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Shadowed Ink : A dark fantasy lady Bluebeard retelling
A beautiful and dark Empress lives in a moonlit castle by the sea. Each year she blesses the land that she owns, and rewards her loyal subjects. But sometimes, she comes at the winter festival, to take a spouse.
Arlen has always been fascinated by the dark Empress, and he is so excited to be picked. Little does he know that his curiosity would be the cause of his end….
Seth never forgave the Empress for the taking of his friend, and swore revenge. At last he offered himself in disguise, pretending to be a lord from another realm.
He enters the Moon Palace with plots of revenge in his heart, but before long he must choose between loyalties and fight unknown dangers to save the castle from Sable, and save himself.
Arlen has always been fascinated by the dark Empress, and he is so excited to be picked. Little does he know that his curiosity would be the cause of his end….
Seth never forgave the Empress for the taking of his friend, and swore revenge. At last he offered himself in disguise, pretending to be a lord from another realm.
He enters the Moon Palace with plots of revenge in his heart, but before long he must choose between loyalties and fight unknown dangers to save the castle from Sable, and save himself.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2024
4 people want to read
About the author
E.M. McConnell
42 books120 followersEryn was born and raised in the UK, emigrating to Germany in 2017. They work freelance and live with their family.
Eryn studied Poetry, Literature and Playwriting at University, continuing to write poetry. They began to write fiction in 2021, starting with fan fiction, then flash fiction, then short stories, and finally novellas and novels.
They describe themselves as a non genre specific writer, preferring to dip toes into different genres, stories and ideas. Currently they write Poetry, Fantasy, Dystopian, Scifi and Horror but they may diversify further in the future.
Eryn studied Poetry, Literature and Playwriting at University, continuing to write poetry. They began to write fiction in 2021, starting with fan fiction, then flash fiction, then short stories, and finally novellas and novels.
They describe themselves as a non genre specific writer, preferring to dip toes into different genres, stories and ideas. Currently they write Poetry, Fantasy, Dystopian, Scifi and Horror but they may diversify further in the future.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 2, 2024
I was provided an ARC copy of this book by the author and all opinions here are my own. Thanks, Eryn!
This one is different than the books Eryn usually writes, so I was very excited to see how it goes. But of course, Eryn has created yet another hit with this one!
Arlen's story was so heartbreaking - He was my favorite in this book. He stole my heart from the very first page. What a beautiful soul.
Sable was very interesting to me. Her ways were hard to understand, but by the end of the book, I ended up liking her a lot. I loved her character! Everything about the palace was so interesting to read and learn about. Her love for Arlen was beautiful yet sad to see, and I am quite happy with how their story ended.
Seth was my second favorite! The love between him and Faye was heartwarming to read. I am so happy with how their story went.
The author's take on the retelling was very refreshing, and the ending was unexpected yet amazing. I enjoyed this one! The ending was bittersweet, but one that will stay with me for a while.
If you enjoy retellings, I highly recommend giving this one a try!
This one is different than the books Eryn usually writes, so I was very excited to see how it goes. But of course, Eryn has created yet another hit with this one!
Arlen's story was so heartbreaking - He was my favorite in this book. He stole my heart from the very first page. What a beautiful soul.
Sable was very interesting to me. Her ways were hard to understand, but by the end of the book, I ended up liking her a lot. I loved her character! Everything about the palace was so interesting to read and learn about. Her love for Arlen was beautiful yet sad to see, and I am quite happy with how their story ended.
Seth was my second favorite! The love between him and Faye was heartwarming to read. I am so happy with how their story went.
The author's take on the retelling was very refreshing, and the ending was unexpected yet amazing. I enjoyed this one! The ending was bittersweet, but one that will stay with me for a while.
If you enjoy retellings, I highly recommend giving this one a try!
March 19, 2024
In this captivating Bluebeard retelling, the story unfolds from within a moonlit castle by the sea, the home of an enigmatic Empress. She blesses the surrounding land and those who live there, ensuring they each enjoy a long life. But every so often, at the winter festival, she also chooses a spouse from a cast of male suitors, some appearing to be more suitable for the role than others.
Craftsman Arlen has a long held fascination with the Empress, and it’s is this desire that ultimately leads him to be picked which initially fills him with unrestrained joy. But without giving too much away, after only a short time as her husband, his curiosity brings about unforeseen consequences. Seth, his childhood friend, in seeking answers about Arlen’s fate, cunningly infiltrates the Moon Palace. As he navigates treacherous dilemmas, loyalty is tested, and unexpected dangers threaten both the castle and his own life.
As with all her other work, E.M. McConnell has approached this retelling with a genuinely unique style. There are no tropes or overused literary devices that are too often found in less successful attempts to take a well-known tale and make it something allegedly ‘different.’ Instead the author intricately weaves the themes of love, loyalty, and sacrifice, bringing them together to create a mesmerising and thought-provoking read.
Craftsman Arlen has a long held fascination with the Empress, and it’s is this desire that ultimately leads him to be picked which initially fills him with unrestrained joy. But without giving too much away, after only a short time as her husband, his curiosity brings about unforeseen consequences. Seth, his childhood friend, in seeking answers about Arlen’s fate, cunningly infiltrates the Moon Palace. As he navigates treacherous dilemmas, loyalty is tested, and unexpected dangers threaten both the castle and his own life.
As with all her other work, E.M. McConnell has approached this retelling with a genuinely unique style. There are no tropes or overused literary devices that are too often found in less successful attempts to take a well-known tale and make it something allegedly ‘different.’ Instead the author intricately weaves the themes of love, loyalty, and sacrifice, bringing them together to create a mesmerising and thought-provoking read.
May 7, 2024
I am going to start this off by saying I am not really a fantasy reader. My main jam is horror but I absolutely love this author so I figured what the hey, I'll give it a go.
Apparently, now I am a fantasy reader because I LOVED this!
I read the cliff notes version of Bluebeard so I could get a gist of what would be happening in this story as I wasn't familiar with it. It really wasn't necessary to do that though because this book was amazing on its own.
It was somber enough for my dark heart to enjoy. I loved the magical elements and the fae. Again, as someone who has only ever really read "fantasy light", the magical systems and the universes can be intimidating but these ones flowed beautifully and were easy to follow.
I highly recommend this read if you want to dip yer toes into the fantasy genre but still like to keep things gothic & dark.
Apparently, now I am a fantasy reader because I LOVED this!
I read the cliff notes version of Bluebeard so I could get a gist of what would be happening in this story as I wasn't familiar with it. It really wasn't necessary to do that though because this book was amazing on its own.
It was somber enough for my dark heart to enjoy. I loved the magical elements and the fae. Again, as someone who has only ever really read "fantasy light", the magical systems and the universes can be intimidating but these ones flowed beautifully and were easy to follow.
I highly recommend this read if you want to dip yer toes into the fantasy genre but still like to keep things gothic & dark.
April 24, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced reader's copy of Shadowed Ink: A Dark Fantasy Lady Bluebeard retelling by E.M. McConnell. The author stepped away from her recent Sci-Fi and Horror books to bring us a Romantic Fantasy infused with her particular brand of delightful darkness. E.M. McConnell always treats the reader to an imaginative tale filled with compelling and fantastical characters. The story is a sad one at times but always captivates and fills the reader with hope and love, propelling both the characters and the reader forward. The author has written a lot of LOTR fiction in the past and knows her way around the fantasy genre. Shadowed Ink was a fun, emotional tale brought to an exciting and satisfying conclusion.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews