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Shattered Light Chronicles #1

Beneath the Whispering Void

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Seph Quinn was supposed to disappear.

After a devastating loss, she was locked away, reshaped by confinement and silence. Not to save her. To hide her from the world.

It didn’t work.

Something inside her is breaking free—slow at first, then violently. Power she was never taught to control. Power that doesn’t ask permission. The more it grows, the harder it becomes to pretend she is still the girl who was left behind.

Politics close in. Old choices resurface. The past refuses to stay buried.
And then there are the men who see her clearly.

Men who don’t fear what she is becoming. Men who would kill for her without hesitation. Men whose devotion makes love as dangerous as the power rising inside her.

Seph is no longer fighting to survive. She is fighting to choose what happens when she stops holding back. Because the world is not ready for what she is about to unleash.

But it will be.

422 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2026

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About the author

Sarah Bowen

9 books27 followers
I write fantasy romance about messy people, bad choices, and the kind of love that hurts a little. And I love a touch of magic!

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5 stars
207 (46%)
4 stars
141 (31%)
3 stars
79 (17%)
2 stars
17 (3%)
1 star
4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Annelie.
715 reviews27 followers
April 12, 2026
I loved the gothic vibe of this book. Seph is an interesting character with an awful past and terrible powers.
The end of the book opened a new chapter of the story as betrayals and secrets were uncovered.
I already hated Sable... and Kieran🙄😡
Looking forward to watching them grovel...
8 reviews2 followers
April 12, 2026
⭐️⭐️ (DNF @ 62%)

This one started strong and then just…slowly lost me.

I actually was into it at first. The vibes were there, the premise had potential, and I was even kind of liking Ash (he’s weird, but like…intriguing weird at first). The relationship with him and Dev also came together really easily, which I didn’t really mind in the beginning.

But then things just started getting…random??

Now she suddenly has a ghost AND a dragon and I’m just sitting here like—why? Where did this come from? What is happening?
The warden trying to set her up also felt super weird and out of place, and nothing was really being explained enough for me to stay grounded in the story.

The constant POV switching didn’t help either. It was happening so often that I never felt connected to anyone. And that’s kind of the biggest issue overall—there just wasn’t enough character building. I didn’t feel attached to the relationships, the characters, or honestly the stakes.

Also…the FMC. She’s written like she’s strong and capable, but I just wasn’t seeing it. It felt like I was being told she was powerful without anything actually backing it up, which made it hard to root for her.

I made it to 62% before finally calling it. It just wasn’t pulling me in anymore.

It’s not that it was terrible—it just felt underdeveloped and confusing, and I needed more depth to stay invested.



🌶️ Spice: low (so far)
💔 Angst: mild
🔥 Tropes: paranormal, multiple love interests, ghost?? dragon?? (still confused lol)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
164 reviews7 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 29, 2026
Fantastic read. Love, hate, abuse, discrimination, revenge. Interesting characters. Looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Erin.
120 reviews9 followers
May 5, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 Starts

What to expect
✨ Paranormal/ Supernatural romance
✨ Reverse Harem
✨ Forbidden Love
✨ Shadow Daddy
✨ Morally grey MMC's
✨ Bodyguard/ Protector
✨ Slow burn
✨ Hidden identities/ secrets

Holy moly... this book, I was hooked!

I loved all the MC's in this book.

We have our FMC Seph, this poor girl has been through it! She has been experimented on for her whole life then locked away from the world by her father.
She lost someone close to her and was then sent to Darkmoor Institute a special school for "problem students" here she meets the MMC's K, Ash, Dev & Sy.

K (Kieran) this man has so many secrets I don't know how he keeps track of them all. And I don't know if he can come back from the choices he made and the secrets, he kept from Seph.

Ash, he is the cutest psyco ever. He is bat shit crazy in the best way. He felt drawn to Seph straight away and now there is no going back for either of them.

Dev he is clever and closed off. He has feeling for Seph but doesn't know what to do about it.

Sy the shadow/ dragon guardian I love his character; he is mysterious and ancient. And very protective of Seph.

There are so many other side characters in this and I love what they brought to the book.
Jess our pyro "bestie"
Echo, guess you will just have to read to find out about her 😉

The plot of this book was crazy! Very fast paced and soo much action at the end of the book. Shit kept going down!

Love the dark gothic vibe we got with this book.

The reveals were so good. I did predict one of them but didn't take away from the book at all.

The ending left us ready and waiting or the next book! Its giving revenge! And I can't wait.

Highly recommend this book.

Thank you so much to the Author for sending me a copy of your book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
60 reviews1 follower
February 7, 2026
Holy crap! This was such a ride. I loved Sarah’s night the stars fell trilogy and had high hopes for this. She did not disappoint. Sarah excels at building her worlds but organically, no info dumps here. World building and magic mechanics are drip fed to the reader as needed to understand the characters, the plot, the stakes, letting the reader digest each new peace of information without being overwhelmed.

We have a touch phobic, traumatized FMC shipped off to an institution to hide her family’s shame where she’s reunited with an old friend and were introduced to our eclectic cast of psychos.

Jess - the pyromaniac black cat bestie/roommate
Ash - Cinnamon roll psycho mmc with flowers and raw chicken gifts in tow (it’s a thing)
Dev - emotionally closed off coldly calculating genius mmc who’s softening but only for her
K - lead butthead with so many secrets I think he might choke on them if he doesn’t start explaining mmc
Sy - mildly stalkerish, ancient, knows everything, all about balance (yes he meditates) (yes he may roast your bones with his alter ego)
Echo - poltergeist unregistered roommate who will absolutely smite all Sephs enemies if she can get her hands on a pen and she’ll draw little smiley faces after (love her)
Steph - traumatized broken but hella powerful FMC that just wants to be able to touch someone without hurting them

There’s a cast of evil baddies that we have only just begun to scratch the surface of. I can’t wait to see how this shapes up and the answers we’ll get in book 2. 5 freaking stars!
Profile Image for Maya.
108 reviews
May 11, 2026
2.5
first of all why was the writing so juvenile?? this felt like AI to me tbh. There were hardly any full sentences- just always 5 words and one of them had to be an adjective and repetitive. I didn't notice at first but it got really bad after 100 pages.
None of the characters had a strong foundation. FMC is told to reclusive and already assumes no one is gonna choose her but suddenly she's willing to entertain ash's crazy. I mean she had a steady development with JESS for god's sake.
And all the whiplash of emotions felt like even the author wasn't sure what they're feeling. One minute she's been angry at K and the next she goes to his suite and chats with him like old friends?? like what?? And don't get me started on Ash and Seph's insta-love. It was cute.....he was cute but I need atleast SOMETHING for it to believable. Dev is just there as a mediator...he has his moments but otherwise there's nothing going on.
ALSO WHY TF DIDN'T THEY KILL WARDEN WILD??? the most stupidest thing that happened in the book. Ash could've just snapped her neck and there would be one less evil in the world but NO we HAD to let her escape..cuz yk PLOT?? made me so angry omg.
And I better see enough grovel from K and Sable cuz both of their behaviour has been quite condescending towards seph and PLEASE don't make her forgive them so easily (I can just see it happen in 2nd book...). Anyways I just learn that this FMMMM soo that's not for me!! im out
1 review
May 7, 2026
I wanted to like this book but...I DNF’d at 50%
1. The writing style is short, choppy and awkward (it honestly felt like ai)
2. There is ZERO world building
3. The characters are barely characters, they have no real substance, the insta love is used like an excuse to not have a proper story.
4. The plot is sorely lacking
5. The random introduction of a dragon and then a poltergeist….hated it. Figure out the main characters and story line before adding more.
6. In desperate need of an editor!!!

The first chapter I thought, yeah ok, this has potential.
It didn’t.

Seph is a great concept character but nothing feels fleshed out. We are ‘told’ things about her but it’s all so vague that I just couldn’t care. The love interests are even worse…cut and paste crazy, but really it was chicken and flowers before fizzling, dude in a suit, and old childhood crush who hooked up with her sister. That’s it, no depth, no personality, nadda.

