Accord of Shadows

The Expansion Series #3

by Caitlin Demaris McKenna

Sometimes to reach light we must brave shadows.

Shomoro’s alliance has plucked Mose from the Project’s grasp, but her work is just beginning. Now she must find a way to free him from the nano that keeps him chained—and keep him out of the hands of Council factions who want to experiment on him once they discover his true nature.

Mose wants nothing more than to help her. He sees the glimmer of a new life beyond the horizon of freedom. But even if Shomoro succeeds, the Project may pull him back in.

Because trouble is brewing in Diego Two: under Gau’s command in all but name, the Djandjer-Pralsh faction is building toward their most ambitious strike at the heart of the Church. And what they uncover will send shockwaves through the Expansion and beyond.

Accord of Shadows is the third book in the Expansion series, where the deals made in the dark will give shape to the light.

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2021

About the author

Caitlin was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, but spent her formative years in Minnesota, where on cold, clear nights, she'd look up at the stars and wonder.

In the years since, she has visited three continents, and lived in Vancouver and New York. By day, she is a freelance editor at Scoria Press, LLC, and writes articles at the intersection of technology, media, and society for Yellow Bear Media. Absence of Blade is her first book.

Reviews

[Matthew W Seniff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in The Expansion Series. The author has an impressive imagination that is wielding with the precision of a scalpel. As with the two previous books the world building presents a backdrop that feels incredibly realistic. The characters continue to be developed at a pace that feels comfortable and supports the plot line without burdening the reader with too much at a time. The pacing of the character development and world building feel natural making the story flow with life. There are multiple extraterrestrial species of beings that populate the book filling various roles. The author uses these beings and their surroundings to create a very real and natural society. This book left me in awe of the author’s talents. This author possesses skills and imagination that propels this series of books to great heights. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the three books in the series I’ve read and recommend them to readers looking for true excellence in hard sci-fi.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Osk, Shomoro, Mose Attarrish and Gao - all used as tools, all fighting for their autonomy. The web continues to draw them closer - sometimes in surprising ways. I think this is my favorite so far, many good twists and reveals. This book was full of the fall out from the end of the last book - LOTS of action and even a bit of romance. It was a bit faster paced and full of really cool tech and crazy politics.

Although humans do play a larger role in some of the conflicts in this book, this series continues to be primarily focused on aliens and the unique aspects of their various cultures. McKenna has created an incredibly diverse and unique cast and continues to keep the interactions true to the foundations she has set for the various species while still showing character growth and individual quirks.

This is the third book in the Expansion series and it is a series that must be read in order. These are rich, complex book with deep themes - well worth the time to immerse yourself in the incredible world being built.

[Melinda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like how Caitlin tells the story from the view point of the indigenous beings instead of us--the invaders or visitors (depending on what is going on). I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who likes Si-Fi.