A Shadow on the Sun

by Sera Trevor

Light cannot always illuminate— sometimes the truth lies in Darkness...

Prince Theryn and his loyal knight, Sir Atrum, are both bound by duty: Theryn serves the kingdom of Glinden, and Atrum serves his prince. Although they harbor a secret love, a relationship between a prince and his servant is forbidden. Things change when the king promises Theryn’s hand in an arranged marriage to the volatile Prince Lyar of the Soltaran Empire, who needs Theryn’s Light magic for some sinister religious rite. Theryn and Atrum's struggle to discover Lyar’s scheme brings them together at last, but there is more at stake than their happiness. Atrum discovers Dark magic of his own, but neither his love nor his power may be enough to save Theryn from Lyar's dangerously seductive pull. And if Atrum loses Theryn, the world as they know it may be lost as well.

An epic fantasy tale of sword and sorcery, with a gay romance twist.

***This book was originally published with the Goodreads MM Romance Group's Don't Read in the Closet event. This edition contains the bonus short story Endless Light, which is told from Prince Lyar's perspective.***

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Magic, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Paranormal, Fiction

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2015

About the author

Sera Trevor is terminally curious and views the 35 book limit at her local library as a dare. She’s a little bit interested in just about everything, which is probably why she can’t pin herself to one subgenre. Her books are populated with dragons, vampire movie stars, shadow people, and internet trolls. (Not in the same book, obviously, although that would be interesting!) Her works have been nominated for several Goodreads M/M Romance Reader's Choice Awards, including Best Contemporary, Best Fantasy, and Best Debut, for which she won third prize in 2015 for her novella Consorting With Dragons.

She lives in California with her husband, two kids, and a cat the size of three cats.

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this prompt: a prince, his servant, unrequited love.

This story was promising at the beginning. Atrum was going to save Theryn from an arranged marriage to a man who was fire to Theryn's light.

I wanted the passion, the rescue, the coming together.

But the story got mired in politics and power, shadows and religion, Life and Darkness. Whatever the fuck that means.

I have enough of the fanatics in real life, thanks.

Many of the scenes were fade to black. There was little steam.

As the story progressed, Theryn spent more time with the "villain" than Atrum. Violence and obsession took over the plot.

The relationship hit a stalemate early on, and the last few chapters dragged.

I ended up frustrated with this story and relieved it was over.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable freebie high fantasy with characters I appreciated, from the romantic MCs to the secondary characters (and a few bonus points for positive and interesting female secondary characters.) In fact Lyar, the enigmatic antagonist, was perhaps my favorite, carrying as he did the blend of loss and anger, caring and oblivious callousness, cunning and difficult dynamics with his older advisors.

The magic is interesting and has some unique features. The world-building was well done. At times it slowed down or got bogged in details, presented a little dryly. But each time I was pulled back into the story and read on, curious to see how the interwoven relationships would be resolved.

[Sera Trevor]

Attention - this is your author speaking! Just wanted to direct anyone interested to a couple of extras on my website related to the book. I've got a (very rough) map of Erara, and a Pinboard featuring my vision of the characters, etc. for the visually inclined. Hope you all enjoyed the book! :)

ETA: I've also added a poll on favorite characters, because 1) I'm curious, and 2) I just figured out how to do polls. Let me know what you think!

[Nemo ☠️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALRIGHT WHY THE FUCK IS THIS SO LOW-RATED ON GOODREADS??? I AM HONEST TO SOLTAR GOD OFFENDED

ok right this was literally one of the best high fantasies i've ever read, and it proves that you don't need ten 1000-page books to tell a good high fantasy. the mythology and the world-building was really good and unique, and the characters (especially the antagonist) were SO well-developed. honestly, i was expecting lyor to be some boring Evil Prince Who Is Evil but actually he wasn't and he was really complex.

anyways EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT NOW. IT'S FREE. CHOP CHOP EVERYBODY

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHA. YES.

I get to be the first 5 star. YAY.

I'll write an actual review later xD

[Gillian Kevern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I wanted it to be. I had such high hopes, the moment I saw Penumbra’s prompt for this, and everything Sera shared was so promising, that I was worried that the finished product would not live up to my expectations. It went beyond them. The moment I started reading, I knew I had nothing to worry about on that front.

A Shadow on the Sun is equally fantasy and romance, the plot is as strong as the evolving relationship between the main couple. Theryn, Atrum and Lyar sucked me in totally from the moment they were introduced. The world that Sera has created here is rich and beautiful, but it is the divergent hopes, fears, loves and desires of these three that really make the book. The beginning is compelling but the end – the end.

The other thing that took this story form ‘great’ to ‘awesome!’ were Shay and Kindy. Female characters who are more than obstacles or encouragements for the male couple! They were both charming in their own right, but Shay – when I had to stop reading at 58% and wait a week to finish the story it was Shay my thoughts kept returning to. I don’t know what I can say without risking spoilers, but Shay’s courage, love and the predicament she finds herself in because of them really touched my heart. I found her presence in the final chapter immensely satisfying, and Theryn’s recognition and acknowledgement of what she means to Atrum one of the little touches that truly cemented his emotional growth throughout the story. There are many moments like that, where Sera’s characters cease being characters and become real for me – the depth of Sera’s imagining of her characters is really impressive to me.

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Very much impressed! Vast improvement from Sera's story last year. This is a great fantasy story that I would recommend to others who enjoy reading this genre. It has an interesting plot that a couple of times borders on a little too complicated, but in the end it wraps up nicely. The pace is nice although my impatient self found slow in a couple of places. But in all, I found this a very solid story.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

close to 4.5 stars
Novel length fantasy story
Summary - Theryn and Atrum are prince and personal body guard, they have also been friends since childhood and are in love with each other but status prevents them from acting upon that love. When Theryn's parents agree to his marriage to Lyar, the crown prince of the neighbouring empire neither Theryn or Atrum are pleased, nor do they trust Lyar. Theryn is magically gifted, with the ability to create light and illusions, and Lyar has similar gifts involving the ability to use heat and it is the joining of these gifts that Lyar and his priestly advisors believe will fulfill the prophecy of their religion. Theryn and Atrum do not trust Lyar or his people and even before the betrothal set out to discover what he is up to - instead they find Atrum's family - they also give in to their love for each other. With the help of Shay, one of Atrum's family, they join Lyar in procession through his country (with Theryn and Atrum carrying on their relationship during this time) to the capital where his cousin's army attacks them and forces Lyar's hand in his final joining with Theryn to fulfill the prophecy, but Shay and Atrum help to thwart Lyar's plan and save the world...

I really enjoyed this story, there is some great world building and ideas here. There were a few confusing moments, and I really wanted to know more about Shay and Atrum's people (as an aside, they reminded me a little of the Auditors, with Shay as Unity - though without the death by chocolate).

[Jeanne 'Divinae' · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theryn is the youngest son of the king. He met his best friend and faithful personal guard when he was a child. His name is Atrum. Years pass and the king had struck a deal that he can’t take back. There is another kingdom, ruthless and will plow you over in an instant, who wants one thing from the Glin(Theryn’s kingdom): him. So he is stuck in an arrange marriage he has no desire to be in. The rival prince isn’t the nicest person. I never liked him. Of course it is no surprise when we find out he has /had lost it completely, even if there are reason that led up to it.

Atrum helps his prince uncover the truth of why they want him. It must be for something evil. Theryn is a master of Light! While later on we find out Atrum isn’t just a regular guard.

This story included a lot about religion and how the world came into existence. I felt it revolved more around that than the MC’s, who were just caught up in the middle of it all. Overall though, the story was well-rounded and most questions were answered and we saw ‘after things settled down’.

My only question that wasn’t answered was, The shade is eternal. Since Atrum and Theryn are part of it or at least link to it, does that make them eternal now also?

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this. But it consisted of short choppy sentences. And these sentences didn't tell me anything. They were lacking in content. They were also lacking in richness. They may even have lacked unpredictability. The whole book was written a bit like this review. It has very little description. The book was boring. It reminded me of a story written by a 10 year old. Except a story written by a 10 year old would have random twists. Random twists would be cute. They would also be fun. If you are as sick of reading this review as I am of writing it, I suggest probably not reading this book.

However, it did have a somewhat interesting magic system with some symmetry. I did want to see how the story ended. The starring couple was kinda cute. They fit together well. There were things to like about this story. But it was poorly written.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ambitious adventure story set in the usual magical medieval setting, which I enjoy. It is hefty enough to be satisfying (it took me two days to finish).
A prince is sold off to an aggressive neighboring kingdom for marriage. and his loyal aide who is also a childhood friend, comes along with him. We have danger, suspense, conflict, and love. It's very satisfying.
I just read it again to prepare for "Endless Light," and I found it just as captivating as before.

[Yrisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome and perfect. Intriguing till the end. Must read if you enjoy fantasy.

[Bookbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

One word comes to mind for this story - Epic!

[J. Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really worked for me. The worldbuilding is vast and effortless, with enough detail added to make things feel real without reading like an encyclopedia entry. Other countries and a system of magic are easily detailed and explained without any heavy-handedness. A Shadow on the Sun tells the story of a prince and his sworn guard, as well as their secret-from-the-world-and-from-each-other love. The reason for their forbidden romance is refreshingly not rooted in homophobia, but in oaths and class differences.

The relationship built between the two young men was enjoyable, pleasant and cute with the right amount of heat thrown in. Both Theryn and Atrum have their own endearing features, though the characterizations did fall into tropes sometimes. Strong and silent, beautiful and flighty, friends-to-lovers but with enough deviations and good writing to make them feel natural instead of like cardboard cut-outs.

Throughout the book, as much as I wanted the two protagonists to have their happy ending (and they do, no worries here), the honest-to-god most interesting character is the antagonist, Lyar. He’s much older than his betrothed, Prince Theryn, and his moods oscillate wildly, but in a way that seems to indicate that the author put thought into making him a complex villain. Lyar never feels like the product of a forced conflict or lazy writing, instead he feels like a man who truly has to balance an internal darkness, his own trauma, and what may be a large dose of madness. He has moments of cruelty and kindness and the reader struggles to ascertain his motives and true nature just as much as Theryn and Atrum do. There are times where it’s easy to forget that he’s forced Theryn’s hand in marriage by threatening to destroy his homeland and has some nefarious scheme up his sleeve and there are even times when the reader wonders whether or not Theryn will fall for his trap, or if it’s even a trap at all. The tension here teeters deliciously and the ending isn’t overly predictable.

The plot also moves along nicely and limits the secondary characters to a few key players that aid the action or are meaningful to the protagonists. It sticks to the plot but doesn’t sacrifice character development or worldbuilding. It has tender moments and brisk bouts of action, as well as mystery and sleuthing. The danger in the book feels real and the reader actually worries for the fate of the protagonists, as the author’s made it clear that things could easily go astray for the protagonists and the world as a whole.

That being said, sometimes the stakes for the book feel a little too high, but the overall story makes up for the possibly pending end of the world. Overall, it’s a pleasantly tense read, sweet but tinged with uncertainty and darkness.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This wasn't a bad book. The plot itself had promise, and I enjoyed what scant world-building there was. The Shade and the native people that inhabited it were interesting.

Probably my biggest complaint about the book was that the pacing was somewhat choppy. In the beginning, it often seemed to drag on before anything would happen, and by the end things felt rather anti-climatic and rushed.

The introduction of the main villain was also somewhat muddled and remained that way up to the very end. I don't feel like Lyar's character was ever properly fleshed out. He was just sort of this 2D "bad guy" trope of a character. The other bad guy, Plinius, was barely introduced before he started to show his true colors.

All in all, not a terrible read, per se, but nothing much worth remember imo, either.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even without the romance (which is light) this is a great fantasy! I loved the world-building. The suspense is great with palpable mounting tension as the story unfolds. I like the fact that Lyar's motivations and character seem to shift and slowly come to life. Theryn and Atrum's personalities are well-developed and I related especially to Atrum. I found this to be a great addition to the Love is and Open Road series and would eagerly read anything else by Trevor.

[Gwynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ironically I would've loved this one way more without the romance (or with a much more slow building one) and the sex. Awesome world. Awesome characters. Highly original magic system. And it even left me guessing! I'd like to read more of the world and definitely more fantasy by the author.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, loved it, LOVED It!

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Usagi Tsukino · Rating 1 out of 5]

From the first pages it could've been a 4 star rating book, but it slowed down and down and down until I just give it up and couldn't stand the book and the characters anymore. So, did not finish.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! I really loved Atrum and Theryn! I liked the character of Lyar and despite how crazy he was, I liked how he got his own HEA, too.

[Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I've enjoyed other books by this author.

The story and world building are great, but the plot is a little too epic in scope for how short the book is, making it read more like a short story than a novel. There wasn't a lot of the POV character's introspection where there needed to be and things happened very quickly: they went here, this conversation happened, they moved on to this place. Some parts really needed more exploration and depth.

There was also more interaction between the prince and the antagonist for the majority of the book than the prince and his bodyguard/lover. At no point was I hoping for a romance between protag and antag, but toward the end, I was starting to lose interest in the established actual romance. It was leaning too one-sided for my taste: the prince was treating his lover poorly, yet his lover was still wholly devoted to him not matter what. And the conflicts between them—jealousy and uncertainty—never had resolutions that felt satisfying.

Overall, I liked the idea more than the execution.

[llv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars
I had mixed feeling with this book. On the one hand, I liked both Theryn and Atrum as the MCs. I found parts of the story to be engrossing. I think what I didn’t like was the whole religious aspect of it. The whole business of the Light and Life, Dark and Void just didn’t interest me, and I found it very tedious. I also found the ending to be a bit unsatisfying. As far as the bonus story at the end, I didn’t read it. I didn’t like Lyar as a character and felt no need to read any story told from his perspective. Maybe if it told of events that occurred after the end of the story I may have read it because I was curious to find out what happened to him, but other than that I had no interest. Overall, the story was okay. I just don’t see myself re-reading it in the future.

[CJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the beginning of this book I had high hopes and was excited about reading this. I really enjoyed the beginning, but once I hit the middle of the book, I kept stopping, coming back and going, "Oh, should I finish this or read something else?" and because the beginning was so good I pushed through. I've read over 300 books this year, and when I'm struggling to finish a book, it's very unusual. Even books I'm not in love with get finished because I have this optimistic streak that thinks it will come together at some point, but this one just didn't work for me. I feel like too much time was focused on the relationship between the prince and his betrothed and not enough at all on the relationships of the other characters. Not even necessarily between him and his LI.

[DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. You can’t help but root for Atrum and Theryn from the first page to the last. Lyar was indeed a monster but our heroes persevered. This was a solid four stars for me but could have been five. It didn’t make it to the fifth because I found the religion thing way too overbearing. Yes, there’s a moral subtext warning about the dangers of religious fanaticism, but it was a bit much for a fantasy M/M romance. It was also a little weird that this was a fantasy with no connection the Earth and humans society as we know it, but units of measurement and time were modern Earth human concepts and even the “baptism.”

[Neguta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars

This story has many strong points: relatable & human characters, fluid plot, captivating writing, interesting & mysterious antagonist. For a free story is remarkable good. It's well written, the backstory of it falls together easily. Despite the happy ending it doesn't feel complete, like there's something missing. It's good read but can be better. Overall I really enjoyed it, author has a way with words and original idea, and even if I didn't like the main character I understood them and keep reading.

[Lie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow expected something else when I picked this up. I liked the world building and Gliden. I thought Lyar would be entirely different type of person. Expectations aside, he was too transparent. There were too many clues and hints from the very start, I found myself waiting for some big plot twist but none came. Curse the consistency, and thus the ending seemed a bit underwhelming. The book cover is nice (the amazon one). Overall a good read, didn't hate it but it won't linger in my mind.

[KristyAnne Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read!

This book was really fantastic! Not as predictable as I thought with twists and turns that left me turning the pages and not wanting to put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed this! I'd honestly give it more stars if I could. I will definitely recommend this and I look forward to reading more from this author! ❤️

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting read.

Wow I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a very complicated story and I found it difficult to put down. I loved the characters especially Prince Theryn and Sir Atrum who are the heroes in the story.

If you like fantasy worlds and magic then give this book a try.

Recommended.