What do you think?
Rate this book
The Well of Shadows
Aimee and Dylan follow up on a new lead in their hunt for a long-lost tome that might alter the very fabric of their reality. Along the way they strike up an unexpected, yet crucial alliance that adds an unforeseen complication to Aimee’s otherwise monotone existence.
Meanwhile, Christina Morgen is set to take over the Council of the Living, a role she’s been dutifully preparing for all her life. Her peaceful ascension to ruler of Saltung is jeopardized when the Tarung, a rebel group questioning major tenets of their society, rises in popularity, and threatens Christina’s orderly world.
The Well of Shadows reveals secrets and challenges long-held beliefs as it hurtles its characters on a dangerous and magic-filled quest that sees them striving for a better future, only to come face to face with their biggest fears.
Meanwhile, Christina Morgen is set to take over the Council of the Living, a role she’s been dutifully preparing for all her life. Her peaceful ascension to ruler of Saltung is jeopardized when the Tarung, a rebel group questioning major tenets of their society, rises in popularity, and threatens Christina’s orderly world.
The Well of Shadows reveals secrets and challenges long-held beliefs as it hurtles its characters on a dangerous and magic-filled quest that sees them striving for a better future, only to come face to face with their biggest fears.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 16, 2021
20 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Sabrina Blaum
10 books56 followersSabrina Blaum hails originally from Germany and moved to the United States in 2006. She studied Sociology, Geographic Information Systems, and English at a local university in Alabama, at which she is currently teaching English Composition.
She has always written and wrote her first “novel” in elementary school, when she decided that Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers needed a sequel. She also had the habit of telling her late grandmother bedtime stories.
Sabrina is an avid reader and writer, and she loves to spend time with family and friends.
She has always written and wrote her first “novel” in elementary school, when she decided that Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers needed a sequel. She also had the habit of telling her late grandmother bedtime stories.
Sabrina is an avid reader and writer, and she loves to spend time with family and friends.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 29, 2021
Kindle Unlimited read. I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to.
The character interactions are very antagonistic in the dialogue; with lots of arguing back and forth and interpersonal drama and issues that continue to get hashed and rehashed over and over again, never really progressing - yet at the same time, the emotion wasn't there for me. Neither was the connection.
It's very convoluted, and to me that turned into tediousness that I had to slog through to finish.
It was a very interesting premise with the living and the dead and a conspiracy in this world behind the plight of a subjugated populace, and mages and magics to fix this, but it was both predictable and anti-climatic, and again far too convoluted and not enough emotion to get me to truly care.
As always, check it out for yourself! On KU.
The character interactions are very antagonistic in the dialogue; with lots of arguing back and forth and interpersonal drama and issues that continue to get hashed and rehashed over and over again, never really progressing - yet at the same time, the emotion wasn't there for me. Neither was the connection.
It's very convoluted, and to me that turned into tediousness that I had to slog through to finish.
It was a very interesting premise with the living and the dead and a conspiracy in this world behind the plight of a subjugated populace, and mages and magics to fix this, but it was both predictable and anti-climatic, and again far too convoluted and not enough emotion to get me to truly care.
As always, check it out for yourself! On KU.
April 17, 2023
I really enjoyed the fantasy quest! Chris is a mage, and the upcoming Head of the Council that will run the town of Saltung. Aimee is a Verlohren... Essentially a dead being! Throughout history, the Verlohren has been portrayed as the dregs of society, but when Chris' brother, Dylan, becomes one, the three of them set out on a quest for the truth. With magic spells, paranormal monsters, and creepy twins, theres lots of twists and turns, and even a little love story too. My first by the author but I look forward to another.
January 19, 2022
Quite the Adventure!
Aimee embarks on quite mission when she forms an unlikely alliance with Christina, who is in the final stages of preparing for her position at the head of the Council of the Living. When the world as both of them know it is threatened by rebels they must work together, facing fears and uncertainty to restore order.
A very exciting adventure that had me gripped from the start. With magical references and otherworldly going ons, it wasn’t just Aimee and Christina that faced the unexpected. With each chapter I grew more inquisitive as to just what would happen and the consequences any actions Aimee or Christina took would have upon their futures. With Dylan there to also guide them along the way, I had little doubt they wouldn’t accomplish all they set out to do but I couldn’t help but worry and wonder what it would all result in.
I loved the surprises lurking throughout the story. There were memorable characters and alliances that were completely unexpected all throughout their mission. There was lots of intriguing magical and mystical happening that were brilliant and added to the drama and action surrounding the dangers and uncertainty there were facing. One of the best bits was the angst between Christina and Aimee, to start it was intense but provided some light-hearted fun and comedy to the story. As their trust and understanding grew, so did their relationship and feelings, which only added to all the complication they faced.
A great fantasy novel that left me most intrigued and thoroughly entertained, so I hope there will be more from Aimee and Christina in future.
Aimee embarks on quite mission when she forms an unlikely alliance with Christina, who is in the final stages of preparing for her position at the head of the Council of the Living. When the world as both of them know it is threatened by rebels they must work together, facing fears and uncertainty to restore order.
A very exciting adventure that had me gripped from the start. With magical references and otherworldly going ons, it wasn’t just Aimee and Christina that faced the unexpected. With each chapter I grew more inquisitive as to just what would happen and the consequences any actions Aimee or Christina took would have upon their futures. With Dylan there to also guide them along the way, I had little doubt they wouldn’t accomplish all they set out to do but I couldn’t help but worry and wonder what it would all result in.
I loved the surprises lurking throughout the story. There were memorable characters and alliances that were completely unexpected all throughout their mission. There was lots of intriguing magical and mystical happening that were brilliant and added to the drama and action surrounding the dangers and uncertainty there were facing. One of the best bits was the angst between Christina and Aimee, to start it was intense but provided some light-hearted fun and comedy to the story. As their trust and understanding grew, so did their relationship and feelings, which only added to all the complication they faced.
A great fantasy novel that left me most intrigued and thoroughly entertained, so I hope there will be more from Aimee and Christina in future.
July 23, 2024
3.5 Stars
I enjoyed it however some parts feel a bit stilted. The page break seemed unnecessary and cumbersome which adds little to the story. It’s not without fault but my take home is I enjoyed the main characters, their adventures and their relationships.
I enjoyed it however some parts feel a bit stilted. The page break seemed unnecessary and cumbersome which adds little to the story. It’s not without fault but my take home is I enjoyed the main characters, their adventures and their relationships.
November 1, 2021
I started reading this book and finished it in two days. It features a nice and original plot with a few twists and turns along the way. The writing style is refreshing and the author often makes us wait to discover what's truly going on, making you want to read more and faster. I love that it shows two strong female characters that don't need barely covering leather-armor to be "cool". They both have strengths and weaknesses, display character growth, and have realistic arguments that would definitely take place in real life as well. It's believable and so poetically described! I definitely recommend it.
November 1, 2021
This book certainly grabbed my attention and held it till the end, the characters are so diverting and I couldn't help but wanting to know more about them. The world you created is amazing and I wanted to get lost in it. I will definitely be sharing this book with my friends.
January 15, 2022
Initially, I struggled. The writing is good and easy to read, but the author starts the book right in the middle of a scene. It makes it feel as if it’s a sequel, or as if I missed some crucial piece of information. We’re not even introduced to the characters, we’re just given names and need to figure out who they are.
The key here is to just keep reading. Everything gets explained, as long as you can get past the first few chapters and ignore the confusion. By the time I reached the first 1/3rd it started to come together.
As a whole, I think I would have liked more description. The book is 90% dialogue, which is good and bad. On one hand, it makes it very fast-paced, which I love. Dialogue is always the best part as a reader.
But on the other hand, I often found myself confused or needing more of a setting description. We don’t even get character descriptions—not of how they look, or what they’re feeling, or what they’re wearing.
The plot is really interesting, and I loved the dynamic between the main characters. The best part of this book was the romance because of that dynamic.
I’m also a sucker for engagement drama in books (in this case, Chris is engaged to someone she doesn’t want to marry) and this delivered. I was definitely in-line with Chris’s feelings on Lance the whole time.
This book is LGBTQ! The main character is either bisexual or a lesbian—it’s not clear—and I absolutely loved it. I read mostly LGBTQ+ books but I didn’t expect it in this one and it was nice to have one of my first reads of the year be queer.
Overall, I did enjoy Well of Shadows and I would recommend it to someone looking for a fast-paced queer fantasy novel. If the author published anything else I would definitely pick it up.
The key here is to just keep reading. Everything gets explained, as long as you can get past the first few chapters and ignore the confusion. By the time I reached the first 1/3rd it started to come together.
As a whole, I think I would have liked more description. The book is 90% dialogue, which is good and bad. On one hand, it makes it very fast-paced, which I love. Dialogue is always the best part as a reader.
But on the other hand, I often found myself confused or needing more of a setting description. We don’t even get character descriptions—not of how they look, or what they’re feeling, or what they’re wearing.
The plot is really interesting, and I loved the dynamic between the main characters. The best part of this book was the romance because of that dynamic.
I’m also a sucker for engagement drama in books (in this case, Chris is engaged to someone she doesn’t want to marry) and this delivered. I was definitely in-line with Chris’s feelings on Lance the whole time.
This book is LGBTQ! The main character is either bisexual or a lesbian—it’s not clear—and I absolutely loved it. I read mostly LGBTQ+ books but I didn’t expect it in this one and it was nice to have one of my first reads of the year be queer.
Overall, I did enjoy Well of Shadows and I would recommend it to someone looking for a fast-paced queer fantasy novel. If the author published anything else I would definitely pick it up.
November 22, 2021
The LGBTQ+ world needs something fresh! We need more representation that isn’t the same old plot. I loved this! Well written. I couldn’t predict what was happening. I enjoyed the interaction between the main characters. Sure they argued but it was normal and expected throughout the situations. Reading a happy go lucky novel where everyone is all sunshine and roses all the time is boring. I want disagreements and resolution. Well of Shadows did that for me! 100% recommend!!
October 26, 2021
This was great. I enjoyed the writing style. Really crisp and a lot of dialogue. I like that. It’s not high fantasy for which I was grateful. It’s overall an interesting plot with quite a few surprises. I’ll admit I didn’t see all of them coming. I really loved the development of Chris and Aimee’s relationship. I may have swooned a few time. Well done.
February 14, 2022
Christina Morgen is preparing for her Initiation and upcoming wedding to become ruler of Saltung, but after the death of her brother, Dylan, she is struggling just accepting everything as it is. For when someone dies in this world, they don't fully leave it. They become corporeal ghosts who cannot be seen by those who had loved them and are considered the dregs of society, scum, trouble for the Living. Dylan becomes one and meets Aimee, who has been dead for several years, and is searching for a way to help those like them. Dylan and Aimee enlist Christina's help, and they embark on a quest to find out the truth about their history. Along the way, Aimee's and Christina's feelings for one another grow, and when the choice of self-sacrifice comes, their hearts cannot let go. What will they give up for the truth?
A fantastic paranormal fantasy novel. The thing that stands out the most for me is the world building. I've never read anything quite like it. There is the Living population and the dead. The dead are truly dead and yet they are not. The Living had vilified them, and there's a group trying to make a peace between the two, but the ruling class doesn't want it to happen. The history is thick and enthralling. Mages, magical creatures, and traditional epic fantasy quests. Both sides of this world are seen through Aimee's and Christina's eyes. The point of view bounces back and forth between the two of them a lot, sometimes it's difficult to figure out whose head you're in. It's wonderful to read how their relationship starts with friction and slowly entangles itself and blooms into something much much. There is a lot of dialogue between the two in this book, so be prepared for that. There is a very YA feeling about the plot with Christina breaking out of her mold and becoming something more.
A fantastic paranormal fantasy novel. The thing that stands out the most for me is the world building. I've never read anything quite like it. There is the Living population and the dead. The dead are truly dead and yet they are not. The Living had vilified them, and there's a group trying to make a peace between the two, but the ruling class doesn't want it to happen. The history is thick and enthralling. Mages, magical creatures, and traditional epic fantasy quests. Both sides of this world are seen through Aimee's and Christina's eyes. The point of view bounces back and forth between the two of them a lot, sometimes it's difficult to figure out whose head you're in. It's wonderful to read how their relationship starts with friction and slowly entangles itself and blooms into something much much. There is a lot of dialogue between the two in this book, so be prepared for that. There is a very YA feeling about the plot with Christina breaking out of her mold and becoming something more.
January 9, 2023
The book started smack right into the heart of the story. I like that it has a no-nonsense approach, with just enough intrigue, mystery and romance to keep you well into the tale, to want to see it through until the end. I kept turning the pages until there were no more pages to turn and even then I wished there were more. The story is complete, with just enough room for speculations on tangents and side stories. The adventures of Chris and Aimee certainly entertained me, as well as the banter and the overall dialogues in the book. I wanted to stay and bask in that universe for as long as possible, as with any good book I have read. Definitely worth looking at if you are into fantasy that is rife with magic, intrigue and that quintessential romance. A great addition to the LGBTQ+ literature!
November 4, 2022
I loved this tale of truth.
My first Blaum novel and it’s such a gorgeous read.
I loved the twists and turns and adored the way the story revealed itself with parallel narratives that eventually entwine.
Well used magic and history/lore and a good smattering of sexual tension was a wonderful combination.
My first Blaum novel and it’s such a gorgeous read.
I loved the twists and turns and adored the way the story revealed itself with parallel narratives that eventually entwine.
Well used magic and history/lore and a good smattering of sexual tension was a wonderful combination.
September 23, 2023
Interesting and complicated mystery that is slowly revealed as Chris, Aimee and Dylan go on a quest to reveal the truth of their world, in which 'dead' walk alongside the living, though they are horribly treated. Of course, all is not what it seems. A relationship forms along the way, it wraps up well, and has a HEA.
January 6, 2024
Fantastic Fantasy
What an amazing story that takes you on a journey of discovering the truth. At least the truth in a world where it seems it is the living vs the dead. Great storytelling and opening a world of different possibilities.
What an amazing story that takes you on a journey of discovering the truth. At least the truth in a world where it seems it is the living vs the dead. Great storytelling and opening a world of different possibilities.
December 1, 2022
Good book
I was too sure that I would like this book but once I started reading it and I got into the book it turned out to be really good.
I was too sure that I would like this book but once I started reading it and I got into the book it turned out to be really good.
Read
June 2, 2024DNF at little over 100 pages
September 14, 2025
I'm getting better at enjoying the fantasy real. I like the 2 on a quest idea with a guide. Sometimes the dialogue was a bit distracting. A solid read
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews