A Play of Shadow

Night's Edge #2

by Julie E. Czerneda

What would you risk for family?

The truthseer who won Jenn Nalynn’s heart, Bannan Larmensu, learns his brother-in-law was sent as a peace envoy to Channen, the capital of the mysterious domain of Mellynne, and has disappeared. When Bannan’s young nephews arrive in Marrowdell during a storm, he fears that his sister, the fiery Lila, has gone in search of her husband, leaving her sons in his care.

The law forbids Bannan from leaving Marrowdell and traveling to Mellynne to help his sister. At least, in this world.

As a turn-born, Jenn Nalynn has the power to cross into the magical realm of the Verge—and take Bannan with her. Once there, they could find a way into Mellynne, if they survive.

The Verge is wild and deadly, alive with strange magic. Dragons roar and kruar wait in ambush, and the powerful turn-born who tend their world do not care for Jenn Nalynn. But Jenn is willing to try. Their friends Wisp and Scourge -- and the house toads -- offer their help.

But what none of them know is that Channen is rife with magic, magic that flows from the Verge itself. And not even a turn-born will be safe there.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Dragons, Canada, Romance

592 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 4, 2014

About the author

Having written 25 novels (and counting) published by DAW Books, as well as numerous short stories, and editing several anthologies, in 2022, Julie E. Czerneda was inducted in the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Her science fiction and fantasy combines her training and love of biology with a boundless curiosity and optimism, winning multiple awards. Julie's recent releases include the standalone novel To Each This World, her first collection Imaginings, and A Shift of Time, part of her Night's Edge fantasy series. For more visit czerneda.com Julie is represented by Sara Megibow of Megibow Literary Agency LLC.

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Play of Shadow by Julie E. Czerneda is a fantastical novel packed full of action.

I will admit that this book was hard for me to get through. My best bet is because I haven't read the first novel in this series, so I just didn't know half of what had occurred before this novel. That doesn't mean this book isn't good though! It was just very hard for me to push myself to read it. It almost felt like a chore because I couldn't comprehend some of the past experiences of the characters. I did look up some information on the last book, but it didn't help me. That being said, I don't recommend jumping into this series without starting from the beginning.

This book did feel fantastical though! Julie is a truly mesmerizing author and I love her talent. I felt like I was reading a Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones styled tale. It's full of fantasy, action and lore that was truly interesting.

I did like Jenn and Bannan together. They felt like a real couple and the were truly lovable. I found their development to be my favourite part of the story. I fell in love with them instantly despite not knowing what happened to them in the previous book. Shout out to Julie for doing so well with them!

The magic in this book was also fun to experience. It didn't feel like the typical dramatic magic I've seen in romance novels (which is where I commonly see magic), so I enjoyed Julie's spin on it.

Overall, not reading the first book really screwed me over with this book. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I read it in order the way it was intended. I think big fantasy lovers will enjoy this book way more than I do. I like to dabble in fantasy, but it's not really my scene. Those who love fantasy will devour this book so quickly and will truly love it. I'm just not made for this type of novel! So I do truly think this book is amazing, but in my opinion it doesn't do it for me as a reader.

Two out of five stars - since it was really hard to get into and really hard for me to get invested in.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read until 3:45am because I was too enthralled to stop when I should have. I chose to skip rereading A Turn Of Light, and I now regret that decision. This world is so wonderfully complex and magical that I think I will be better able to appreciate Marrowdell when I read both books. Scourge,Wisp, the toads, and the other magical inhabitants of Marrowdell and the Verge have captured my heart. Lila, her husband, and her sons deserve their own book, full of magic, plots, and love. A Play Of Shadow is not all sweetness, love, and light. Danger, death, and sorrow get equal time, but my feeling on the last page was joy.

[Erik Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Play of Shadows (sequel to A Turn of Light) is a wonderful weaving of the mundane and the mystical. We see the truth and dangers of winter life in a remote mountain village and it even as we watch our leading characters struggle with magic, monsters, and mystical realms. The relationships between the characters are as deeply important to the book as the events that drive them to react. And though those relationships include mystical toads, a dragon and a horse that isn't, they are as believable and honest as any relationships in fiction.

And then there's the villains, political intrigue, turtles, and moths...

And no, I'm not saying any more. Read and enjoy.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second entry into the Night's Edge series was, no surprise, a most excellent read. I was riveted throughout. My only complaint? I wasn't ready to leave Marrowdell yet! Another couple of hundred pages would have been great! (And no, I am NOT being facetious!)

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Czerneda's work. Just love it.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent sequel to Czerneda's Fantasy debut Turn of Light. Czerneda's gifts are beautifully crafted prose marvelous dialog and an unrepentant romanticism that never quite becomes saccharin.

Her fantasies are all about the small people, townsfolk and craftsmen, artisans and dreamers, those who are usually in short shrift in fantasy novels filled with kings and usurpers, warriors and power hungry despots.

Her lone flaw, and a very small one, is that her characters never truly feel endangered, or endangered for any great length of time. True narrative tension does not abound here. In its place are truly great characters, scintillating words, and a love between two characters that is never overdone or sickly sweet and yet rich and fulfilling. A treat.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Czerneda's work is exceptional. Her writing creates the glow inside me that only the best fantasy writing does. It's hard to describe, but I have a hard time putting her books down to do necessary things, like go to sleep, or go back to work from break time. She treats magic the way I imagine it; just a step away , or a turn around a corner and you're immersed.

A Play of Shadow is a sequel, so make sure to read A Turn of Light first. You'll find yourself totally absorbed in her world of magic, both sensible and homey, and ethereal and breathtaking.

The adventures of Jenn Nalynn, a villager of Marrowdell are so much fun, as she tries to balance her life in the village and her relationships with her family and loved ones and her forays into the magical world that is just a hair's breathe away.

I'm such a fan, and I'll read anything more that Julie produces! It is almost painful to come to the end of one of her books.

[J.M. Frey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Czerneda delivers. This books is both adventurous and domestic, all about the joys and importance of hearth and home, and the desperate lengths people will go to protect both... especially those who are NOT trained in the arts of adventuring.

I was so pleased to return to Marrowdell -it felt like a sunlight-soaked homecoming - with the sound of Wisp's grumbles and the scent of Peggs' pie waiting for me.

Jenn is my kind of heroine, the kind of heroine I always hope I will be. Scared, but brave enough to venture out despite her fear; kind, and all the more dangerous for it when you threaten those she loves; and clever, in that she knows when others are wiser or more experienced than her and will take their advice.

To avoid spoilers, there are two new villains that I hope we haven't seen the last of. Oh, please, Julie! One more adventure Marrowdell, with Jenn and Bannen. I'm not ready to go home yet.

[Joe Slavinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most excellent sequel, to Czerneda's first fantasy novel, "A Turn of Light", furthers the story of Jenn Nalynn, a magically "turn-born" woman, with mystical powers. I won't go into the story, as you should read, and enjoy it for yourself, but suffice to say that the sequel is as good, or better, than the original. Czerneda's forte is science fiction, but she may have found a second genre, at which she excels. She tells an excellent story, with lots of emotion, great characters, and a twisty plot, that makes the book very difficult to put down. Seriously, I'm not just recommending these books, I demand that you read them. You won't regret it.

[Scott Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Play of Shadow is the kind of charming fantasy I wish had been around for me to read in my mis-spent youth. As a young kid I was an advanced reader. Fantasies written for kids were unsatisfying and those written for adults were often forbidden by my parents for containing too much sex or violence. Czerneda's latest work strikes a perfect balance.

I LOVE the House Toads and was glad to see much more of them in this sequel. It felt like this book was more action-oriented than the first and I quite enjoyed it.

[JB Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice wrap-up to this duology. I was worried about how the clothing of the main characters had changed so much on this cover, but there's a good reason for it. I loved spending more time in Marrowdell, and could feel the warmth of all those who lived there wrap around me. Although it's been several years, I can't help but notice that while the ending of this book wrapped the story up nicely, there's still some delicious potential for subsequent books. It makes me hope that perhaps Julie Czerneda might be convinced to return to this magical world she's created for more tales.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first book. The second was ok, but it just didn't grab me as well as the first. I may be suffering from raised expectations, but I did find myself a couple times while reading the book where I was telling myself to go back and read it instead of eagerly looking forward to reading more. I'm not sure it was a pacing issue or if it was that the plot seemed a bit disjointed. Even with those feelings, I was still glad I read it.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Turn of Light, which this is a sequel to, was fascinating for how it inverted a lot of classical fantasy tropes. This book inverts the inversion, somewhat, but in a way that maintains a compelling and interesting story. I enjoyed the first book enough that the thought of sequels made me nervous, but Czernada continues to craft a story and universe that is just fascinating.

More thoughts about this book at https://northerntomorrows.wordpress.c...

[Alice Sabo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely story. These books are gentle. I can read through the conflicts knowing that somehow there will be a happy ending. The characters are interesting. The world and magic system are well established. There is just the right amount of romance to appeal to non-romance readers.

A nice change from warriors and assassins.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! I've been waiting and waiting for Czerneda to write a sequel to "A Turn of Light" and this was as good as the first one. My only quibble is that it wasn't long enough. Can't wait for another Marrowdell book.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, original world. We return to Marrowdell, a village like no other because of its proximity to the Verge, as well as travel to the fascinating city of Channen. I enjoyed meeting more of Bannan's magically-talented family. The mirror bits were spooky.
Quibble: the pacing was a bit slow.

[T J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bannan Larmensu gets a couple unexpected visitors which starts a high adventure that will keep you reading and not wanting to put it down. With the help of Jenn and their friends they have to come to the rescue of his sister. Hope the author will give another book in this series.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great continuation of the story, made me want to go back to re-read the first book again. Cannot wait for the next book.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway...thank you! Passed this novel on to a young person in my neighbourhood and she loved it! She says it deserves four stars!

[Caroline Ingvaldsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two in the Night's Edge series, another romantic, exciting fantasy with excellent pacing and engaging characters.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book! I am really liking the characters, and the world is interesting. Now I have to wait for the next one in the series though...

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyed this book as much as the first, the author continues to come up with new and interesting ideas, but I really love the complex characters

[Ian Verhappen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Czerneda does not disappoint. Another excellent story from an author for whom I cannot wait for the next title whether it be from Marrowdell or another of her worlds

[Doug Plamping · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time to move beyond the village. The depth and span of the characters (even the dragon!) and the worlds they live in continues to grow, entrancing and fascinating the reader.

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, but not as much as A Turn of Light. The plot of A Play of Shadow was much more convoluted, and having too much going on makes a book less enjoyable for me. I didn't really understand how all the political scheming fit together, in large part probably because the author kept writing about it in a very vague and disjointed way that made her meaning hard to decipher. I was also annoyed by things like this:

Last sentence of a paragraph: Friend, was the question.

      Or foe?

End of another paragraph: Either this section of the city slept.

      Or was abandoned.

Please stop doing that! If you want a longer pause--use a dash...or an ellipsis. It makes no sense to break up a single thought into separate PARAGRAPHS. The last "sentence" of the earlier paragraph never makes any sense on it's own...oh wait, because it ends with an incomplete thought! She did this throughout the book, and it got so annoying. I don't remember A Turn of Light having this sort of thing in it.

I also could have done without the steamy romance. That's a personal preference, but I really would have preferred this to be just plain fantasy like the first book, instead of slipping into a different genre (fantasy-romance) which gives it a very different feel from A Turn of Light. I picked up A Play of Shadow because I loved the first book, so I had hoped this would continue in the same vein, and was not happy with it being so very different.

A Play of Shadow was still interesting and worth reading, but simply not as enjoyable as the first book, for me.

An off-topic quibble regarding the cover art; Bannan's facial expression shows intense concentration, like everything is going according to plan and he's just very focused, but in reality he was caught completely off guard by a couple simultaneous unexpected events, and on top of that he's afraid he'll fall in the canal and get savaged by the turtles. If it was me, I would have asked the artist to redo his expression, because that's not even close to what a surprised/afraid person would look like. I know he's got a good poker face, but under the circumstances, he should at least grit his teeth or have his mouth open to catch his breath, instead of looking like he's just performing an elaborate dance and trying to look manly to impress Jenn. Goodreads' enlarge is not large enough to see, so here's a bigger version at this link.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Bannan Larmensu has come to Marrowdell to live with Jenn, whose magic nature means she cannot leave there. But when Bannon's nephews arrive in desperate straits, and with unexpected powers, he and Jenn have to find a way to save his sister despite Jenn's limitations.

Review
I quite liked the first book in this series, A Turn of Light , as a happy, romantic fantasy. This sequel commits fully to that tone. There’s risk and danger, but not too much, and the central lovers never have so much as a tiff. It’s not too credible, but it is light, easy, and interesting.

As is her trademark, Czerneda introduces intriguing beings with unusual cultural and ecological roles. The toads continue to put in an important appearance, though they did feel to me to draw heavily on the Drapsk of her Trade Pact books. If they turn out to be secretly powerful, I think it’ll be an uncomfortably close match.

Jenn continues her development in a logical and satisfying way, edging closer to an understanding of who and what she is, though mysteries remain abundant. All the key characters continue to play their roles – Wisp the dragon and Scourge the kruar. Lila, the sister of Jenn’s lover Bannan comes more to the foreground than in the past, and I found I didn’t care for it. Czerneda relies quite a bit on family bonds, but Lila came across to me as cruel and selfish; the fact that Bannan’s okay with being used didn’t make it any more appealing to me. That’s a bit of a problem, as his quest to help Lila is the core of the book. The politics that causes the quest is very muddled, but it's a pretext for the plot, not a central element.

I recommend this to those looking for sunny (if not always lighthearted), sentimental fantasy. It’s a big book and the plot is on the thin side, but I found myself always happy to pick it up for its sentiment and innovation. There was a surprising number of typos for a ten year old book.

[Ashley]

I have been trying to get myself to read this for so long and have been struggling through. Yes the writing being good is important but I need to feel and have a connection to the characters to actually want to read a book. Bannan is your average nice male protagonist and to be honest he doesn’t seem to have that much personality or be particularly interesting as a character. Jenn feels like a bland heroine and what I remember from the last book is pretty much everyone thought she was amazing when she seems like a pretty average girl (although she had some bravery to her I admit.)

Maybe part of the problem is it has been so long between me reading the first book then reading this one, but I think I felt similarly about these characters in book one. The difference is I tried to overlook it more or ignore it at the time and that seemed to work well, but this time with feeling little to no connection to the characters I just don’t want to continue. I would say try this if you enjoyed book one but also haven’t left a big gap of time between reading the first book and the second.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sequel! Jenn finds out, to her joy, that she CAN leave Marrowdell, so long as she stays within the Edge.

Bannan's sister Lila had sent her two sons to safety with Bannan in Marrowdell while she followed her husband Emon to deadly Channen.

Bannan and Jenn then set out to rescue Lila & Emon, all having amazing adventures!

Highly recommended for all fantasy fans for lots of character-driven action and suspense!