I can’t even really talk about events or villains because once again we are given so little to work with. I just can’t be bothered to try harder than the writer to try explaining what is even going on because I honestly don’t know and the mental gymnastics of filling in the blanks on a book I have no intentions of finishing is crazy business.









This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Shauna.
95 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 17, 2026
4.5⭐️ rounded to 5
🫑 slow burn, hoping for more 🌶️ in book 2 😍

Multi 1st person POV
Growing relationships
Touch starved/averse FMC
Tragic past
Reform school
Paranormal
No OWD

I don’t want to give too many tropes away because I don’t want to spoil anything! I really enjoyed this first instalment and can’t wait for book 2 to see where we go next.

I felt this book was fast paced, and very easy to read. We have our FMC who has a tragic past and some mysterious power that makes it so she can’t touch anyone. So far we have 4 MMCs identified, one is a blast from the past, so there is a lot of hurt surrounding that MMC. One is a psycho golden retriever, the other is a put together with a thing for blood. And the last one is a mysterious guardian.

This book involves magic and the balance of light and dark. There are twist and turns through out that kept me hooked the whole time.

There is no bullying or OWD with the MMCs which I really enjoyed. I’m a mood reader and this book hit me in my feels exactly when I needed it.
Profile Image for Iulia.
114 reviews6 followers
May 6, 2026
Honest review (no smut, just emotional damage)
I came for the vibes, stayed for the emotional trauma—and honestly? Worth it.
The whole light vs dark powers in alternate universes thing is so my jam, and this book delivers a really intriguing setup. Do I wish we got more background? Absolutely. Did the author strategically hold back information to emotionally manipulate me into reading the next book? Also yes. And it worked.
The characters are actually memorable (shocking, I know). Each one has a distinct personality, which is rare lately—no copy-paste brooding men here. Ash is the only confirmed favorite so far, but the others definitely have potential to ruin my life later.
And the FMC? Powerful but completely shattered inside. You can feel it. It’s not just told—it hits.
Now, let’s be clear: if you’re here for spice, you took a wrong turn. This is plot-first, feelings-second, and your heart quietly suffering in the background.
A bit heavy, a bit painful, but I’m 100% signing up for book two.
737 reviews13 followers
February 8, 2026
Shattered light chronicles

First in unfinished series. Tantalizing plot, PNR, potential reverse harem , magic. The world construct is barely described in this book. But, it appears to be a society where everyone has some kinds of magic, except for the lowly nulls. Magic flows on a continuum from dark to light and current politics is controlled by corrupt light users. Our heroine is the younger daughter of the council governor. She is a null and is hidden away while being experimented on by evil doctors. This abuse causes a new and rare Siphon power to develop in her, which she fears and hides. A rebellion force led by Dark magic users is trying to balance out power. Accused of killing her golden sister, she is sent to an asylum like rehabilitation institution to control/punish her. She finds several dubious friends and allies amongst the inmates. All in all a good story. The punctuation in the last few chapters requires review, otherwise fairly correct.
Profile Image for gangstareads.
339 reviews2 followers
Did Not Finish
May 6, 2026
MFMMM - DNF. the world building left a lot to be desired. Most of the fantasy elements still aren’t explained even 78% in. One of the MMCs hooks up with her sister in the flashbacks (while it’s indicated he’s in love with the FMC at that time) and I can’t stand that. He better have a good explanation for his betrayal but i can’t imagine one that I’d accept, even if he was “protecting” her, and I won’t be sticking around to find out. Also it was fairly instalove which is probably why I got bored
Profile Image for Anna-Marie Bell.
24 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2026
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The main character is incredibly resilient—she has a core of steel that carries her through every challenge thrown her way, and watching her push forward made the story even more gripping. The plot is well‑paced, full of tension and heart, and it kept me turning the pages far later than I planned. It’s a compelling story with characters you can’t help but root for. I’m already excited for the next installment.
Profile Image for Joy Whiteside.
5,061 reviews122 followers
Review of advance copy
February 4, 2026
What a read. From the moment that I started reading this I knew that I was going to be in for a thrill of a read that would take me to another reality. It moves along at a great pace, has amazing characters and a story that will not disappoint. This is a book that needs to be on your TBR list, no doubt about it.
Profile Image for Sarah Bowen.
Author 9 books27 followers
February 13, 2026
This story is so much more than just another RH trope-filled fantasy. It’s layered with characters who feel real — people with genuine pain, complicated thoughts, and emotional depth.

Seph is an especially compelling heroine. Given her background, her strength feels earned, not forced. What makes her stand out most is that she chooses compassion, even though it was never freely given to her. That choice makes her powerful in a way that goes beyond magic.

The MMCs are all distinct, each with their own voice, wounds, and motivations. None of them blur together, which is rare and refreshing in the genre.

The romance is a true slow burn, allowing the relationships to develop naturally rather than feeling rushed. The stakes are high, the world-building is immersive, and the emotional arcs feel intentional and well-crafted.

If you’re looking for an RH with depth, heart, and real character growth — please read this.
314 reviews2 followers
April 12, 2026
My kind of Book!!!

This book drove me crazy in a good way lol..so awesome crazy dangerous world with the same kind of characters with crazy powers. SY and Ash are my favorites they really will tear the world down for Seph..but so many secrets and lies..I need answers can't wait for the next book!!
5 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 30, 2026
A new world of cleverly crafted characters facing magical challenges. Drawn in from the first chapter. Take the journey to discover what is beneath the void and you'll find intriguing relationships, a complex world and a journey you'll need to continue.
Profile Image for Moni.
397 reviews1 follower
February 7, 2026
Trochę to było smutne i przygnębiające, z uwagi na to co Seph przeszła. Dla równowagi na szczęście dużo się działo i pojawiły się fajne postacie. Koncepcja posiadania mocy jasności i ciemności, dodała na plus bo wszystko zrobiło się jeszcze ciekawsze.
Profile Image for Stephanie Ann.
5 reviews1 follower
April 14, 2026
I really enjoyed the story. Reminded me a lot of zodiac academy which I loved. Especially Ash. The power struggle between the two factions of light and dark is not what you would expect sometimes those with the purest magic are the most vile. Can't wait to see how the story continues.
14 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2026
Dark Gothic Academia

Loved this dark gothic academia style story. It was so different from what I normally read. It has a FMC finding who she is and multiple broody dark love interest. Epic slow burn. And a dragon shifter.
111 reviews3 followers
May 1, 2026
Amazing

This was so good!
So much happened.
The characters were so interesting and complex. The magic system so different.
The FMC so strong. I cant decide which MMC i like the most.
I enjoyed that it was multiple POV.
Going straight to book 2!
Profile Image for Sheila Ryals.
2,699 reviews13 followers
March 21, 2026
😻

Oh wow, glad I found this book. Really can't wait for book two! Btw I'm not that keen on K! The other three are perfect though!
8 reviews
April 9, 2026
Fantastic book! Loved the world-building and the characters! I think Ash is my favourite, followed by Dev. Looking forward to the next one!
5 reviews
April 10, 2026
This is the kind of book that you think “I’ll just read a couple of chapters before bed”, then realise it’s 3am! I could not put it down!!
Profile Image for Meranda Winden.
1 review
April 13, 2026
READING SLUMP OVER!

Could not put it down!

So many moments I was screeching into my kindle 🤯

Such a great book, I am itching for book two, can’t wait!
Profile Image for Bronwyn Wilton.
9 reviews5 followers
April 19, 2026
I really liked this book. An interesting magic system. The story centres around Seph who has been hidden from the world and experimented on for years. She escapes and gets sent to Darkmore academy. She is finally able to make choices and has people who care about her. But she also starts to learn the truth about those people and the secrets of the academy.
Its dark, slow burn and some yearning. Seph isnt the kickass FMC yet, but give her time.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews