What do you think?
Rate this book
Kingdom of Shadows
What if I told you that there was no hope left? That the darkness might actually win this time?
Ryn is given a chance to redeem herself. An opportunity to help the Queen of the Sol Kingdom who has been searching for her for some time. But what happens when Ryn’s new life may not be as wonderful as it initially appeared? She is struggling with the past that haunts her, but she realizes she is not the only one with secrets buried deep in her heart.
Ryn starts to question her new life. The Sol Kingdom has a dark secret lurking beneath its catacombs. What if the darkest secret she has kept locked away is now forced into the light? Will Ryn be able to escape the past that never seems to be forgotten? Or will she give in to the darkness that seems to have its icy claws holding her hostage?
Ryn is given a chance to redeem herself. An opportunity to help the Queen of the Sol Kingdom who has been searching for her for some time. But what happens when Ryn’s new life may not be as wonderful as it initially appeared? She is struggling with the past that haunts her, but she realizes she is not the only one with secrets buried deep in her heart.
Ryn starts to question her new life. The Sol Kingdom has a dark secret lurking beneath its catacombs. What if the darkest secret she has kept locked away is now forced into the light? Will Ryn be able to escape the past that never seems to be forgotten? Or will she give in to the darkness that seems to have its icy claws holding her hostage?
422 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2024
5 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 15, 2025
A.G. Booth's Kingdom of Shadows is the kind of fantasy novel that doesn’t just invite you into a new world it drags you into its shadows, whispers secrets into your ear, and dares you to look away. From the first page to the last, I was completely immersed in the emotional weight, the haunting atmosphere, and the razor edged moral ambiguity that the story so skillfully navigates.
At its core, this is a story about redemption but not the glossy, triumphant kind. Ryn, our central character, isn’t a flawless heroine. She’s broken, haunted, and carrying secrets that fester just beneath the surface. The kind of protagonist who makes you wince with empathy because her pain is raw, and her decisions aren’t always easy to swallow. And that's exactly what makes her so compelling. She feels real deeply human, even when surrounded by the magic, courts, and dangers of the Sol Kingdom.
The premise initially feels familiar: a mysterious summons, a queen with a hidden agenda, a kingdom that’s not quite what it seems. But Booth cleverly subverts the typical tropes of fantasy. The Sol Kingdom isn’t a golden realm of justice and peace it’s a kingdom bathed in literal and figurative sunlight, but beneath its radiant exterior lies something darker. The catacombs beneath it are not just physical they’re metaphorical, winding corridors of guilt, memory, and pain. It’s no accident that Booth chose to ground much of the novel’s emotional unraveling in these underground chambers.
Ryn’s past isn’t just a backstory it’s a living, breathing force in the narrative. The weight of her previous actions, whatever they were (and Booth does a brilliant job teasing them out over time), presses on every scene. And while the Queen may offer her a chance at redemption, it becomes increasingly unclear whether that offer is genuine or a manipulation of someone too fragile to resist the lure of belonging. There’s a creeping dread as Ryn begins to piece things together, and that tension between what she’s told and what she suspects is one of the novel’s greatest strengths.
One of the things I appreciated most about Kingdom of Shadows is the nuance in its moral compass. There are no perfect characters here. The Queen herself, for all her regality and charisma, seems to operate in that grey zone between justice and ruthlessness. The people surrounding Ryn advisors, soldiers, even the citizens are painted with similarly murky strokes. It’s a world where survival often requires compromise, and Booth doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of those compromises.
There’s a particularly harrowing moment without giving too much away where Ryn is forced to confront a secret from her past not just privately, but publicly. And the way Booth handles that scene is a masterclass in emotional pacing. We feel Ryn’s panic, her rage, her shame. And perhaps more importantly, we feel how close she is to surrendering not physically, but emotionally to the darkness that’s always been with her. It's not melodramatic; it's intimate and painful.
Magic exists in this world, but it’s not flashy or overbearing. Instead, it’s quiet, strange, and deeply tied to the emotional and psychological fabric of the characters. The way the magic is used or in some cases, restrained tells us more about the characters than their words. That subtlety is rare in fantasy, and Booth deserves credit for weaving the supernatural into the story without ever letting it overshadow the human drama.
Booth’s prose is lyrical without being flowery. She has a gift for metaphor and internal monologue, and some of Ryn’s quieter moments especially those that take place in the shadows, whether literal or emotional resonate long after the page is turned. There are lines that feel like they were torn out of a diary, confessions whispered to no one. It’s intimate and vulnerable writing that makes the world feel rich even in its stillness.
But if I had one criticism, it’s that at times the pacing drags just a little in the middle third. There’s a lot of internal conflict (understandably so), but a few sequences felt like they retreaded the same emotional ground. I kept hoping for a sharper external threat to push Ryn forward a bit sooner. That said, the payoff in the final act more than compensates for it. When the secrets finally come to the surface when Ryn is no longer allowed to hide, and neither is anyone else it’s nothing short of riveting.
The themes Booth explores trauma, guilt, redemption, identity, and the nature of power are tackled with care. There’s no neat bow at the end, no clear answer to whether Ryn is truly “redeemed.” And honestly, I’m glad there isn’t. Because life doesn’t work that way. Healing, if it happens at all, is messy, nonlinear, and deeply personal. Kingdom of Shadows respects that, and in doing so, it earns its emotional weight.
The title, too, is clever and deeply appropriate. The "kingdom" isn't just a geographical location; it’s the interior landscape of Ryn's soul a place where shadows dominate, and the occasional flicker of light has to fight to be seen. Booth understands that real battles are fought not just on battlefields, but in hearts and minds.
In conclusion, Kingdom of Shadows is an emotionally intense, thematically rich novel that blends fantasy with psychological depth. It’s not a story about heroes and villains it’s a story about survivors, and the ghosts they carry with them. Booth’s world building is subtle but effective, her characters are painfully real, and her writing hits that sweet spot between elegant and accessible.
If you're looking for a fantasy novel that values emotional resonance over spectacle, that asks hard questions about identity and forgiveness, and that doesn’t flinch in the face of darkness then this book is for you. I closed the final page feeling both devastated and strangely hopeful. And that, to me, is the mark of something special.
At its core, this is a story about redemption but not the glossy, triumphant kind. Ryn, our central character, isn’t a flawless heroine. She’s broken, haunted, and carrying secrets that fester just beneath the surface. The kind of protagonist who makes you wince with empathy because her pain is raw, and her decisions aren’t always easy to swallow. And that's exactly what makes her so compelling. She feels real deeply human, even when surrounded by the magic, courts, and dangers of the Sol Kingdom.
The premise initially feels familiar: a mysterious summons, a queen with a hidden agenda, a kingdom that’s not quite what it seems. But Booth cleverly subverts the typical tropes of fantasy. The Sol Kingdom isn’t a golden realm of justice and peace it’s a kingdom bathed in literal and figurative sunlight, but beneath its radiant exterior lies something darker. The catacombs beneath it are not just physical they’re metaphorical, winding corridors of guilt, memory, and pain. It’s no accident that Booth chose to ground much of the novel’s emotional unraveling in these underground chambers.
Ryn’s past isn’t just a backstory it’s a living, breathing force in the narrative. The weight of her previous actions, whatever they were (and Booth does a brilliant job teasing them out over time), presses on every scene. And while the Queen may offer her a chance at redemption, it becomes increasingly unclear whether that offer is genuine or a manipulation of someone too fragile to resist the lure of belonging. There’s a creeping dread as Ryn begins to piece things together, and that tension between what she’s told and what she suspects is one of the novel’s greatest strengths.
One of the things I appreciated most about Kingdom of Shadows is the nuance in its moral compass. There are no perfect characters here. The Queen herself, for all her regality and charisma, seems to operate in that grey zone between justice and ruthlessness. The people surrounding Ryn advisors, soldiers, even the citizens are painted with similarly murky strokes. It’s a world where survival often requires compromise, and Booth doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of those compromises.
There’s a particularly harrowing moment without giving too much away where Ryn is forced to confront a secret from her past not just privately, but publicly. And the way Booth handles that scene is a masterclass in emotional pacing. We feel Ryn’s panic, her rage, her shame. And perhaps more importantly, we feel how close she is to surrendering not physically, but emotionally to the darkness that’s always been with her. It's not melodramatic; it's intimate and painful.
Magic exists in this world, but it’s not flashy or overbearing. Instead, it’s quiet, strange, and deeply tied to the emotional and psychological fabric of the characters. The way the magic is used or in some cases, restrained tells us more about the characters than their words. That subtlety is rare in fantasy, and Booth deserves credit for weaving the supernatural into the story without ever letting it overshadow the human drama.
Booth’s prose is lyrical without being flowery. She has a gift for metaphor and internal monologue, and some of Ryn’s quieter moments especially those that take place in the shadows, whether literal or emotional resonate long after the page is turned. There are lines that feel like they were torn out of a diary, confessions whispered to no one. It’s intimate and vulnerable writing that makes the world feel rich even in its stillness.
But if I had one criticism, it’s that at times the pacing drags just a little in the middle third. There’s a lot of internal conflict (understandably so), but a few sequences felt like they retreaded the same emotional ground. I kept hoping for a sharper external threat to push Ryn forward a bit sooner. That said, the payoff in the final act more than compensates for it. When the secrets finally come to the surface when Ryn is no longer allowed to hide, and neither is anyone else it’s nothing short of riveting.
The themes Booth explores trauma, guilt, redemption, identity, and the nature of power are tackled with care. There’s no neat bow at the end, no clear answer to whether Ryn is truly “redeemed.” And honestly, I’m glad there isn’t. Because life doesn’t work that way. Healing, if it happens at all, is messy, nonlinear, and deeply personal. Kingdom of Shadows respects that, and in doing so, it earns its emotional weight.
The title, too, is clever and deeply appropriate. The "kingdom" isn't just a geographical location; it’s the interior landscape of Ryn's soul a place where shadows dominate, and the occasional flicker of light has to fight to be seen. Booth understands that real battles are fought not just on battlefields, but in hearts and minds.
In conclusion, Kingdom of Shadows is an emotionally intense, thematically rich novel that blends fantasy with psychological depth. It’s not a story about heroes and villains it’s a story about survivors, and the ghosts they carry with them. Booth’s world building is subtle but effective, her characters are painfully real, and her writing hits that sweet spot between elegant and accessible.
If you're looking for a fantasy novel that values emotional resonance over spectacle, that asks hard questions about identity and forgiveness, and that doesn’t flinch in the face of darkness then this book is for you. I closed the final page feeling both devastated and strangely hopeful. And that, to me, is the mark of something special.
June 16, 2025
If you’re looking for your next read to be short of excitement, choppy plots, and full of dull characters… look elsewhere. This book is insanely complex with its world building and character development. Not only does the tale follow Ryn, the protagonist (or is she?), but many friends and foes that play a crucial role in this land of darkness. Booth does an excellent job of engaging her audience from the very first page, drawing us in with a sense of fantastical hunger that leaves us wanting more with each chapter.
I am an avid reader of everything fantasy and fiction, a lover of Tolkien and Rowling. The way this author has created these characters and formed them into their own entirely different world reminds me of some of my favorite authors; any true writer knows a story begins with world building and creating souls to live in it. Booth absolutely annihilated her story and brought words to life on my pages.
I will say however, I am left wanting for more when I turn the final page… perhaps a book two will continue the tale?
I am an avid reader of everything fantasy and fiction, a lover of Tolkien and Rowling. The way this author has created these characters and formed them into their own entirely different world reminds me of some of my favorite authors; any true writer knows a story begins with world building and creating souls to live in it. Booth absolutely annihilated her story and brought words to life on my pages.
I will say however, I am left wanting for more when I turn the final page… perhaps a book two will continue the tale?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews