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The Coraidic Sagas #3
Empire of Shadows
In the aftermath of battle, a truth is laid bare—the world, and the people within it, are not as they appear.
Adrift without an anchor and nursing a broken heart, Lidan steels herself for a task she never thought would fall to her—to hunt down the architect of the horrors that have plagued the South Lands for years.
Ranoth stands on a precipice, his plans in tatters. The path forward leads as easily home as to death. Hungry for answers, he and Lidan set out in pursuit of a common enemy, for dark and fathomless powers are moving beneath the surface of Coraidin.
The unseen realms have awoken and within them, ancient feuds flare to life.
A new and deadly threat looms, and an old bargain will be struck anew. Will Lidan and Ran survive the coming storm to finish what they have begun?
Empire of Shadows is the stunning conclusion to the epic Coraidic Sagas trilogy
Adrift without an anchor and nursing a broken heart, Lidan steels herself for a task she never thought would fall to her—to hunt down the architect of the horrors that have plagued the South Lands for years.
Ranoth stands on a precipice, his plans in tatters. The path forward leads as easily home as to death. Hungry for answers, he and Lidan set out in pursuit of a common enemy, for dark and fathomless powers are moving beneath the surface of Coraidin.
The unseen realms have awoken and within them, ancient feuds flare to life.
A new and deadly threat looms, and an old bargain will be struck anew. Will Lidan and Ran survive the coming storm to finish what they have begun?
Empire of Shadows is the stunning conclusion to the epic Coraidic Sagas trilogy
610 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2022
18 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Alicia Wanstall-Burke
8 books156 followersSplitting her time between Central Queensland, Australia and Lancashire, England, Alicia is a writer, a mum and a cat-herder. There are rumours she may in fact be a quokka in disguise, but these are not to be believed.
She began writing in her teens and never grew out of the phase, publishing Blood of Heirs in 2018, Legacy of Ghosts in 2019, and Empire of Shadows, the final book in The Coraidic Sagas trilogy, in 2022.
She is an accomplished editor, holds a Bachelor of Education and has studied a Post Graduate Certificate in Ancient History.
She began writing in her teens and never grew out of the phase, publishing Blood of Heirs in 2018, Legacy of Ghosts in 2019, and Empire of Shadows, the final book in The Coraidic Sagas trilogy, in 2022.
She is an accomplished editor, holds a Bachelor of Education and has studied a Post Graduate Certificate in Ancient History.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 6, 2022
A good conclusion to a fascinating series!
While Blood of Heirs started of a bit on the easier side and almost had a bit of a YA feel at times, the story gets continually darker all the way through.
So by book three we're definitely firmly in a dark fantasy setting, with enough grit and grim topics to feel like a rather bleak place, yet with a spark of hope.
I really enjoyed following the characters from almost naive teens to adults who have to make horrible but necessary decisions. The world isn't save, and you getter grow up fast. The character ARCs felt quite realistic, and I especially liked how traumatic events actually had long term effects and consequences. So often horrendous stuff happens and then it's shrugged off as if it was nothing.
We also get Sellan as a POV character, and I LOVED reading about her past, her motivations and her goals. I always like a "villain" I can understand a lot more than evil for evils sake.
That bit is also a main reason why I only give 4* - because the new enemy is definitely just awful because that's who they are. It felt a bit shallow and made the whole end feel a bit less gripping than I'd have expected from the set up.
Not a bad end by any means, but just not on par with how much I enjoyed everything up to the final showdown.
There's an epilogue that I don't know how I feel about, as I like the added mystery and twist, but it also feels a bit like an afterthought, than an "aha moment" seeded well through the story.
However I did love the main characters, and I definitely want more books that have loyalties, families, betrayal and friendship at their heart, and romance just as a small part of all the bigger picture and structures. I started to care a lot about all of these characters, and will be very sorry to not have them around longer, though the openness to the end definitely would allow for return appearances...
While Blood of Heirs started of a bit on the easier side and almost had a bit of a YA feel at times, the story gets continually darker all the way through.
So by book three we're definitely firmly in a dark fantasy setting, with enough grit and grim topics to feel like a rather bleak place, yet with a spark of hope.
I really enjoyed following the characters from almost naive teens to adults who have to make horrible but necessary decisions. The world isn't save, and you getter grow up fast. The character ARCs felt quite realistic, and I especially liked how traumatic events actually had long term effects and consequences. So often horrendous stuff happens and then it's shrugged off as if it was nothing.
We also get Sellan as a POV character, and I LOVED reading about her past, her motivations and her goals. I always like a "villain" I can understand a lot more than evil for evils sake.
That bit is also a main reason why I only give 4* - because the new enemy is definitely just awful because that's who they are. It felt a bit shallow and made the whole end feel a bit less gripping than I'd have expected from the set up.
Not a bad end by any means, but just not on par with how much I enjoyed everything up to the final showdown.
There's an epilogue that I don't know how I feel about, as I like the added mystery and twist, but it also feels a bit like an afterthought, than an "aha moment" seeded well through the story.
However I did love the main characters, and I definitely want more books that have loyalties, families, betrayal and friendship at their heart, and romance just as a small part of all the bigger picture and structures. I started to care a lot about all of these characters, and will be very sorry to not have them around longer, though the openness to the end definitely would allow for return appearances...
January 6, 2022
* Thank you to the author, for providing a review copy of this book . You can find my full video review here: https://youtu.be/sw9xN1M01ws *
Empire of Shadows is the third and final instalment in Alicia Wanstall-Burke’s The Coraidic Sagas. Where everything started to pull together towards the end of book 2, here we follow on from the big reveal that threatens to tear Coraidin apart.
Not only are the lives of our characters in danger, but the stakes are well and truly raised with potentially world-changing consequences and an evil that we can now put a face to.
Having a tangible villain is something that I really appreciated in this book and we also get to see some of their history and some POV chapters where we properly get into their head.
For the characters overall, I felt that the growth in Lidan and Ran was great with some specific moments that you can point to as having created a shift in them. I also liked the additional depth that we get to Sellan here, as I felt that her character was a bit odd in the earlier books.
Iridia is another character that I liked, and I felt that she added a little something different to the story. Here we see a bit more to the character herself, and it’s very much a case of her becoming more real as she grows as a character.
We get to see more of the geography of the world here, including the Woadan Empire. As well as just the physical side of this, we also get a little of the history and the political make-up of the country, which was all well-handled.
There were a few bits that I was slightly disappointed in, some characters who fell away from the story where I would have liked to see their part of the tale closed down a bit more. There were also a couple of instances where a specific plot device was used where I would have preferred to see a different path taken.
Overall, I feel like this was a really good conclusion to the trilogy, and for the most part we had a satisfactory conclusion to most of the threads making up the story.
Empire of Shadows is the third and final instalment in Alicia Wanstall-Burke’s The Coraidic Sagas. Where everything started to pull together towards the end of book 2, here we follow on from the big reveal that threatens to tear Coraidin apart.
Not only are the lives of our characters in danger, but the stakes are well and truly raised with potentially world-changing consequences and an evil that we can now put a face to.
Having a tangible villain is something that I really appreciated in this book and we also get to see some of their history and some POV chapters where we properly get into their head.
For the characters overall, I felt that the growth in Lidan and Ran was great with some specific moments that you can point to as having created a shift in them. I also liked the additional depth that we get to Sellan here, as I felt that her character was a bit odd in the earlier books.
Iridia is another character that I liked, and I felt that she added a little something different to the story. Here we see a bit more to the character herself, and it’s very much a case of her becoming more real as she grows as a character.
We get to see more of the geography of the world here, including the Woadan Empire. As well as just the physical side of this, we also get a little of the history and the political make-up of the country, which was all well-handled.
There were a few bits that I was slightly disappointed in, some characters who fell away from the story where I would have liked to see their part of the tale closed down a bit more. There were also a couple of instances where a specific plot device was used where I would have preferred to see a different path taken.
Overall, I feel like this was a really good conclusion to the trilogy, and for the most part we had a satisfactory conclusion to most of the threads making up the story.
October 10, 2025
Not exactly a 3 star but objectively better than just ok (2 stars) - so maybe it's a wash at 2.5.
Something about this book did not work for me. There was an addition of a third POV and shift in focus which did not work for me. We left behind some of the more interesting plot threads (for me) and followed a more conventional quest tale. It was solid but I missed the clan politics and the more complex vying for power that I found in the first two books.
The odd thing however was that this third POV wasn't bad - it set up motives well and if it had come in book 2 I would have cared more. In this last book it was a pivot and left that character as feeling more headstrong than convincingly conniving.
The writing was good which is really why I rounded this up. It's a good book and I can see people really liking it because the plot is pretty cool with some big reveals which could set up a future series (I hope). It was just not plot threads I particularly cared about so it's focus was odd for me. Still, I am glad I picked up the series and hope to see more from this author.
Something about this book did not work for me. There was an addition of a third POV and shift in focus which did not work for me. We left behind some of the more interesting plot threads (for me) and followed a more conventional quest tale. It was solid but I missed the clan politics and the more complex vying for power that I found in the first two books.
The odd thing however was that this third POV wasn't bad - it set up motives well and if it had come in book 2 I would have cared more. In this last book it was a pivot and left that character as feeling more headstrong than convincingly conniving.
The writing was good which is really why I rounded this up. It's a good book and I can see people really liking it because the plot is pretty cool with some big reveals which could set up a future series (I hope). It was just not plot threads I particularly cared about so it's focus was odd for me. Still, I am glad I picked up the series and hope to see more from this author.
February 3, 2023
The Empire of Shadows is the final installment of The Coraidic Saga by Alicia Wanstall - Burke, that originally started with The Blood of Heirs, continuing with Legacy of Ghosts and finally ending with Empire of Shadows.
The Coraidic Saga is an interesting fantasy, particularly in relation to structure and how the story comes together. In the first book, Alicia Wanstall - Burke maintains a divergent storyline in relation to the main characters Lidan and Ran. She maintains this divergence until partway through the second book where eventually the two storylines converge and the two main characters join forces.
In this the final part we get the feeling that the story has become more of a joint storyline and we start to tread on familiar ground with a party of individuals rushing towards the goal of stopping the opposing force causing cataclysmic and irrevocable damage to the world as a whole.
However, we still have a multi - pov and in this book we see more of Selen, rather than her being a side character, learning more about her background and also gain an insight into her personality and behaviour.
Structurally, the story itself is quite familiar, particularly within epic fantasy. However, the skill of Alicia Wanstall - Burke is to present a familiar story, but in a method that feels fresh and original.
One of the things that is striking in Empire of Shadows was the human element of the story, and whilst we see the involvement of gods and their machinations in the world come to the fore in this book, Selen's reasons for her actions are portrayed in a much more sympathetic and human reason. In fact to be honest, my sympathies ended up in being more with Selen in this story rather than the main protagonists of Lidan and Ran to be honest. I don't know if this was intentional on Alicia Wanstall - Burke's part or whether it was an adjunctive effect that occurred when we learn more about Selen.
I have to say that for me there was a reversal in some of my sympathies in this book. I can see that Alicia Wanstall Burke was attempting to create nuance and understanding for Selen, but I actually became more invested in Selen's story and felt a little bit disassociated from the main protagonists, and in actual fact whilst obviously I didn't want to see her destroy the whole world, I really did want her to succeed in her main goal. It's just unfortunate that the end result would lead to the other, so she has to be stopped.
Selan is such an interesting character, so full of rage. We get the palpable sense that she wants to burn the world and damn the consequences. In fact for me, the inclusion of Selen's point of view is what elevates the book and I think I may have been a little disappointed if I had been solely following Lidan and Ran in all honesty.
We also get the inclusion of Thanie as a character, and now that we see her in her true light we discover the true potential as both an ally and as opposition to Selen's plans to destroy the world. Thanie is a good inclusion into the story as she becomes a kind of mentor to the rag tag group and particularly Ran. She shows him the potential of his powers but also toughens him up for the task in hand. However, not only that, Thanie becomes an effective device for explaining Selan's motivations and intentions and we learn more of Selan's driving forces through Thanie.
All in all I enjoyed this culmination of The Coraidic Saga and applaud Alicia Wanstall Burke for taking the story in a different direction than the one expected. Yes there were some bits that didn't work, but I find that a lot of my favourite books are not perfect in every way, and that's why I like em.
The Coraidic Saga is an interesting fantasy, particularly in relation to structure and how the story comes together. In the first book, Alicia Wanstall - Burke maintains a divergent storyline in relation to the main characters Lidan and Ran. She maintains this divergence until partway through the second book where eventually the two storylines converge and the two main characters join forces.
In this the final part we get the feeling that the story has become more of a joint storyline and we start to tread on familiar ground with a party of individuals rushing towards the goal of stopping the opposing force causing cataclysmic and irrevocable damage to the world as a whole.
However, we still have a multi - pov and in this book we see more of Selen, rather than her being a side character, learning more about her background and also gain an insight into her personality and behaviour.
Structurally, the story itself is quite familiar, particularly within epic fantasy. However, the skill of Alicia Wanstall - Burke is to present a familiar story, but in a method that feels fresh and original.
One of the things that is striking in Empire of Shadows was the human element of the story, and whilst we see the involvement of gods and their machinations in the world come to the fore in this book, Selen's reasons for her actions are portrayed in a much more sympathetic and human reason. In fact to be honest, my sympathies ended up in being more with Selen in this story rather than the main protagonists of Lidan and Ran to be honest. I don't know if this was intentional on Alicia Wanstall - Burke's part or whether it was an adjunctive effect that occurred when we learn more about Selen.
I have to say that for me there was a reversal in some of my sympathies in this book. I can see that Alicia Wanstall Burke was attempting to create nuance and understanding for Selen, but I actually became more invested in Selen's story and felt a little bit disassociated from the main protagonists, and in actual fact whilst obviously I didn't want to see her destroy the whole world, I really did want her to succeed in her main goal. It's just unfortunate that the end result would lead to the other, so she has to be stopped.
Selan is such an interesting character, so full of rage. We get the palpable sense that she wants to burn the world and damn the consequences. In fact for me, the inclusion of Selen's point of view is what elevates the book and I think I may have been a little disappointed if I had been solely following Lidan and Ran in all honesty.
We also get the inclusion of Thanie as a character, and now that we see her in her true light we discover the true potential as both an ally and as opposition to Selen's plans to destroy the world. Thanie is a good inclusion into the story as she becomes a kind of mentor to the rag tag group and particularly Ran. She shows him the potential of his powers but also toughens him up for the task in hand. However, not only that, Thanie becomes an effective device for explaining Selan's motivations and intentions and we learn more of Selan's driving forces through Thanie.
All in all I enjoyed this culmination of The Coraidic Saga and applaud Alicia Wanstall Burke for taking the story in a different direction than the one expected. Yes there were some bits that didn't work, but I find that a lot of my favourite books are not perfect in every way, and that's why I like em.
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December 30, 2021Full review to come, a bit closer to book launch
Hint: Worth the wait!
Hint: Worth the wait!
February 14, 2022
Just finished up The Coraidic Sagas from Alicia Wanstall-Burke.
Overall it's was a pretty good trilogy, I would give it a 7.5/10*.
Good action, decent world building and solid character development.
I do feel that book #3 may have prompted a bit of a spike in "well, that was convenient" moments and some other little quibbles, but the ending did deliver.
Give it a go.
Overall it's was a pretty good trilogy, I would give it a 7.5/10*.
Good action, decent world building and solid character development.
I do feel that book #3 may have prompted a bit of a spike in "well, that was convenient" moments and some other little quibbles, but the ending did deliver.
Give it a go.
Read
February 1, 2022Empire of Shadows reunites us with Ran and Lidan as they confront their most powerful enemy yet. The barrier between the seen and unseen realms has faltered. The gods have advanced their battle for the “balance of all things” into the mortal realm. In pursuing this common enemy, Ran and Lidan’s path leads them to the center of an eternal war between gods. Alicia Wanstall-Burke’s Empire of Shadows is an astounding conclusion to the Coraidic Sagas trilogy.
Throughout the Coraidic series, we have seen monsters such as the undead Ngaru and human enemies like Yorrell. The main enemy reserved for Empire of Shadows has power beyond any previous foe. By bargaining with the gods, this enemy has the potential to unleash unfathomable horror and burn all the free nations to ashes. For the first time in the series, we are given this enemy’s perspective. Hidden underneath their lust for power and revenge is their harrowing pain. While their choices remain abhorrent, their tragic past is finally understood. Empire of Shadows provides an unprecedented moral dilemma to the series.
The inclusion of this enemy’s perspective specifically compliments Lidan’s narrative. Lidan’s journey in Empire of Shadows begins with her struggle to find purpose. She is no longer a rangers’ apprentice nor the heir to her father’s throne. Meanwhile, her role as witness of the blood has become nonessential. Her lover Loge, the one person who represented a chance of life outside of her parents’ whims, is dead. Her once predictable future had been stripped from her. Ironically, her path to self-discovery follows the same footsteps as her enemy. Lidan must face the same momentous decision; will she break from the molds of society and decide her own story or remain subservient.
While Lidan seeks to redefine her own identity, Ran is fueled by his resolve to save Iridia. His desperation leads him to join Lidan on a perilous pursuit to find their common enemy. This enemy is the key to saving his ghost companion, but victory will require magic beyond Ran’s current abilities. To achieve this power, he will have to place his faith in an unreliable mentor and a dangerous training regimen. His growing powers will either save Iridia or corrupt him entirely.
Empire of Shadows is the crowning jewel of the entire Coraidic Sagas trilogy. Every trial and tribulation Lidan and Ran endured has led them to this epic finale. They discover evil is not so black and white and may even reside within themselves.
Review first posted in Grimdark Magazine. https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/revi...
Throughout the Coraidic series, we have seen monsters such as the undead Ngaru and human enemies like Yorrell. The main enemy reserved for Empire of Shadows has power beyond any previous foe. By bargaining with the gods, this enemy has the potential to unleash unfathomable horror and burn all the free nations to ashes. For the first time in the series, we are given this enemy’s perspective. Hidden underneath their lust for power and revenge is their harrowing pain. While their choices remain abhorrent, their tragic past is finally understood. Empire of Shadows provides an unprecedented moral dilemma to the series.
The inclusion of this enemy’s perspective specifically compliments Lidan’s narrative. Lidan’s journey in Empire of Shadows begins with her struggle to find purpose. She is no longer a rangers’ apprentice nor the heir to her father’s throne. Meanwhile, her role as witness of the blood has become nonessential. Her lover Loge, the one person who represented a chance of life outside of her parents’ whims, is dead. Her once predictable future had been stripped from her. Ironically, her path to self-discovery follows the same footsteps as her enemy. Lidan must face the same momentous decision; will she break from the molds of society and decide her own story or remain subservient.
While Lidan seeks to redefine her own identity, Ran is fueled by his resolve to save Iridia. His desperation leads him to join Lidan on a perilous pursuit to find their common enemy. This enemy is the key to saving his ghost companion, but victory will require magic beyond Ran’s current abilities. To achieve this power, he will have to place his faith in an unreliable mentor and a dangerous training regimen. His growing powers will either save Iridia or corrupt him entirely.
Empire of Shadows is the crowning jewel of the entire Coraidic Sagas trilogy. Every trial and tribulation Lidan and Ran endured has led them to this epic finale. They discover evil is not so black and white and may even reside within themselves.
Review first posted in Grimdark Magazine. https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/revi...
March 14, 2022
If you have enjoyed the first two books, you will probably not be disappointed by the third.
While the prose is solid and the story leads to the promised finale, the small issues I had in the previous books continued to be more and more apparent (for me).
For example, characters keep discussing and guessing about things the reader already knows. Plotwise that's unnecessary, because it made me skip the boring dialogues. This is also the reason I found the story overall so predictable. Combined with the YA-ish touch of the book and the overexplaining it resulted in me not enjoying the book as much as I could.
I also lost touch to the main characters and I think Sels POV was the only interesting one.
Still, the author is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
While the prose is solid and the story leads to the promised finale, the small issues I had in the previous books continued to be more and more apparent (for me).
For example, characters keep discussing and guessing about things the reader already knows. Plotwise that's unnecessary, because it made me skip the boring dialogues. This is also the reason I found the story overall so predictable. Combined with the YA-ish touch of the book and the overexplaining it resulted in me not enjoying the book as much as I could.
I also lost touch to the main characters and I think Sels POV was the only interesting one.
Still, the author is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
July 24, 2022
A conclusion to the series that caught me by surprise. An epic tale of retribution, family, and finding one's way in life amidst monsters, rigid expectations, and societal rules.
We follow a new character - Sellan, who was the most interesting POV. We also have a smattering of a character that comes back from dead, who could be completely omitted and make for a better story. Main characters are compelling, and each with their own agenda. It is nice that side characters also have their own agendas, and are not a mere prop of the main ones. Alas, side characters were mere suggestions in this book, and mostly blended into each other. Main antagonist is an irredeemable monster, and the trauma Sellan underwent was at the time time over and under explained. There are also some instances of characters explaining things to the reader in their dialogue, which was a minor annoyance in previous books but really irked me here. Pacing was mostly fine, with a satisfying conclusion, but the travel parts felt extremely drawn out. The pantheon came as a surprise, because we didn't hear much about them in previous books, nor was there any foreshadowing, so it felt a bit tacked on.
All in all, I enjoyed the trilogy.
We follow a new character - Sellan, who was the most interesting POV. We also have a smattering of a character that comes back from dead, who could be completely omitted and make for a better story. Main characters are compelling, and each with their own agenda. It is nice that side characters also have their own agendas, and are not a mere prop of the main ones. Alas, side characters were mere suggestions in this book, and mostly blended into each other. Main antagonist is an irredeemable monster, and the trauma Sellan underwent was at the time time over and under explained. There are also some instances of characters explaining things to the reader in their dialogue, which was a minor annoyance in previous books but really irked me here. Pacing was mostly fine, with a satisfying conclusion, but the travel parts felt extremely drawn out. The pantheon came as a surprise, because we didn't hear much about them in previous books, nor was there any foreshadowing, so it felt a bit tacked on.
All in all, I enjoyed the trilogy.
March 11, 2022
Powerful finish to a well written trilogy. Alicia’s prose,characters, and action all swirl about you like the scents of exotic spices in a marketplace. Strengthening her already formidable writing from the first two, this final book shows her skills honed razor sharp.
Continuing the epic tale of Lidan and Ran and their interwoven destinies, you hit the ground running after the revelations at the finale of Legacy of Ghosts, and a new antagonist places them in a situation where they find themselves as pieces on the board of a larger game where the stakes are no less than the fate of an empire.
Once again Alicia weaves a deft tapestry within her wonderfully imagined and fleshed out world. You root for the heroes, curse the villains, and soak in the story like the sun upon your face; with a conclusion that will pierce your heart like iron.
If you’ve read the first two books it’s unlikely you need any impetus to pick up the third, but if you’re perusing reviews you would be well served to grab this trilogy and keep an eye out for Alicia’s name in the future as you’ll be guaranteed a captivating read.
Continuing the epic tale of Lidan and Ran and their interwoven destinies, you hit the ground running after the revelations at the finale of Legacy of Ghosts, and a new antagonist places them in a situation where they find themselves as pieces on the board of a larger game where the stakes are no less than the fate of an empire.
Once again Alicia weaves a deft tapestry within her wonderfully imagined and fleshed out world. You root for the heroes, curse the villains, and soak in the story like the sun upon your face; with a conclusion that will pierce your heart like iron.
If you’ve read the first two books it’s unlikely you need any impetus to pick up the third, but if you’re perusing reviews you would be well served to grab this trilogy and keep an eye out for Alicia’s name in the future as you’ll be guaranteed a captivating read.
September 21, 2022
This was definitely a step up from the middle book of the series.
The characters arcs fleshed out quite nicely and the ending was well crafted and delivered .
Some of the pacing was a bit sticky for me at times and Sellan's journey and path dragged for me.
Lidan is the stand out character and the highlight of the book for me
The characters arcs fleshed out quite nicely and the ending was well crafted and delivered .
Some of the pacing was a bit sticky for me at times and Sellan's journey and path dragged for me.
Lidan is the stand out character and the highlight of the book for me
January 19, 2025
Damn what an epic journey and conclusion to an amazing trilogy. You could feel and see that author Alicia Wanstall-Burke has sacrificed blood, tears and poured her heart and soul into bringing this wonderful grimalicious tale to fruition, and what a way to start my reading adventure for 2025 with a bang.
Empire of Shadows is the third and final instalment in The Coraidic Sagas series. After finishing, I hope the author returns to this world one day or whatever new world she creates, I look forward to seeing what she brings us next.
Empire of Shadows is a tale of sacrifice, love, heartbreak, and vengeance. I love the way the two story lines of our two main protagonists, Lidan and Ranoth merge together, finally joining forces to fight and find the architect who has created an evil by using dark magic that has plagued both sides of the Woadan Empire.
The author gives us an in-depth look at some of the other characters' story arcs. Selen, Lidan's mother, we get to see more of her background and where she originated from and how she came to be head wife of the Tolak Clan of the southlands, and wow its one hell of twist that will bring tears.
This story is full of surprises and twists that will leave you flabbergasted. There are a nice few little Easter eggs in there that made me smile. If you're looking for a trilogy that will captivate your mind from the very start, then you will love this. It's fast-paced, action-packed, full-on blood curdling stabby action. Monsters that would give you nightmares, gods interfering and pulling strings to sate to own ends and characters that you will love and hate that will leave you with very mixed emotions.
As the story continues, Lidan, Ranoth, and their companions treck across the Woadan Empire, hunting their quarry that will lead them into dangers unmanageable. But not all as it seems as higher beings throw themselves into the mix, pitting the two groups against each other. One is looking for blood and sacrifice, and the other is looking for balancing the world to rights.
Can Lidan and Ranoth stop the wheel that was set in motion twenty years prior by dark magic and put an end to who created it in the first place, who's looking to create more monsters that could bring devastating consequences to the Woadan Empire. Will they prevail or die trying, only the gods know.
To all who love fantasy. I implore you checking out The Coraidic Sagas. You will laugh and cry, and it's truly wonderful storytelling that everyone should experience. I can't highly recommend this amazing series enough, so what are you waiting for. Happy reading for 2025.
Empire of Shadows is the third and final instalment in The Coraidic Sagas series. After finishing, I hope the author returns to this world one day or whatever new world she creates, I look forward to seeing what she brings us next.
Empire of Shadows is a tale of sacrifice, love, heartbreak, and vengeance. I love the way the two story lines of our two main protagonists, Lidan and Ranoth merge together, finally joining forces to fight and find the architect who has created an evil by using dark magic that has plagued both sides of the Woadan Empire.
The author gives us an in-depth look at some of the other characters' story arcs. Selen, Lidan's mother, we get to see more of her background and where she originated from and how she came to be head wife of the Tolak Clan of the southlands, and wow its one hell of twist that will bring tears.
This story is full of surprises and twists that will leave you flabbergasted. There are a nice few little Easter eggs in there that made me smile. If you're looking for a trilogy that will captivate your mind from the very start, then you will love this. It's fast-paced, action-packed, full-on blood curdling stabby action. Monsters that would give you nightmares, gods interfering and pulling strings to sate to own ends and characters that you will love and hate that will leave you with very mixed emotions.
As the story continues, Lidan, Ranoth, and their companions treck across the Woadan Empire, hunting their quarry that will lead them into dangers unmanageable. But not all as it seems as higher beings throw themselves into the mix, pitting the two groups against each other. One is looking for blood and sacrifice, and the other is looking for balancing the world to rights.
Can Lidan and Ranoth stop the wheel that was set in motion twenty years prior by dark magic and put an end to who created it in the first place, who's looking to create more monsters that could bring devastating consequences to the Woadan Empire. Will they prevail or die trying, only the gods know.
To all who love fantasy. I implore you checking out The Coraidic Sagas. You will laugh and cry, and it's truly wonderful storytelling that everyone should experience. I can't highly recommend this amazing series enough, so what are you waiting for. Happy reading for 2025.
September 19, 2022
#mmm
#IFASummerChallenge22
Empire of Shadows by Alicia Wanstall-Burke
I have loved pretty much every word of this trilogy, but the final installment was my favorite by a significant margin. I've already written about how much I enjoy Sellan's character. She's an interesting take on the evil stepmother trope, with much more depth and much more interest. She's clearly a well-rounded, three-dimensional person, even though she does a lot of evil things (and often treats her own daughter rather badly). Getting her backstory in this book really makes everything fall into place, and it's so fun to read. It also serves as a fascinating way to expand the world. I don't want to spoil it, but her backstory is incredibly tragic, making her dynamic with her daughter more moving and more sympathetic without falling into excusing the abuse she's put Lidan through. If you found the relationship between Essun and Nassun in the Fifth Season compelling, this is, if not exactly a similar dynamic, one that explores similar questions of intergenerational trauma marked by misogyny and abuse. It's very thoughtfully done. And I know that sounds dark and heavy (and it is), but the book is still an enjoyable read, particularlyb ecause of the thoughtful plotting.
#IFASummerChallenge22
Empire of Shadows by Alicia Wanstall-Burke
I have loved pretty much every word of this trilogy, but the final installment was my favorite by a significant margin. I've already written about how much I enjoy Sellan's character. She's an interesting take on the evil stepmother trope, with much more depth and much more interest. She's clearly a well-rounded, three-dimensional person, even though she does a lot of evil things (and often treats her own daughter rather badly). Getting her backstory in this book really makes everything fall into place, and it's so fun to read. It also serves as a fascinating way to expand the world. I don't want to spoil it, but her backstory is incredibly tragic, making her dynamic with her daughter more moving and more sympathetic without falling into excusing the abuse she's put Lidan through. If you found the relationship between Essun and Nassun in the Fifth Season compelling, this is, if not exactly a similar dynamic, one that explores similar questions of intergenerational trauma marked by misogyny and abuse. It's very thoughtfully done. And I know that sounds dark and heavy (and it is), but the book is still an enjoyable read, particularlyb ecause of the thoughtful plotting.
March 13, 2022
I generally enjoyed this one, but felt like the ending wasn't what I wanted. Not because of the events that happened, but because so much was left unresolved and unfinished (and not really in a good way). There were major characters that were in earlier books that just never got any resolution and the ones we do see felt rushed and incomplete. There were also aspects of the ending itself I did not like - but it's not possible to really discuss without a lot of spoilers. I felt that given the lengths of the books and the number of characters, the ending was very rushed and incomplete and made it less likely I would recommend the series as a whole. I struggled throughout to stay engaged, and it's hard for me to say that it was worth it. But there was nothing really "bad" about the book, the writing, or the characters, so it may fit better for others than it does for me.
September 3, 2024
I quite enjoyed most of this book. I was interesting to learn more about Selen and Thanie and where they came from. As much as I sympathized with Selen, my feelings ran along the lines of 'cool story, still murder'.
Bringing characters back from the dead felt cheap to me, like the stakes were lessened. Loge coming back made some sense given his role, but bringing Liden and Iridia back just... I don't know. It felt hollow.
This book is listed as the third and final book in the series, but I feel like the epilogue leaves room open for more stories in this world. If more are written, I'll happily read them.
Bringing characters back from the dead felt cheap to me, like the stakes were lessened. Loge coming back made some sense given his role, but bringing Liden and Iridia back just... I don't know. It felt hollow.
This book is listed as the third and final book in the series, but I feel like the epilogue leaves room open for more stories in this world. If more are written, I'll happily read them.
Read
October 23, 2025This was a satisfying conclusion to an excellent trilogy, and I stayed up until almost 1am to finish it off. The story moves back north as a once-secondary character quickly takes center stage and proves to be a compelling sympathetic villain. She's definitely doing something unambiguously evil, but there's enough personal history and nuance to get you to understand why she's doing what she's doing. I'd probably write more but it's 1am and I'm tired. Great book, great trilogy.
March 9, 2022
This book had me so dejected and sad in the first half that I spent a fortnight kicking a rock down a lonely road. When I finally returned to finish the book, I was so satisfied with the conclusion that I went and found that rock and threw it at a stop sign. For the record I missed the sign but that isn't a commentary on the book but rather my throwing abilities. Great read.
February 15, 2023
Lots of mixed feelings about the finale. Largely unsatisfied with many of the unfinished storylines and conveniences with the magic system. Still was worth my time and I'm happy I read the series, but a pretty example of a great start and premise that didn't quite stick the landing.
May 13, 2023
A wonderful closing for an amazing trilogy
I really liked these books, which were very entertaining.
This third installment gives an interesting closing to the story, which I was not fully expecting. Well done, and I'm hoping for more to come.
I really liked these books, which were very entertaining.
This third installment gives an interesting closing to the story, which I was not fully expecting. Well done, and I'm hoping for more to come.
Read
March 6, 2024I don't rate books I don't finish. I really liked the first book. I thought the second book would have more answers. It didn't but it was still pretty good. I can't with this third one. I don't even care to find out what happens.
Read
March 28, 2022DNF@6%
May 26, 2022
A fantastic conclusion to the trilogy and a wonderful debut series by this self published Author. Well worth picking up the first book as I didn’t want the third to finish. 5 stars.
dnf
June 1, 2022DNF
Damnit… I feel like a foul seriously Ran and Lidan won’t be together? After all the two book !! Ok my fault this isn’t a romance… Gah!
June 29, 2023
this trilogy is fucking amazing
November 25, 2023
Wish this book would have been a bit more intricate....still it was a solid ending to a solid trilogy. I highly recommend
December 27, 2023
Brilliant
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