What do you think?
Rate this book
Islands in the Mist #4
Into the Shadows
Taliesin escapes Affalon to discover things in the world are much changed. Uthyr Pendragon has taken Gorlois’ widow, Igerna, as his wife, and elevated Caer Leon to its former Roman glory. He learns Brython is preoccupied with threats from a warlord who claims to be Octa, son of Hengist, though he was believed to have been executed in front of thousands at Uthyr’s victory games in Caer Lundein.
That is not all Taliesin learns from Uthyr. He discovers Nimue has left Affalon as well, traveling under her mortal name of Viviaine, and has allied herself with Myrthin. Sick with the bitterness of her betrayal, he races north to warn Arhianna. In his efforts to protect her, he strays into an ever-more complicated labyrinth of deceit.
Arhianna still remembers nothing of Knockma. She goes north with her husband in search of his clan, knowing he will never be content until he discovers what has become of his people. Her decision changes her fate in drastic ways, sending her on a dark journey that takes everything from her but her will to survive.
All have an immense role to play in the great wars to come; wars that threaten to take far more from the clans of Brython than their fortresses, fields and forests. Should they fail, their enemies will lay waste to their gods and stories, ancient rites and sacred places, leaving nothing in their wake but the history they choose to write across their trampled bones.
By the end of their struggle, none will have escaped succumbing to the shadow within; lies will be told by the most honest, oaths broken by the most loyal, and weakness will torment the strongest, as all strive to defend and protect what they cherish most.
That is not all Taliesin learns from Uthyr. He discovers Nimue has left Affalon as well, traveling under her mortal name of Viviaine, and has allied herself with Myrthin. Sick with the bitterness of her betrayal, he races north to warn Arhianna. In his efforts to protect her, he strays into an ever-more complicated labyrinth of deceit.
Arhianna still remembers nothing of Knockma. She goes north with her husband in search of his clan, knowing he will never be content until he discovers what has become of his people. Her decision changes her fate in drastic ways, sending her on a dark journey that takes everything from her but her will to survive.
All have an immense role to play in the great wars to come; wars that threaten to take far more from the clans of Brython than their fortresses, fields and forests. Should they fail, their enemies will lay waste to their gods and stories, ancient rites and sacred places, leaving nothing in their wake but the history they choose to write across their trampled bones.
By the end of their struggle, none will have escaped succumbing to the shadow within; lies will be told by the most honest, oaths broken by the most loyal, and weakness will torment the strongest, as all strive to defend and protect what they cherish most.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2018
5 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Hofer
10 books65 followersJ.M. Hofer delivers page-turning tales of adventure and sorcery in her award-winning novel, Islands in the Mist, and its sequels. Set in 6th century Britain and steeped in Welsh legend, her series brings to life the mythic world before the arrival of King Arthur.
Book 1 was chosen as one of five semi-finalists out of 2,000 in the Fantasy/Sci Fi/Horror genre of the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.
She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she can escape to the solace of the American Desert when it calls.
Book 1 was chosen as one of five semi-finalists out of 2,000 in the Fantasy/Sci Fi/Horror genre of the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.
She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she can escape to the solace of the American Desert when it calls.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 13, 2017
Hofer’s fourth book in the Islands in the Mists series reverts to what worked so well in books one and two—a main narrative told from just a couple of viewpoints. Thrilled to discover that Into the Shadows returns us to Taliesin and Arhianna, I read with a great eagerness to see their paths develop into a happy ending. Unfortunately, as foretold previously, Taliesin’s and Arhianna’s destinies are not so straight-forward as that.
Into the Shadows picks up right where the Rise of the Pendragon left off—we rejoin Arhianna and Jørren on their journey to discover if their clan still lives, while Taliesin, now free from Affalon, is driven by a supernatural urge to seek out Arhianna. With the development of Nimue (Viviaine), Mythrin, Igerna and Uther, and the passing of the mantle from Bran to Gareth, this book is exciting, thrilling and heartbreaking all at once. The pace is kept throughout, and having stormed through Into the Shadows in two days, I am already eagerly (and prematurely!) anticipating the next novel in this series.
As fans of Hofer will have come to expect, the language in this novel is beautiful, yet the difference from previous instalments is notable—Hofer has clearly refined her art. Phrasing and descriptive passages are streamlined without losing emotive power, and secondary characters are expressive delights. The continued exploration of the gods is an essential frame, with goddesses Freya and Morrigan becoming characters in their own right through their divine interventions. There is the perfect ratio of otherworldly/worldly in this book, and once again folklore and legend are expertly woven. As I continue to read through the Islands in the Mist series I feel as if someone’s missing a trick—there are so many rich characters and stunning visual aspects to this tale—it would be absolutely beautiful if adapted to screen.
This book explores chronic pain and choice over one’s own destiny well, presenting us with the death of some beloved characters, a blow softened by the time and care the author has put into developing the next generation. With yet more brilliantly crafted and unexpected variations of the Arthurian legends, I am keen to discover how Hofer will lead us beyond the birth of Arthur, and what the next surprise twist will be in a series that has surprised in every instalment thus far.
