What do you think?
Rate this book
The Night of Shadows
Jacob woke up running.
It didn’t take long for memories from the past few hours to flood back. His sister’s latest disappearance, the foreign soldiers in the woods, his surge of magic that rivalled the greatest Sirathim legends.
All Jacob wanted was to become a librarian, but between his illegal connection to magic and the phantom voice in his head, his life had never been as simple as that. Now, as he searches for his lost sister through enchanting woods and morbid wastelands, it’s not enough to fight his curses anymore. Unless he utilizes both his magic and the Voice, his sister will die . . . if she’s lucky.
As he battles ancient monsters, raids terrifying dungeons, and wrestles with the Voice, he faces a heart-wrenching will he protect his sister, or will he sacrifice her safety for the greater good of a city ruled by an irredeemable tyrant?
The Night of Shadows approaches.
It didn’t take long for memories from the past few hours to flood back. His sister’s latest disappearance, the foreign soldiers in the woods, his surge of magic that rivalled the greatest Sirathim legends.
All Jacob wanted was to become a librarian, but between his illegal connection to magic and the phantom voice in his head, his life had never been as simple as that. Now, as he searches for his lost sister through enchanting woods and morbid wastelands, it’s not enough to fight his curses anymore. Unless he utilizes both his magic and the Voice, his sister will die . . . if she’s lucky.
As he battles ancient monsters, raids terrifying dungeons, and wrestles with the Voice, he faces a heart-wrenching will he protect his sister, or will he sacrifice her safety for the greater good of a city ruled by an irredeemable tyrant?
The Night of Shadows approaches.
- GenresFantasy
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2024
About the author
Markus Bitner
1 book6 followersHailing from the Canadian Prairies, Markus Bitner is the author of The Night of Shadows, the first installment in the Secrets of Silence trilogy. Aside from reading and writing fantasy novels, he occupies his time composing music, performing piano wherever he can, and pondering life's most enigmatic questions.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 17, 2024
Let me start by saying that in terms of prose, I found the writing quite good - the narrative has an easy flow that carries you on, without being too dry. No telling instead of showing, no stage directing moments, no silly character accents no unnecessary long-ish descriptions, it is curt and to the point on occasion but not in a bad way. I can see this author has quite a bit of potential.
For me, though, I found that the characters were rather one-dimensional and flat, and I simply didn't connect with them. They all came across as rather immature and patronising, which made them very annoying and kind of ruined the reading, for me. The protagonist, especially, was extremely unlikable - and listen, I love me a detestable protagonist, make no mistake, but it has to resonate with me. It didn't happen here. The way Jacob goes on and on about Lindina's many crimes and the way she must pay for them, sitting on his high horse of morality - though he's murdered and committed way more crimes than she - felt very paternalistic and chauvinist, just like the way Lindina is catalogued as evil while throughout the entire book Jacob is 'shown' as troubled, morally grey, but never pure evil.
The plot twists were very convenient and you could spot them from a mile, in fact the plot in general felt very infantile - bad people are really very bad people and the dark one is very dark indeed and oh so evil because... well, because he's just so very evil. In fact, there were far too many convenient moments to provide Jacob with chances to 'shine' and 'grow' and become a selfless, ready to sacrifice it all hero. It just didn't do it for me. The rest of the cast was also very... well, they all sat atop morally high horses and those who didn't, those who'd made mistakes in their lives, they repented them in such submissive manners - although those mistakes were not the crimes I as a reader was led to believe they might be... all in all, there were things that read too immature for me, and too preachy and, well, too simple? I like plots that are far more convoluted and this one, unfortunately wasn't.
But as I said before, the writing style in terms of prose is quite good and I can see that, with a bit of experience behind, this author can evolve and offer readers very good works.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated in this review are my own.
For me, though, I found that the characters were rather one-dimensional and flat, and I simply didn't connect with them. They all came across as rather immature and patronising, which made them very annoying and kind of ruined the reading, for me. The protagonist, especially, was extremely unlikable - and listen, I love me a detestable protagonist, make no mistake, but it has to resonate with me. It didn't happen here. The way Jacob goes on and on about Lindina's many crimes and the way she must pay for them, sitting on his high horse of morality - though he's murdered and committed way more crimes than she - felt very paternalistic and chauvinist, just like the way Lindina is catalogued as evil while throughout the entire book Jacob is 'shown' as troubled, morally grey, but never pure evil.
The plot twists were very convenient and you could spot them from a mile, in fact the plot in general felt very infantile - bad people are really very bad people and the dark one is very dark indeed and oh so evil because... well, because he's just so very evil. In fact, there were far too many convenient moments to provide Jacob with chances to 'shine' and 'grow' and become a selfless, ready to sacrifice it all hero. It just didn't do it for me. The rest of the cast was also very... well, they all sat atop morally high horses and those who didn't, those who'd made mistakes in their lives, they repented them in such submissive manners - although those mistakes were not the crimes I as a reader was led to believe they might be... all in all, there were things that read too immature for me, and too preachy and, well, too simple? I like plots that are far more convoluted and this one, unfortunately wasn't.
But as I said before, the writing style in terms of prose is quite good and I can see that, with a bit of experience behind, this author can evolve and offer readers very good works.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated in this review are my own.
Did Not Finish
March 27, 2026DNF- I got to almost 40% and I just couldn't do it anymore. I'm sure this is a story for someone, but it is not a story for me. No offense is meant to the author.
Did Not Finish
May 4, 2026DNF'd first 50 pages
Not for me...too much out of my comfort zone.
Not for me...too much out of my comfort zone.
April 19, 2024
Huge thanks to Markus for copy of the ARC.
3-3.5 ⭐
A great and interesting high fantasy read with conflicting/complexish characters.
The plot is largely driven by Jacob's sense of responsibility and/or guilt towards finding his lost sister.
Jacob was an interesting character. I found him to be honorable but also selfish at the same time. A lot of his actions were quite conflicting and almost comedic with how careless he is. However, it does make him relatable in the sense that he's not your perfect protagonist/hero.
The voice continues to be a mystery for me and I hope I get the answers I crave in the next installment. His motivations were also adding to Jacob's conflicting nature.
The sister felt like Jacob's white rabbit that leads him to this path of madness. I thought that she was a very well written character. Epitomizing the loss of innocence. For some reason I just didn't expect her to be the age that she was.
I really struggled getting through the middle section. The pace really slowed down despite Jacob seeming to be forever running about. I'm not too sure if this was the intent but a great juxtaposition if so.
I also found the magical system to be a little confusing. I kept getting the Abyss and the Deep mixed up as they seem to be the same side of the coin.
There's definitely lots to flesh out as it seems we've barely scratched the surface of why magic is illegal. Definitely curious to see the next installment goes!
3-3.5 ⭐
A great and interesting high fantasy read with conflicting/complexish characters.
The plot is largely driven by Jacob's sense of responsibility and/or guilt towards finding his lost sister.
Jacob was an interesting character. I found him to be honorable but also selfish at the same time. A lot of his actions were quite conflicting and almost comedic with how careless he is. However, it does make him relatable in the sense that he's not your perfect protagonist/hero.
The voice continues to be a mystery for me and I hope I get the answers I crave in the next installment. His motivations were also adding to Jacob's conflicting nature.
The sister felt like Jacob's white rabbit that leads him to this path of madness. I thought that she was a very well written character. Epitomizing the loss of innocence. For some reason I just didn't expect her to be the age that she was.
I really struggled getting through the middle section. The pace really slowed down despite Jacob seeming to be forever running about. I'm not too sure if this was the intent but a great juxtaposition if so.
I also found the magical system to be a little confusing. I kept getting the Abyss and the Deep mixed up as they seem to be the same side of the coin.
There's definitely lots to flesh out as it seems we've barely scratched the surface of why magic is illegal. Definitely curious to see the next installment goes!
April 16, 2024
Jacob is a man with a troubled past who wants to educate himself further and bring a library to his illiterate community of Tonto. To do so, he will have to move to the next village and work in the library there. He is at the tower contemplating his last night in Tonto when his brother Carl arrives and begs him to help look for their sister Lindina. He refuses but then changes his mind because he loves Lindina and Carl got the Silencers involved. And if Lindina was involved in what he believed he had to reach her before the Silencers did. Jairus (a voice inside of Jacob) tells him he is a fool and he should leave Lindina to her fate. Since Jairus and Jacob never agree on anything, Jacob catches up to Carl and agrees to search for Lindina until he has to leave for his new home and job. The world and characters build from there at a fairly slow pace. The chaos begins in the forest when he desperately searches for his sister to save her from herself. By the last quarter of the book I was invested in the characters and intrigued about the magic systems, the ancient peoples, the old ways and why certain philosophies were abandoned. Hope, love and forgiveness are powerful and I definitely am glad I pushed through to the end! I will await the next installment as I definitely recommend this book!
April 23, 2024
4.5⭐️
This book took me a little while to get into, I just want to make it clear that this is no way because of the plot or the writing...this book is actually written very, very well. When I did fully get into it, I got so lost in the story and did not want to put it down. The world building is absolutely amazing; the descriptions are very well thought out and well articulated. Also the plot is executed to a high standard, is interesting and unique. My normal genre of book to read is romance, but the overview of this book captivated me enough to make me want to take a chance on it and I am glad that I did. Jacob is such a diverse character and his development throughout this book is brilliant, as are the other characters involved. I honestly cannot wait for the next instalment of the triliogy! An absolutely outstanding piece of writing. Would most definitely recommend.
This book took me a little while to get into, I just want to make it clear that this is no way because of the plot or the writing...this book is actually written very, very well. When I did fully get into it, I got so lost in the story and did not want to put it down. The world building is absolutely amazing; the descriptions are very well thought out and well articulated. Also the plot is executed to a high standard, is interesting and unique. My normal genre of book to read is romance, but the overview of this book captivated me enough to make me want to take a chance on it and I am glad that I did. Jacob is such a diverse character and his development throughout this book is brilliant, as are the other characters involved. I honestly cannot wait for the next instalment of the triliogy! An absolutely outstanding piece of writing. Would most definitely recommend.
April 18, 2024
Ok so I really liked this book. I know some review's say certain things, but I feel like the way the author did the book. It actually makes it sense on why the main character acts how he does. Honest truth I didn't expect some of the scenes that I was reading the description on them I was like okay wow! Like the author really goes into deep description on stuff which is also great because it makes me imagine more of the story. Honestly at some point I was getting a little tired of Lindina, but she a 11 year ole. They are made to make you sometimes shake your head lol.
The storyline is different than what I've read before with magic. Instead of them calling it magic they call it the deep. Which I thought was something different in the beginning but then it made sense after a few chapters. But this is a great journey to read on how the main character changes and does specific things. He does get me mad at times too because of the way he thinks but I think that's the way it just is with some people cuz he's young too. I liked it a lot and I can't wait for the second one.
The storyline is different than what I've read before with magic. Instead of them calling it magic they call it the deep. Which I thought was something different in the beginning but then it made sense after a few chapters. But this is a great journey to read on how the main character changes and does specific things. He does get me mad at times too because of the way he thinks but I think that's the way it just is with some people cuz he's young too. I liked it a lot and I can't wait for the second one.
April 23, 2024
I do like the story and it's very unique in its world building and magic system. But I feel like the magic system itself is lacking in explanation. I'm kind of having to assume it is what it is to move on with the story.
The main character feels like a video game Hero. He does things because it's right and it's his obligation. But I had zero emotional connection with him, and I didn't get any deeper sense of reasoning to his decisions besides duty. I had more of an emotional connection to several of the side characters.
The side characters subplot of romance felt forced and awkward, like checking off a box on writing a fantasy book. I still believed it more than the main character's objective, it just felt like it didn't really belong in this book.
Overall, if there is a part 2, I will still read it because I'm very intrigued with Jarius and Lindina and I'm hoping for a deeper explanation into the world's magic system and history.
The main character feels like a video game Hero. He does things because it's right and it's his obligation. But I had zero emotional connection with him, and I didn't get any deeper sense of reasoning to his decisions besides duty. I had more of an emotional connection to several of the side characters.
The side characters subplot of romance felt forced and awkward, like checking off a box on writing a fantasy book. I still believed it more than the main character's objective, it just felt like it didn't really belong in this book.
Overall, if there is a part 2, I will still read it because I'm very intrigued with Jarius and Lindina and I'm hoping for a deeper explanation into the world's magic system and history.
February 7, 2026
The Night of Shadows by Markus Bitner is a dark fantasy filled with magic, danger, and difficult choices. Jacob only wanted a quiet life as a librarian, but everything changes when his sister disappears and a powerful, illegal connection to magic awakens inside him. Haunted by a mysterious Voice in his head, Jacob is forced to flee through enchanted forests and ruined wastelands while foreign soldiers and ancient threats close in.
As he searches for his sister, Jacob battles monsters, explores deadly dungeons, and struggles with the growing power he barely understands. Each step forward pushes him toward an impossible decision: protect the person he loves most, or sacrifice her safety for the greater good of a city ruled by a ruthless tyrant.
A gripping, character driven story, The Night of Shadows is recommended for readers who enjoy dark fantasy, inner conflict, and high stakes adventures where every choice has a price.
As he searches for his sister, Jacob battles monsters, explores deadly dungeons, and struggles with the growing power he barely understands. Each step forward pushes him toward an impossible decision: protect the person he loves most, or sacrifice her safety for the greater good of a city ruled by a ruthless tyrant.
A gripping, character driven story, The Night of Shadows is recommended for readers who enjoy dark fantasy, inner conflict, and high stakes adventures where every choice has a price.
April 18, 2024
'The Night of Shadows' delivers a captivating blend of fantasy and adventure that will keep readers spellbound from beginning to end. With a protagonist facing a perilous quest to find his missing sister amidst a world of magic and danger, Bitner weaves a tale filled with suspense, moral dilemmas, heart-pounding action, and skillfully explores themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the power of choice, making 'The Night of Shadows' a compelling read for fans of fantasy fiction.
Reason for Three Star: There were some parts that caused confusion or felt as though they dragged on. However, I am going to do a second read through, and update the star review once done. This is so that if any fatigue or brain fog played a part, I can make sure the story gets a fair shake. I am excited for the rest of this series though!
Reason for Three Star: There were some parts that caused confusion or felt as though they dragged on. However, I am going to do a second read through, and update the star review once done. This is so that if any fatigue or brain fog played a part, I can make sure the story gets a fair shake. I am excited for the rest of this series though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2024
The Night of Shadows: The Secrets of Silence is the beginning of a planned trilogy following a young magic user and his quest to save his sister.
I found the first half of this book to be a little generic, but that is often difficult to overcome whilst new characters are being introduced and the plot is setup.
Once main character Jacob gets to the city of Barabus, however, the story really gets rolling. Action sequences from this point are pacy and provide plenty of tension, often with a grim-dark feel to them. And this is where The Secrets of Silence shines; so often the main characters seem to grab defeat from the jaws of victory, with the situation seemingly the worse for doing so.
If you're a fan of grim-dark fantasy, then this book is definitely worth a read.
Many thanks to the author for the advance copy on which this review is based.
I found the first half of this book to be a little generic, but that is often difficult to overcome whilst new characters are being introduced and the plot is setup.
Once main character Jacob gets to the city of Barabus, however, the story really gets rolling. Action sequences from this point are pacy and provide plenty of tension, often with a grim-dark feel to them. And this is where The Secrets of Silence shines; so often the main characters seem to grab defeat from the jaws of victory, with the situation seemingly the worse for doing so.
If you're a fan of grim-dark fantasy, then this book is definitely worth a read.
Many thanks to the author for the advance copy on which this review is based.
November 28, 2025
Beware !! Once you start reading you will not want to put this book down.
The story is fast paced and keeps your attention. The plot is complex but easy to follow. Extremely well written and I found myself especially enjoying the dry humour that occasionally popped up when least expected.
There are still questions that have not been answered but this book does not just feed you the answers and let you take a back seat while you’re being told a story. Instead, we are required to think and question for ourselves - who is Jarius, how does the the magic work exactly, etc - but I am intrigued enough to seek for answers in the upcoming books in the series.
There is nothing wrong with this book except it ended too soon. I can’t wait for the sequel.
The story is fast paced and keeps your attention. The plot is complex but easy to follow. Extremely well written and I found myself especially enjoying the dry humour that occasionally popped up when least expected.
There are still questions that have not been answered but this book does not just feed you the answers and let you take a back seat while you’re being told a story. Instead, we are required to think and question for ourselves - who is Jarius, how does the the magic work exactly, etc - but I am intrigued enough to seek for answers in the upcoming books in the series.
There is nothing wrong with this book except it ended too soon. I can’t wait for the sequel.
April 17, 2024
Not a bad debut.
To start off, this book was very well written. I liked the scenery and imagery and dialogue. The author really had a knack for words. The plot was good, but fell a little short for me. The middle got boring to the point where I didn’t want to finish, but I pushed through and the ending was very good. What gives this book three starts and not more is the magic system. Throughout the book, I tried to make sense of how magic worked, but I just couldn’t figure it out. It was very confusing and made things a little hard to follow. However, this is the start of a promising series, and I look forward to reading more.
To start off, this book was very well written. I liked the scenery and imagery and dialogue. The author really had a knack for words. The plot was good, but fell a little short for me. The middle got boring to the point where I didn’t want to finish, but I pushed through and the ending was very good. What gives this book three starts and not more is the magic system. Throughout the book, I tried to make sense of how magic worked, but I just couldn’t figure it out. It was very confusing and made things a little hard to follow. However, this is the start of a promising series, and I look forward to reading more.
August 8, 2024
A YA epic fantasy adventure, with dark creatures, curses, and chosen ones.
I was invested in the characters journeys, and battles between good and evil. There was lots of descriptive action and high stakes battles, creative worldbuilding, and unique magic systems.
I liked the bond between Jacob and Jairus and their banter, and Jacob has a fierce loyalty for helping his sister Lindina.
Really interested to see what's next in these characters journeys.
"It is my purpose. To be the nightmare that haunts your waking hours. The dark torrents of despair. The shadow of madness"
"Let it go. Embrace the nightmare. Embrace madness"
I was invested in the characters journeys, and battles between good and evil. There was lots of descriptive action and high stakes battles, creative worldbuilding, and unique magic systems.
I liked the bond between Jacob and Jairus and their banter, and Jacob has a fierce loyalty for helping his sister Lindina.
Really interested to see what's next in these characters journeys.
"It is my purpose. To be the nightmare that haunts your waking hours. The dark torrents of despair. The shadow of madness"
"Let it go. Embrace the nightmare. Embrace madness"
April 20, 2024
Received an ARC by the author for review. All opinions are honest. So let me start by saying, this is a very well written book. The author is intelligent, clear, and concise in his writing. Some of the scenes are also fairly philosophical inspiring deep thought. The world building is a bit slow and in some places hard to understand but that tends to be typical for book 1 in a series. The plot is definitely not predictable but could be a bit boring at times. Overall I am looking forward to the next book in the series, and I do recommend giving it a try.
Did Not Finish
April 14, 2026I tried, I tried so hard to get into this book. But from the start it’s been confusing trying to understand what is good and bad. What they are fighting against, who the Voice is he’s talking to. Then there’s the remembrance of a guy who went bad but now Jacob is wondering if he was trying bad. Also, no offense, but I can tell this is self published (awesome) but there are some major editing errors that are making it very hard to read. Maybe I’ll come back to this, but I doubt it. I keep falling asleep reading this. Time to shelve it.
April 22, 2024
This book is well written with a nice twist in the magic used. Jacob is caught in a life changing adventure. The book blends adventure, magic and personal choices. I enjoyed reading this book. Very creative and fabulous twists in the storyline.
Read
July 30, 2024DNF @20%
Even though the writing style is just fine, I had a hard time continuing this story and decided to give up. There's no specific reason; the story just couldn't hold my attention. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this book, idk.
Even though the writing style is just fine, I had a hard time continuing this story and decided to give up. There's no specific reason; the story just couldn't hold my attention. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this book, idk.
April 18, 2024
I'm hooked and am looking forward to book 2!
April 24, 2024
I love fantasy and this book did not disappoint me! The characters and the plot really drew me in, and I finished within 24 hours of starting. Can't wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews