Thank you to the author for an early review copy of this book! This review is my honest feedback and given voluntarily.
Well, Ms. Georgia has gone and done it again...written another fantastic volume to this fantasy series that just kept me on my toes and the edge of my seat the whole time, not to mention shedding tears along the way. I could not put this chonker down! We continue to get deeper into this world, characters, and overarching plot, and to say I was enthralled would be putting it mildly. Leigh has gone back to the roots of Light in the Shadows, with bringing back the definitive high fantasy nature of this series, while mixing in the romantic and mystery subplots that will have you eagerly turning the pages for more! We get new characters, new details, and new angles to existing characters that just make things so much more complex and interesting. This book really had me questioning my previous opinions of some characters! The incorporation of the past/prophecies was also so fascinating in the second half, and really opened up my interest even more into the future of this series/story. The vastness of this world and overarching plot has been weaving its way through things for what feels like a lot longer than this story has been going on, and that’s on full display in the second half! If I thought this series was great before, I'm even more convinced of it's deserved spot in high fantasy greatness now! Truly a must-read and I can't wait for more!
Now let's get into a little more of the nitty gritty! **From here on, there will be slight spoilers for books 1 and 2 of the series, so proceed with caution. You have been warned!**
**Pause for those considering how to proceed, LOL**
As I said above, a big thing I noticed, and really enjoyed about SR is that we really are returning to a true high fantasy with romantic subplot type of story. With LITS (book 1), we are getting introduced to the world and all the characters and plots going on. Light Lost (book 2) is more of Haven and Ryker’s story, centered around their trial, romance, and getting back to one another, with a lot of the larger world/plot stuff more so in the background. With this 3rd installment, we are getting back to that original foundation of fantasy from book 1, with more world-building and character POVs and less focus on Haven and Ryker. It goes back to the more romantic fantasy format of LITS instead of the fantasy romance format of Light Lost. The fact that this has been accomplished within this series is really cool to me and I also think it’s something that should attract readers who enjoy both subsets of the fantasy genre.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this series really reminds me of GOT in the best ways: you’ve got all these different plot lines happening simultaneously within this vast network of world/people that are all connected in some way to the larger overarching plot. It’s all so extensive. Things are really starting to converge in this book and it’s getting intense! With that being said, all of it can get a little confusing to keep organized in your head, so I’m so glad Leigh put together a nice collection of references in book 2 that she subsequently added to for book 3. It just makes the maintenance of the world referencing so much easier for readers like myself who like to flip back and forth (and who also forget stuff between releases!).
In that same vein, I once again am impressed with the quality AND the quantity of the world-building/creation Leigh has managed to accomplish within this book. Her writing style is so pleasantly easy to understand and consume, yet conveys complex concepts with ease. The reader isn’t bogged down by unnecessary fluff/prose, but the writing doesn’t feel YA at the same time. It always feels like I’m reading a truly adult high fantasy that doesn’t shy away from hard concepts, situations, or character personalities.
As if we didn’t already have enough people to keep up with (LOL), we get even more additions to the roster in this book. But these new people were incorporated into existing character groupings and plot lines seamlessly. They only enhanced an already great cast of characters. Speaking of which, I love that we’re able to see the characters have moments of rest, relaxation, and fun with each other in this book. So often fantasy characters are caught up in nonstop, active plot, fighting, and drama and it can get exhausting. It’s nice when our babies can just enjoy one another and develop those connections and bonds organically on-page.
A little bit of character analysis/thoughts:
Haven/Ryker: Their relationship has definitely matured more in this book and they’ve transitioned nicely into a solid and steadfast couple/team (even though there’s still a little bit of lingering stuff). They’re ability to work through their issues together demonstrated maturity and emotional intelligence and was a nice example of healthy communication in a relationship. Oh and that spice be spicing, it was just classically beautiful between them. I just love them so much *gushing*. I really enjoyed seeing Haven be on the upper end of the warrior ladder in this one. I’m so proud of the person/seraphim she’s become. She’s come such a long way since book 1. Ryker’s struggle with how to handle River was so palpable here. Anyone who’s ever had a close friend or family member who they’ve really battled internally to find a permanent spot in their lives will understand his struggle in this book. My heart is forever breaking for Ryker, I swear! LOL
Niko: I’m so glad he takes the position he does in Haven’s life here. I think they had a great connection and made a great team. I’m glad she had him as a comfort, aside from Ryker. I also found him and Haven’s dynamic funny as ALL GET OUT (you’ll know what I mean *wink*).
Silas: I was really excited to see our sexy Warrior get a love interest in this one! His struggle to justify seeking out his own happiness made me sad for him though. He also made some extreme decisions that left me in tears and hanging on by a thread!
River: Dare I say half this book was the River show? I’m not mad at it, though! He definitely got just as much, if not more screen time than Haven/Ryker, I’d say. But boy does he have the development arc in this one! Not me out here feeling sorry for River and wanting him to feel love and have a love for himself?! Excuse me, what?? I’m sorry, but that’s writing gold when you can take a character like River and turn him around like that. Chef’s kiss. He’s been so taken advantage of between Light Lost and this book, my heart breaks for him. I’m so glad he’s trying to distance himself from Lilith though. Ugh, she is a curse…see below. LOL!
Lilith: This woman is a straight-up snake and I can’t stand her, haven’t been able to since the very beginning, UGH! She’s a monster. She’s that b*tch-@ss villain who’s going to last till the end, I just know it. Oh and I hate how she straight up just violates River, gross. But again, kudos to the writing of her character for creating such a hate-worthy person, LOL. Lilith has also been heavily taken advantage of (I really hate to admit that), but her and River have handled their struggle in this book completely opposite of each other! I actually liked the opposing natures of this dynamic and it’s kind of ironic that they keep gravitating to one another (well she can’t take a freaking hint). The ending of this one just straight up ripped me open with anger and frustration and solidified why I hate this woman. LOL.
Roche: They’re character is so fascinating to me! I was very much relieved to see them having a transition of character/arc in this book. I also found it interesting that they and River started working together in a different capacity. I’m eager to see what kind of new role they play in the grand scheme of things moving forward.
I do wish we could have had more of the Aiden/Corde trauma work-thru on page, specifically Corde’s, as Ryker's was done so well in Light Lost and even River’s being addressed here in SR. For Corde being a sympath, I would have liked to have seen his recovery a little more. Aiden's was shown just a little, but not to the level of much resolution. Maybe we will see more in the subsequent installment. There was not very much Aiden/Trinity storyline either, which I was a little surprised about considering how much they were introduced in book 2. But what little is seen felt very traumatic. His portion of the story seems to be getting swept under the rug a little. This might be intentional or it could be due to lack of time/space in the book. Trinity’s really getting worked with him though, so I hope it gets addressed later.
Finally, I was devastated at some losses in this one and definitely shed some tears. Not gonna give anything else away.
So of course I’m continuing to recommend this series whole-heartedly, and Shadow Rising just makes it even easier to do so. I think the series truly has something for all fantasy readers: high fantasy elements, action, mystery, romance, and strong character development. I hope you take a chance on it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Happy reading! 🤙🏼💕