Prince of Shadows

Stories of Gereon #3

by Camilla Vavruch

An avian tournament.
A chaotic prince.
An unwanted engagement.

Assassins out for blood.

Crown Prince Orson of Mannerobes is a turbulent young man, desperately trying to live up to his father’s impossible expectations. Engaged to Lady Liadan, a woman he does not love, and longing for freedom, Orson’s life takes a darker turn when the Avian Tournament, where birds and their handlers challenge each other in a variety of contests, begins. When Orson’s friend and fellow noble, Overster Tristan Arrington, is poisoned as they greet guests, they discover a sinister assassination plot. As the tournament progresses, Orson’s relationship with Lady Liadan’s deteriorates, while a new and intriguing bond forms with Sir Rorik Ironhold of Chim, a gemstone connoisseur whose true intentions are unclear. As if juggling the tournament, an unraveling betrothal, and his father’s ire isn’t enough, it does not take long before a second assassination attempt makes everyone question who the real target is.



“Prince of Shadows” is a thrilling tale of passion, complex conflict, and the fierce pursuit of one’s true self, set against a backdrop of a vivid fantasy world. The book is the third book in the series Stories of Gereon and contains HBTQ relationships and neurodiversity.



Prince of Shadow revisits the characters who stole your heart in Stone of Shadow and Boy of Shadow and introduces a whole host of new characters to sink your teeth into. The author did a wonderful job of creating a fantasy world that tackled real life issues. ~ Reader Elisa

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2024

About the author

Meet Camilla Vavruch, a multitasking marvel and dragon-lover extraordinaire! By day, she’s a medical doctor. By night (and early morning and lunch breaks), she unleashes her wild imagination as a writer of fantasy novels filled with magic and, of course, dragons of all shapes and sizes.

Camilla is the author of two series, The Elemental Saga and Stories of Gereon. Both are set in the same universe, but with entirely different characters and focus. All of Camilla’s stories include found family (her favorite trope!), at least a touch of hurt/comfort, and a healthy dose of fantastical creatures.

When she’s not slaying dragons on the page, Camilla is also a mom of three (who somehow still finds time to sleep), a web and graphic designer, and a lover of all things creative – from writing to drawing and photography. It’s a wonder she has any time left to breathe, but Camilla wouldn’t have it any other way.

Join her on her wild and fantastical journey through life!

Reviews

[Kez Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another perfect fantasy adventure with beautiful characters, dramatic events, and an exciting avian tournament full of surprises.

For this third book in the Stories of Gereon series it follows Crown Prince Orson as he prepares for the event of the year - his pride and joy avian competition where his passion comes alive and he can be free, which also helps distract him from his forced duties as Prince in his upcoming arranged marriage to Lady Liadan.
It also sees the return of (my favourite couple) Will and Tristan as they not only support their close friend, but as they help tackle conflict, chaos and assassins.
We're also introduced to Sir Rorik Ironhold, a mysterious, flirty and bold contestant with a magnetic pull on Orson which soon causes drama with his fiancée and the King.
With strange events occurring, Tristan's attack, and his father's ongoing threats, amidst the chaos it's uncertain who can be trusted outside his closest allies.

This is another perfect balance of hurt and comfort, exposing dark family secrets, and promoting compassion and empathy through friendship and love.
The story crafts a sincere journey of self discovery and acceptance, and while it tackles dark subjects, adversity and trauma, it has powerful messages about not conforming, understanding diversity and individuality, and embracing passion in every aspect of life.

This whole series continues to be a beautiful and enchanting journey with hearts of gold characters that I adore!

#couplegoals #friendshipgoals #queerrelationships #neurodiversity

Honest and Voluntary ARC review 💜

[E.J. Arnott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: The King has ideas for what a crowned prince should be, a strict standard that he holds over his son, Orson. Orson, however, has different ideas. Able to showcase his passion for exotic birds, he holds a tournament for all the kingdoms to compete in - under his father’s condition that a wedding too his assigned fiancé takes place once it is over.
A condition the prince is less than enthused for, but his father had threatened him with a punishment he refuses to endure.
When a close friend to the crown prince has an assassin dogging his every step, Orson’s focus shifts from fun to frantic. Unable to keeps his thoughts straight, overwhelmed by it all, and a growing hatred between him and his betrothed - Orson must find a way to stop the assassin, win at the competition, and stall the loathsome wedding. Never did he expect a new romance to bloom amongst it all.
Prince of Shadow revisits the characters who stole your heart in Stone of Shadow and Boy of Shadow and introduces a whole host of new characters to sink your teeth into. A 10/10 series I found myself absolutely giddy to read as soon as a new book is released!

[Noriboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable story set in the world of Gereon. The story picks up a couple of months after the events from book 1 and book 2. And this time, we get to see the events unfold from Prince Orson's point of view.

I felt bad for our ADHD prince. He has a lot of wonderful qualities that don't get the appreciation they deserve within his royal family. In the end, I was happy that Orson didn't let his father bog him down and that his friends were really there for him. The friendships in this series are really my favourite part of the story.

Spice level:
🌶

Tropes:
✨️Queer
✨️Found family
✨️ADHD rep
✨️Parents who need to do better
✨️Animal companions

•••

I received an ARC from the author. My opinions are my own.

[Morgan Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prince Orson is a character we have met in Tristan and Will's books, but this is the first time he has taken the spotlight - so to speak.

In his story, told from his perspective, we find out more about how life is for him as the Crown Prince, and just why he treasures the friendship with Will and Tristan. We also see his behaviours and how it has made things difficult with his father. It was brilliant reading about him and understanding what his father did not. Orson is ably supported by family members, Will, Tristan, and a new character here for the tournament - Sir Rorik Ironhold.

Not only that, but the Avian Tournament certainly deserves a mention all of its own. The imagery given here was outstanding, along with the descriptions of the birds themselves.

Well-paced, intriguing, mysterious, and completely un-put-downable, this is an amazing addition to the series. I highly recommend it, but would suggest you start at the beginning with Stone of Shadows. Simply brilliant! 💙

[Natascha Limpt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prince of Shadows is the third installment in the Stories of Gereon series. While it’s a decent story, it didn’t captivate me as much as the previous two books. Orson and Rorik didn’t quite steal my heart the way Tristan and Will did, and I felt their chemistry was weaker—perhaps because everything fell into place so easily. Rorik offered himself up before they’d even had a proper conversation, which left me wishing for a bit more tension and challenge.

It also became obvious very quickly who was behind the murder plot, and the fact that the guards were so utterly incompetent felt a bit far-fetched.

That said, it was still an enjoyable read overall—it just didn’t resonate with me quite as much as the first two parts.

[Lexie Wycoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being able to read about Prince Orson's journey dealing with his disabilities and sexuality was informative. He was such a prominent character in Tristan's life, and he's genuinely such a good friend and person (given how cruel his dad can be). The suspense and plot twist for this story kept me guessing until the very end! Such a good book.

[Luna Sarén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again the vails of the shadows are lifted to show us an other light shining bright in the night.

This was a very interesting book with lots of twist and turns, that showed us the next layer in this universe. This may not be my favorit book in this serie but I do like it and appreciate the story. It was important part that we got to see and once again Camilla did do a magical work with her writing.
I highly recommend this book, it has a depth to it and are precious.

I am looking forward to get my hands on the next book because this bookserie has goten hold on me real good.