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Shadows of the Dark Realm
The idyllic kingdom of Parisia sat nuzzled securely in the Great Emerald Mountains. For generations Parisia had known nothing but peace and prosperity. When the elder dragon Darka Mors, steals the Darkstone, the entire realm is threatened. Without the Darkstone, the magic sealing away the Shadow King would fail. His return would bring death and destruction to the world of men.
Desperate, the king of Parisia calls on an unlikely hero, the Disgraced Knight Vale Lox to lead a group of Seekers on the most important quest in a thousand years.
To save the realm and everyone they have ever known from the rising shadows of darkness, these misfits must survive hostile lands, enemy armies, unspeakable monsters, and each other in order to retrieve the stone from the dragon’s lair before it’s too late.
Desperate, the king of Parisia calls on an unlikely hero, the Disgraced Knight Vale Lox to lead a group of Seekers on the most important quest in a thousand years.
To save the realm and everyone they have ever known from the rising shadows of darkness, these misfits must survive hostile lands, enemy armies, unspeakable monsters, and each other in order to retrieve the stone from the dragon’s lair before it’s too late.
544 pages, Hardcover
Published December 20, 2023
66 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Tyler Edwards
17 books105 followersTyler has loved writing and storytelling since he was old enough to scribble ideas down on a notepad in class. Whether it is crafting ideas on the world, sharing beliefs, or imagining other worlds entirely, Tyler is passionate about the power of words and stories to change lives. He writes both fiction and non-fiction and has published books in both.
Fiction:
https://authortyleredwards.wordpress....
Non-Fiction:
Zombie Church:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0069W0IOG/...
Fiction:
https://authortyleredwards.wordpress....
Non-Fiction:
Zombie Church:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0069W0IOG/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
February 28, 2025
"Here lies Caelan--couldn't count. Got eaten by a dragon. Ralked it up just like Kade said not to. Well, I showed him, Caelan thought to himself."
You may wonder what flavor of fantasy Shadows of the Dark Realm is. Is it an Arthurian Quest? Portal Fantasy? Monster Hunter? Political Intrigue? You name it, the answer is simply, "Yes".
The tagline of the second book, Reapers of the Dark Realm, is "If Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, Mistborn, and Dungeons & Dragons were mixed together into a cake, it would be a Dark Realm cake." That tagline 100% sums up this series (yes, I've already started the second book).
I started and finished this book in 3 days, which is strange for me to do with a 500+ page book. I usually savor my thick, epic fantasies and spread them out over months, because I don't want them to be over, but I couldn't stop reading this. Part of that is owed to the non-stop action and the fact that there was no safe place for me stop reading. If I had left the book alone for too long, the characters might've actually died before I got back and I couldn't risk losing Caelan, Vale, and Kade.
As a big fan of The Witcher, there are several aspects of this book that I believe will appeal to other Witcher fans, the biggest being Disgraced Knight Vale Lox. He has "Geralt-inspired" written all over him, but he is definitely still his own character with his own quirks and backstory. Vale and Caelan have a "Geralt and Dandelion (Jaskier for those who have only seen the show)" type of friendship that had me laughing out loud.
Fans of epic fantasy filled with monster attacks, incredible battle scenes, and a plot that thickens around every curve, will not be disappointed by this book!
Just as with the previous book that I read by this author, The Outlands, cursing is book unique, which means the characters do curse (often) but they use substitute words that only exist in this story world. There's a glossary in the back of the book that made me laugh because it's almost exclusively a "Curse Word Glossary", though there are some other phrases you need to know. The battle scenes are intense and there is non-stop action, however, the descriptions aren't overly gory or horrific. There's no romance plot in this book, unless you count Caelan's love for antagonizing the others, in which case, the book is filled with it.
Other Trigger/Content Notices:
There are several tragic backstories that would require trigger warnings, though they aren’t graphicly described. The major ones include: loss of a child, loss of a spouse, loss of a parent, slavery, dark magic, mass slaughter, and humans being turned into monsters.
You may wonder what flavor of fantasy Shadows of the Dark Realm is. Is it an Arthurian Quest? Portal Fantasy? Monster Hunter? Political Intrigue? You name it, the answer is simply, "Yes".
The tagline of the second book, Reapers of the Dark Realm, is "If Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, Mistborn, and Dungeons & Dragons were mixed together into a cake, it would be a Dark Realm cake." That tagline 100% sums up this series (yes, I've already started the second book).
I started and finished this book in 3 days, which is strange for me to do with a 500+ page book. I usually savor my thick, epic fantasies and spread them out over months, because I don't want them to be over, but I couldn't stop reading this. Part of that is owed to the non-stop action and the fact that there was no safe place for me stop reading. If I had left the book alone for too long, the characters might've actually died before I got back and I couldn't risk losing Caelan, Vale, and Kade.
As a big fan of The Witcher, there are several aspects of this book that I believe will appeal to other Witcher fans, the biggest being Disgraced Knight Vale Lox. He has "Geralt-inspired" written all over him, but he is definitely still his own character with his own quirks and backstory. Vale and Caelan have a "Geralt and Dandelion (Jaskier for those who have only seen the show)" type of friendship that had me laughing out loud.
Fans of epic fantasy filled with monster attacks, incredible battle scenes, and a plot that thickens around every curve, will not be disappointed by this book!
Just as with the previous book that I read by this author, The Outlands, cursing is book unique, which means the characters do curse (often) but they use substitute words that only exist in this story world. There's a glossary in the back of the book that made me laugh because it's almost exclusively a "Curse Word Glossary", though there are some other phrases you need to know. The battle scenes are intense and there is non-stop action, however, the descriptions aren't overly gory or horrific. There's no romance plot in this book, unless you count Caelan's love for antagonizing the others, in which case, the book is filled with it.
Other Trigger/Content Notices:
There are several tragic backstories that would require trigger warnings, though they aren’t graphicly described. The major ones include: loss of a child, loss of a spouse, loss of a parent, slavery, dark magic, mass slaughter, and humans being turned into monsters.
December 18, 2024
4.5 ⭐ Thank you so much to the author for providing me with a review copy of this book!! All thoughts/opinions are my own.
So...I loved this! It's the first time an author has every reached out and gifted me with an arc in exchange for an honest review so I was super excited. However, me and fantasy books have had a love/hate relationship lately and I was a bit skeptical whether a 450 page high fantasy novel would be able to hold my attention. The fact that I was captivated the whole way through is a sure testament to how much I enjoyed it!
I would say that this is high fantasy at its finest. The pacing was spot-on with twists and turns on every page that converged brilliantly into the book's epic climax. The characters were so much fun to read about with the dialogue being on-point! I also really liked their consistency and how each one had remarkable growth that was revealed in a quiet way through their actions as the story built and progressed. This is not an easy thing to do and it was even more impressive to me that the author was able to achieve this affect with such a large cast!
There were a couple times I did get a bit lost because of just how many characters there were in play at certain moments and the world-building as well could get a bit tricky to follow what with the different realms, creatures, types of magic, etc. But that said, it makes me excited to read more from this world as there is still so much to be explored! The made up curse-words did give me a laugh when I first started this book but they definitely grew on me and I appreciate the author wanting to keep the language clean!
Overall, this book was such a nice surprise and the perfect read for over the holidays. There was not a single dull moment and it always left me ready to come back for more. I highly recommend Shadows of the Dark Realm and I am excited to read more from this author in the future! Happy Reading :)
So...I loved this! It's the first time an author has every reached out and gifted me with an arc in exchange for an honest review so I was super excited. However, me and fantasy books have had a love/hate relationship lately and I was a bit skeptical whether a 450 page high fantasy novel would be able to hold my attention. The fact that I was captivated the whole way through is a sure testament to how much I enjoyed it!
I would say that this is high fantasy at its finest. The pacing was spot-on with twists and turns on every page that converged brilliantly into the book's epic climax. The characters were so much fun to read about with the dialogue being on-point! I also really liked their consistency and how each one had remarkable growth that was revealed in a quiet way through their actions as the story built and progressed. This is not an easy thing to do and it was even more impressive to me that the author was able to achieve this affect with such a large cast!
There were a couple times I did get a bit lost because of just how many characters there were in play at certain moments and the world-building as well could get a bit tricky to follow what with the different realms, creatures, types of magic, etc. But that said, it makes me excited to read more from this world as there is still so much to be explored! The made up curse-words did give me a laugh when I first started this book but they definitely grew on me and I appreciate the author wanting to keep the language clean!
Overall, this book was such a nice surprise and the perfect read for over the holidays. There was not a single dull moment and it always left me ready to come back for more. I highly recommend Shadows of the Dark Realm and I am excited to read more from this author in the future! Happy Reading :)
May 27, 2024
Shadows of the Dark Realm
By: Tyler Edwards
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me begin by saying you will not be missing any story building with this book. Edward’s has turned what could be seen as a long and boring (in person) mission into something that will have you wondering what’s going to be happening on the next page. The characters feel realistic. It’s hard to not get sucked into this book and experience everything along side them. The banter between each of the characters is part of what made this book so enjoyable.
By: Tyler Edwards
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let me begin by saying you will not be missing any story building with this book. Edward’s has turned what could be seen as a long and boring (in person) mission into something that will have you wondering what’s going to be happening on the next page. The characters feel realistic. It’s hard to not get sucked into this book and experience everything along side them. The banter between each of the characters is part of what made this book so enjoyable.
January 31, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First, I'm gonna need a certain character to get the death they deserve. I am full of rage and hated this person from the moment they walked on page. I'll accept nothing less than what Kade promised this person.
Now that we've covered that, let's talk about the book.
This book felt like playing an open world video game, which made it interesting and different. I felt like I was going on side quests throughout it. There was always something new happening. It kept the story moving. I do wish it would have spent more time on certain events. When it got to big moments, it felt like they were over very quickly. For the main plot points, I would have loved to be more immersed, but I was still into every little adventure and the crazy things they had to deal with.
There were a couple characters I really liked in this. Kade was top tier. Vale was awesome as well. I had a love-hate relationship with Caelan, but not in a bad way. He made me laugh a lot and pissed me off at other times. When there are this many characters involved, with more being introduced as it goes on, you're bound to care less about some of them, which can be both good and bad. I wanted to like some of them, but I just didn't get enough from them, and I found myself really invested in only a couple of their stories. The book was already pretty long, but I would've read more if I got some more content to help me feel attached to the characters. I'm happy with the ones I did feel connected to, and I'm here for a Vale x Caelan adventure. Unlikely besties. Give me a bromance between them, and I'll be the happiest little clam.
Overall, this was an interesting world. I have a soft spot for high fantasy, and this one had a good blend of different things. I think it goes along with the character attachment point, but I'd love a little more immersion, and I hope we see that in future books. If I don't get a whole book dedicated to Kade, I might cry. He was seriously my favorite, and I'd sacrifice everyone else for him if I had to.
First, I'm gonna need a certain character to get the death they deserve. I am full of rage and hated this person from the moment they walked on page. I'll accept nothing less than what Kade promised this person.
Now that we've covered that, let's talk about the book.
This book felt like playing an open world video game, which made it interesting and different. I felt like I was going on side quests throughout it. There was always something new happening. It kept the story moving. I do wish it would have spent more time on certain events. When it got to big moments, it felt like they were over very quickly. For the main plot points, I would have loved to be more immersed, but I was still into every little adventure and the crazy things they had to deal with.
There were a couple characters I really liked in this. Kade was top tier. Vale was awesome as well. I had a love-hate relationship with Caelan, but not in a bad way. He made me laugh a lot and pissed me off at other times. When there are this many characters involved, with more being introduced as it goes on, you're bound to care less about some of them, which can be both good and bad. I wanted to like some of them, but I just didn't get enough from them, and I found myself really invested in only a couple of their stories. The book was already pretty long, but I would've read more if I got some more content to help me feel attached to the characters. I'm happy with the ones I did feel connected to, and I'm here for a Vale x Caelan adventure. Unlikely besties. Give me a bromance between them, and I'll be the happiest little clam.
Overall, this was an interesting world. I have a soft spot for high fantasy, and this one had a good blend of different things. I think it goes along with the character attachment point, but I'd love a little more immersion, and I hope we see that in future books. If I don't get a whole book dedicated to Kade, I might cry. He was seriously my favorite, and I'd sacrifice everyone else for him if I had to.
January 18, 2024
"By five may your journey thrive. By five may you return alive."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Tyler Edwards is a master at worldbuilding! The world of Parisia in the Great Emerald Mountains was crafted so well it sucks you right in. From chapter one I was completely hooked and wanted to keep reading. The prose is simple, which was nice with all of the magic systems and world building as it did not overwhelm nor did it bore. The banter between all the characters was SO FUN and each character had a complex background, as well as complex development throughout the entire book. At no point did the book feel like it was at a "pause," or that it was slowing down. In fact, I caught myself a few times wanting it to slow down a little to enjoy certain scenes and to "sit" in the moment longer. This book has it all: dragons, sorcery, revenge, love, hope, redemption, and badass action scenes! Seriously, you are not going to want to miss going on this adventure with Vale, Dante, Caelan, Celeste, and Azalea! A must read!
Thank you so much for sending me an advanced copy of this book and inviting me to be a part of the street team! Such fun! *honest review left of my own accord*
*An Elder Dragon has stolen the Darkstone, which has been keeping the Shadow King at bay. Without it, the beautifully peaceful Parisia in the Great Emerald Mountains would cease to exist, and many would die. The king has decided to send out troops of Seekers to find this stone. Unfortunately many have failed in their quest, facing monsters and enemies (both near and far). However, one last group remains: Vale, Dante, Caelan, Celeste, and Azalea. A motley crew who could not be more different, and who have to learn to trust each other despite everything in their pasts, set off on this quest. Can they retrieve the stone before it's too late? Or will they end up fighting each other before then? Find out January 31, 2024!*
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Tyler Edwards is a master at worldbuilding! The world of Parisia in the Great Emerald Mountains was crafted so well it sucks you right in. From chapter one I was completely hooked and wanted to keep reading. The prose is simple, which was nice with all of the magic systems and world building as it did not overwhelm nor did it bore. The banter between all the characters was SO FUN and each character had a complex background, as well as complex development throughout the entire book. At no point did the book feel like it was at a "pause," or that it was slowing down. In fact, I caught myself a few times wanting it to slow down a little to enjoy certain scenes and to "sit" in the moment longer. This book has it all: dragons, sorcery, revenge, love, hope, redemption, and badass action scenes! Seriously, you are not going to want to miss going on this adventure with Vale, Dante, Caelan, Celeste, and Azalea! A must read!
Thank you so much for sending me an advanced copy of this book and inviting me to be a part of the street team! Such fun! *honest review left of my own accord*
*An Elder Dragon has stolen the Darkstone, which has been keeping the Shadow King at bay. Without it, the beautifully peaceful Parisia in the Great Emerald Mountains would cease to exist, and many would die. The king has decided to send out troops of Seekers to find this stone. Unfortunately many have failed in their quest, facing monsters and enemies (both near and far). However, one last group remains: Vale, Dante, Caelan, Celeste, and Azalea. A motley crew who could not be more different, and who have to learn to trust each other despite everything in their pasts, set off on this quest. Can they retrieve the stone before it's too late? Or will they end up fighting each other before then? Find out January 31, 2024!*
March 2, 2025
Vale, oh Vale, how I love thee let me ---
Calean is that you? Oh sir you are sweeter than --
KADE?! Yes please and thank you!
The men in this book are top notch! There is not a single one that I wouldn't give my heart and soul away to without hesitation. The honor, the bravery, the banter, and the personalities are some of the greatest I have ever read!
But even better than the men, are the women. I love Azalea and Sera and needed even more of them. Sera is such a badass and I'd never want to be on her bad side. I loved getting to see her softer side with Rivik and Grom, it gave her character so much more depth! Azalea's smart mouth is my most favorite of the book! I looked forward to every verbal sparring match with Vale and looked forward to their interactions!
If you know anything about me and my reviews, I LIVE for side characters. This book does not disappoint in that area at all but I'll be hard pressed to narrow down my favorite. With that said the author hooked me when he told me there was going to be a talking three headed boar where each head thinks the others have different mothers. As soon as I heard about this I was already sold on the book and could think of nothing else.
The characters are well thought-out and absolutely make the story. With that said, while they may be my favorite part the plot is A M A Z I N G! I love a good quest but I always get way-laid by side tasks and this book scratched that itch so well. I got some Skyrim vibes while reading and kept thinking about how far off course I'd have been if I were in the story! While they never lose sight of the main objective the little side quests truly help us connect with the characters and learn more about their personal histories. The book does an excellent job of showing the reader the information without just telling them all the details. I continued to lose myself in this world and I'm still thinking about it a week or so later! I knew about half-way through that I was going to need to re-read this book!
I had a chance to both read the book and listen to the audiobook and it was such a full body experience! The narrator is the perfect pick! His voice is so melodious and fit the story to a T! The only problem was I loved his voice so much I'd occasionally find I had just lost myself to the rhythm of it and wasn't fully hearing the words. So I'd just back track a little and lose myself again. A more perfect experience could not have been had!
I will recommend this book to anyone who has ears to listen and loves high fantasy. The characters, the side characters (my favorites), the plot, and the world building are all top notch and will such you in from the beginning! This has already become one of my favorites and I cannot wait to jump into the second book!
~ Happy Reading!!
Calean is that you? Oh sir you are sweeter than --
KADE?! Yes please and thank you!
The men in this book are top notch! There is not a single one that I wouldn't give my heart and soul away to without hesitation. The honor, the bravery, the banter, and the personalities are some of the greatest I have ever read!
But even better than the men, are the women. I love Azalea and Sera and needed even more of them. Sera is such a badass and I'd never want to be on her bad side. I loved getting to see her softer side with Rivik and Grom, it gave her character so much more depth! Azalea's smart mouth is my most favorite of the book! I looked forward to every verbal sparring match with Vale and looked forward to their interactions!
If you know anything about me and my reviews, I LIVE for side characters. This book does not disappoint in that area at all but I'll be hard pressed to narrow down my favorite. With that said the author hooked me when he told me there was going to be a talking three headed boar where each head thinks the others have different mothers. As soon as I heard about this I was already sold on the book and could think of nothing else.
The characters are well thought-out and absolutely make the story. With that said, while they may be my favorite part the plot is A M A Z I N G! I love a good quest but I always get way-laid by side tasks and this book scratched that itch so well. I got some Skyrim vibes while reading and kept thinking about how far off course I'd have been if I were in the story! While they never lose sight of the main objective the little side quests truly help us connect with the characters and learn more about their personal histories. The book does an excellent job of showing the reader the information without just telling them all the details. I continued to lose myself in this world and I'm still thinking about it a week or so later! I knew about half-way through that I was going to need to re-read this book!
I had a chance to both read the book and listen to the audiobook and it was such a full body experience! The narrator is the perfect pick! His voice is so melodious and fit the story to a T! The only problem was I loved his voice so much I'd occasionally find I had just lost myself to the rhythm of it and wasn't fully hearing the words. So I'd just back track a little and lose myself again. A more perfect experience could not have been had!
I will recommend this book to anyone who has ears to listen and loves high fantasy. The characters, the side characters (my favorites), the plot, and the world building are all top notch and will such you in from the beginning! This has already become one of my favorites and I cannot wait to jump into the second book!
~ Happy Reading!!
January 12, 2024
Children are disappearing from villages. Vale Lox, a disgraced knight, investigates and kills a creature called a swapling. He discovers a connection to the Regilum, a fanatical religious group that worships the royal family and has ties to the missing children.
“My king, without the Darkstone, we are vulnerable. Our mages are working to hold the veil in place, but they won’t be able to sustain it. If we don’t get that Stone back, the veil will fall, and the gates to the Dark Realm will re-open, ushering in the “Days of Doom.”
“Alistar put his hand on Dante’s shoulder. “Taking up a king’s quest is a great honor.” Dante shook his head. “Honor is the currency of fools. I care not.” “Of course, you don’t. You care only about your books.” “Make it sound cold if you want. Knowledge is our future. It is our hope and our deliverance.”
If you're searching for an epic fantasy read that will keep you engaged from start to finish, you’ll want to join Vale, Dante, Caelan, Celeste, and Azalea on a journey to prevent the Shadow Lord, Ruler of the Dark Realm, from escaping and plunging Parisia into chaos and ushering in the “Days of Doom.” The characters are relatable and show growth throughout the story, keeping me invested and rooting for them.
Although it has been done before, the storyline feels unique and fresh. The world-building is vivid, and the description of Parisia in the Great Emerald Mountains is one of the most impressive aspects of Edwards' novel. It’s creative and richly crafted, drawing me in from the very first chapter.
One of the highlights I found is that the author’s use of what I thought were made-up words; for instance, “swapling,” is a real word— I looked it up myself.
Despite the snarky and unlikely characters, the quest promises lots of action with kingdoms, dragons, and sorcery.
If you're a fan of the epic fantasy genre, Shadows of the Dark Realm by Tyler Edwards is a must-read.
It was my pleasure to receive a copy of this book, but that does not in any way affect my opinions in this review of this entertaining story.
“My king, without the Darkstone, we are vulnerable. Our mages are working to hold the veil in place, but they won’t be able to sustain it. If we don’t get that Stone back, the veil will fall, and the gates to the Dark Realm will re-open, ushering in the “Days of Doom.”
“Alistar put his hand on Dante’s shoulder. “Taking up a king’s quest is a great honor.” Dante shook his head. “Honor is the currency of fools. I care not.” “Of course, you don’t. You care only about your books.” “Make it sound cold if you want. Knowledge is our future. It is our hope and our deliverance.”
If you're searching for an epic fantasy read that will keep you engaged from start to finish, you’ll want to join Vale, Dante, Caelan, Celeste, and Azalea on a journey to prevent the Shadow Lord, Ruler of the Dark Realm, from escaping and plunging Parisia into chaos and ushering in the “Days of Doom.” The characters are relatable and show growth throughout the story, keeping me invested and rooting for them.
Although it has been done before, the storyline feels unique and fresh. The world-building is vivid, and the description of Parisia in the Great Emerald Mountains is one of the most impressive aspects of Edwards' novel. It’s creative and richly crafted, drawing me in from the very first chapter.
One of the highlights I found is that the author’s use of what I thought were made-up words; for instance, “swapling,” is a real word— I looked it up myself.
Despite the snarky and unlikely characters, the quest promises lots of action with kingdoms, dragons, and sorcery.
If you're a fan of the epic fantasy genre, Shadows of the Dark Realm by Tyler Edwards is a must-read.
It was my pleasure to receive a copy of this book, but that does not in any way affect my opinions in this review of this entertaining story.
January 31, 2024
I received Shadow of the Dark Realm in return for an honest review from the author.
I loved Vale as a character but there are so many amazing characters that have been added to the story it's really hard to pick my favorite. If I had to choose I think it's a toss up between Vale or Azalea as I felt like I was really able to connect with them both. However, along the way we meet a rag tag group of characters and some of them pulled at my heart strings along the way and will forever has a place in my heart.
I'm not a huge epic fantasy reader but I do enjoy them here and there so when the opportunity came up I just knew I needed to read Shadows of the Dark Realm. I mean look at the cover!!! If that doesn't make you curious than I don't know what will. I was hooked before I ever read the synopsis and just knew this one was a must for me and I'm so glad that I did because I loved every moment of it.
This is my first book by the author and I'm obsessed with his writing style. Shadows of the Dark Realm is a epic whirlwind fantasy adventure that captured my heart and sparked my imagination. The characters are easy to connect with very engaging you can't help loving them all. I felt like I was reading a DnD adventure which I love immensely as a player it sang to my soul.
Highly recommend if you enjoy epic fantasy this a must the author blew my expectations out of the water. I devoured Shadows of the Dark Realm in just a couple quick reading sessions it was hard to put down because I had to know what was going to happen to our hero's. I just loved everything about it the characters are fantastic and the story is unique I couldn't put it down.
I loved Vale as a character but there are so many amazing characters that have been added to the story it's really hard to pick my favorite. If I had to choose I think it's a toss up between Vale or Azalea as I felt like I was really able to connect with them both. However, along the way we meet a rag tag group of characters and some of them pulled at my heart strings along the way and will forever has a place in my heart.
I'm not a huge epic fantasy reader but I do enjoy them here and there so when the opportunity came up I just knew I needed to read Shadows of the Dark Realm. I mean look at the cover!!! If that doesn't make you curious than I don't know what will. I was hooked before I ever read the synopsis and just knew this one was a must for me and I'm so glad that I did because I loved every moment of it.
This is my first book by the author and I'm obsessed with his writing style. Shadows of the Dark Realm is a epic whirlwind fantasy adventure that captured my heart and sparked my imagination. The characters are easy to connect with very engaging you can't help loving them all. I felt like I was reading a DnD adventure which I love immensely as a player it sang to my soul.
Highly recommend if you enjoy epic fantasy this a must the author blew my expectations out of the water. I devoured Shadows of the Dark Realm in just a couple quick reading sessions it was hard to put down because I had to know what was going to happen to our hero's. I just loved everything about it the characters are fantastic and the story is unique I couldn't put it down.
July 11, 2024
This was such an incredible read. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that has evoked so many feelings in me. I laughed, I almost cried, I was shocked, I felt betrayed…there were so many emotions that I went through when reading this.
The journey in this book was amazing. All the characters were so well written and the story took me on an adventure that had me gripping the edge of my seat the whole time. Edwards does an awesome job at painting vivid pictures throughout the whole book that you can’t help but feel like you are right there with the whole crew. The book was far from predictable as well. I came up with theories upon theories only to get them smashed to pieces within the next few pages.
And the characters! They were all SO courageous and funny—the banter between them was hilarious and I couldn’t help but fall in love with each one of them. Of course there were the characters that served as villains, but even those were fun to hate. Grom and Rivik have my heart forever 🥹
Don’t even get me STARTED on the performance of Sam Legg, the audiobook narrator. It felt like he was made to tell this story and the energy that he brought into this made the book that much more entertaining and special.
If you’re into fantastical creatures along with epic journeys and the found family trope, I highly recommend you give this book a try. You will not regret it. You might find yourself reading one of your favorite books of all time. 10 outta 10 would reread again.
The journey in this book was amazing. All the characters were so well written and the story took me on an adventure that had me gripping the edge of my seat the whole time. Edwards does an awesome job at painting vivid pictures throughout the whole book that you can’t help but feel like you are right there with the whole crew. The book was far from predictable as well. I came up with theories upon theories only to get them smashed to pieces within the next few pages.
And the characters! They were all SO courageous and funny—the banter between them was hilarious and I couldn’t help but fall in love with each one of them. Of course there were the characters that served as villains, but even those were fun to hate. Grom and Rivik have my heart forever 🥹
Don’t even get me STARTED on the performance of Sam Legg, the audiobook narrator. It felt like he was made to tell this story and the energy that he brought into this made the book that much more entertaining and special.
If you’re into fantastical creatures along with epic journeys and the found family trope, I highly recommend you give this book a try. You will not regret it. You might find yourself reading one of your favorite books of all time. 10 outta 10 would reread again.
January 10, 2024
My rating is actually 4.5 ⭐️!
I received this book as an ARC copy from the author, but this review is my honest opinion.
Reading this book was truly an adventure. This book had pretty much everything you could want in a fantasy. There were witches, trolls, different realms, magic, dragons, elves, plenty of action, betrayal, etc. I loved being able to read about all of the obstacles that the group faced, the people they met along the way, and how they all worked together.
I loved getting to know all of the characters and their backstories. It really helped to connect with them and who they are. By far Caelan, Kade, and Grom were my favorites throughout the book. Owen and Varric also have a very special place in my heart because their story was so sad (justice for Owen). The author portrayed Celeste a little too well because I absolutely hated her and the spoiled brat that she was. She was such an insufferable person, but good job to Tyler for inciting that hatred in me.
I will say that it took me a little bit to get into at first, as it usually does when I read fantasy, but it was so worth it in the end. I did get a little confused at times because there was so much action going on and it switched perspectives between the groups so it took me a minute to regroup and realize who I was reading about, but it was SOOO GOOD. I’m definitely a fantasy reader that loves action scenes in books, and this was full of them. Bonus points for the fact that it all worked together and didn’t just seem like some random battle of the fittest.
The end of the book somewhat caught me off guard, which I also loved. I was sitting there trying to wrap my mind around the true colors of some of the characters because I knew something was off, but I wasn’t expecting the actual reason as to why. I did appreciate the closure at the end of the story, so we aren’t left wondering what happened after the big adventure.
All in all, I most definitely recommend this book. It was such a fun, action packed read with some amazing characters with interesting back stories. Honorable mention for the fact that it is also a CLEAN story!! There are no real curse words throughout the book, and the made up ones are kind of funny.
I received this book as an ARC copy from the author, but this review is my honest opinion.
Reading this book was truly an adventure. This book had pretty much everything you could want in a fantasy. There were witches, trolls, different realms, magic, dragons, elves, plenty of action, betrayal, etc. I loved being able to read about all of the obstacles that the group faced, the people they met along the way, and how they all worked together.
I loved getting to know all of the characters and their backstories. It really helped to connect with them and who they are. By far Caelan, Kade, and Grom were my favorites throughout the book. Owen and Varric also have a very special place in my heart because their story was so sad (justice for Owen). The author portrayed Celeste a little too well because I absolutely hated her and the spoiled brat that she was. She was such an insufferable person, but good job to Tyler for inciting that hatred in me.
I will say that it took me a little bit to get into at first, as it usually does when I read fantasy, but it was so worth it in the end. I did get a little confused at times because there was so much action going on and it switched perspectives between the groups so it took me a minute to regroup and realize who I was reading about, but it was SOOO GOOD. I’m definitely a fantasy reader that loves action scenes in books, and this was full of them. Bonus points for the fact that it all worked together and didn’t just seem like some random battle of the fittest.
The end of the book somewhat caught me off guard, which I also loved. I was sitting there trying to wrap my mind around the true colors of some of the characters because I knew something was off, but I wasn’t expecting the actual reason as to why. I did appreciate the closure at the end of the story, so we aren’t left wondering what happened after the big adventure.
All in all, I most definitely recommend this book. It was such a fun, action packed read with some amazing characters with interesting back stories. Honorable mention for the fact that it is also a CLEAN story!! There are no real curse words throughout the book, and the made up ones are kind of funny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2024
"Pressure is life's way of removing the masks people wear"
Great quote from a great book (and makes a lot of sense in the story!). I had shown interest in reviewing the audiobook for this story so thank you to the author for allowing me to do so. I also got the ebook to read along (audiobook definitely helped with name pronunciation).
This is a fantasy book with no swearing, made up swear words are used and it's easy to tell what word they are replacing lol. There are many characters so some may struggle to begin with but having read the Game of Thrones books I don't shy away from lots of characters.
The mission itself could be considered a but dull in real life but the author manages to keep it exciting with lots of twists and turns that leave you questioning who you can trust. There were definitely characters I liked more than others but that is the way the author intended it so I am intrigued where things will go for some of them.
I enjoyed the book being a purely fantasy book and not a live story with a hint of fantasy. I like romantasy too but sometimes I just feel like the adventure 😊
Having played games like Dungeons and Dragons I enjoyed the use of different classes and races so you could almost imagine yourself "playing" along as you read. (Could be a side project for the author to consider? A D&D type campaign based on Shadows of the Dark Realm 😊)
I really enjoyed this book and am definitely keen to read (or listen to) the next book ❤️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great quote from a great book (and makes a lot of sense in the story!). I had shown interest in reviewing the audiobook for this story so thank you to the author for allowing me to do so. I also got the ebook to read along (audiobook definitely helped with name pronunciation).
This is a fantasy book with no swearing, made up swear words are used and it's easy to tell what word they are replacing lol. There are many characters so some may struggle to begin with but having read the Game of Thrones books I don't shy away from lots of characters.
The mission itself could be considered a but dull in real life but the author manages to keep it exciting with lots of twists and turns that leave you questioning who you can trust. There were definitely characters I liked more than others but that is the way the author intended it so I am intrigued where things will go for some of them.
I enjoyed the book being a purely fantasy book and not a live story with a hint of fantasy. I like romantasy too but sometimes I just feel like the adventure 😊
Having played games like Dungeons and Dragons I enjoyed the use of different classes and races so you could almost imagine yourself "playing" along as you read. (Could be a side project for the author to consider? A D&D type campaign based on Shadows of the Dark Realm 😊)
I really enjoyed this book and am definitely keen to read (or listen to) the next book ❤️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 21, 2024
I was so happy to receive this arc ♡ This is a high fantasy, exhilarating story that grasp my heart
To begin, it is a 3.5 ⭐️ for me but I am giving a 4 only because I loved how funny it was at times, I had a very hard time getting through this book, but it was very interesting at the beginning. I am not at all a fantasy without romance person but I did enjoy the cute little scenes put into here. Though this is was a high fantasy novel, it was more action and story based rather than world building, which I could appreciate.
Things I loved:
• Vale (grumpy man)
• DRAGONS!!!
• Dante, he was quite odd but he was such a great character
• Caelan was a child half the book but he was funny
Things I disliked:
• The word “Ralk” it didn’t make sense to me until I realized they were cussing…..
• I got lost in so many parts of the book and so many characters showed up it was hard to keep track
• Celeste, nothing else is needed to be said
• The way they spoke it was so modern, I didn’t feel as if I was in their age in time
Overall, this book did take me on such an adventure with many monsters and the gruesome experience of fighting! I loved the magic! Thank you for allowing me to be an arc reader ♡
To begin, it is a 3.5 ⭐️ for me but I am giving a 4 only because I loved how funny it was at times, I had a very hard time getting through this book, but it was very interesting at the beginning. I am not at all a fantasy without romance person but I did enjoy the cute little scenes put into here. Though this is was a high fantasy novel, it was more action and story based rather than world building, which I could appreciate.
Things I loved:
• Vale (grumpy man)
• DRAGONS!!!
• Dante, he was quite odd but he was such a great character
• Caelan was a child half the book but he was funny
Things I disliked:
• The word “Ralk” it didn’t make sense to me until I realized they were cussing…..
• I got lost in so many parts of the book and so many characters showed up it was hard to keep track
• Celeste, nothing else is needed to be said
• The way they spoke it was so modern, I didn’t feel as if I was in their age in time
Overall, this book did take me on such an adventure with many monsters and the gruesome experience of fighting! I loved the magic! Thank you for allowing me to be an arc reader ♡
January 15, 2024
Such a great fantasy book!! If it wasn’t for sick household, I would have finished sooner!! It had a great pace throughout the book and great world building. I was hooked right away.
Filled with great adventure, magic, dragons, sword fighting. Some lovable chapters and a few I couldn’t stand. Especially after a few certain events. -cough cough- This book definitely gave me so many emotions. I laughed, I cried and got angry. Love when books make you feel these emotions.
My favorite characters are Owen, Vale, Caelan and Azalea. Owen because of his dedication to make things right and how he can get almost everyone to love him. Vale is so bada$$ and had me rooting for him from the beginning. I love the banter between vale and Caelan.
First time reading a book from this author and I can definitely say I can’t wait to read more!!
Filled with great adventure, magic, dragons, sword fighting. Some lovable chapters and a few I couldn’t stand. Especially after a few certain events. -cough cough- This book definitely gave me so many emotions. I laughed, I cried and got angry. Love when books make you feel these emotions.
My favorite characters are Owen, Vale, Caelan and Azalea. Owen because of his dedication to make things right and how he can get almost everyone to love him. Vale is so bada$$ and had me rooting for him from the beginning. I love the banter between vale and Caelan.
First time reading a book from this author and I can definitely say I can’t wait to read more!!
January 5, 2024
There are a lot of elements in this book that are out of my normal comfort zone and not what I’d normally read at all. The cover is just gorgeous though and for some reason the synopsis did really pull me in.
Fantasy adventure with our unlikely hero’s and even more unlikely friends, a really ragtag group of different people that was interesting to see how their friendships developed.
Really nicely formatted and well made, cool fonts, chapter art, titles and quotes. It all feels very polished and tidy.
Some dialogue is a little stiff, but the sarcasm from Azalea and Caelan is top tier, those two are by far my favourite characters.
Often repetitive and over direct in explaining basic elements of the world, background or characters. Still, a really nice fantasy tone to it, lots of very intriguing parts to the story that have you hooked. Well written and great action sequences, some characters were likeable and others really not so much. Absolutely loved the banter between them as well.
A refreshing read that focused much more on the quest and fantasy rather than building a rich world or focusing on romance / characters emotions.
I really liked Celeste at first but she ended up honestly so annoying and downright evil, not what I expected of her at all. I really thought she would be the opposite of what she seemed and the others expected.
I was surprised by a lot of the twists and turns and betrayals throughout, didn’t see anything coming at all.
An interesting book, full of challenges and riddles, a little like Lord of the rings or Labyrinth, especially with the ‘one door tells truth one tells lies’ scene. Lots of cool creatures as well, both as friends and enemies to fight; Phoenix, dragons, horrid monster spider and of course my fav~ Grom.
The characters don’t really feel quite fully developed, nor is there great world building or scene descriptions- but that definitely isn’t the focus of the book anyway.
Although it’s definitely not my kind of book, I still liked it and can imagine people in this genre enjoying it a lot more.
"In death, there is life. In life, there is death. Focus only on one and you will be lost in despair. You think the scales of your life are weighed toward death because death is all around you. In truth, the scales lean heavily toward life.”
*** I was sent this as an ARC and my feedback is my own opinions
Fantasy adventure with our unlikely hero’s and even more unlikely friends, a really ragtag group of different people that was interesting to see how their friendships developed.
Really nicely formatted and well made, cool fonts, chapter art, titles and quotes. It all feels very polished and tidy.
Some dialogue is a little stiff, but the sarcasm from Azalea and Caelan is top tier, those two are by far my favourite characters.
Often repetitive and over direct in explaining basic elements of the world, background or characters. Still, a really nice fantasy tone to it, lots of very intriguing parts to the story that have you hooked. Well written and great action sequences, some characters were likeable and others really not so much. Absolutely loved the banter between them as well.
A refreshing read that focused much more on the quest and fantasy rather than building a rich world or focusing on romance / characters emotions.
I really liked Celeste at first but she ended up honestly so annoying and downright evil, not what I expected of her at all. I really thought she would be the opposite of what she seemed and the others expected.
I was surprised by a lot of the twists and turns and betrayals throughout, didn’t see anything coming at all.
An interesting book, full of challenges and riddles, a little like Lord of the rings or Labyrinth, especially with the ‘one door tells truth one tells lies’ scene. Lots of cool creatures as well, both as friends and enemies to fight; Phoenix, dragons, horrid monster spider and of course my fav~ Grom.
The characters don’t really feel quite fully developed, nor is there great world building or scene descriptions- but that definitely isn’t the focus of the book anyway.
Although it’s definitely not my kind of book, I still liked it and can imagine people in this genre enjoying it a lot more.
"In death, there is life. In life, there is death. Focus only on one and you will be lost in despair. You think the scales of your life are weighed toward death because death is all around you. In truth, the scales lean heavily toward life.”
*** I was sent this as an ARC and my feedback is my own opinions
January 17, 2024
My Thoughts:
We start in Parisia and meet the characters who are tasked with a job to save the realm . The characters were a unlikable bunch to get the job done but they were all they had.
Each character was unique they seemed very different then each other but at the same time they were perfect for each other.
The author did a great job describing everything from The Realm and the Characters
Also all the action it’s like your there. The action starts from the start and throughout.
This book has everything you want in a Fantasy witches, dragons,magic and much more. It’s a long book but worth it.
We start in Parisia and meet the characters who are tasked with a job to save the realm . The characters were a unlikable bunch to get the job done but they were all they had.
Each character was unique they seemed very different then each other but at the same time they were perfect for each other.
The author did a great job describing everything from The Realm and the Characters
Also all the action it’s like your there. The action starts from the start and throughout.
This book has everything you want in a Fantasy witches, dragons,magic and much more. It’s a long book but worth it.
January 25, 2024
I got the amazing opportunity to arc read this. The original appeal to even reading it? Dragons. But that's not why I stayed.
This book delivered me easily, one of the easiest worlds to picture and understand. With fantasy, it can get so admittedly boring to read the beginning because it's always clogged up with world building. What this author did was unique and intriguing. He gave you the action right away and built his world around the plot. For anyone who may want to try fantasy but gets bored too death with the details of world building, this is the perfect book for you.
While, found family was not listed as a trope. It is there with some rather unique characters. And the plot twists he throws at you will absolutely floor you. These characters have such tragic backstories and all could easily relate to each other but would it make for a good story if you went a journey with 5 complete strangers and not have mistrust, doubts and even moments of hostility? Absolutely not. The character development is amazing and yet keeps you on your toes just enough where you question if it's safe to love this character or not. I am looking forward to seeing where book 2 takes me.
This book delivered me easily, one of the easiest worlds to picture and understand. With fantasy, it can get so admittedly boring to read the beginning because it's always clogged up with world building. What this author did was unique and intriguing. He gave you the action right away and built his world around the plot. For anyone who may want to try fantasy but gets bored too death with the details of world building, this is the perfect book for you.
While, found family was not listed as a trope. It is there with some rather unique characters. And the plot twists he throws at you will absolutely floor you. These characters have such tragic backstories and all could easily relate to each other but would it make for a good story if you went a journey with 5 complete strangers and not have mistrust, doubts and even moments of hostility? Absolutely not. The character development is amazing and yet keeps you on your toes just enough where you question if it's safe to love this character or not. I am looking forward to seeing where book 2 takes me.
February 3, 2024
Great quest, adventure fantasy book with a lot of action throughout!
I would recommend this to others ✨️
I would recommend this to others ✨️
July 1, 2024
Reading is an escape for most of us from our day to day life. Fantasy creates an entire new world that you get to escape to. Something magical. Something mythical. A different realm 🐉✨🧌
Tyler’s creative way of layering the world building, introducing characters, inserting action and plot throughout this entire book was absolutely seamless.
The strategic approach of keeping the reader engaged & eager to get to the next page was executed and delivered!
The banter between the characters really helped this book come to life for me. The riddles, the jokes, the sarcasm, all of it made this book such a FUN & entertaining read! There were multiple moments where I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book - THAT is good writing ladies and gents. The imagery with details were *chef’s kiss*
I yelled at the characters, cried, laughed all the things. If you need a book that is going to take you on a quest & FEEL something. I highly recommend you experience this ONE!
My heart belongs to a troll 🧌 his name is Grom. 🥲 If yall decide to read this book. Please come back and share all your thoughts with me. I wish I could read it for the first time again.
I am anxiously waiting for book two & cannot wait to go on that quest!
I’m so grateful for the connections I’ve been able to make on Bookstagram. Not only did I read an amazing book, but I also gained an amazing friend. 🐉🥲✨🖤
Tyler’s creative way of layering the world building, introducing characters, inserting action and plot throughout this entire book was absolutely seamless.
The strategic approach of keeping the reader engaged & eager to get to the next page was executed and delivered!
The banter between the characters really helped this book come to life for me. The riddles, the jokes, the sarcasm, all of it made this book such a FUN & entertaining read! There were multiple moments where I felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book - THAT is good writing ladies and gents. The imagery with details were *chef’s kiss*
I yelled at the characters, cried, laughed all the things. If you need a book that is going to take you on a quest & FEEL something. I highly recommend you experience this ONE!
My heart belongs to a troll 🧌 his name is Grom. 🥲 If yall decide to read this book. Please come back and share all your thoughts with me. I wish I could read it for the first time again.
I am anxiously waiting for book two & cannot wait to go on that quest!
I’m so grateful for the connections I’ve been able to make on Bookstagram. Not only did I read an amazing book, but I also gained an amazing friend. 🐉🥲✨🖤
August 27, 2024
4.5/5 stars
“Shadows of the Dark Realm” by Tyler Edwards is a thrilling tale that takes readers on an exciting journey from beginning to end. This book is perfect for those who love fantasy but hate the laborious world-building common in the genre. The author skillfully wove the world-building into the story, making it easy to follow.
Overview:
The story follows a group of misfits and outcasts who band together to save the kingdom of Parisia from the shadow king. The Seekers travel far and wide in search of the dark stone, encountering hostile lands, dragons, and people. Will they work together or betray one another? Will they betray their kingdoms, or will everything they know fall apart?
Review:
The story was packed with action and was thoroughly engaging. The author's attention to character development was evident, as some characters were easy to love, while others were easy to hate. The book was filled with fights, dragons, and magic, making it an enjoyable read that will be remembered as one of my favorites.
My only critique was that I felt that some of the chapters could have used a little more downtime and filler. In my opinion, there was too much action at times. Nonetheless, this did not detract from the overall quality of the book.
I want to thank the author for providing me with an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. I truly enjoyed reading it and recommend it to anyone looking for an action-packed fantasy adventure.
“Shadows of the Dark Realm” by Tyler Edwards is a thrilling tale that takes readers on an exciting journey from beginning to end. This book is perfect for those who love fantasy but hate the laborious world-building common in the genre. The author skillfully wove the world-building into the story, making it easy to follow.
Overview:
The story follows a group of misfits and outcasts who band together to save the kingdom of Parisia from the shadow king. The Seekers travel far and wide in search of the dark stone, encountering hostile lands, dragons, and people. Will they work together or betray one another? Will they betray their kingdoms, or will everything they know fall apart?
Review:
The story was packed with action and was thoroughly engaging. The author's attention to character development was evident, as some characters were easy to love, while others were easy to hate. The book was filled with fights, dragons, and magic, making it an enjoyable read that will be remembered as one of my favorites.
My only critique was that I felt that some of the chapters could have used a little more downtime and filler. In my opinion, there was too much action at times. Nonetheless, this did not detract from the overall quality of the book.
I want to thank the author for providing me with an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. I truly enjoyed reading it and recommend it to anyone looking for an action-packed fantasy adventure.
November 29, 2023
I was very kindly sent an ARC of this book by the author (thank you SO much!) and am more than happy to leave a review.
The book has a solid frame upon which the story is set, but some things are a little bit wobbly and - this is purely my own opinion - could do with some adjustments. Let's talk shop!
Plot: reasonably straightforward, priceless magical object gets stolen, a group of misfits assembles by order of the king to go get it, and proverbial chaos ensues. We've all seen the trope before and, honestly, it's done well here, with one or two twists that you won't really see coming and will add to overall enjoyment and entertainment. There are minor kinks where it feels more like loose ends to tighten during edits but, nothing massive.
Main characters: we have a handful and each of them surprises you along the way. Equally, each has some form of character progression, whether in good or bad way. There's the obligatory knight or Aragorn-figure, the thief/handyman, the spoiled royal, the wise magician, and the witch; each brings something to the story.
My personal favourite is Vale and, I'll admit, I wanted to mewl at the halfway point LOL. But he's the type of character I'm drawn to and, to boot, he's stuck with Caelan the thief! They deserve their own short story collection of their misadventures 🤣.
Side characters: neatly fleshed out and you'll miss them when ways are parted. Rivik, Sera ans Kade are my most memorable, and I honestly feel they could hold their own in a story about them.
Romance: actually does not exist other than between two side characters. It's intriguing! But not detrimental to the flow of the story.
Magic: this is where it gets tricky. There's a lot of stuff to take in within a very short span of pages, and a lot isn't always explained but, it never goes into incomprehensible or weird. So, good enough.
Worldbuilding: thought went into this, along with actual words of the language these people speak. It feels like a blend of LOTR and GoT, but also kind of WoT if you know what I mean. I feel we only scratched the surface.
Overall: it's a bit of a slower start but picks up once the Seekers leave for their quest. The pacing is a little off at times, slowing when not needed or speeding through where it could be slower. Additionally, there's quite a lot of modern talk in this, like OK, yeah, and so on, which is confusing for the reader as this is clearly meant to be a medieval fantasy-based thing.
I'll admit that there are parts where it felt like this was written more for a school-type thing rather than an epic story. But I never once wanted to give up, interested just enough to keep on going. So I'd say this is absolutely worth the shot, and hopefully we get to see more of our motley crew after THAT ending!
What ending, you ask? The one you'll just have to read to find out.
It IS worth reading. And I'm sure, if there's a second book, it'll be even more engrossing than the first.
The book has a solid frame upon which the story is set, but some things are a little bit wobbly and - this is purely my own opinion - could do with some adjustments. Let's talk shop!
Plot: reasonably straightforward, priceless magical object gets stolen, a group of misfits assembles by order of the king to go get it, and proverbial chaos ensues. We've all seen the trope before and, honestly, it's done well here, with one or two twists that you won't really see coming and will add to overall enjoyment and entertainment. There are minor kinks where it feels more like loose ends to tighten during edits but, nothing massive.
Main characters: we have a handful and each of them surprises you along the way. Equally, each has some form of character progression, whether in good or bad way. There's the obligatory knight or Aragorn-figure, the thief/handyman, the spoiled royal, the wise magician, and the witch; each brings something to the story.
My personal favourite is Vale and, I'll admit, I wanted to mewl at the halfway point LOL. But he's the type of character I'm drawn to and, to boot, he's stuck with Caelan the thief! They deserve their own short story collection of their misadventures 🤣.
Side characters: neatly fleshed out and you'll miss them when ways are parted. Rivik, Sera ans Kade are my most memorable, and I honestly feel they could hold their own in a story about them.
Romance: actually does not exist other than between two side characters. It's intriguing! But not detrimental to the flow of the story.
Magic: this is where it gets tricky. There's a lot of stuff to take in within a very short span of pages, and a lot isn't always explained but, it never goes into incomprehensible or weird. So, good enough.
Worldbuilding: thought went into this, along with actual words of the language these people speak. It feels like a blend of LOTR and GoT, but also kind of WoT if you know what I mean. I feel we only scratched the surface.
Overall: it's a bit of a slower start but picks up once the Seekers leave for their quest. The pacing is a little off at times, slowing when not needed or speeding through where it could be slower. Additionally, there's quite a lot of modern talk in this, like OK, yeah, and so on, which is confusing for the reader as this is clearly meant to be a medieval fantasy-based thing.
I'll admit that there are parts where it felt like this was written more for a school-type thing rather than an epic story. But I never once wanted to give up, interested just enough to keep on going. So I'd say this is absolutely worth the shot, and hopefully we get to see more of our motley crew after THAT ending!
What ending, you ask? The one you'll just have to read to find out.
It IS worth reading. And I'm sure, if there's a second book, it'll be even more engrossing than the first.
February 6, 2024
I haven't read a good high fantasy for some time. I'm so grateful Tyler reached out on IG to have me as an ARC reader.
The kingdom of Parisia has its foundations rocked when the precious Dark Stone is stolen by a dragon. It is said that whoever possesses the stone has their deepest wishes fulfilled. As Parisia has flourished with abundance for so long, without the stone, their kingdom will slowly come crashing down. The Dark Stone holds the history between the mortal, spirit and dark realms. A royal mortal leader sacrificing himself to contain the dark realm leader to prevent darkness spreading back in the day. The Parisian king orders for people to go out in groups to retrieve the Dark Stone back. The unlikeliest of five gather to change not only their fate, but that of the kingdom.
What a read! If you love adventure, action, friendship, betrayal, hope, myth, lore, mystical creatures, magic and found family, then this book is for you!
Although the premise may sound like something you've read before, I must say the delivery of this is what got me engaged and turning the pages fast to learn what was going to happen next.
There was always some form of challenge in every step of the way. The five main characters had to put aside differences to overcome everything they were presented with. Also each person had something to hide and their own reasons for wanting to retrieve the Dark Stone.
I loved how the characters came together and as we read on, each of their strengths and weaknesses were uncovered. My favourite was Caelen because I was always laughing at his sarcasm. Despite each character having somewhat of a disgraced background or element in their story, they all had hope. A lot of the time, they had to realise the larger picture of what would happen to Parisia.
Definitely loved the side quests and the people met along the way. There were many a time I thought they were sure to be unalived, but their strategies and smart thinking got them out of some very trying situations. I also loved the deception on more than one occasion in the book. Some actions more obvious than others.
I could go on about all the things I loved about the read but it's better you read for yourself and it'd go into spoiler territory. This is definitely better than some of the mainstream fantasy reads out there.
The kingdom of Parisia has its foundations rocked when the precious Dark Stone is stolen by a dragon. It is said that whoever possesses the stone has their deepest wishes fulfilled. As Parisia has flourished with abundance for so long, without the stone, their kingdom will slowly come crashing down. The Dark Stone holds the history between the mortal, spirit and dark realms. A royal mortal leader sacrificing himself to contain the dark realm leader to prevent darkness spreading back in the day. The Parisian king orders for people to go out in groups to retrieve the Dark Stone back. The unlikeliest of five gather to change not only their fate, but that of the kingdom.
What a read! If you love adventure, action, friendship, betrayal, hope, myth, lore, mystical creatures, magic and found family, then this book is for you!
Although the premise may sound like something you've read before, I must say the delivery of this is what got me engaged and turning the pages fast to learn what was going to happen next.
There was always some form of challenge in every step of the way. The five main characters had to put aside differences to overcome everything they were presented with. Also each person had something to hide and their own reasons for wanting to retrieve the Dark Stone.
I loved how the characters came together and as we read on, each of their strengths and weaknesses were uncovered. My favourite was Caelen because I was always laughing at his sarcasm. Despite each character having somewhat of a disgraced background or element in their story, they all had hope. A lot of the time, they had to realise the larger picture of what would happen to Parisia.
Definitely loved the side quests and the people met along the way. There were many a time I thought they were sure to be unalived, but their strategies and smart thinking got them out of some very trying situations. I also loved the deception on more than one occasion in the book. Some actions more obvious than others.
I could go on about all the things I loved about the read but it's better you read for yourself and it'd go into spoiler territory. This is definitely better than some of the mainstream fantasy reads out there.
January 6, 2024
The fate of a kingdom, and realm, is in the hands of an unlikely group seeking, at the behest of the king, to retrieve an artifact stolen by a dragon that has ensured the kingdom’s secure and peaceful existence in Shadows of the Dark Realm by Tyler Edwards.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
The kingdom of Parisia has provided a peaceful and prosperous life for those within it for many years, but the continuance of that life has been threatened by an elder dragon stealing the magical Darkstone that’s helped to make it possible by keeping dark threats at bay. Needing for the Darkstone to be returned, the king of Parisia calls upon his citizens to form groups of Seekers to venture forth and retrieve the Darkstone; leading the king’s favored Seeker team is a disgraced knight, Vale, and an emotionless wizard, Dante, who are joined by the king’s sheltered niece Celeste, a shapeshifting witch, Azalea, and an archer thief, Caelan. The team of five journey forth on their mission to save the realm and become engaged in fights along the way with a variety of groups and creatures, all of which slowly reveals to the steadily growing group traveling with the Seekers the larger manipulations at play and their respective roles within those plans. As conflicts arise both around and within the group they continue to pursue the stone’s retrieval, despite their personal grievances, to prevent greater dangers from being unleashed before it’s too late.
In a narrative that progresses swiftly between scenes of high-energy action and detailed depictions of and conversations about the complexities and backstories of the core group of characters that illuminates their motivations and personalities, a vast world that incorporates a wide array of fantasy elements and creatures is presented as the world-ending stakes are established and combatted. Through the entertaining interpersonal dynamics between the characters each were identifiably distinct in how they expressed themselves and they helpfully exhibited traits in alignment with their archetype role within the broader group. The scope of the story is both familiar with a collective battling against evils, known and obscured, and ambitious with a dedicated language (primarily for swearing), numerous realms, and the ominous, dark beings rarely encountered and kept at bay through magic; while much is well-explained there is opportunity to explore different facets of the realms and the entities therein in greater detail to more thoroughly address questions that remain, which offers an opening for continued adventures within this world and with these characters.
*I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
The kingdom of Parisia has provided a peaceful and prosperous life for those within it for many years, but the continuance of that life has been threatened by an elder dragon stealing the magical Darkstone that’s helped to make it possible by keeping dark threats at bay. Needing for the Darkstone to be returned, the king of Parisia calls upon his citizens to form groups of Seekers to venture forth and retrieve the Darkstone; leading the king’s favored Seeker team is a disgraced knight, Vale, and an emotionless wizard, Dante, who are joined by the king’s sheltered niece Celeste, a shapeshifting witch, Azalea, and an archer thief, Caelan. The team of five journey forth on their mission to save the realm and become engaged in fights along the way with a variety of groups and creatures, all of which slowly reveals to the steadily growing group traveling with the Seekers the larger manipulations at play and their respective roles within those plans. As conflicts arise both around and within the group they continue to pursue the stone’s retrieval, despite their personal grievances, to prevent greater dangers from being unleashed before it’s too late.
In a narrative that progresses swiftly between scenes of high-energy action and detailed depictions of and conversations about the complexities and backstories of the core group of characters that illuminates their motivations and personalities, a vast world that incorporates a wide array of fantasy elements and creatures is presented as the world-ending stakes are established and combatted. Through the entertaining interpersonal dynamics between the characters each were identifiably distinct in how they expressed themselves and they helpfully exhibited traits in alignment with their archetype role within the broader group. The scope of the story is both familiar with a collective battling against evils, known and obscured, and ambitious with a dedicated language (primarily for swearing), numerous realms, and the ominous, dark beings rarely encountered and kept at bay through magic; while much is well-explained there is opportunity to explore different facets of the realms and the entities therein in greater detail to more thoroughly address questions that remain, which offers an opening for continued adventures within this world and with these characters.
*I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2024
Parisia is a land of luxury, protected by the power held within the illustrious Darkstone. But when the Darkstone is taken by one of the elder dragons, the prosperity Parisia has come to rely upon begins to crumble. One after another, teams of champions venture into the unknown to retrieve the Darkstone, but to no avail. So, the King must call upon an unlikely hero to make a final attempt before the veil between the mortal realm and the dark realm fails. A motley crew of misfits is tenuously linked in this quest, and though their talents are obscure at times, they may have just what is needed to succeed where everyone before them has not.
This high fantasy novel has all the hallmarks of a quality story: magic, humor, kings, dragons, and, of course, a quest. The writing is accessible and engaging, and though the book itself is long, the storytelling keeps readers involved from beginning to end. As the narrative progresses, it is told through multiple points of view, giving readers insight into the thoughts and feelings of several characters. Each character is multifaceted and has a well-developed backstory, which adds to the believability of the narrative itself. Additionally, the narrative focuses more on action and adventure than romance, adding to the overall intensity and forward momentum of the plot.
Readers will quickly fall into the world inhabited by Vale and his companions, especially because its development is well-paced. Language unique to Parisia is found within the novel, which makes it accessible even to young adults who enjoy immersive fantasy storytelling because any cursing exists solely within this landscape. At the end, a glossary helps readers solidify their understanding of the foreign terminology used in this book in case they are not able to glean meaning from the narrative alone. Fans of Eragon, The Lord of the Rings, and Dungeons and Dragons will all find something to enjoy about this novel, and readers will look forward to the subsequent installments in the series. This is a positive addition to the bookshelves of fantasy enthusiasts in their teen years or above.