I was lucky enough to receive a free advance copy from the author and am reviewing this book voluntarily.
Into the Shadows picks up right where the Rise of the Pendragon left off—we rejoin Arhianna and Jørren on their journey to discover if their clan still lives, while Taliesin, now free from Affalon, is driven by a supernatural urge to seek out Arhianna. With the development of Nimue (Viviaine), Mythrin, Igerna and Uther, and the passing of the mantle from Bran to Gareth, this book is exciting, thrilling and heartbreaking all at once. The pace is kept throughout, and having stormed through Into the Shadows in two days, I am already eagerly (and prematurely!) anticipating the next novel in this series.
As fans of Hofer will have come to expect, the language in this novel is beautiful, yet the difference from previous instalments is notable—Hofer has clearly refined her art. Phrasing and descriptive passages are streamlined without losing emotive power, and secondary characters are expressive delights. The continued exploration of the gods is an essential frame, with goddesses Freya and Morrigan becoming characters in their own right through their divine interventions. There is the perfect ratio of otherworldly/worldly in this book, and once again folklore and legend are expertly woven. As I continue to read through the Islands in the Mist series I feel as if someone’s missing a trick—there are so many rich characters and stunning visual aspects to this tale—it would be absolutely beautiful if adapted to screen.
This book explores chronic pain and choice over one’s own destiny well, presenting us with the death of some beloved characters, a blow softened by the time and care the author has put into developing the next generation. With yet more brilliantly crafted and unexpected variations of the Arthurian legends, I am keen to discover how Hofer will lead us beyond the birth of Arthur, and what the next surprise twist will be in a series that has surprised in every instalment thus far.
I was lucky enough to receive a free advance copy from the author and am reviewing this book voluntarily.
December 23, 2025
And the story continues…
Equally beautiful as the previous books in this series.
The characters, the multiple events, pure emotions and love color this chapter of the series.
Truly magnificent!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Equally beautiful as the previous books in this series.
The characters, the multiple events, pure emotions and love color this chapter of the series.
Truly magnificent!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 1, 2018
Excellent! These books just keep getting better as they wind their way through Welsh mythology.
February 22, 2019
Another amazing book in an amazing series.
March 23, 2022
Good conclusion but leaves you with many questions which to me suggests another book is possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2025
After her husband’s Gorlois’ death, Igerna is married to Uthyr and is pregnant. After Taliesin awakens back in his body after everything that’s has happened in Knockma, he realizes Nimue’s betrayal and he is determined to find Arhianna and his unborn daughter. Taliesin tells Uthyr of Mrythin’s betrayal and how he traded Taliesin & Arhianna to the Fae of Knockma to get the blue great stones in Eire for the monument to those slain by Hengist at the peace summit. Nimue (Lady Vivianne, as she is called when she is away from Avalon) is hunting for Arhianna and the baby to give the baby to the Fae. There are also many others hunting them as well.
Jorren & Arhianna are reunited and are searching for his mother, Ragna and their Clan in the North. What they find and what happens next in this book and the next is nightmare worthy. I cried a lot during this book. Lady Vivianne arrives at the Oaks’ land wanting to give Arhianna a message from Queen Igerna. Lucia and Gareth (Arhianna’s twin) do not trust her and open the letter.
Bran’s pain from his wounds are not getting better, although they have healed. Seeing him start to slow down due to his age and wounds was heartbreaking. He is in so much pain that Arawn, the God of Death, comes often to speak with Bran, and it bothered me that sooner or later, Bran would end up taking the offer from his sponsor. However, I was happy that Gareth was coming into his own as a leader and a blacksmith. His work was renowned. He married Brokkr’s daughter, Inga and they were awaiting a child.
While searching for Arhianna, Taliesin goes North and meets with King Uriel, who talks the giant, Gawyr , into accompanying Taliesin in his search and gives male and female dog to him. We find out what had happened to the Saxon clan that Jorren had led. They were taken over by Earl Ingvar and what he did is truly evil, and his men as well. I cried a lot during this section of the book. It is during this time that Arhianna turns away from Freya to The Morrigan. Scathach arrives and Arhianna’s fate changes onto a new path. The hardships and the extremes that she goes thru on this journey while pregnant is amazing. Just goes to show how strong she truly is. Taliesin still wants to find her and the baby because he knows that they won’t be able to protect the baby from the Fae who are hunting her. There are many shocking revelations.
In the latter part of the book, you can almost hear Fate, changing things around on their loom. Gawyr helps a lot in this section, plus he is a riot. I spent a lot of time thinking about the ramifications of everything that has happened so far.
Not only did the book make me cry a lot, and use a lot of tissues, but I also chewed on my nails and had my AC on because I was sweating from all of the worry and fear I had for the characters that I had fallen in love with.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jorren & Arhianna are reunited and are searching for his mother, Ragna and their Clan in the North. What they find and what happens next in this book and the next is nightmare worthy. I cried a lot during this book. Lady Vivianne arrives at the Oaks’ land wanting to give Arhianna a message from Queen Igerna. Lucia and Gareth (Arhianna’s twin) do not trust her and open the letter.
Bran’s pain from his wounds are not getting better, although they have healed. Seeing him start to slow down due to his age and wounds was heartbreaking. He is in so much pain that Arawn, the God of Death, comes often to speak with Bran, and it bothered me that sooner or later, Bran would end up taking the offer from his sponsor. However, I was happy that Gareth was coming into his own as a leader and a blacksmith. His work was renowned. He married Brokkr’s daughter, Inga and they were awaiting a child.
While searching for Arhianna, Taliesin goes North and meets with King Uriel, who talks the giant, Gawyr , into accompanying Taliesin in his search and gives male and female dog to him. We find out what had happened to the Saxon clan that Jorren had led. They were taken over by Earl Ingvar and what he did is truly evil, and his men as well. I cried a lot during this section of the book. It is during this time that Arhianna turns away from Freya to The Morrigan. Scathach arrives and Arhianna’s fate changes onto a new path. The hardships and the extremes that she goes thru on this journey while pregnant is amazing. Just goes to show how strong she truly is. Taliesin still wants to find her and the baby because he knows that they won’t be able to protect the baby from the Fae who are hunting her. There are many shocking revelations.
In the latter part of the book, you can almost hear Fate, changing things around on their loom. Gawyr helps a lot in this section, plus he is a riot. I spent a lot of time thinking about the ramifications of everything that has happened so far.
Not only did the book make me cry a lot, and use a lot of tissues, but I also chewed on my nails and had my AC on because I was sweating from all of the worry and fear I had for the characters that I had fallen in love with.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 3, 2026
I have a enjoyed the first three books from the Islands in the Mist, Islands in the Mist, Across the Sea, and Rise of the Pendragon. I was happy to get my ears on the fourth installment, Into the Shadows. Since this is part of a series, I do believe it would be it would be best to read the books in order for a better reading experience. It was great going back to Taliesin and Arhianna and seeing what is currently happening. I was not disappointed with this book and I was once again taken on an exciting journey that held my attention from start to finish. I loved it.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of Into the Shadows. I loved the performance of the narrator, John Keating, was superb. I enjoyed hearing his take on the story and thought it was a wonderful addition to it. I loved hearing the tale unfold all throughout.
I am going to give Into the Shadows a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read exciting and adventurous fantasy fiction. I am looking forward to read the next installment from the Islands in the Mist series, The Young Stag. I am curious to see what happens next with J M Hofer's characters.
I received an audio version of J M Hofer's Into the Shadows from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of Into the Shadows. I loved the performance of the narrator, John Keating, was superb. I enjoyed hearing his take on the story and thought it was a wonderful addition to it. I loved hearing the tale unfold all throughout.
I am going to give Into the Shadows a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read exciting and adventurous fantasy fiction. I am looking forward to read the next installment from the Islands in the Mist series, The Young Stag. I am curious to see what happens next with J M Hofer's characters.
I received an audio version of J M Hofer's Into the Shadows from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
February 4, 2026
Into the Shadows is quieter in some ways, but also more emotionally complex. This installment focuses on memory, consequence, and the long aftermath of earlier choices, allowing the story to move into darker, more introspective territory.
The pacing slows, but intentionally so. This is a book that asks the reader to sit with discomfort and moral ambiguity, rather than rushing toward resolution. Power feels less idealized here, and growth comes through reflection as much as action.
It’s not the easiest book in the series, but it is an important one — deepening the emotional stakes and setting the stage for a meaningful conclusion.
This review first appeared on GinaRaeMitchell.com.
The pacing slows, but intentionally so. This is a book that asks the reader to sit with discomfort and moral ambiguity, rather than rushing toward resolution. Power feels less idealized here, and growth comes through reflection as much as action.
It’s not the easiest book in the series, but it is an important one — deepening the emotional stakes and setting the stage for a meaningful conclusion.
This review first appeared on GinaRaeMitchell.com.
February 11, 2026
Into the Shadows takes the series into darker, more emotionally complex territory. The stakes rise, loyalties are tested, and magic carries heavier consequences. A thoughtful and atmospheric continuation that sets the stage for what’s to come.
What stands out in Into the Shadows is its atmosphere. The writing leans into darker imagery, uncertainty, and moral complexity. Rituals feel more urgent, confrontations more personal. The pacing is deliberate but charged, giving important moments room to breathe while maintaining narrative momentum.
This installment feels like the quiet before a storm — or perhaps the storm gathering strength.
What stands out in Into the Shadows is its atmosphere. The writing leans into darker imagery, uncertainty, and moral complexity. Rituals feel more urgent, confrontations more personal. The pacing is deliberate but charged, giving important moments room to breathe while maintaining narrative momentum.
This installment feels like the quiet before a storm — or perhaps the storm gathering strength.
February 2, 2026
Into The Shadows picks up from where the previous book left and continues the story. I have to say I love that the author writes a summary of the previous book at the start of each book because it is a nice and refreshing way to revive your memory about all that happened. In this one the skills are renewed and I enjoyed the other worldly pleasures as well as a further look at the gods and goddesses. It is a tentative plan of magic mixed with reality. I enjoy how the author has refined and changed the writing style as it progresses and in my mind I think that takes a certain talent.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews