Shadows Burn

Mooncallers #2

by Leda C. Muir

Luxea Siren and Ares Lavrenthea survived their brush with death, but the end has only just begun. Memories of Luxea’s childhood are returning to a mysterious shadow woman, a blackwood tree, a sickness, an abandoned manor, a music box, and a dream . . .
But how do they fit together?
The answers become clearer as the Mooncallers travel the Joined Hands, destined for the Empire of Goldenrise. Through pain and lies, faith and secrets, the pasts and futures of Luxea Siren and Ares Lavrenthea cross.
All along, their paths have been intertwined.
All along, Oscerin has known where they lead.
As Ares struggles to free himself from the seduction of the Widow’s web, Luxea is forced to take the burden of the Speaker of Oscerin upon herself. Following a series of obscure directions, Luxea learns that her existence is a gateway to something much bigger, a maze that leads not only to truths about Widow and the Shadow but the creation of the universe.

Genres: Fantasy

448 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 27, 2018

Reviews

[Shannyn Boyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never yearned for an author to have a proper editor so desperately. As with the previous book, I've given this one two stars purely because it is interesting and the characters and plot have promise, but dear god, would someone please take this woman's thesaurus away. It is utterly exhausting to read. You will not find a concise sentence in this book. There are adverbs thrown up everywhere and some particularly jolting metaphors. One does not have eyes, they have ocular orbs. Things are not edible, they are comestible. The author spends far too many pages talking about two people picking fruit. I just feel like this series would be so much more enjoyable if the author juat wrote naturally and wasn't trying to show off all the cool new words she learnt this week.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book so much and im so scared we won't get another book 😭 10/10 great fantasy and storyline/ character development

[Ezzydesu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We are given two choices in life, never more than that. Each achievement, each failure, each gain, and each loss will present a new perception. It is up to us to either accept it as a lesson or a wound. That being said, choosing the wound does not mean you are weak. To hurt is to discover. “

★★★★✩

There is something about Amniven that once again made me super enthousiastic. When Leda announced Mooncallers book 2 would be released late December, I couldn’t be happier! I started reading it shortly after it arrived and I had so much to feel.

For everyone who has no clue about the author and the series, here is a brief introduction.
Leda C. Muir is a 24 year old internet personality, mostly known from Youtube over the years. I started following her youtube videos in either 2012 or 2013 and she has been a role model to me ever since. She is has always been a fan of all things fantasy, which is how Amniven, the world of this book series, came to life. Lately her social media presence mainly focuses on her writing-life and she interacts with her readers regularly.

The Mooncallers books are filled with everything you’d expect from a fantasy: Dragons, elves, magic, a whole pantheon of Gods and Godesses, talking books and more! Even though Mooncallers: Shadows Burn is book two, it is still considered the beginning of the story of Luxea Siren and Ares Lavrenthea.
Reading book one, it was very obvious an indie debut. But Leda’s writing definitely improved a lot in book two! It was easier to follow and the storyline was more complicated and better paced. I even heard she was revising book one so the writing style matches more, which is great news for future readers!
While Stars Wake was more introduction and build-up and the evil showing its teeth, Shadows Burn is where the story really comes to life and the villain finally bites.

The pacing of this book with all the new things in the story and lore we discover makes this book a true pageturner. A shroud of mystery was left around certain aspects of this world, like dragonblood curse on the Lavrenthea family and Luxea’s lost memories. It created a really nice vibe and flow over the course of book two as we learn more about those things.
The amount of complexity of the story, with turns and twists and things set out over the whole story makes this book so interesting. You can’t stay a step ahead of the plot as there are no predictable ways. I really love that in a book that I can turn the page without knowing what to expect. A big improvement over the first book and Leda recognized that herself aswell while writing Shadows Burn.

Overall is this a really amazing read. I really enjoyed diving into Amniven once again and I look forward to book 3 and news about it. I have no idea how long this series will be, but I am hooked until the very end!
If you like elves, dragons, magic, all that and more, in that case I would really recommend this series to you. This (new) adult novel a perfect mixture of all things fantasy and I truly think this series deserves all the love it can get! It is self-published, so by giving Mooncallers a chance you are also supporting a small author!

[Camille Federowich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the characters in the first book, but in this sequel I found myself in love with the world. I can’t wait to see this series continue to develop! The plot in “Shadows Burn” became so intense and exciting. I can’t predict what will happen next, so Leda please bring us the third book soon!!!

[Lysi M · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!!!