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A Kingdom of Silver Shadows
Saoirse has one task after being Bound to the king who murdered her hunt down other members of her kind and anyone who dares to help them. For fifteen years, she’s been his unwilling faie spy. If her next mission doesn’t kill her, the guilt might.
When the king’s son offers her a deal—investigate a series of attacks on magical beings in exchange for her freedom—Saoirse reluctantly agrees. She knows better than to trust a royal, even one who claims to want his father overthrown. But she can’t walk away from a chance at freedom.
She joins the prince and a band of allies, including a charming lieutenant and a Bonded faie she despises. Drawn to the lieutenant, she struggles to ignore the Bonded, even though he seems to be the only one who understands the darkness growing inside her. But the truth behind the attacks is far more sinister than they a forgotten god of shadows is rising, calling to the silver shadows that mark Saoirse's skin.
Now, Saoirse isn't just fighting for freedom—she's fighting to survive, and for a realm she may not be able to save... or want to.
When the king’s son offers her a deal—investigate a series of attacks on magical beings in exchange for her freedom—Saoirse reluctantly agrees. She knows better than to trust a royal, even one who claims to want his father overthrown. But she can’t walk away from a chance at freedom.
She joins the prince and a band of allies, including a charming lieutenant and a Bonded faie she despises. Drawn to the lieutenant, she struggles to ignore the Bonded, even though he seems to be the only one who understands the darkness growing inside her. But the truth behind the attacks is far more sinister than they a forgotten god of shadows is rising, calling to the silver shadows that mark Saoirse's skin.
Now, Saoirse isn't just fighting for freedom—she's fighting to survive, and for a realm she may not be able to save... or want to.
- GenresRomantasy
398 pages, Hardcover
Published November 14, 2025
12 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Lily Rian
1 book5 followersWriter of magical realms and heart-pounding romance in stories that feature swoon-worthy men and women who find their strength.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 11, 2025
LOVE LOVE LOVE. Such a fun ride that was super quick and perfect for fans of all of those juicy romantasy tropes!!
It has all of this goodness and more:
Badass witches and dragons
Irish words that are fun to try to pronounce in your head but it just sounds like 𝒎𝒓𝒇𝒑𝒈𝒉.
Tall sexy fae who is suave and a total dick but in a fun way. And he's NOT the shadow daddy... she is!!!
Curvy FMC with angst!
Spicy spicy
Was there a love triangle in this? Nope, not in my head. It's called being delusional and ignoring the other guy
Yay, can't wait for book 2!!!
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑹𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ✮⋆˙
It has all of this goodness and more:
Badass witches and dragons
Irish words that are fun to try to pronounce in your head but it just sounds like 𝒎𝒓𝒇𝒑𝒈𝒉.
Tall sexy fae who is suave and a total dick but in a fun way. And he's NOT the shadow daddy... she is!!!
Curvy FMC with angst!
Spicy spicy
Was there a love triangle in this? Nope, not in my head. It's called being delusional and ignoring the other guy
Yay, can't wait for book 2!!!
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝑹𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ✮⋆˙
December 19, 2025
Why more people aren’t talking about this book beats me! I had a blast reading this one.. writing is rough sometimes but it has good bones.
November 12, 2025
A home is not a place. It is not a court or a kingdom. A home is found with the one who holds your heart."
What a spectacular debut from Lily Rian! The best way to describe this would be if you took the bonding/mythology of A Fate Inked in Blood, the action/rebellion/monsters/shit men from Quicksilver, Shadow & Bone, & Onyx Storm, relationship dynamic/villains from Tears of Astoria, and a splash of the gods/lore set in The Nightshade Crown series you would find the recipe for A Kingdom of Silver Shadows. It is such a unique story with similarities to some of the aspects of books I loved all cradled into one unputdownable story. Lily Rian has written nearly 400 pages of pure genius, and it's not even the end of Saoirse's story! I am so ready for book two!
A Kingdom of Silver Shadows follows Saoirse, a faie that has been forced into a bond with a cruel and vindictive king, alongside many of her kind. She's forced to seek information that leads to the death of many, and yet she still finds herself getting punished at the end of it. There is no kindness to her or her kin. There is only order and submission. Guilt eats away at her, but if she doesn't do as she's told, her life will end. On a mission, she learns that the king's son has been plotting against his own father, and later, he seeks her assistance, and in exchange, he will ensure that she is free of the bond that chains her to his father.
What You Can Expect:
📖Irish Mythology
📖Witches & Faie
📖Found Family
📖Dealing with Trauma
📖Bonds
📖POC & LGBTQ+ Rep
📖Dragons
I always love it when there's one line that you can distinctly remember characters for, and this novel, for me, it was:
"Tell me one true thing."
Every time I saw it, I knew there was going to be something so good said after it.
Thank you, Counterpoise Press & the author for the early copy! I can't wait for it to get out there in the world, officially, in just a few short days!
What a spectacular debut from Lily Rian! The best way to describe this would be if you took the bonding/mythology of A Fate Inked in Blood, the action/rebellion/monsters/shit men from Quicksilver, Shadow & Bone, & Onyx Storm, relationship dynamic/villains from Tears of Astoria, and a splash of the gods/lore set in The Nightshade Crown series you would find the recipe for A Kingdom of Silver Shadows. It is such a unique story with similarities to some of the aspects of books I loved all cradled into one unputdownable story. Lily Rian has written nearly 400 pages of pure genius, and it's not even the end of Saoirse's story! I am so ready for book two!
A Kingdom of Silver Shadows follows Saoirse, a faie that has been forced into a bond with a cruel and vindictive king, alongside many of her kind. She's forced to seek information that leads to the death of many, and yet she still finds herself getting punished at the end of it. There is no kindness to her or her kin. There is only order and submission. Guilt eats away at her, but if she doesn't do as she's told, her life will end. On a mission, she learns that the king's son has been plotting against his own father, and later, he seeks her assistance, and in exchange, he will ensure that she is free of the bond that chains her to his father.
What You Can Expect:
📖Irish Mythology
📖Witches & Faie
📖Found Family
📖Dealing with Trauma
📖Bonds
📖POC & LGBTQ+ Rep
📖Dragons
I always love it when there's one line that you can distinctly remember characters for, and this novel, for me, it was:
"Tell me one true thing."
Every time I saw it, I knew there was going to be something so good said after it.
Thank you, Counterpoise Press & the author for the early copy! I can't wait for it to get out there in the world, officially, in just a few short days!
November 13, 2025
“A tarnished coin is still silver, little shadow.”
Saoirse has quickly made her way into the top 10 FMCs I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She is deeply flawed in all the best ways and her trauma and healing journey had me rooting for her from the very first page.
Every character she connected with, I felt as if I were right there along side her, forming my own found-family. The characters hold their own, lovably unique and memorable. You can’t help but cheer them on (even when you’re cheering louder for another character…).
The world that Lily Rian has crafted is rich with lore and little details that slowly stack up around you, encasing you into the story. It’s not often I can lose myself in a book—to let HOURS slip past before I remember I should find a bookmark because I have to work in the morning—but A Kingdom of Silver Shadows has done just that.
From the well thought out lore sprinkled throughout the story, the gritty action scenes, and the swoon-worthy romance, this book has become one of my top 2025 reads. The only gripe I have is that the second book isn’t here already 😭😭
(I’d like to thank Lily Rian and Counterpoise Press for the advance copy. It truly was an honor to read and I’m thrilled to add A Kingdom of Silver Shadows to my bookshelf!)
Saoirse has quickly made her way into the top 10 FMCs I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She is deeply flawed in all the best ways and her trauma and healing journey had me rooting for her from the very first page.
Every character she connected with, I felt as if I were right there along side her, forming my own found-family. The characters hold their own, lovably unique and memorable. You can’t help but cheer them on (even when you’re cheering louder for another character…).
The world that Lily Rian has crafted is rich with lore and little details that slowly stack up around you, encasing you into the story. It’s not often I can lose myself in a book—to let HOURS slip past before I remember I should find a bookmark because I have to work in the morning—but A Kingdom of Silver Shadows has done just that.
From the well thought out lore sprinkled throughout the story, the gritty action scenes, and the swoon-worthy romance, this book has become one of my top 2025 reads. The only gripe I have is that the second book isn’t here already 😭😭
(I’d like to thank Lily Rian and Counterpoise Press for the advance copy. It truly was an honor to read and I’m thrilled to add A Kingdom of Silver Shadows to my bookshelf!)
November 9, 2025
This book was really good, very emotional and intriguing. The world is fascinating with supernatural creatures, different kingdoms, and a war. It's dark, sad, but as the main character gains hope, so did I as I continued reading.
The main character, Saoirse, is strong and traumatized, doing her best to survive while in enslaved by an evil king. Luckily, she has one good, true friend who loves her purely, honestly. And eventually, she gains more friends too.
I really enjoyed the love triangle but there's one suitor in particular that I was rooting for pretty much as soon as he became an option.
And the adventure Saoirse goes on was filled with twists and surprises.
And I found the fact that this story is inspired by Irish mythology very interesting. I don't know much about Irish mythology but I think this story made me want to learn more.
I'm really hoping there's a sequel in the works.
The main character, Saoirse, is strong and traumatized, doing her best to survive while in enslaved by an evil king. Luckily, she has one good, true friend who loves her purely, honestly. And eventually, she gains more friends too.
I really enjoyed the love triangle but there's one suitor in particular that I was rooting for pretty much as soon as he became an option.
And the adventure Saoirse goes on was filled with twists and surprises.
And I found the fact that this story is inspired by Irish mythology very interesting. I don't know much about Irish mythology but I think this story made me want to learn more.
I'm really hoping there's a sequel in the works.
December 23, 2025
A Kingdom of Silver Shadows completely swept me away. The world building was stunning—rich, immersive, and surprisingly easy to follow, which made it effortless to sink into the story. The love triangle was so well done (even if there was a clear winner from the start 👀), and the tension kept me hooked the entire time.
Saoirse is hands down one of my favorite FMCs I’ve read in a while. She’s an absolute badass, and I loved how deeply we got to explore her inner world, her strength, and how she processes trauma. Her growth felt raw, real, and powerful.
This book has everything: Irish mythology, witches, fae, magical bonds, dragons (!!), found family, and POC and LGBTQ+ representation woven naturally into the story.
It’s emotional, magical, and full of heart—perfect for readers who want fantasy with depth and soul.
If you love character-driven fantasy with rich lore and found family vibes, this one is a must-read. ✨📖🐉 I can’t wait for book 2!!!
Saoirse is hands down one of my favorite FMCs I’ve read in a while. She’s an absolute badass, and I loved how deeply we got to explore her inner world, her strength, and how she processes trauma. Her growth felt raw, real, and powerful.
This book has everything: Irish mythology, witches, fae, magical bonds, dragons (!!), found family, and POC and LGBTQ+ representation woven naturally into the story.
It’s emotional, magical, and full of heart—perfect for readers who want fantasy with depth and soul.
If you love character-driven fantasy with rich lore and found family vibes, this one is a must-read. ✨📖🐉 I can’t wait for book 2!!!
December 7, 2025
If you don’t like plot twist, suspense and heartbreak (your own because I know my heart broke at times reading this) then this book isn’t for you.
I could NOT put this book down. I’m not a “slow burn” reader. But I absolutely LOVED this book. There was so much action and suspense it just kept me on my toes.
FMC 100000/10 she was strong and brave and everything a heroine needs to be!
Plot - 100000/10 all the twist and turns kept me wanting more. This isn’t a normal book where you can 100% guess what is going to happen.
You can definitely tell this author took her time to plan this story out and make it special and her own.
I’ve definitely found my new comfort book! Can’t wait to see what she has next!
I could NOT put this book down. I’m not a “slow burn” reader. But I absolutely LOVED this book. There was so much action and suspense it just kept me on my toes.
FMC 100000/10 she was strong and brave and everything a heroine needs to be!
Plot - 100000/10 all the twist and turns kept me wanting more. This isn’t a normal book where you can 100% guess what is going to happen.
You can definitely tell this author took her time to plan this story out and make it special and her own.
I’ve definitely found my new comfort book! Can’t wait to see what she has next!
November 14, 2025
AKOSS was exactly what I needed! I adore slow burns and watching the characters go through a discovery of information. Each time I thought I knew what would happen a new wrench was thrown in and kept me on my toes. Saoirse was a wonderful balance of confident yet unsure of herself in a way that made her very relatable. The sassiness of the love interest was WONDERFUL! Kind of a love triangle but I had my favorite picked out early :) Lily Rian did a wonderful job with her debut and I can’t wait to see what she does next!
*Thank you to Counterpoise Press and Lily Rian for granting me this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review
*Thank you to Counterpoise Press and Lily Rian for granting me this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review
October 22, 2025
If you think fae books are dead... they're not. I ASSURE YOU THEY ARE NOT. Inside this Irish-Mythology inspired romantasy you'll find:
- a curvy fmc dealing with trauma, guilt and ptsd
- found family
- spicy, yearning romance
- "who did this to you?"
- shadow mommy
- POC & LGBT+ rep
- vengeful gods
- love-triangle *lite (meaning if you hate love triangles, you'll be fine--but if you like them, consider yourselves intrigued) and so much more.
If you love SJM but want a more diverse cast of characters, this is for you!! Truly will go down as one of my fav books of all time.
- a curvy fmc dealing with trauma, guilt and ptsd
- found family
- spicy, yearning romance
- "who did this to you?"
- shadow mommy
- POC & LGBT+ rep
- vengeful gods
- love-triangle *lite (meaning if you hate love triangles, you'll be fine--but if you like them, consider yourselves intrigued) and so much more.
If you love SJM but want a more diverse cast of characters, this is for you!! Truly will go down as one of my fav books of all time.
December 9, 2025
I really enjoyed this one! Congratulations to Lily Rian for a great debut!
I will love anything mythology inspired, and then add a yearnful romance, and a ragtag group of heroes (found family) and it’s just made for me.
Our FMC Saoirse was badass and fierce and had me rooting for her the whole time. The fight scenes were totally fun to read and then add wild creatures! So good!
Honestly this was everything you want in a romantasy! I hope there’s a book 2 in the works
Thank you Counterpoise Press and Lily Rian for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I will love anything mythology inspired, and then add a yearnful romance, and a ragtag group of heroes (found family) and it’s just made for me.
Our FMC Saoirse was badass and fierce and had me rooting for her the whole time. The fight scenes were totally fun to read and then add wild creatures! So good!
Honestly this was everything you want in a romantasy! I hope there’s a book 2 in the works
Thank you Counterpoise Press and Lily Rian for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews