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The Shadows: Laevatein's Choice
As much as Mark wants something grand, a conventional adventure just isn’t coming. He has powers! Maybe he was expecting something a little more exciting, like a superhero’s job, fighting crime in New York City, or some quest. But at the end of the day—all day, every day—he’s just a fifteen-year-old kid who can’t do jack, even with his powers.
Stuck between two worlds—one of Shadows, bewitched objects, and running off to find trouble, and the other of his parents’ possible separation—Mark is desperate to find a distraction. Until he meets Geoffrey James, a weapons enthusiast and physical trainer who agrees to teach Mark swordplay. However, blindsided by his addiction to adrenaline, Mark might not be able to help or protect his family from real danger.
Across the state, Mark’s cousin Emilie also feels trapped by the need to take care of her chronically depressed mother who is barely able to provide for herself. Emilie stifles her desire for flight, freedom and even happiness now that she’s out of the ASH. And then, her father comes back into the picture, offering to pull her mother out of despair, no strings attached. Emilie can’t trust him and does all she can to find proof of his true motives.
Mark and Emilie find themselves on parallel journeys of discovering their place in their families and take their first step deeper into the vast world of Shadows outside the ASH.
Stuck between two worlds—one of Shadows, bewitched objects, and running off to find trouble, and the other of his parents’ possible separation—Mark is desperate to find a distraction. Until he meets Geoffrey James, a weapons enthusiast and physical trainer who agrees to teach Mark swordplay. However, blindsided by his addiction to adrenaline, Mark might not be able to help or protect his family from real danger.
Across the state, Mark’s cousin Emilie also feels trapped by the need to take care of her chronically depressed mother who is barely able to provide for herself. Emilie stifles her desire for flight, freedom and even happiness now that she’s out of the ASH. And then, her father comes back into the picture, offering to pull her mother out of despair, no strings attached. Emilie can’t trust him and does all she can to find proof of his true motives.
Mark and Emilie find themselves on parallel journeys of discovering their place in their families and take their first step deeper into the vast world of Shadows outside the ASH.
318 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2019
1 person want to read
About the author
E. Kathryn
4 books13 followersWriter, Graphic Designer, Artist, Humanesque creature who doesn’t get enough sunlight and lives solely on tea, E. Kathryn started writing The Shadows at thirteen years old. When not writing incessantly, E. Kathryn enjoys drawing, playing the violin, and collecting and consuming way more tea than any one person needs.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 31, 2019
I had the opportunity to do a final proofread of this book, and I loved it!
Two things really set this apart for me: the characters and the magic system. Each of the characters is so distinct, has his/her own voice, and satisfying plot arcs (some of which transcend into the next book). Each character is flawed, likable, and feels real.
The magic system is rich and deep. The layers of the world and its magic system are peeled back slowly for the reader (and the characters) in natural ways that are intertwined with the story. Without giving anything away, I absolutely loved how everything came together in the ending and eagerly look forward to the next book in the series!
Two things really set this apart for me: the characters and the magic system. Each of the characters is so distinct, has his/her own voice, and satisfying plot arcs (some of which transcend into the next book). Each character is flawed, likable, and feels real.
The magic system is rich and deep. The layers of the world and its magic system are peeled back slowly for the reader (and the characters) in natural ways that are intertwined with the story. Without giving anything away, I absolutely loved how everything came together in the ending and eagerly look forward to the next book in the series!
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January 12, 2020OMG... I LITERALLY HAVE NO WORDS.... Such a well written book. The plot twists,character development and emotion was everything ♡
August 14, 2020
You thought it couldn’t get any better after the first book, BUT IT DID! The twists and turns of Lævatein’s Choice are phenomenal and clearly well thought out. Everything about it was genius. The characters fulfill even more development and backstory as well as the introduction of even more questions to be answered in books to come. The way certain story lines come together in the end is like a complex treasure map and I genuinely can’t wait to read on and find the red x.
January 26, 2020
Ok, so, the good thing is I can confirm this book is great. There's a powerful sense of plot here, and Mark as a character can be related to. The book gets into some pretty dark themes of abuse, neglect, mental illness, and adult manipulation of teens, but it's done in such a wonderful manner that I think teens not only can read this book on their own, but should.
I grew up in a less-than-ideal household, one perhaps most similar to the one presented as Emilie's in Laevatein's Choice. (Mild spoiler for the rest of the paragraph, maybe?) In Emilie's plotline, she struggles to convince anyone else that her mother and father aren't great for her or each other. The way adults and other kids downplay her concerns is so awful, but also terrifyingly realistic. The struggles within Mark's family after Mark goes through the massive changes in Book 1, Fire's Hope, are also very interesting.
Something plot-related but not spoilerific is that what I consider the climax happens pretty early. Even so, the rest of the book leaves this ever-present air of tension that doesn't let up until right when it needs to. Also, good hint: read this book while you work out. I read the final version of this as my "workout read", and I definitely suggest doing that with this book. The physical oomph of this book makes it perfect for that cause.
Issues with the book are some that I tend to have with many indie books and many series. The first is that you'll have to read Fire's Hope in order to understand Laevatein's Choice. While Fire's Hope is good, it definitely feels like an author's first book and like one written by a young author. It also doesn't have a similar feel or gravity to Laevatein's Choice, which could be disconcerting to people unprepared for the shift. The second is that you'll run upon a few sentences that feel awkward or contain typos, but Kathryn's writing has improved between the two books and I was interested enough in the plot and characters to forgive these few mistakes.
I grew up in a less-than-ideal household, one perhaps most similar to the one presented as Emilie's in Laevatein's Choice. (Mild spoiler for the rest of the paragraph, maybe?) In Emilie's plotline, she struggles to convince anyone else that her mother and father aren't great for her or each other. The way adults and other kids downplay her concerns is so awful, but also terrifyingly realistic. The struggles within Mark's family after Mark goes through the massive changes in Book 1, Fire's Hope, are also very interesting.
Something plot-related but not spoilerific is that what I consider the climax happens pretty early. Even so, the rest of the book leaves this ever-present air of tension that doesn't let up until right when it needs to. Also, good hint: read this book while you work out. I read the final version of this as my "workout read", and I definitely suggest doing that with this book. The physical oomph of this book makes it perfect for that cause.
Issues with the book are some that I tend to have with many indie books and many series. The first is that you'll have to read Fire's Hope in order to understand Laevatein's Choice. While Fire's Hope is good, it definitely feels like an author's first book and like one written by a young author. It also doesn't have a similar feel or gravity to Laevatein's Choice, which could be disconcerting to people unprepared for the shift. The second is that you'll run upon a few sentences that feel awkward or contain typos, but Kathryn's writing has improved between the two books and I was interested enough in the plot and characters to forgive these few mistakes.
January 16, 2021
Man ! What a book ... 😳
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews