A Race Against Shadows: Book One of the A Destiny of Shadow and Ash Duology

by J.A. Watson

The once-great continent of Eridaea has been shattered by war and conquest for a millennium. The mad king Brannon Danvonar, hungry for power and determined to lead the broken land back to its former glory, has forced all but one of Eridaea’s kingdoms to fly the green wolf banner of the Valdese Empire, aided by his most fearsome the mysterious and powerful Witch of Valda.

It has been three years since seventeen-year-old Istra Sanvoan was torn from the arms of her siblings and forced to become Brannon’s Witch. Tired of being the king’s most dangerous pet and horrified to learn of his discovery of the one weapon that could bring the world to its knees, she takes a chance and joins forces with the Valdese crown princess and a rebel spy, escaping Valda to reunite with her older sister and chase after a promise of rebellion in the north.

But Brannon Danvonar is a powerful man, and sinister forces plot against the runaways as they travel through enemy territory. Istra, the princess, and the spy must battle their demons and learn to trust each other before it is too late, for if they are to stand a chance against the might of the Valdese Empire, they will have to become the saviors Eridaea needs…lest the continent face its doom.

360 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Seth Madaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly an impressive and beautiful debut! The fantasy world is incredibly well crafted, the story is intense and moving and the characters are all so well realized and fleshed out. In addition to this, it’s also just incredibly well written and truly fun to read. I enjoyed myself the entire time! We are given multiple POV’s and all of them really shine with their own distinct personalities, traumas and scars, all of which help them move, very realistically, toward deeper friendships, broken bonds, healing and even more scars. Here is why that is so fascinating… this book has a realness to its characters that is very refreshing. Often times, friendships can grow too deep, too fast or things can heal a little too quickly between individuals, but what I loved about this book is that it carries a true human realness to its relationships. There is no cheating here and some of the relationships remained broken and strained and this is vastly okay, because this is real! I loved the magic system and I loved how it was utilized in the action scenes, which are all cinematic and epic, from the smallest skirmish to the climactic battle at the end. Now, what I absolutely adored in this book was the LORE. The world building is massive and so well done. There is TONS of complex history here, with gods, mortals, elves, fae, monsters, watchers, and more. I loved every single bit of it and I loved how just enough was teased out to let us know that we are in for a wild ride going forward. Watson lays out the history of this world with a beautiful prose, poetic and flowing, full of incredible visuals that jump off the page. I particularly loved how she weaves dreams and visions into the story, effortlessly creating images full of horror, intrigue and romance, all of which are utilized wonderfully in pushing our characters forward. I am beyond intrigued by what Watson has created here, and like the Watchers, I could enjoy eons of stories from this vast and beautiful world. I loved all of the characters, but of course, I was drawn immediately to Istra, the witch, and her physical and emotional journey. Her fierceness, mixed with her youth, her desire to protect, made her one of the most formidable but also most vulnerable characters on the page, and this tension is fascinating. Watching slowly become who she was destined to be is so very well crafted and I truly connected with her. This book has some twists that will rip your heart out of your chest, some action that will leave you breathless and some lore that will having you wanting to crack open history books in an seemingly abandoned castle to catch up on everything. If I had a critique, there is some physical spacing issues in the final battle that made me wonder where a few notable characters were during the action and, this one is 100% the way my mind differentiates words, the similarities in two characters name took me a moment to get them locked into my brain, but these are most likely my reading style, as this book just knocks it out of the park. I cannot recommend it enough and cannot wait to read more.

[Arianna Marieee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first fantasy book that i have read in a couple months and it did not disappoint.

From the beginning of the book it had me wrapped around its finger. The way the author describes the characters and the way she describes the stories they tell, was truly remarkable.

Istra is definitely my fav character! I was so glad to see her fully get into all her power during the war. FINDING OUT WHO HER FATHER WAS AND WHO HER GRANDMOTHER IS HAD MY SHOCKED!!! I knew something was up when it was said that the woman looked like her.


Ivera is such an amazing character as well. I loved how she slowly started to see Istra as a human rather than a witch . I think that shows how propaganda and just words coming from powerful people, really stuck in peoples minds. I think she will become an amazing queen if all goes well


I did not think that Cal was going to be such an important character at all. I thought he was going to sadly die at least once they got with the alliance. I’m glad he didnt though because him and istra are amazing together! I enjoyed getting to see his story and life before.

I did like nera but i feel as if she couldn’t comprehend that her siblings were no longer little kids, they went through traumatic events that made them grow up quicker mentally and emotionally. They were no longer just going to follow her because she’s their older sister. Other than that i think her character was written amazingly!


OUT OF ALL THE PLOT TWISTS THE ONE THAT GOT ME , WAS KESS. Oh My God. Out of all people KESS???

This book was amazing and i can’t wait for more to come out !!!

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10
It was a fine and enjoyable book
One of my main things tho was that it felt like every character that was introduced had like a 2-4 page long monologue of their life or someone elses life that they knew and that kinda just takes away from the experience of reading. I felt like the lore of these characters could have been hinted at and sprinkled in but instead it was kinda just slapped in the book. Was more telling of a story than writing.
Which is my second gripe, this book sometimes was very good and well executed and easy to follow, other times it was a little scattered, characters and events jumping from one thing to the next. Just kinda felt like i was being told a story, not shown one, you know?
But i did like the premise and the prose was very pretty at times. Nera is probably the best written character too and perfectly unlikeable in almost every way. Which makes her my fav too.
I will read the second book.

[Samavath Mallawarachchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently came across this debut fantasy novel by an engineering student. This story focuses on Istra, a girl with great magical potential who is kidnapped by a power hungry tyrant, who exploits her powers by keeping her brother hostage. As the story unfolds, we see how she gathers the courage to escape from imprisonment and fight against the tyrant, and we are given a glimpse of larger powers at work.
While this story has the chosen one trope, this story feels unique since the protagonist reluctantly engages in evil acts at the beginning of the story. The
author does a great job expressing the how the protagonist faces her trauma and guilt. Most of the main characters are well developed, and the pacing is also good, maintaining the reader's interest throughput the story. The story feels a bit cliche, but contains several plot twists.
Overall, a nice and easy read for anyone who is interested in trying out something new.

[Daniel Fansler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew me away, especially with that ending. YA Epic Fantasy set in a world ready to rebel against the Empire that desires to conquer it. There's magic, cool world building, and clearly something MORE on the horizon. The snippets with the watchers and the gods was really intriguing. The twists and tragedies in this book will leave you with a punch to the gut feeling when you finish. There's some romance, I thought it worked. It wasn't the most pivotal thing in the story but that's totally fine imo. It will likely develop more in the next book so I thought it was handled better than I've seen in some other YA books.

Can't wait for the second book!

[liss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such beautiful writing, JA Watson is truly an amazing author. The grip this book had on me from the beginning is crazy and I devoured almost the full second half of this book in one setting. So so excited to read the next one and find out what happens next to all of the characters that I'm now so invested in!

[Scott S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently discovered this author and her debut story and was blown away by how amazing it was. It’s an epic fantasy tale that is filled with thrills and action, powerful moments and intensity, all wrapped around wonderful world-building and characters. The author did a fantastic job and hooked me from the start, I look forward to reading more in this series. Well done!

[Everlie Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this read! It was like a breath of fresh air for the fantasy genre as a whole and really encapsulated the concept of feminine rage and how powerful women can be. There were a few slow spots for me, but they definitely added to the overarching storyline. Overall, this is a read I’d recommend!

[Adams Hub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the complex world-building in A Race Against Shadows. The struggle of Istra, torn between her forced loyalty to the mad king and her desire for freedom, adds a gripping emotional depth. The alliance with the princess and rebel spy creates a dynamic that promises intense conflict and growth. Can’t wait to see how their rebellion unfolds!

[Sonja Myburgh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

Loved A Race Against Shadows. The writer created this incredible world that sucks you in and makes you want to stay there forever. The story is beautiful, well wriiten, engaging and an all-round fantastic story.