Return of the Shadow

by Liv Evans, Zac Pilos

Riven is ready to renounce his life as a rural mercenary and join the Enforcers when he is approached by his childhood best friend, Miri, with a job offer. Now an expert at interpreting the glyphs of the extinct magical beings known as Shadows, Miri asks Riven to accompany her and her fellow Archivists to an ancient temple in hopes of recovering valuable artefacts.

Believing the simple protection contract will provide him extra money and a chance to spend time with the only woman he has ever loved, Riven accepts. After all, the Enforcers will still be there when he returns. But the job is not as simple as Miri or Riven first believed and they run into trouble when they unintentionally release an ancient and powerful magic.

Forced to forge a symbiotic bond with an imprisoned Shadow to save his own life, Riven soon learns there is more to the world than he could have imagined, and that Miri is not the woman he thought she was...

Genres: Fantasy

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2024

About the author

Liv Evans is the pseudonym for an Australian-born author who delights in crafting stories just as much as she enjoys devouring them.

Always one to question authority, Liv prefers to write stories with fully fleshed out characters and immersive worlds. Her favourite aspect of writing is weaving a tale that makes the characters and readers question what they think they know about themselves and the world.

Central themes in Liv's work include never blindly accepting authority, finding the strength to stand up for what is right, and the power of the human spirit.


Liv's Review Guide
When reviewing books, Liv aims to look for all of the strengths in the story. Instead of starting at 0 stars and adding more for things she likes, she starts at 5 and takes away stars for errors or things that are overlooked. Liv will not remove stars simply because a book is not one of her favourite genres. That is a matter of taste, not a reflection of the novel. If Liv believes a novel is a .5 rating, she always rounds up.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is fantastic. The characters, plot, and writing style are all well developed. There were no (or few) issues with editing, character development, or plot.
⭐⭐⭐⭐This is a great book, but there might have been some issues with either plot, character development, or editing that affected the overall reading or quality.
⭐⭐⭐ This is a good book, but there were errors in at least two categories (character development, editing, or plot).
⭐⭐There is potential in this book, but the plot, character development, and editing need more work.
⭐There hasn't been a single one of these yet. Hopefully there never will be.

Reviews

[Unleishd_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging and action-packed fantasy that blends rich world-building with compelling characters. The plot is fast-paced, and the stakes are high, and it kept me hooked from start to finish. The intriguing twists and strong character development make it an enjoyable read.

The world-building is one of the book's standout features. It’s intriguing and well-executed. This book is a must-read for fans of magic, adventure, and complex relationships. I'm eager to see where the story goes next!

[EPendleton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uh, I guess? After coming off of two DNFs in a row, this was acceptable. The story was interesting enough, but it fell short for me. I needed more history, more lore. Imagine that, a lorekeeper failed to provide me the lore.

Riven/Zyndraxis are a fun duo. I liked their dynamic and awkward relationship with one another. The banter was totally believable for two “men” in one shared body. I laughed so hard when Zyndraxis caused Riven to face palm himself, or rather, slap himself. It was the type of humor I needed in this book. I get the two of them are pretty close to polar opposites, but Ruben’s timid demeanor for most of the book becomes annoying. For gods sake, you’re a mercenary and you can’t just blurt out “hey, I like you. Like more than a friend”? Still, this duo are the heart of the story for me.

I can’t stand Miri. She’s just abrasive in all the ways I wouldn’t want a Brillo pad to rub across my skin. She’s conniving (which I can appreciate), but she’s also just selfish about everything. She had no true regard for anyone that she came into contact with. I mean, literally, no one. In the end she was willing to give up Riven/Zyndraxis, if only to make it to the end of her own goals. Damn girl just throws her girly bits at everyone as long as it gets her what she wants. Look, I’m not judging, I just think it will all come and bite you on the butt, which it did a few times here.

This story is an ok read. It has the foundation to be a good book, maybe with a better writer. For me it’s just kind of flat and quick and rudimentary. Tear out some of the adult material in here and we have an introductory 5th grade fantasy book. Oh, darkness, I hope that wasn’t too blunt.

[Billie-Jean H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return of the Shadow is a fantasy Romance that features Miri an archivist of magical items who hires childhood friend turned mercenary Riven to guide her and her team into a newly discovered temple to retrieve artefacts. While that does not go to plan it does lead Riven to question his beliefs about his world views and to see that maybe there is more to Miri than the girl he remembers.

This book is a fanatsy romance with the beginnings of world building, magical systems and the history around the Shades that were thought to be extinct. It explores the corruption that can grow in power structures and who we can become to survive and beat those structures. Will naïve and stubborn Riven be able to see past his own black and white world view to get the girl or will his underestimating her abilities push her away. How will they both find a way to work with Zyndaris the ancient shade that has joined them for their adventures?

This book would be great for someone who wants an introduction to the fantasy genre without too much world building and with good pacing as the story builds. I enjoyed this book but found that I struggled to connect with the characters. I usually enjoy either heavy plot and high stakes or emotional build with great spice. Both is great which they have tried to do here but this story didn't have enough of either to really grab me. There is definite potential to the storyline and I could be really invested in the shades backstory

[Toni Hopley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Return of the Shadow, Miri, a determined archivist of magical relics, recruits her childhood friend-turned-mercenary, Riven, to lead her and her team into a newly discovered temple in search of powerful artifacts. However, when the mission goes horribly wrong and results in the loss of two lives—one of which is her best friend—Miri is forced to risk everything to save her parents from an impending disaster. As the pair is thrust into a series of perilous situations, Riven begins to question his rigid worldview, especially as he starts to see Miri in a new light—far different from the girl he once knew. Together, they must confront their own fears, limitations, and the dark secrets surrounding the mysterious "Shades," long believed to be extinct, while Miri faces far more than she ever expected in the aftermath of the tragedy.

This is a fantasy romance that introduces a whole new world and political system. The world building is fantastic but at times I lost the way a bit with the characters and they became flat and 2-dimensional. As the first book in this setting this can certainly be excused as there is plenty of room for this to pick up.

All in all an entertaining read for fans of the genre.

[kayla Buis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Return of the shadow follows a fierce FMC who will do almost anything to save her parents from a disaster. No matter the cost. When a relic recovery mission goes wrong and two people are lost, one being her best friend, everything changes.

This action/fantasy novel has a wide array of twists and turns, that will keep you guessing.

triggers: abandonment, accidents, attempted crimes, coma, confinement, control, death, fighting, fire, gaslighting, hostage situation, kidnapping, injury, threats, torture, violence, weapons, witches

Tropes: friends to lovers, slow burn, portal to another realm, quest for a magic object, good vs. evil, elemental magic, reluctant hero, discovering new powers, secret society, underdog story, mysterious artifact

[Kira McArdle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always so excited to read new books written by Liv, she has such a great writing voice for science fiction books! This one is more aligned with fantasy, but she still smashed it out of the park (alongside her partner Zac who cowrote this one).

If you liked the movie/book, The Host, you’ll really enjoy this one as it has a similar theme of another being co-inhabiting a host person and the struggles that come with having two different voices in your head trying to make decisions.

I loved the steamy moments featuring Miri and I especially enjoyed the unexpected ‘why choose’ romance vibes going on throughout the book. This is a relatively short read, which I enjoyed as I felt like it made every moment of the story super action-packed.

Thank you so much to the authors for allowing me to read this book before it was released, always such a pleasure 🫶🏼

[Tash Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The threesome I didn't know I needed!

Miri fierce magic, wielding woman seeking her parents after they were taken from her, asks helps from her lifelong friend.
Riven small town mercenary secretly in love with her who becomes bound to Zyndraxis.
Zyndraxis thousands of years old Shade with a querky sense of humour and a newfound longing for Miri and to see the world.

Hunted and on the run and still they find some time for some spice.

Loved everything about this story and CAN NOT wait for the next. There are things I need to know!

[Nikki Minty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Return of the Shadow is an electrifying start to a new romantasy series, blending gripping action, rich lore, and emotionally charged character arcs. Miri is a fierce and intelligent protagonist whose journey—from grief and loss to power and love—is compelling from the first page.
With high stakes, immersive world-building, and a slow-burn romance, this book delivers a unique twist on magical adventure. This is a must-read for fans of ancient secrets, shadowy gods, and complex relationships. I can’t wait to see where this world takes us next.

[Blondies Book Binge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great start to a series. I devoured it. There’s so much character building. I love Miri, the FMC, she’s fierce and so smart and educated with how to wield the magic she’s been exposed to. I love the whole Indiana jones searching for treasure meets ancient magic wielding shadow god (or should I say shade, sorry zyn baby I know you don’t like to be called a shadow lol) meets muscly warrior vibes of Riven and Zyndraxis. I’m dying to know more about this story. What happened to miri’s parents? Where did gareth go? I can’t wait to see what happens when they reach Port Egress.

This is a slow burn, plot driven, friends to lovers story. There’s one out of five peppers in spice, four out of five stars in plot, and a solid five stars in character development. There is no amount of aedris to keep me from reading the second book!

So honored to have been chosen as an ARC reader in America for this debut installment. I loved all of it.

I imagine the next book will be as epic in adventure, higher in spice, and expose us to new supporting characters. This is the perfect beginning to an awesome Romantasy journey.

[booksandkelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return Of The Shadow is a fantasy romance and is the first book the Shadebound series. The pacing was great and I liked the world building and action. I’m interested to read more in this series

[Kaylee Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Return of the Shadow follows a strong FMC who is an archivist for magical relics. She hires her childhood friend to be a guide for a relic recovery mission, that goes terribly wrong resulting in his death and releasing an ancient and powerful magic. Riven grows to question his black-and-white view of the world, while Miri tries everything to save her parents. Together they learn the Dark secrets surrounding “Shades” that were thought to be extinct.
The banter between Zyndraxis and Riven is very humorous! Overall a great read! 😊