A Saga of Wielders and Hunters

Shadowborn #2

by Jordan Lee

Fleeing from his home country was the hardest thing Owen Greene thought he had to do to evade the clutches of a persistent Core Wielder. But now he has to face even more hardships as he travels through new territory in search of a safe haven along an underground network called the Silent Road.

Traversing the lands of Avathon once again, Colt O’Malley faces more than the murder he committed against a councilman in Milarc. Not only is there the Legion to avoid, but also Hunters, a merciless group known for seeking people with Astran power like Owen’s for their own personal gain.


Owen and Colt vow to protect each other through it all, fighting and running every chance they get, but soon they will come to a dead end, and a choice will be made that will either end their love or uphold it.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, M M Romance, Romance, Magic, Adventure, Queer

435 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2024

About the author

Jordan's first love is high/epic fantasy. Throw in a love story and it's the perfect mix. Writing primarily MM Romantasy, Jordan loves tackling the emotions and hardships within characters, and delving into those deep parts of the mind that make us all who we are.

Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Jordan spends time with family, playing penny rummy, writing, reading, playing videogames, and walking on trails through nature.

Reviews

[book.opioid · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation of this series, I really enjoyed spending time with Owen and Colt again, as well as Gilda and Brom!

A massive thank you to Jordan for providing me with an ARC copy of this book.

I really love the authors writing. It's easy to follow along and get swept up in the world. The pacing is perfect, and I felt the growth between the character relationships was beautiful. I will fight anyone who tries to come between Owen and Colt, leave them alone, they are just beautiful people, their romance had me smiling ear to ear the entire time 🥰

There's nothing really to fault here in this story. It has action and tension, great relationships, humour, and magic - it's not over the top either, and underneath it all, it's cute and swoonworthy.

I hope you enjoyed the book as much as I did!

[Marcos “MSMDragon” · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than the first book. The story is still super interesting and the characters are still great. The romance has finally arrived and the author has done a better job at making me feel each moment in the story, rather than just showing me.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series truly has some of the best world building I’ve read in a while, and it is done so seamlessly and effortlessly, after a while you forget that you knew nothing about this world previously!

I’ve read a number of books that attempt to do the same thing, but I end up confused with new terms, religions, cultures, that I end up missing a huge part of the story. But with this one, Jordan balances it out perfectly so you’re never overwhelmed with the information and genuinely understand it before learning something else. And it is a world that is so unique to anything else I’ve read which makes it all the more thrilling!

I don’t even know where to start with Owen and Colt. Amidst a treacherous, exhausting and seemingly never ending journey to unguaranteed safety, somehow these two are still the happiest they’ve ever been purely because they have one another. I can only describe reading of their relationship as a cozy warm blanket in front of a fire in the middle of a blizzard. Their relationship is not overdone in a way that it seems unrealistic, but really just as two people who have found a home in one another during unthinkable struggles.

I am absolutely over the moon that the third and final installment of this story will be out in October! I will be counting down the days to see if Owen and Colt finally get the peaceful, quiet cabin they’ve been dreaming of together. A must read!!

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes it's nice to just turn your brain off and stop considering plot holes.

[Christina]

2.5 Stars

[Richard Fair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Saga of Epic Proportion

Jordan Lee has created a world full of life and love. The series will grip your heart and mind while taking you on a journey of questions and desire. We get to experience the wonders of blooming love and see it grow to encompass others on this strange trek through the present while haunted by the past. The characters grow into people we become friends with; laughing with them, feeling their excitement and joy while always expecting the unexpected. Your journey through this saga of life brings you close to unexpected reality. Now, we are left in sorrow and utter bewilderment asking what in the world will happen next. Jordan Lee is a master of storytelling and I can hardly wait to learn what will happen next with these characters I have grown so close to.

[David Cottington · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE CLIFFHANGER OF IT ALL... HOW COULD JORDAN LEE DO THIS TO US?? 🙊

But cliffhanger = book 3, so I'm not mad. I just love following these guys and watching their relationship grow. 🥰

I also really enjoyed having another couple of people coming along on the journey with us this time - but I can't talk about that right now (spoilers)! 😢

Colt and Owen's relationship had to develop to progress the story but there was something so charming about the sexual tension in the first book that I did end up missing a little in this book. Although quick handys in the bath are more reflective of real life AMIRIGHTGIRLS? 💀

A little bit of a slower pace in this one but I LOVED the ending and I can not help but think that Jordan has got something big planned for the third book. I can't wait! 👌🏼

[Lynn A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic world building, great characters, slow burn romance. I absolutely could not put this down! This definitely has a cliff hanger, which I’m not a fan of, but I adore “seeing” the world through the characters’ eyes as they journey through new areas and meet new people. The descriptions are so clear and well done that it’s easy to picture but not so wordy or intense that it slows the story down or pulls you out of what’s going on. Absolutely love this author and can’t wait to read what happens next!

[C.J. Aralore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Saga of Wielders and Hunters by Jordan Lee picks up where A Tale of Whispers and Rogues left off, with Owen and Colt searching for the Silent Road with their new companions Gilda and Brom. Now that Owen and Colt are finally together, we get plenty of romance between them intermixed with lots of new action, danger, and surprises.

Like the first book, we're still on a journey and being tracked by Elian, but a new group called Hunters is after them too. Still, despite the constant running and danger, we get plenty of sweet moments between our two leads. And, unlike the first book, things go well beyond PG and even R as their physical relationship progresses (ie, sex scenes).

And I do mean progress. Even though they've finally gotten over themselves enough to be together, they still have their own issues to work through and a lot to learn about each other. Being there as their relationship blossomed was definitely my favorite part. In fact, I'd say having them already together is a big part of why I enjoyed this second book even more than the first.

Amidst the compelling action and ever present danger were plenty of twists that I didn't see coming. There's also that sense of injustice to the world, this idea that Wielders steal power from innocent children naturally born with it. They then use that power to torture others to get more power. Stop and think about just how evil that is. And yet they act like they're the good guys.

It actually parallels so much with real life conversion therapy. For years, queer youth were sent by their families to be "cleansed" of what they saw as unnatural or evil feelings. They'd return broken and suicidal, but those doing the rituals said they were able to live "normal" lives now. Really, it turned out those in power were preying on fear to gain power for their own egos and even perverse gratification.

It's that real world evil that I was reminded of when reading about the Legion's beliefs system. The solution is the same too: accept yourself. Though, sadly we don't get something like Exodus International closing its doors and apologizing here.

Which brings me back to what I thought when reading the first book, that there's more to the history and magic than the Legion are saying. The problem is that book 2 still has that "shadow man" and even more hints at Owen's power being tied to darkness just like the Legion claims. How can Owen be right to fear what he is? I kept hoping for some big reveal that clears everything up. I don't want Owen to be the villain!

Seriousness aside, I loved the interactions between Gilda and Brom. They were a regular comedy duo that helped lighten the mood between all the action. I kept rooting for them to get together too! I especially liked Gilda's backstory and reasons for her actions.

Surprisingly, having Amias still captured and absent worked, probably because there were so many new characters and villains to keep up with. Though, I once again wanted to see more from Elian's perspective, as I feel his is the most interesting and complex of the side characters. After all, he's a witness to the atrocities of the Legion, but he's still hell bent on finding and killing Owen.

The only real problem I had was that ending. Yes, it's a cliffhanger! Okay, so this is common in series, but there was also something else I can't mention because of spoilers. The ending also opened up a whole bunch of new questions and possibilities and broke my heart and just... everything. I still feel distraught thinking about it. So, no happily for now like book 1. Maybe that's a minor spoiler, but one I feel readers should know. Still, it made me feel so much that I count it as a good ending simply because it was definitely effective.

Overall, the balance of romance and fantasy action, with the inclusion of new villains and monsters, makes for an enjoyable read that I couldn't put down until I was done. If you liked the first book, you literally *have* to read book 2.

Owen and Colt. Need I say more? No, no I don't.

[R E · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book of the series is much better than the first. It’s darker than the first book, but there are also tender and peaceful scenes as Owen and company flee hunters and core wielders. Here, the story moves to the southern part of the author’s fictional world and one that is less derivative (albeit using plenty of familiar tropes and set pieces). As a note, this second book ends on a cliffhanger.

While better, the book is uneven.

First, I need to say something about the wolf-dog, whose name is Gypsy but whom Owen calls Clove. How dense can this author be, using a cultural slur as a name?

Strange word choices continue to plague this series. There are multiple instances in this book, but I’ll share one:

"An expulsion of tingling sensations bolted throughout Owen’s body again, and he pushed his finger deeper into this man’s mouth."

This, obviously, is a love making scene. So why the use of the word “expulsion”? It not only conjures negative associations from one sense of the word (being expelled from high school, say), but the other sense that is meant here, that of being forced out the body, doesn’t really fit the mood of the scene.

These missteps make it seem like the author doesn’t have a strong grasp of English, or of being semiliterate while trying to sound literate. But there are other long passages that are fairly well written (except for the occasional cliché). These tend to be scenes that are dramatic plot twists, usually followed by a lot of action.

But the love making scenes? Awful. Horrible. They’re awkward and hackneyed. It’s almost as if the writer regresses to a juvenile, slash fiction style. This is all the more apparent because there are other scenes of everyday intimacy that are much better, filled with small details that show the author can write from careful observation of everyday life.

The strength of this series is the relationship between Colt and Owen. There’s plenty (too much) cliché descriptions of their relationship, but there’s also a side that feels fresh. My guess is that this is largely due to the way Colt’s character is drawn. Owen continues to be almost impossibly sweet, innocent and altruistic; he’s a cardboard character that nevertheless becomes more rounded as the story progresses. Gilda and Brom are also fleshed out, and the author succeeds in making us care about them despite the fairly regular bits of dreadful writing.

And yes, I’m going to read the (hopefully) last book. The story has grown on me.

[VersaiVex_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's been a long journey already. When will all this running end?"

We enter book 2 with somewhat of an omen and more running. The punches never stop coming for Owen and the gang. The continuously moving group kicks up their pace to avoid the Legion at all costs. Following along with the plan from Amias, the gang keeps navigating and escaping capture at every turn.

The author did a great job with making you, the reader, feel distraught, exhausted, hopeless and cold with the rest of the gang. You truly feel the heavy burden that Owen has on his shoulders.
With a whole set of new obstacles, new people to meet/avoid and situations that feel absolutely hopeless to conquer you truly see the true essence of Owen. Even with Owen's guilt and despair growing throughout the book, he is coming into his own as a Shadowborn.

Owen and Colt get a lot closer in this book and it's sweet, comforting and spicy (depending on who you ask. In terms of Owen, it's spicy). With all the negative emotions and situations, Owen and Colt's exploration of each other gladly breaks up the hopelessness they feel on the journey.

Overall, this book had incredible build up for the Owen and the gang. We got to see more creatures and more towns. We got to see Colt being sweet on Owen and really falling in love with Owen. As well as them becoming home for each other, even in the darkest of times.
Worldbuilding imo was great and the author did great making you feel the stress and fright of the treacherous journey.

We get to see the power struggle between the Legion and Astrans & the rotten morality of the Legion. Although we don't have the full picture of why Astrans and Shadowborns are being hunted, this book really starts to drive home the genocidal process of the Legion. How one track minded the Legion truly is.

[Cynic530 · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. The author put a lot of care into the development of Owen and Colt’s relationship, which was really beautiful to read. I also really enjoyed the feeling of found family this book evokes, and Gilda and Brom are great characters who really add a lot of value to the story. I also found the common thread of zealotry being the real villain interesting, as this books introduces a new villain who wreaks havoc while being a true-believer in their own cause.

Unfortunately, there were several things that just didn’t work for me in this book. Some of the foreshadowing was a little heavy handed; without giving any spoilers it was very clear to me from the beginning who wasn’t going to make it out of this book alive. I also found other things frustrating, such as Owen’s failure to communicate so much information to his travel companions and his unwillingness to listen to Colt’s concerns. The dozens of references to Owen’s ability to use his powers for healing drove me crazy, especially because he never once even attempted to figure it out despite myriad injuries along their journey. I really felt like the author is trying to set Elian on an arc of redemption, but it’s been poorly executed because even with him as a POV character, I just couldn’t see any genuine humanity, kindness, or sense of personal responsibility. Lastly, even though I expected it, I hate cliffhanger endings. I think cliffhangers are sloppy and lazy.

Overall, the good outweighed the bad for me with this book. This author has created an interesting world with characters I care about, and I want to know more about how their story will evolve and ultimately end. It just wasn’t as an enjoyable of a journey as the first book.

[Kyle Speilberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this continuation of the series! Seeing and feeling the connections of Owen & Colt, Gilda & Brom, them as a family, as well as Elian & Rhielle grow throughout the book was beautiful. As much as you want to hate Elian for following the Legion’s orders, you get a glimpse of the pain and regret he has being a part of the cruel and unusual tactics of the Legion. Meeting other minor characters such as Lou, Bridge and his family were amazing additions that tugged on anger as well as heart strings. Getting a glimpse into Owen’s father’s past and his involvement with the resistance was very interesting as well! Seeing Owen come into his power more so in this book was thought provoking - a few times I stopped myself and asked, is he getting glimpses of the future in his poetry? A lot of foreshadowing happened in this book that left you on the edge of your seat, flipping page by page to find out what happens next. The ending was beyond painful, but I understand why the events unfolded in the way they did. Writing something so devastating could not have been easy, so I respect the author for having the ability and grit to follow through with the action. Becoming attached to these characters was easy, so empathy and compassion come easy. The world will never be the same without that cunning and quick-witted Astran woman.

I could barely put this book down - onto the last book, even though I don’t want this series to end!

[Alastair H · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in this great fantasy series was just as exciting and good as the first! I love this series! These are suspenseful and action packed fantasy romances full of intriguing plot and sweet moments of being in love. This one picks up right after the first book's cliffhnager, so we immediately get thrown into Owen and Colt's predicament.

This book was more tense than the first I think, a lot more action and honestly Colt and Owen have worse luck lol, it'll keep you clinging in the pages. I love how these are kind of like a video game, with lots of different sceneries and combat that manages to be exciting every time.

And these bad guys just suck. We get their POV sometimes which I can't decide if I like or not since usually I want to hit them over the head with a chair. I wish death upon them all god they annoy me so much. Leave my babies alone.

It made me so happy Colt and and Owen's relationship flourished so beautifully in book 2 despite all the drama and danger, they seem completely meant for each other and I just love them together so much.

I can't wait for book 3, this one ends on a cliff hanger worse than book 1 imo and seriously I need to see how this all turns out. I really enjoy this series and recommend it to anyone who likes romantasy with strong plot elements and very likable characters.

[meevreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

- ARC reviewer -

Wow! That last chapter was brutal...but oof, what a ride!

A Saga of Wielders and Hunters is the second book in the Shadowborn series. It follows Owen and his fugitive friends along their journey through the Silent Road, as they try to evade not only Legion Wielders, who want to kill Owen for being Shadowborn, but also Hunters, who have a completely different agenda for him and his powers.

I loved this book! To be honest, I have been infatuated with Owen since book 1, he is such a sweet soul, the perfect sunshine to Colt's grumpiness. These two have come a long way in their relationship, and it's great to see how it evolves in this one. This book is steamier, I loved the intimate scenes because, as they are constantly on the move, they only have little stolen moments here and there, but they are making the most of it and it's all the more meaningful because of it.

Brom and Gilda are the perfect side characters, Gilda acting as the doting mother and Brom the rugged wannabe cook. Their banter was very entertaining, and the fact that Colt and Owen kept a running tally of wits between those two was hilarious.

Story wise, we get a few revelations and twists and learn a bit about Owen's father, his dagger and Cores.

The book ends on a cliffhanger and we are still in a grey area where it's unclear who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds.

Thank you Jordan Lee for providing me with an early copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

[bookishmarcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation, there I say, possibly my favorite of the two!

Loved getting to read about Owen and Colt again as they journey through the world of Milarc and Avathon. The humor, the love, the world building, the naughty scenes, it was all amazing.

The love between Owen and Colt is so genuine and raw. They way they would do anything to protect each other. Then there was Gilda and Brom, we got more into their lives as they joined our two main characters in their journey. They all went from being strangers to being a family that no one can tear apart.

Also, talk about the MOTHER of all cliffhangers, I really hope a third book comes out soon.

Favorite quote: "I am in love with the orange lights that glow in the night. From my home I see them, flickering within sight. Like embers do they burn, igniting a heat that touches my heart. I want to hold them in my hands and hug them to my chest, so that I may feel the warmth of the homes they light. The orange lights that glow at night."

[Human Person · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Now that the MCs are properly together, their personalities have evaporated and they both share a single character trait: obsessed with each other. The plot meanders and doesn't always make logical sense. The tone is frequently incongruent with the circumstances. Owen's powers are inconsistently weak or strong depending on what makes for higher drama. The intimate scenes are lukewarm at best, and the MCs' feelings for each other have little apparent substance.

So why did I listen to 15+ hours of this? I honestly don't know. It's frustrating, but not incomprehensible. The narrator's voice is nice enough to listen to. Despite my complaints, I'll probably listen to the third and final book. I can't leave this on a cliffhanger. And I'm hungry for content. Sometimes, it's okay to let one's eyes glaze over and not think critically about media.

[Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this for an honest review! Thank you Jordan for the opportunity!

Oh my gosh - look, I loved the first book. I loved getting to meet the characters, the world, the magic. But this book really swept me up in the best way. With found family deliciously ripe with our quad of runaways & Owen and Colt's romance heating up in both a spicy but wholesome way? This book has everything!

From an amazing magic system that we're really beginning to understand more and more as the lore is revealed to wolf dogs and pots and pans that are our companions along the journey? I can't say enough about this story.

It really hits all of those Romantasy needs in the BEST way. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Run (like our characters) don't walk to read this!

[Marian Divilek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose it's not a spoiler to mention that the relationship between Owen and Colt evolves and deepens. While running away from Wielders, bad luck seems to bring even more evil and ruthless enemies into their way, the Hunters. Always on the run, the main heros keep losing and finding one another, but helping each other makes them into a family. We might even understand that Owen plays a more important role in the events to come. One, he never desired.
If you are a romantic soul, you will also encounter beautiful intimous moments which will make your heart melt (and somethig else harden). You might even shed a tear or two.
I'm curious about Book 3.

[CitrusJam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book wasn't perfect - but the characters were interesting, and both the plot and the world-building were decent. I had high hopes for the second book... and yet.

Both MCs seemingly lost their personality in favor of mooning over each other. The already thin plot meanders hopelessly. With no tension whatsoever, the same flaws I managed to overlook in the first book now jump at me: inconsistencies and plot holes, awkward phrasing, typos, cartoonesque vilains, a seemingly endless supply of clean clothes to change into...

I struggled to read the first third, than skimmed through to the end. I will not be reading the 3rd book.

(As always, I rate indie books higher than I would traditionally published books.)

[Rach Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt like such a wait for this book - I should’ve known better than to race through this one too!

As per book one, I absolutely loved the characters - we saw a lot less of Elian and Rhielle in this one and more of Owen, Colt, Gilda and Brom.

I loved all the different trials that they all faced, as well as the building relationship between Owen and Colt, but also between the four of them as a group. I can’t wait for the next book to finally know more of this elusive shadow and to find out more after that shocking ending to this one!

[isthisakink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so lost.

Like, don’t get me wrong, I loved it, same as the first book.

But I am so confused and lost after that ending. I no longer have any clue what’s going on, I’m still kind-of annoyed that nobody seemed to get the “don’t tell people your real name” memo, and I need the third book. Clearly.

4/5. Nothing I thought matters anymore and everything is on fire. I love being shocked and stumped, but not when the next book isn’t out because I’m whiny and want to know NOW.

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really wanted to like this one. I enjoyed the first story in the series but I just couldn't get into this one, the story just felt really generic and repetitive, I've lost count how many times Owen and Co manage to scape while being found like 2 weeks after lol.

There wasn't enough spiciness and the scenes between the main leads just became a drag to me. I really struggled to finish it.

[Aleksy Hawthorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like it as much as the first book but I enjoyed the progression of the story and the character development.

It took me a bit longer than I would've liked to read this book but I'm a mood reader and I blame it on that. I am excited to read the last book and see how the story ends!

[Bexbookrex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great 2nd book!

A Saga of Wielders and Hunters by Jordan Lee is a wonderful fantasy, a continuation of the story in book 1. I am eager to read the final one in the Shadowborn series.
Romance - ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Steam - 🔥🔥🔥
Humor - 🤣🤣
Angst - 😭😭😭😭
Writing - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[TayTay · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHY IS THIS ONLY JUST A TRILOGY!? Omg I don’t want it to be over. Even as I write this review I’m reading the third book.

I’m about to inhale this entire series in less than a week. I love Owen forever and ever. Colt is my hero. ALL of the characters are A+

The story is so intense while also SMOLDERINGLY sweet and touching. Can’t stop. It’s all I’m doing with my free time.

[Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok well THAT was a crazy ending and an even bigger cliffhanger than the last book. Definitely an enjoyable read, though some parts seemed a little repetitive.

[Russell Moll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Owen can’t catch a break. Lots of running in this one. Ending was pretty solid as was the progression of colt and Owen’s relationship.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore these two characters. These books are an amazing blend of an adorable and heartwarming courtship alongside a mysterious and tense plot. Can't wait for the conclusion.

[Wayne Quarles · Rating 5 out of 5]

intense and captivating

As I started with book 2, I applaud the author in giving enough background to get me involved. By the end I was thirsty for more. !