This high fantasy novel has all the hallmarks of a quality story: magic, humor, kings, dragons, and, of course, a quest. The writing is accessible and engaging, and though the book itself is long, the storytelling keeps readers involved from beginning to end. As the narrative progresses, it is told through multiple points of view, giving readers insight into the thoughts and feelings of several characters. Each character is multifaceted and has a well-developed backstory, which adds to the believability of the narrative itself. Additionally, the narrative focuses more on action and adventure than romance, adding to the overall intensity and forward momentum of the plot.
Readers will quickly fall into the world inhabited by Vale and his companions, especially because its development is well-paced. Language unique to Parisia is found within the novel, which makes it accessible even to young adults who enjoy immersive fantasy storytelling because any cursing exists solely within this landscape. At the end, a glossary helps readers solidify their understanding of the foreign terminology used in this book in case they are not able to glean meaning from the narrative alone. Fans of Eragon, The Lord of the Rings, and Dungeons and Dragons will all find something to enjoy about this novel, and readers will look forward to the subsequent installments in the series. This is a positive addition to the bookshelves of fantasy enthusiasts in their teen years or above.
January 23, 2024
4.5 ★
Epic! The story immediately captured my attention from the very first page. From the very beginning to the very end I was able to be captivated by the story and I was surprised! Surprised in a good way, usually with fantasies I read, it takes me a good 100 pages to get into the story and that did not happen here. I would say this book was more mid/high fantasy, the world building wasn’t hard to follow and I love how Tyler was able to build the world as we read instead of giving major info dump the first couple of pages. It made me as a reader, understand the story but to also be able to, enjoy the personalities of each character and the action scenes that occurred.
The characters were also people I enjoyed reading about and just simply following their journey. They were similar in a way where they didn’t really trust anybody but they all had their own traumas and tribulations, I would say, that made me enjoy reading their own perceptions. If I had to choose a favorite, it would have to be Vale and/or Azalea. From the very beginning I saw that they were misunderstood characters and that made me even more interested to read their point of view but also anticipating their character development.
The magic system was amazing as well. It was like an all you can eat buffet but with magic. Meaning there were many different powers and creatures, some of them I remember and some of them I can’t, but regardless I loved the 12ft troll he for sure was a unique character but I also loved the dragons (of course), witches and the different realms.
Overall, i thank the author for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to decide if I wanted to read this book or not. I’m happy I did, I completely enjoyed it and that twist at the end was something I didn’t expect, but I expect some type of betrayal. Thank you to Tyler Edwards for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Epic! The story immediately captured my attention from the very first page. From the very beginning to the very end I was able to be captivated by the story and I was surprised! Surprised in a good way, usually with fantasies I read, it takes me a good 100 pages to get into the story and that did not happen here. I would say this book was more mid/high fantasy, the world building wasn’t hard to follow and I love how Tyler was able to build the world as we read instead of giving major info dump the first couple of pages. It made me as a reader, understand the story but to also be able to, enjoy the personalities of each character and the action scenes that occurred.
The characters were also people I enjoyed reading about and just simply following their journey. They were similar in a way where they didn’t really trust anybody but they all had their own traumas and tribulations, I would say, that made me enjoy reading their own perceptions. If I had to choose a favorite, it would have to be Vale and/or Azalea. From the very beginning I saw that they were misunderstood characters and that made me even more interested to read their point of view but also anticipating their character development.
The magic system was amazing as well. It was like an all you can eat buffet but with magic. Meaning there were many different powers and creatures, some of them I remember and some of them I can’t, but regardless I loved the 12ft troll he for sure was a unique character but I also loved the dragons (of course), witches and the different realms.
Overall, i thank the author for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to decide if I wanted to read this book or not. I’m happy I did, I completely enjoyed it and that twist at the end was something I didn’t expect, but I expect some type of betrayal. Thank you to Tyler Edwards for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2024
My first thought I had when starting this book was - I love how this author lays out his fantasy world. I had absolutely no question about the world or the characters in the story. Tyler Edwards did a wonderful job in his Prologue - probably the best I have seen recently in the fantasy books I have read. Shadows of the Dark Realm is an epic fantasy - a hero, a quest, good vs. evil, mythical creatures (including dragons), magic, and more.
A group of five people are put together and sent on a quest. They did not know each other prior to the quest so there is a lot of issue with trust (and trustworthiness). Readers won’t even be sure of who is trustworthy until individual stories unfold - readers learn what they need to know when they need to know it. The group of five adds members as they proceed on the quest and face the challenges in their way. It turns out that some members misrepresented themselves in joining the group. Others know part of a person’s story but not the whole story. There are many opportunities for distrust, yet they band together and overcome their distrust to achieve their goal. I enjoyed the plot of the story - it was a “can’t put it down” book, even though it is almost 800 pages long. The story ends with a bit of a promise of future stories about at least some of the characters.
One of the things that concerns me about Shadows of the Dark Realm is the amount of “cursing” in the book. While the words are not recognizable as swear words in the English language (they are actually words made up by the author), the way the words are used it is obvious that the speaker is cursing. Because I am not a “curser” I really don’t see the need for this language, especially not as often as Edwards uses this type of language. For that reason I cannot freely recommend this book.
I do recommend that K-12 Christian School librarians read the book for themselves and make their own decision on Shadows of the Dark Realm.
I received a complimentary copy of Shadows of the Dark Realm. This is my honest review.
A group of five people are put together and sent on a quest. They did not know each other prior to the quest so there is a lot of issue with trust (and trustworthiness). Readers won’t even be sure of who is trustworthy until individual stories unfold - readers learn what they need to know when they need to know it. The group of five adds members as they proceed on the quest and face the challenges in their way. It turns out that some members misrepresented themselves in joining the group. Others know part of a person’s story but not the whole story. There are many opportunities for distrust, yet they band together and overcome their distrust to achieve their goal. I enjoyed the plot of the story - it was a “can’t put it down” book, even though it is almost 800 pages long. The story ends with a bit of a promise of future stories about at least some of the characters.
One of the things that concerns me about Shadows of the Dark Realm is the amount of “cursing” in the book. While the words are not recognizable as swear words in the English language (they are actually words made up by the author), the way the words are used it is obvious that the speaker is cursing. Because I am not a “curser” I really don’t see the need for this language, especially not as often as Edwards uses this type of language. For that reason I cannot freely recommend this book.
I do recommend that K-12 Christian School librarians read the book for themselves and make their own decision on Shadows of the Dark Realm.
I received a complimentary copy of Shadows of the Dark Realm. This is my honest review.
January 24, 2025
Vale is on a self-appointed mission to uncover missing children from the villages in Parisia. Summoned by the king before he can investigate further, he has no choice but to halt his conquest to return to the king who branded him a disgrace. He is required to go on a mission in the king's favor to return to former glory, there is a catch; however, he must be on a team, a team of "seekers". The seekers are destined to enter the land of dragons and steal back the stone stolen from them by a dragon. Dante (a mage) is the first addition to the team; the king has appointed him leader. Vale (the black swordsman) is the second to join the team, the king puts him in charge behind the mage's back. Azalea (a witch) yields purple fire and can shift into any animal, a noble who has never been in battle before and doesn't appear to have any quality skills, and Celeste a girl who worked in the kitchen for one of the nobles. They set out on a journey for the ages, and each realizes that not everything is as it seems and there are layers of secrets and betrayals extending far beyond their kingdom.
Shadows of the Dark Realm was written with such skill and detail it was hard to put down. The world-building, the characters, the enemies, the betrayals, the twists, the magic, the dragons, and so much more pulled me into the world Tyler Edwards created. I loved reading this book! The emotions introduced and the backstories give you a stronger connection to the characters as they make their way on this journey. Certain points in the story change the reader's perspective about certain things and the author nails it flawlessly, there were so many things I didn't see coming. When it happens, I'm like wait a minute. What just happened? Would I have noticed this all along if I knew? Shadows of the Dark Realm is a book you can read more than once and still catch something you missed the first or second read-through. I can't wait to read book 2!
Shadows of the Dark Realm was written with such skill and detail it was hard to put down. The world-building, the characters, the enemies, the betrayals, the twists, the magic, the dragons, and so much more pulled me into the world Tyler Edwards created. I loved reading this book! The emotions introduced and the backstories give you a stronger connection to the characters as they make their way on this journey. Certain points in the story change the reader's perspective about certain things and the author nails it flawlessly, there were so many things I didn't see coming. When it happens, I'm like wait a minute. What just happened? Would I have noticed this all along if I knew? Shadows of the Dark Realm is a book you can read more than once and still catch something you missed the first or second read-through. I can't wait to read book 2!
January 6, 2024
*ARC Review*
I have so many thoughts surrounding this book, so I want to start by thanking Tyler for allowing me to be a part of his ARC/Street team for this and providing an ARC copy for me to read and enjoy. All of my thoughts are my own.
Characters: There are many different characters throughout this book, and they truly are like a band of misfits, but at the same time, they are the perfect group. You have everything from a Knight to a rogue archer, witch, scholar, and more. Each of the characters (and there are more than I listed) has such strong personalities that it is evident that Tyler put so much hard work into fully developing each of them.
Plot: This book was very plot-driven, as there was a goal in mind, and it went through everything the characters experienced. However, you were always aware of the thoughts, feelings, and difficult choices that the characters had to make. There were many twists and turns in the story that I did not expect, and many times when I was on the edge of my seat, anxious to learn what happened next.
Magic: The book has plenty of magical aspects, from witches to warlocks and so much more. The various magical elements that you encounter during the book were done so very tastefully. While this epic fantasy could easily go overboard with the magical elements, Tyler did a great job finding a perfect balance for magic, action, and more.
Overall Thoughts: I initially picked up this book to see if it were something my fiance would like to read. So I wanted to read it first and be able to recommend it if I enjoyed it. All I can say is I will be reading book two and any other books that come from this. I loved each second. I thought the world-building was immaculate, and I have nothing negative to say. While I would love to have some origin stories for the characters, I understand this cannot be done in just one book, so I am hopeful we will get some novellas that do this for us!
I am a big advocate for Tyler's books now. I will be breaking my book-buying ban to purchase a physical copy, and I look forward to starting his other series soon!
Stars: 5/5
Time Spent Reading: 9 Hours, 21 Minutes (I read faster than the average individual, so your time may vary).
I have so many thoughts surrounding this book, so I want to start by thanking Tyler for allowing me to be a part of his ARC/Street team for this and providing an ARC copy for me to read and enjoy. All of my thoughts are my own.
Characters: There are many different characters throughout this book, and they truly are like a band of misfits, but at the same time, they are the perfect group. You have everything from a Knight to a rogue archer, witch, scholar, and more. Each of the characters (and there are more than I listed) has such strong personalities that it is evident that Tyler put so much hard work into fully developing each of them.
Plot: This book was very plot-driven, as there was a goal in mind, and it went through everything the characters experienced. However, you were always aware of the thoughts, feelings, and difficult choices that the characters had to make. There were many twists and turns in the story that I did not expect, and many times when I was on the edge of my seat, anxious to learn what happened next.
Magic: The book has plenty of magical aspects, from witches to warlocks and so much more. The various magical elements that you encounter during the book were done so very tastefully. While this epic fantasy could easily go overboard with the magical elements, Tyler did a great job finding a perfect balance for magic, action, and more.
Overall Thoughts: I initially picked up this book to see if it were something my fiance would like to read. So I wanted to read it first and be able to recommend it if I enjoyed it. All I can say is I will be reading book two and any other books that come from this. I loved each second. I thought the world-building was immaculate, and I have nothing negative to say. While I would love to have some origin stories for the characters, I understand this cannot be done in just one book, so I am hopeful we will get some novellas that do this for us!
I am a big advocate for Tyler's books now. I will be breaking my book-buying ban to purchase a physical copy, and I look forward to starting his other series soon!
Stars: 5/5
Time Spent Reading: 9 Hours, 21 Minutes (I read faster than the average individual, so your time may vary).
February 1, 2024
4.5 Stars (rounded up to a 5)
Thank you so much Tyler for providing me a free copy of this ARC for an honest review.
I am very very picky when it comes to fantasy books. I have to feel the magic in the pages. I have to love the characters. And can I just say, this book didn’t disappoint me.
The magic system was fun and intuitive. The worldbuilding was immaculate. The attention to detail in describing hierarchical structure between realms, regions and even within different species was great. Oh and the made up swear words did have me chuckling on the train all the time (and trying to work out what they could mean was entertaining).
Although we had 5 main characters to follow, there was a plethora of side characters we met and adored along the way. Their inclusion felt important to help plot progression and not just put there to fluff out story.
The literal journey the characters took was immense, but so was the personal journeys they went through too was great to see and really gets you invested in the characters.
The pacing for 95% of the book was perfect and the twists came at the right moments for me to really appreciate the shock in their inclusion.
The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars is because, I’m greedy and wanted to stay in the world longer.
I definitely suggest you check this book out. It was such a fun read and deserves a lot of attention.
Thank you again Tyler <3 I’ll definitely be reading more of your catalogue!
P.S. I love so many characters from this book, but there we 3 I didn’t like. I felt such heated emotions about them XD I wont say any names but I had to remind myself so many times a character can’t hear me telling them to STFU through the pages no matter how much I try
Thank you so much Tyler for providing me a free copy of this ARC for an honest review.
I am very very picky when it comes to fantasy books. I have to feel the magic in the pages. I have to love the characters. And can I just say, this book didn’t disappoint me.
The magic system was fun and intuitive. The worldbuilding was immaculate. The attention to detail in describing hierarchical structure between realms, regions and even within different species was great. Oh and the made up swear words did have me chuckling on the train all the time (and trying to work out what they could mean was entertaining).
Although we had 5 main characters to follow, there was a plethora of side characters we met and adored along the way. Their inclusion felt important to help plot progression and not just put there to fluff out story.
The literal journey the characters took was immense, but so was the personal journeys they went through too was great to see and really gets you invested in the characters.
The pacing for 95% of the book was perfect and the twists came at the right moments for me to really appreciate the shock in their inclusion.
The only reason this wasn’t a full 5 stars is because, I’m greedy and wanted to stay in the world longer.
I definitely suggest you check this book out. It was such a fun read and deserves a lot of attention.
Thank you again Tyler <3 I’ll definitely be reading more of your catalogue!
P.S. I love so many characters from this book, but there we 3 I didn’t like. I felt such heated emotions about them XD I wont say any names but I had to remind myself so many times a character can’t hear me telling them to STFU through the pages no matter how much I try
February 10, 2024
Gosh, Where do I start!?
This book has been my favourite read of 2024 until now. I had no idea what I was diving into but I could not stop reading this book once I started!
The fate of the Kingdom of Parisia hangs in the balance as an elder dragon has stolen the Darkstone, a vital artifact that holds the kingdom together. In a desperate attempt to retrieve it, King has formed a group of brave seekers including Vale, Dante, Celeste, Caelan, and Azalea. With their skills and determination, they set out on a perilous journey to the Dragon lands to reclaim the Darkstone. The question on everyone's mind is whether they will succeed in their quest and save the kingdom from ruin. The future is uncertain, but one thing is for sure - the fate of Parisia rests in the hands of the seekers.
Oh my god, The characters and their surroundings are so vividly described that it feels like I'm right there with them, experiencing everything they are. The character development is spot-on. Vale is my favourite and I can't help but fall for Caelan and Kade too also ugh Celeste is such a pain in the owa! The witty banter between the characters is so entertaining and had me laughing out loud.
If you happen to be searching for a truly captivating fantasy book that will leave you in awe, then this one is an absolute must-read! It boasts a wide range of fantastical elements, including awe-inspiring dragons and pulse-pounding action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat. Don't hesitate to grab a copy of this book, as it has all the necessary ingredients to become your new favorite read!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read such an amazing book! I cannot wait for the next part!
This book has been my favourite read of 2024 until now. I had no idea what I was diving into but I could not stop reading this book once I started!
The fate of the Kingdom of Parisia hangs in the balance as an elder dragon has stolen the Darkstone, a vital artifact that holds the kingdom together. In a desperate attempt to retrieve it, King has formed a group of brave seekers including Vale, Dante, Celeste, Caelan, and Azalea. With their skills and determination, they set out on a perilous journey to the Dragon lands to reclaim the Darkstone. The question on everyone's mind is whether they will succeed in their quest and save the kingdom from ruin. The future is uncertain, but one thing is for sure - the fate of Parisia rests in the hands of the seekers.
Oh my god, The characters and their surroundings are so vividly described that it feels like I'm right there with them, experiencing everything they are. The character development is spot-on. Vale is my favourite and I can't help but fall for Caelan and Kade too also ugh Celeste is such a pain in the owa! The witty banter between the characters is so entertaining and had me laughing out loud.
If you happen to be searching for a truly captivating fantasy book that will leave you in awe, then this one is an absolute must-read! It boasts a wide range of fantastical elements, including awe-inspiring dragons and pulse-pounding action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat. Don't hesitate to grab a copy of this book, as it has all the necessary ingredients to become your new favorite read!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read such an amazing book! I cannot wait for the next part!
December 16, 2023
Thank you to Tyler Edwards for the ecopy. This review is my unbiased opinion.
Oh wow what a book! This book had me hooked from the prologue, it intrigued me so much and the pacing of this book was so spot on, I couldn't put it down.
Shadows of The Dark Realm is action packed from the start. It captured me and held my attention. The writing was engaging, full of vivid description and the dialogue created a sense of realism between the characters. The banter and the sniping made them all believable. I loved how they interacted with each other. The introduction to each character felt like it was plotted in a calculating way, there's a purpose in which we meet each one and they add so much to the storyline. I loved how each character has their own back story and agenda that helps with this plotline.
I just loved them all, Azalea was hands down my favourite. Her sazziness, strength and witchyness created such a great character. Vale, I loved him from the start and that love did not wane, again there's a drive to him that makes him a fantastic character. I also loved Dante and Kade... It's so hard to not give spoilers when discussing these characters, but I don't do spoilers!
This novel as I said is so action packed there's always something going on, the characters on the quest don't have it easy and the way it plays out is fantastic to read. I loved how it unravelled, the twists, the turns. The direction I thought it was going but it ended up going somewhere else. I haven't read a novel that had me gripped and so eager to read in awhile and this one consumed me! I loved every minute of it. I'm excited to read more from Tyler Edwards.
Oh wow what a book! This book had me hooked from the prologue, it intrigued me so much and the pacing of this book was so spot on, I couldn't put it down.
Shadows of The Dark Realm is action packed from the start. It captured me and held my attention. The writing was engaging, full of vivid description and the dialogue created a sense of realism between the characters. The banter and the sniping made them all believable. I loved how they interacted with each other. The introduction to each character felt like it was plotted in a calculating way, there's a purpose in which we meet each one and they add so much to the storyline. I loved how each character has their own back story and agenda that helps with this plotline.
I just loved them all, Azalea was hands down my favourite. Her sazziness, strength and witchyness created such a great character. Vale, I loved him from the start and that love did not wane, again there's a drive to him that makes him a fantastic character. I also loved Dante and Kade... It's so hard to not give spoilers when discussing these characters, but I don't do spoilers!
This novel as I said is so action packed there's always something going on, the characters on the quest don't have it easy and the way it plays out is fantastic to read. I loved how it unravelled, the twists, the turns. The direction I thought it was going but it ended up going somewhere else. I haven't read a novel that had me gripped and so eager to read in awhile and this one consumed me! I loved every minute of it. I'm excited to read more from Tyler Edwards.
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