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A Light in the Shadows: Shadow and Ash Vol. 1.5
Princess Aria Elway has never known a moment of true freedom. Created to restore the Fallen to their former glory, Aria’s entire existence has been carefully controlled by her father, King Adriel Elway. His obsession with breaking the Fallen curse has forced Aria to become a dangerous weapon in order to usher in a new age for her people.
As another Dark War rapidly approaches, Aria’s pre-determined path lays before her. Duty demands she sacrifice her magic to end the curse before her father marries her off for political gain. As the bars to her cage closes in, she struggles to find peace with the choices made for her.
With time running out, Aria must decide to accept her fate or make a stand against her father.
A prequel to the Shadow and Ash series by Emily Grey, this novel explores the life before Aria found herself without her memories, locked in a mysterious dome in the forest.
As another Dark War rapidly approaches, Aria’s pre-determined path lays before her. Duty demands she sacrifice her magic to end the curse before her father marries her off for political gain. As the bars to her cage closes in, she struggles to find peace with the choices made for her.
With time running out, Aria must decide to accept her fate or make a stand against her father.
A prequel to the Shadow and Ash series by Emily Grey, this novel explores the life before Aria found herself without her memories, locked in a mysterious dome in the forest.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2025
7 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 27, 2025
Every prequel has to deal with the issue of the ending already having a fixed set of outcomes - but that simply changes the challenge for the author from building a fully new story to making the journey from the start to the known finish worthwhile.
Aria is the main character in both this book and An Ember In The Forest, and we know how things will end in this book based on the start of Ember, but caring as much as we do this book is instantly compelling. I was concerned early on that Aria wouldn’t be a sympathetic character based on what we learned was her station in life, but the depth added to what we already knew about her homeland and family situation just further drives the empathy and anger about how she feels so stuck.
The author does a great job of making us fall in love with Aria all over again while also showing us her flaws and blind spots in a way that makes her more real and anticipates what is to come in the future.
The big question coming out of this story is - does the start of Ember make sense and did this make us care more about the characters and situations in Ember? And the answer to both is YES! Very much enjoyed this book and excited for the sequel to Ember!
Aria is the main character in both this book and An Ember In The Forest, and we know how things will end in this book based on the start of Ember, but caring as much as we do this book is instantly compelling. I was concerned early on that Aria wouldn’t be a sympathetic character based on what we learned was her station in life, but the depth added to what we already knew about her homeland and family situation just further drives the empathy and anger about how she feels so stuck.
The author does a great job of making us fall in love with Aria all over again while also showing us her flaws and blind spots in a way that makes her more real and anticipates what is to come in the future.
The big question coming out of this story is - does the start of Ember make sense and did this make us care more about the characters and situations in Ember? And the answer to both is YES! Very much enjoyed this book and excited for the sequel to Ember!
April 4, 2025
I received an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I LOVED this book. Once I started this book, I could not put it down and finished it in under 4 hours, mostly due to the twists and turns in the plot that kept me intrigued the whole time. This book answered many questions I still had after book 1, like how Aria got into the dome in the first place, to her connection with Casen, to her relationship with her father. I loved getting background information on Aria. Her journey through this book showed her growth between her before and after the dome.
I feel like this book was essential to read as it added to and helped my understanding of the first book and will ultimately help and lead to the plot of the second book when it comes out. I'm really excited for book 2 now!! If you were a fan of book 1, I highly recommend reading this!
I LOVED this book. Once I started this book, I could not put it down and finished it in under 4 hours, mostly due to the twists and turns in the plot that kept me intrigued the whole time. This book answered many questions I still had after book 1, like how Aria got into the dome in the first place, to her connection with Casen, to her relationship with her father. I loved getting background information on Aria. Her journey through this book showed her growth between her before and after the dome.
I feel like this book was essential to read as it added to and helped my understanding of the first book and will ultimately help and lead to the plot of the second book when it comes out. I'm really excited for book 2 now!! If you were a fan of book 1, I highly recommend reading this!
April 28, 2025
ARC reader. I received a copy for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book!! I could not put it down! It answered so many questions about Aria's past, and how she got into the dome. It also shows you more about Aria and Rhea's friendship. If you enjoyed An Ember In the Forest (book 1), then you will definitely enjoy this book A Light In the Shadow.
I absolutely loved this book!! I could not put it down! It answered so many questions about Aria's past, and how she got into the dome. It also shows you more about Aria and Rhea's friendship. If you enjoyed An Ember In the Forest (book 1), then you will definitely enjoy this book A Light In the Shadow.
June 25, 2025
This prequel is honestly such a good beginning to her first book. I seriously can’t wait for volume 2! Loving this series. Angels, magic, friendship. The whole thing is so wonderful ❤️
April 10, 2025
I had received ARC copy of A Light in the Shadows for my honest review.
I truly loved this book. This book is a must to read. If you more questions than answers from the first book, this book will definitely help you along on your journey. The author beautifully paints the tragic story of Aria’s life before the dome. It will be definitely interesting to see how Aria from book one and this book will merge for the next book in the series.
I truly loved this book. This book is a must to read. If you more questions than answers from the first book, this book will definitely help you along on your journey. The author beautifully paints the tragic story of Aria’s life before the dome. It will be definitely interesting to see how Aria from book one and this book will merge for the next book in the series.
April 28, 2025
**ARC Review**
This novella follows Aria's journey prior to An Ember In The Forest. When we first met her in book one, she had no memories of who she was until the very end. This book picks up right where she is discovering herself, revealing who she was and how she came to find herself on this path.
Aria's story is haunting and tragic - throughout her story are others who only value her for her power, and how she can better their place in the world. No one seems to value her for who she is - except for her best friend, who happens to be a rebel. Aria finding her ownership and standing for what she believes in is beautiful and sets up the future for her character and the series as a whole.
Emily is a master at breadcrumbs - layers from book one were present throughout this story and how she ties the ending back into where book one ends is fantastic.
Emily also gives us layered characters in several other characters - who is truly evil, and who has another agenda? It is truly so hard to tell at this point, and I always love that! The more complicated the person, the more intriguing they are.
Thank you, Emily, for this ARC opportunity! These thoughts and opinions are my own.
This novella follows Aria's journey prior to An Ember In The Forest. When we first met her in book one, she had no memories of who she was until the very end. This book picks up right where she is discovering herself, revealing who she was and how she came to find herself on this path.
Aria's story is haunting and tragic - throughout her story are others who only value her for her power, and how she can better their place in the world. No one seems to value her for who she is - except for her best friend, who happens to be a rebel. Aria finding her ownership and standing for what she believes in is beautiful and sets up the future for her character and the series as a whole.
Emily is a master at breadcrumbs - layers from book one were present throughout this story and how she ties the ending back into where book one ends is fantastic.
Emily also gives us layered characters in several other characters - who is truly evil, and who has another agenda? It is truly so hard to tell at this point, and I always love that! The more complicated the person, the more intriguing they are.
Thank you, Emily, for this ARC opportunity! These thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 24, 2025
I loved the first book in this series and was really excited for this prequel and it did not disappoint.
This book is so heartbreaking, and at the same time so sweet…. The way the author illustrates closeness in relationships, true protectiveness and love. The relationship between Aria and Rhea is so lovely.
I love how the author illustrates patriarchy and misogyny- it’s a fantasy book but so real, so accurate and does a wonderful job of showing the cage that Aria is trapped in by the control of her father, the “love” of Kellen and the madness of her mother.
I love the exploration of mental health themes in this book and the interesting ways the author depicts trauma.
I definitely recommend this book, this series.
This book is so heartbreaking, and at the same time so sweet…. The way the author illustrates closeness in relationships, true protectiveness and love. The relationship between Aria and Rhea is so lovely.
I love how the author illustrates patriarchy and misogyny- it’s a fantasy book but so real, so accurate and does a wonderful job of showing the cage that Aria is trapped in by the control of her father, the “love” of Kellen and the madness of her mother.
I love the exploration of mental health themes in this book and the interesting ways the author depicts trauma.
I definitely recommend this book, this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2025
I just finished this prequel to an Ember in the Forest and it was a great read. I couldn't put it down. Not only did it answer so many questions from the first novel, it had so much intrigue and opened up much more of the world of Corvale. I can't wait to see what else unfolds. The Character development of Aria, Rhea and Corvina the high witch is captivating. You learn so much more and the more you learn the more you find there is to tell. It leaves you wanting more.
I loved it!
I loved it!
April 10, 2025
This one picked up much faster than the first book in the series. As with AEITF, this book was difficult to put down, keeping you waiting to see what new twist you'd find on the next page. So much background and lore for different characters that i never saw coming! Definitely recommend!!
April 12, 2025
Unraveling the pieces of where an Ember in the Forest begins was a delightful, intriguing read. Author Emily Grey has truly knocked another one out of the park in what has quickly become my favorite series of all time.
April 15, 2025
I received the ARC for an honest review! This book gave me everything I could ask for from a novella. It was short and gave so much detail to all questions we had during An Ember in the Forest. I loved every bit it and was glad I got to read it before its released.
September 13, 2025
last 40% of the book picked up. i felt a lot of sjm inspo while reading. hoping that as the series progresses there will be more originality. the bones are there, but it’s up to the author to really tap into her creative side to make it her own.
November 19, 2025
Really enjoyed the Aria/Rhea storyline! Love that friendship was stronger than the romantic interest in this storyline! Cant wait to continue reading Aria’s journey and hoping she gets some sort of revenge against her father!
May 2, 2025
Every prequel has to deal with the issue of the ending already having a fixed set of outcomes - but that simply changes the challenge for the author from building a fully new story to making the journey from the start to the known finish worthwhile.
Aria is the main character in both this book and An Ember In The Forest, and we know how things will end in this book based on the start of Ember, but caring as much as we do this book is instantly compelling. I was concerned early on that Aria wouldn’t be a sympathetic character based on what we learned was her station in life, but the depth added to what we already knew about her homeland and family situation just further drives the empathy and anger about how she feels so stuck.
The author does a great job of making us fall in love with Aria all over again while also showing us her flaws and blind spots in a way that makes her more real and anticipates what is to come in the future.
The big question coming out of this story is - does the start of Ember make sense and did this make us care more about the characters and situations in Ember? And the answer to both is YES! Very much enjoyed this book and excited for the sequel to Ember!
Aria is the main character in both this book and An Ember In The Forest, and we know how things will end in this book based on the start of Ember, but caring as much as we do this book is instantly compelling. I was concerned early on that Aria wouldn’t be a sympathetic character based on what we learned was her station in life, but the depth added to what we already knew about her homeland and family situation just further drives the empathy and anger about how she feels so stuck.
The author does a great job of making us fall in love with Aria all over again while also showing us her flaws and blind spots in a way that makes her more real and anticipates what is to come in the future.
The big question coming out of this story is - does the start of Ember make sense and did this make us care more about the characters and situations in Ember? And the answer to both is YES! Very much enjoyed this book and excited for the sequel to Ember!
May 1, 2025
I truly enjoyed this book. I started reading it the same day it released and couldn't put it down. Aria and Rhea's friendship and everything the princess endured was just I needed after reading the first book. I like Kellen Ashford, I have mixed feelings but I do believe he truly loves her and being her fiancée, he will see more of him in book 2. I can't wait :)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews