The Seeker and the Shade

by Ellen Osborne

An intense, compelling fantasy novel for young adults and old – enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn, first love, soul mates, and good versus evil feature in this story of a battle against the darkness, both from within and without...

Inexperienced but determined, Connie is desperate to become a caster to save her village from the deadly Shade.

Arrogant and privileged, Jasper is everything she detests. He intends to become a seeker like his father before him, and he has no time for a no-hoper like Connie.

Thrown together at Blackwood, Connie and Jasper are pledged to each other as caster and seeker, learning to light the oath lamps and conquer the Shade, as well as their mutual dislike... but could the undeniable connection that flickers between them become an
unbreakable bond? Their lives depend on it, for the vows are failing, the Shade is advancing, and only those with the strongest conviction will survive.

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 14, 2026

About the author

Ellen grew up on the border of the moors and still misses them. As a child, she spent a lot of time writing long, rambling stories, which somehow over the years have evolved into proper books. These days she lives in Bristol in the UK with her young family and you can find her writing around the edges of life.