 for more answers!!! HAPPY READING!!!
Tim

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great second book!

I’ve completely fallen in love with the characters in this trilogy. Catwin and Miriel are absolutely wonderful female characters. While they are certainly my favorite, I also rather enjoyed Garad, Wilhelm, and Temar. All of the characters have such a realness and depth that I can’t get enough of.

The writing is on par with the previous book (which is great in case you didn’t know). As the story progresses, it’s evident that Moira is a skilled author.

I cannot wait to read the third and final book in the trilogy.

[BobA707 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Coming of age fantasy, very interesting characters, good plot ... still not sure where its going, very well written. Premise is interesting, not much magic, if any ... we will see. Recommended

Plotline: 2 girls forced together one light the other shadow. The plot moves on quickly, but not many answers. Being queen it seems is not the answer ...

Premise: Interesting world, not much evidence of magic other than prophesy and possibly healing

Writing: Very good, easy, descriptive

Ending: Ready for the next book

Pace: Never a dull moment!

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intrigue continues...

Shadowforged continues the story of Catwin and Miriel started in Shadowborn. The girls have grown into young women and grown in knowledge and experience. Their journey is a dark one, fraught with danger, yet they find small pieces of happiness along the way. Theirs is an interesting story, well told.

[Alicia Hoffman]

Bravo

Noirs Katson is keeping me interested with the twists and turns in this second book of the Light &Shadow series. I can't wait to read what happens next to Catwin.

[Julie Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a bit slow, but still compelling.

[Samantha Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was impressed by this series, the Light and Shadow trilogy, which was another one of my fabulous Bookbub bargains. (Er, by the way, since I talk about them so much, one might wonder if I’m affiliated, but I’m not. Though I’ve acquired enough $0.99 and free books from them, I should probably take out stock.)

This is both a fascinating character-driven and an interesting plot-driven story, wrapped in an engrossing fantasy world. Catwin, the main character, comes from a poor family, and until she’s noticed by the Duke of Voltur, she’s destined to amount to nothing but kitchen help. Instead, he sees potential in her and sets to training her to be his niece Miriel’s bodyguard and assassin–whether she wants to or not.

Her struggles with the atrocities she’s forced to commit are potent and heart-rending. The uneasy friendship that grows from initial hatred between the two girls is well-crafted. They dance around one another, neither sure if the other can be trusted, but having no choice but to rely on one another.

I’m not going to spoiler anything from the second and third books, but I loved how the story developed. The stakes continue to raise, as Miriel must do her uncle’s bidding and, well, Catwin must, also.

I rated the third book as four stars because I wasn’t impressed with the culmination of Catwin’s prophecy: As a baby, her mother refused to raise her because she foretold that her daughter would be betrayed. A lot of that back story made no sense, and when the betrayal comes, I can’t really understand why. It’s almost … or completely … a self-fulfilling prophecy, and I don’t really understand why the characters involved choose their actions.

Overall, I loved this series and I heartily recommend it. If you enjoy fantasy, either young adult or adult, you’ll enjoy the Light and Shadow trilogy. Ms. Katson is now on my list of “Authors I Must Read More of If Ever My TBR Pile Diminishes.”

Also posted on my blog, Magic & Mayhem Book Reviews.

[moxieBK · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I started to read this story I knew I was going to buy the complete set....and in fact, I did.

The whole "Light & Shadow" series is beautifully written. I completely became immersed in the setting and really enjoyed the full emotions that characters had. I was set in a "medieval-like" setting, and that is one of my favorite period to read.

The characters were absolutely well drawn and the plot was very absorbing. I never thought the author wandered too far from the train of thought. I found myself turning pages into the night, not wanting to put the book down.

If it does hold up well after a second rating, I might find myself upping the rating, because it really was a delight to read. It certainly was well worth buying and downloading it.

Four stars.

[Cr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of repetitive telling, slow-going

I wanted to like this second book more, but the author spent a lot of time going over things from the first book and then spending a lot of time telling the reader the same stuff about the relationships between the main characters, without any interesting developments, twists or growth. It was such a disappointment that I'm not going to read the 3rd book unless it's free and I have nothing else to read. Spoiler: The fact that the main protagonist, Catwin, still bemoans having NO motivation for her actions at the end of this book is annoying and feels like the author has wasted my time. Your main character shouldn't still be clueless of her own motivation at the end of the 2nd book.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st - I received this book in return for my review

2nd - I only just liked this book. It is very easy to read, the characters are well formed and the story is defined.... However! The story takes a long time to pick up! The first book was better and I can only hope that the next book actually goes somewhere. That being said, this book is full of internal dialog and I feel that we could have done with out the entire first 2/3rds of the book and it would be a great book! The last 1/3rd is worth the read and really starts getting good....

So off to the 3rd book with high hopes for a good finale!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOOOOOOOOO I had this massive review typed out and I don't know what happened to it! Ugh, all the sadness.
Oh well, the gist of it was that I love the development of the plot, as well as Catwin and Miriel's relationship. In my opinion, this book is the better of the first two because we really get a good look into some of the characters feelings and motivations. Katson paces this book much better than the first one, speeding up and slowing down in the right amount to keep the reader engaged in the story. I liked this book better than the first one, and am looking forward to finishing the trilogy soon!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sort of abandoned this book for quite a while before I managed to return to it, but once I did, I read it all in one night (almost all in one sitting, too!). I like the relationship between the two main characters--it is complex and shifting and dynamic, like relationships are in real life. The book is subtle and well-plotted without seeming like it feels too clever for its own good and exciting without resorting to shock tactics. I am looking forward to reading the end of the trilogy, even though I fear there is no happy ending coming for everyone.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the second in the trilogy. While I was unable to put the first one down from pure enjoyment and thrill, this one was very rough to get through. The plot was plodding, and the characters became more grating the longer I read.

This book practically beat me severely about the head and face with complete and utter boredom.

Pages were devoted to the perfection of the character, Miriel, that after a while became superfluous. Characters that were interesting in Shadowborn became flat and uninteresting in Shadowforged.

All in all, a complete disappointment. I barely got out alive.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was mostly fun while I was reading it but not particularly satisfying at the end.

The ups and downs of Miriel and Catwin's relationship get fairly repetitive and old. The tensions don't change much throughout the book; they just repeat.

Few of the characters beyond Miriel and Catwin are particularly well-developed still, and Miriel doesn't develop much (or even particularly develop in Catwin's eyes) in this book.

[Pamela LaFlamme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story was just an interesting and fun as the first one. Things are definitely heating up in this world! I love how subtle the attraction between Temar and Catwin has been. There are a few errors in this book that could be polished up. (repeat words or missing words and misspelled.)

[Greg Kirby]

I thought that this second in the series would not live up to the first (I quickly tire of court intrigues) but the last few chapters more than made up for it!
I did find a few typos that the editor should have caught, but they were minor.
I have bought the third book and am starting it now!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting series, loved the story and the characters. There was too much detail about the families and the conduct of all the nobles in parts but overall I was really engaged throughout the series. The plot twists were unexpected and the characterization was good.

[Jasper Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare to have your breath taken away

I desperately need to know what happens to our heroines in the third book. If you've read the first book and wonder about the second, know you will not be disappointed. It was a tragedy that adult responsibilities interrupted my reading time.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. A couple boring bits of inner reflection and rambling, but otherwise it kept the pace of story well. The ending was excellent.

[Brittany Westerberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one I couldn't not buy after reading the first one. I wasn't disappointed.

[Susan Schnelbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been pleasantly surprised by both books in this series. So much so, that I'm going to pay full Kindle price for the third book in the series. This series is well written and engaging.

[Willow Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

*sobbing* I will never be okay after this series.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't understand WHY people would love the ones they chose. Also disliked how very descriptive, over and over the same things were.

[Freethings Forme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book just as much as the first one. The story is taking a turn I did not expect, but am fully enjoying. Eagerly awaiting the conclusion in the third book.

[Deborah Lewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

a perfect fallow up to the first book. riveting can't put down suspense. the political intrigue is fascinating so sad there was only one more book.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, a good addition. On to the next!