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The Shadow Sisters
A life of lies and betrayal.
Anjia has trained her entire life to become a Sister of the Temple of Kyrsma, Goddess of Love and Light. She knows one of two fates await her on Ascension Day, a life of service or a gruesome death. But as the day of her ascension comes and she is sworn to the temple, her life is no longer her own. A terrible truth is revealed to her — the temple is corrupted by the shadow demon, Khimital. And with her ascension, Anjia is now bound to it.
Along with the other sisters of the Temple, Anjia is forced to work as an assassin for the Khimital, whose only desire is to spread darkness in the world once strong with Kyrsma’s light. With each mission, the sisters perform unspeakable acts that darken their souls. Defiance is met with dominance as each sister learns that having the Khimital's influence take control of their bodies is worse than carrying out these deadly deeds on their own.
The Khimital is not without benevolence though. With each mission completed, the Khimital offers new powers and mastery of the shadows. Anjia must accept this new life that was thrust upon her and the sins she must commit in the Khimital's name. The longer Anjia is forced to serve, the deadlier she becomes. And the more power the Khimital gives her, the more she begins to embrace this new destiny…
Anjia has trained her entire life to become a Sister of the Temple of Kyrsma, Goddess of Love and Light. She knows one of two fates await her on Ascension Day, a life of service or a gruesome death. But as the day of her ascension comes and she is sworn to the temple, her life is no longer her own. A terrible truth is revealed to her — the temple is corrupted by the shadow demon, Khimital. And with her ascension, Anjia is now bound to it.
Along with the other sisters of the Temple, Anjia is forced to work as an assassin for the Khimital, whose only desire is to spread darkness in the world once strong with Kyrsma’s light. With each mission, the sisters perform unspeakable acts that darken their souls. Defiance is met with dominance as each sister learns that having the Khimital's influence take control of their bodies is worse than carrying out these deadly deeds on their own.
The Khimital is not without benevolence though. With each mission completed, the Khimital offers new powers and mastery of the shadows. Anjia must accept this new life that was thrust upon her and the sins she must commit in the Khimital's name. The longer Anjia is forced to serve, the deadlier she becomes. And the more power the Khimital gives her, the more she begins to embrace this new destiny…
584 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2025
1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Cesca
7 books145 followersOriginally from a small New England town shrouded in mystery, Matthew Cesca currently resides in the unforgiving deserts of Arizona. He has a teenage son and is surrounded by an assortment of cats.
Matt is a fantasy, science fiction, and horror author with multiple published works and just as many works in progress. He asks that you not get too attached to any of his characters. It rarely ends well for anyone involved.
To learn more about the author, you can check out his personal website. You can also interact with him as @AuthorMattCesca on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube.
Matt is a fantasy, science fiction, and horror author with multiple published works and just as many works in progress. He asks that you not get too attached to any of his characters. It rarely ends well for anyone involved.
To learn more about the author, you can check out his personal website. You can also interact with him as @AuthorMattCesca on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 27, 2025
What happens when we are forced into choices not by our choice?
This seems to be more and more relevant in these times so following the journey of The Shadow Sisters and more particularly Anjia, is revelatory of our own need for self-determination and independence of thought and actions.
Anjia is a swordplay savant and her skills become key to the story as it unfolds. Each Shadow Sister has unique abilities that are given to them but there’s a catch. They don’t get complete control to choose or determine how and when those skills come into play as they go about their missions.
Matt Cesca creates a story that is often dark but thought-provoking about what happens when our own control is removed. How we fight back, with or without fear, with or without remorse or empathy, determines the humanity to which we belong. This is a book for our times and not to be missed.
This seems to be more and more relevant in these times so following the journey of The Shadow Sisters and more particularly Anjia, is revelatory of our own need for self-determination and independence of thought and actions.
Anjia is a swordplay savant and her skills become key to the story as it unfolds. Each Shadow Sister has unique abilities that are given to them but there’s a catch. They don’t get complete control to choose or determine how and when those skills come into play as they go about their missions.
Matt Cesca creates a story that is often dark but thought-provoking about what happens when our own control is removed. How we fight back, with or without fear, with or without remorse or empathy, determines the humanity to which we belong. This is a book for our times and not to be missed.
February 7, 2026
I really loved this story. It is unique, heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. Matthew Cesca, has fast become one of my favorite Authors. I appreciate how well he writes his female hero’s/anti hero’s. He places you right in the story, feeling like you are there in these places he created, smelling the air, feeling the wind, and immersing yourself in whatever location he has created. I recommend this book and any book he writes!
April 7, 2026
The Darkest Night Still Offers A Glimmer Of Hope
An engaging dark fantasy tale about what it takes to survive when you are forced to do terrible things with no way out and how ongoing violence and darkness changes a person. Still, amidst the darkest night there is some light, and there’s a hopeful aspect to the story as well.
The story has some very interesting characters and an intriguing premise. The plot was easy to follow (sometimes easy to predict) but with a couple of interesting twists. The world building was a bit uneven, more detailed in some parts than in others, and I think the setting could have been made more distinct. The story itself dragged in places, and the text could have done with some editing — the author could probably tighten the text up by ~15% without losing meaning or flavor, IMO, and there are some consistent problems with using the wrong homonym — but parts really grabbed me, especially the last 20-25% of the book. On balance, I’d say the book is 3.5 stars, but since we can’t give out partial stars, I’m rounding up because of how well the later part of the books grabbed me.
An engaging dark fantasy tale about what it takes to survive when you are forced to do terrible things with no way out and how ongoing violence and darkness changes a person. Still, amidst the darkest night there is some light, and there’s a hopeful aspect to the story as well.
The story has some very interesting characters and an intriguing premise. The plot was easy to follow (sometimes easy to predict) but with a couple of interesting twists. The world building was a bit uneven, more detailed in some parts than in others, and I think the setting could have been made more distinct. The story itself dragged in places, and the text could have done with some editing — the author could probably tighten the text up by ~15% without losing meaning or flavor, IMO, and there are some consistent problems with using the wrong homonym — but parts really grabbed me, especially the last 20-25% of the book. On balance, I’d say the book is 3.5 stars, but since we can’t give out partial stars, I’m rounding up because of how well the later part of the books grabbed me.
November 19, 2025
The Shadow Sisters is a dark fantasy. Our protagonist, Anjia, is betrayed when she finally finishes her training and finds she is bound to a shadow demon instead of the goddess of love she thought would be her mistress. Forced to undertake assassinations, she gradually becomes as corrupted as her demon master. Readers will enjoy the twists and turns of Anjia's fate and fans of Joe Abercrombie will enjoy this book.
January 16, 2026
I read an ARC copy of this book, and I have read all the other wonderful books by this author.
This book brought out a lot of emotions and female rage at the injustice and pain. This one is definitely a darker vibe than the other reads and I highly recommend as always!
This book brought out a lot of emotions and female rage at the injustice and pain. This one is definitely a darker vibe than the other reads and I highly recommend as always!
October 21, 2025
“Light and shadow need each other. They balance each other.”
This story is not about the guardians of the light as many stories are, but instead it is about the keepers of the shadow’s will.
This is a dark fantasy. Some scenes may be disturbing. But so is life. The story touches on some real issues: Loss of freedom of choice and expression, the morality of following the mold vs following personal convictions, testing boundaries in personal relationships. It may not be your cup of tea, but if you have made it this far, then read this book. I promise you will like the story.
Anjia is our main protagonist. She holds fierce to what she desires most — an un-coerced life — and will sacrifice to have it, no matter the cost. She is tenacious and dedicated, working to perfect her skills. And her skills are pretty cool. She is a badass, though not always a likable one. I may not agree with her choices (or are the choices made for her?), but I do appreciate the mental toll she endures throughout. Her turmoil is captured on every page, and yet she perseveres.
Along with Anjia are the other acolytes, known as ‘sisters,’ of the shadow-corrupted temple. We see their journeys, too, and how they each handle this role they must play. They do not live for themselves. Their lives, instead, are forfeit to the whims of darkness’s demands. The shadow “gifts” powers to these temple-trained shadow assassins, and I was intrigued by the unique skills/gifts matching their personalities. It makes the fights really appealing to read.
This story is as deep as it is disturbing. Give it a try.
This story is not about the guardians of the light as many stories are, but instead it is about the keepers of the shadow’s will.
This is a dark fantasy. Some scenes may be disturbing. But so is life. The story touches on some real issues: Loss of freedom of choice and expression, the morality of following the mold vs following personal convictions, testing boundaries in personal relationships. It may not be your cup of tea, but if you have made it this far, then read this book. I promise you will like the story.
Anjia is our main protagonist. She holds fierce to what she desires most — an un-coerced life — and will sacrifice to have it, no matter the cost. She is tenacious and dedicated, working to perfect her skills. And her skills are pretty cool. She is a badass, though not always a likable one. I may not agree with her choices (or are the choices made for her?), but I do appreciate the mental toll she endures throughout. Her turmoil is captured on every page, and yet she perseveres.
Along with Anjia are the other acolytes, known as ‘sisters,’ of the shadow-corrupted temple. We see their journeys, too, and how they each handle this role they must play. They do not live for themselves. Their lives, instead, are forfeit to the whims of darkness’s demands. The shadow “gifts” powers to these temple-trained shadow assassins, and I was intrigued by the unique skills/gifts matching their personalities. It makes the fights really appealing to read.
This story is as deep as it is disturbing. Give it a try.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews