What do you think?
Rate this book
Spellmonger: Legacy and Secrets #1
Shadowplay
From the World of Spellmonger… Blessed Darkness Conceal Her!
Born into a mysterious family, Gatina always knew there was something special about those around her. But when the Duke and Duchess of Alshar—close friends of her family—are brutally assassinated, her idyllic countryside life is upended by secrets emerging from the shadows.
The family she knew proved to be more than mere Alshari Coastlords and occasional magi, as she once believed. For centuries, her ancient and distinguished House has been secretly both Shadowmagi and highly skilled thieves. With a devious Count seeking to capitalize on the assassination, the future stability and peace of Alshar hinges on Gatina learning both arts.
Slavery and piracy loom malevolently in the distance as the Count allies himself with a merciless criminal organization to seize power.
Gatina’s House has vowed to stand against the rising tide of wickedness—no matter how hopeless the task may seem. Working in secret beneath the tutelage of an enigmatic and mysterious master, Gatina finds herself disguised as a street orphan. She runs the filthy gutters of Falas as she puts her training into practice amid the dismal reality of its most destitute neighborhoods.
Brutal thugs, violent riots, cunning soldiers, and the constant threat of discovery by the Count and his allies, all put Gatina’s life at risk as she struggles in secret against the rising tyrant.
For as the blessed Darkness conceals her movements by night, she and the Brotherhood engage in a clandestine struggle, something much more deadly than mere…
SHADOWPLAY!
Born into a mysterious family, Gatina always knew there was something special about those around her. But when the Duke and Duchess of Alshar—close friends of her family—are brutally assassinated, her idyllic countryside life is upended by secrets emerging from the shadows.
The family she knew proved to be more than mere Alshari Coastlords and occasional magi, as she once believed. For centuries, her ancient and distinguished House has been secretly both Shadowmagi and highly skilled thieves. With a devious Count seeking to capitalize on the assassination, the future stability and peace of Alshar hinges on Gatina learning both arts.
Slavery and piracy loom malevolently in the distance as the Count allies himself with a merciless criminal organization to seize power.
Gatina’s House has vowed to stand against the rising tide of wickedness—no matter how hopeless the task may seem. Working in secret beneath the tutelage of an enigmatic and mysterious master, Gatina finds herself disguised as a street orphan. She runs the filthy gutters of Falas as she puts her training into practice amid the dismal reality of its most destitute neighborhoods.
Brutal thugs, violent riots, cunning soldiers, and the constant threat of discovery by the Count and his allies, all put Gatina’s life at risk as she struggles in secret against the rising tyrant.
For as the blessed Darkness conceals her movements by night, she and the Brotherhood engage in a clandestine struggle, something much more deadly than mere…
SHADOWPLAY!
Audible Audio
First published October 5, 2021
161 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Terry Mancour
42 books1,172 followersTerry Mancour is a New York Times Best-Selling Author who has written more than 30 books, under his own name and pseudonyms, including Star Trek: The Next Generation #20, Spartacus, the Spellmonger Series (more than 11 books and growing), among other works.
He was born in Flint, Michigan in 1968 (according to his mother) and wisely relocated to North Carolina in 1978 where he embraced Southern culture and its dedication to compelling narratives and intriguing characterizations. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in Religious Studies.
Terry, his beautiful wife and three children live just outside of Durham, N.C. atop Red Mountain. He was nominated for the 2018 Audie Award for Best Fantasy for the audiobook for Spellmonger (narrated by John Lee), the first book in his Spellmonger Series.
He has plotted the Spellmonger Series for at least thirty books, in addition to his Spellmonger Cadet (young adult) series, stand-alone novels, short stories and novellas set within the Spellmonger Universe, all of which will be published by Podium as audiobooks. He is also the author of a series of sequels to Golden Age sci-fi master H. Beam Piper's novel, Space Viking, as well as original sci-fi novels.
He was born in Flint, Michigan in 1968 (according to his mother) and wisely relocated to North Carolina in 1978 where he embraced Southern culture and its dedication to compelling narratives and intriguing characterizations. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in Religious Studies.
Terry, his beautiful wife and three children live just outside of Durham, N.C. atop Red Mountain. He was nominated for the 2018 Audie Award for Best Fantasy for the audiobook for Spellmonger (narrated by John Lee), the first book in his Spellmonger Series.
He has plotted the Spellmonger Series for at least thirty books, in addition to his Spellmonger Cadet (young adult) series, stand-alone novels, short stories and novellas set within the Spellmonger Universe, all of which will be published by Podium as audiobooks. He is also the author of a series of sequels to Golden Age sci-fi master H. Beam Piper's novel, Space Viking, as well as original sci-fi novels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 10, 2021
What a fantastic surprise!! I'm already a huge fan of the Spellmonger series and I just happened to see this when I was looking at New Releases. I only read the Summary to figure out how this connected to the series and then figured out I would give it a try. I'm so very glad I did.
This series is a spinoff and takes us back in time to show us what was happening in a different part of the country while the Spellmonger was up to all of his tricks. Specifically, this story starts when Rard begins to make his play for King and the Duke and Duchess of Alshar are assasinated. It details what happens immediately after the Duke is killed and his son Anguin is taken by the Duke of Castal Rard (for his protection, of course). There is chaos everywhere as the nobles are surprised not only by the death of their Duke, but by the quick action of Count Vichetral as he tries to fill the power vacuum and is willing to use force to make it happen.
The story features Gatina (Kitten) as the MC and her story starts when she's about 10 years old. It's incredibly interesting in details and showcases her "family business" as a business that thrives in the shadows. The writing somehow captures her age perfectly and straddles the lines between a young girl and a very intelligent daughter who is learning to trust her instincts and is excelling much beyond her years at her trade.
Anyone who is invested in Minilan will find this a great addition to the storyline as it gives great backstory to a family that we come to learn about quite a lot of in their future. I listened to most of this on audio and have to say that the narrator -Fiona Hardingham - was fabulous.
I'm hooked. I can't wait for the next installment.
This series is a spinoff and takes us back in time to show us what was happening in a different part of the country while the Spellmonger was up to all of his tricks. Specifically, this story starts when Rard begins to make his play for King and the Duke and Duchess of Alshar are assasinated. It details what happens immediately after the Duke is killed and his son Anguin is taken by the Duke of Castal Rard (for his protection, of course). There is chaos everywhere as the nobles are surprised not only by the death of their Duke, but by the quick action of Count Vichetral as he tries to fill the power vacuum and is willing to use force to make it happen.
The story features Gatina (Kitten) as the MC and her story starts when she's about 10 years old. It's incredibly interesting in details and showcases her "family business" as a business that thrives in the shadows. The writing somehow captures her age perfectly and straddles the lines between a young girl and a very intelligent daughter who is learning to trust her instincts and is excelling much beyond her years at her trade.
Anyone who is invested in Minilan will find this a great addition to the storyline as it gives great backstory to a family that we come to learn about quite a lot of in their future. I listened to most of this on audio and have to say that the narrator -Fiona Hardingham - was fabulous.
I'm hooked. I can't wait for the next installment.
December 27, 2021
This was on okay book, but it really didn't live up to my expectations and wasn't as good as the other books in the Spellmonger or Spellmonger Cadet series. My biggest problem with it was that the audio book used different pronunciations than those established in the other two series and it was distracting at best and confusing at worst. The plot was fine; not amazing, not bad, just fine. I didn't really get that invested in any of the characters, and a lot of it felt a bit contrived. It also focuses on a time in the Spellmonger timeline that I have the least interest in: the political intrigue around the uniting of the dutchies under a king. Most of this story takes place during the books Warmage and Magelord of the main series. I am interested to see where this goes though, and hope that it will be better when Gatina meets Rondal, but I have a feeling that won't be until book 3.
February 21, 2022
Shadowplay is the first novel in Terry Mancour and Emily Burch Harris' Spellmonger: Legacy and Secrets series. Now, admittedly I hadn't read the rest of the Spellmonger series before diving into this spin-off series, so it is awe-inspiring that I had no trouble following along. I will have to add the original series to my TBR list.
Gatina has always known that there was something special about her and her family. She suspected that she had a secret gift, and while she never knew the full story of her family – she knew that there was something more going on with them.
As it turns out, she was right on both counts. Now her training is about to begin in earnest, changing Gatina's life forever. It's time for more adventures than she could ever have dreamed of, which is saying something.
I haven't read the rest of the Spellmonger series, as I mentioned above. Yet I sincerely had no trouble following along with the events of Shadowplay. I'm sure that there were many references and nuances that I would have appreciated more had I been better educated on the main series. But nothing prevented me from enjoying Gatina's story.
The story starts out slow, giving us a chance to know and appreciate Gatina for who she is before her entire world changes. I can see how some readers might find this part a bit slow, though I personally enjoyed it (perhaps because I didn't know the world and needed this background information). However, it should be noted that once the drastic change occurs, the pace picks up significantly. So be prepared for that!
Gatina, also known as Kitten, was an oddly endearing character. Her determination and passion were so overwhelming that it was hard not to appreciate her. Likewise, I love how hard she tried to make a difference in the world, despite her young age. Okay, I'll admit that I also simply adored her nickname; it's simple but sweet.
You know the writers have done something right when you pick up the first in a spin-off and find yourself wanting to go and read the entire series. I'm going to be adding all of Spellmonger to my (painfully long) list of books to read.
Thanks to Podium for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Gatina has always known that there was something special about her and her family. She suspected that she had a secret gift, and while she never knew the full story of her family – she knew that there was something more going on with them.
As it turns out, she was right on both counts. Now her training is about to begin in earnest, changing Gatina's life forever. It's time for more adventures than she could ever have dreamed of, which is saying something.
I haven't read the rest of the Spellmonger series, as I mentioned above. Yet I sincerely had no trouble following along with the events of Shadowplay. I'm sure that there were many references and nuances that I would have appreciated more had I been better educated on the main series. But nothing prevented me from enjoying Gatina's story.
The story starts out slow, giving us a chance to know and appreciate Gatina for who she is before her entire world changes. I can see how some readers might find this part a bit slow, though I personally enjoyed it (perhaps because I didn't know the world and needed this background information). However, it should be noted that once the drastic change occurs, the pace picks up significantly. So be prepared for that!
Gatina, also known as Kitten, was an oddly endearing character. Her determination and passion were so overwhelming that it was hard not to appreciate her. Likewise, I love how hard she tried to make a difference in the world, despite her young age. Okay, I'll admit that I also simply adored her nickname; it's simple but sweet.
You know the writers have done something right when you pick up the first in a spin-off and find yourself wanting to go and read the entire series. I'm going to be adding all of Spellmonger to my (painfully long) list of books to read.
Thanks to Podium for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
January 4, 2025
I did listen to all 3 books in this series. I will also state that imo the narrative got progressively worse towards the end. Yet, the primary bones of the story is good. Good enough that I continued to listen despite. The heroine protagonist is presented in a completely different light than in the Spellmonger series. This ought to have been marketed as YA. The change in behavior from the end of the 3rd book to her introduction in the spellmonger series is abruptly different in character.
Ultimately I was quite disappointed by this spin off series as she was quite a favorite character. Not overtly fond of fair play over getting the job done etc. Replaced by this altruistic moralizing instantly great at everything heroine that never suffered a set back in her life. - bitter aftertaste
2nd star was for story content in the series which I credit Terry Mancour for.
Ultimately I was quite disappointed by this spin off series as she was quite a favorite character. Not overtly fond of fair play over getting the job done etc. Replaced by this altruistic moralizing instantly great at everything heroine that never suffered a set back in her life. - bitter aftertaste
2nd star was for story content in the series which I credit Terry Mancour for.
October 13, 2021
Better than expected
Like many good to great books you don't see it all coming, in this case.... We already n know many major events and CAN see some of the smaller character building events com ill mg like a truck slowly heading down the road your way. What I never expected for one second was joe well written and charming the book was. There was little secrets uncovered and a hint of things to come. It was like spotting the slight stick frame of the stonemason's scaffold or the of the initial digging of the foundation ....and rwalizing that here a new wing of the Spellmonger mansion is well and truly being built. Now, here,today.
Like many good to great books you don't see it all coming, in this case.... We already n know many major events and CAN see some of the smaller character building events com ill mg like a truck slowly heading down the road your way. What I never expected for one second was joe well written and charming the book was. There was little secrets uncovered and a hint of things to come. It was like spotting the slight stick frame of the stonemason's scaffold or the of the initial digging of the foundation ....and rwalizing that here a new wing of the Spellmonger mansion is well and truly being built. Now, here,today.
May 30, 2024
Some complained about the narrator pronouncing a few things differently than the main story. There were only a few instances--easily overlooked. Overall, I thought the narrator did a good job giving each character their own voice. I really appreciate it when narrators do that. The story had good pacing. I really liked the main character of this story. I looked forward to reading her story after meeting her in the Spellmonger series (book 9). Terry and Emily do not disappoint in this book. I like that they put more detail to some events we already know from the Spellmonger series. I really appreciate getting to know this character and her family better. It's a great start to the trilogy.
March 20, 2025
A well-deserved 5 stars. It's been a long while since I could give a 5 star review. This story has everything it needs and nothing it doesn't. That "it" factor that keeps you reading well into the night. Well developed characters. A fabulous story arc and premise.
It doesn't have swearing or sex scenes. That is so refreshing. It felt like getting to eat ice cream and not having to take the scoop of cockroach legs that other stories throw in.
It doesn't have swearing or sex scenes. That is so refreshing. It felt like getting to eat ice cream and not having to take the scoop of cockroach legs that other stories throw in.
October 7, 2021
Great read!
If you are a fan of the Spell longer series you will love this book! There are so many great characters in the Spell longer series to chose from and this, to me, is a great start!
Personally this is one of my favorite book series, keep up the great story line and characters.
If you are a fan of the Spell longer series you will love this book! There are so many great characters in the Spell longer series to chose from and this, to me, is a great start!
Personally this is one of my favorite book series, keep up the great story line and characters.
October 8, 2021
Great to have another book in this ever expanding universe. Gatina is really cool and I hope we get to see more books about her and her family. The story was a lot of fun and very well written. It had an entertaining plot while providing greater depth to characters and events in the main Spellmonger series.
November 3, 2022
A nice perspective
I wondered how I would enjoy travelling back in time to experience this epic.from an alternate perspective. I enjoyed it immensely. Of course I have always enjoyed secrets, trap doors, hidden rooms, and aliases. Decimate
Y worth the read and looking forward to its sequel.
I wondered how I would enjoy travelling back in time to experience this epic.from an alternate perspective. I enjoyed it immensely. Of course I have always enjoyed secrets, trap doors, hidden rooms, and aliases. Decimate
Y worth the read and looking forward to its sequel.
October 7, 2021
Oh Gatiba
I really liked the inside look at a young Gatina. She hasn't changed from when she was young. Thanks for the great read Terry Mancour. I'm looking forward to the rest of the stories in this world...and outside this world.
I really liked the inside look at a young Gatina. She hasn't changed from when she was young. Thanks for the great read Terry Mancour. I'm looking forward to the rest of the stories in this world...and outside this world.
October 7, 2021
phenomenal
This book maintains the standard we have come to expect from Terry Mancour. With this being a collaborative work, I was worried about inconsistencies. But there weren’t any. This adds a lot to the main series and is truly entertaining.
This book maintains the standard we have come to expect from Terry Mancour. With this being a collaborative work, I was worried about inconsistencies. But there weren’t any. This adds a lot to the main series and is truly entertaining.
November 22, 2021
This book is such a treat! Fans of the SpellMonger series will love this storyline and the writings of Mrs Harris. She nails feel of the books with her writing and provides us with insight into another branch of the spell-monger storyline! Very well written!
January 4, 2022
Outstanding start to the career of the young thieves
I enjoyed finding out the dealings of the family business of thievery. Kitten seems to have a natural leaning for the family business. Looking forward to filling the family in the Spellmongers world.
I enjoyed finding out the dealings of the family business of thievery. Kitten seems to have a natural leaning for the family business. Looking forward to filling the family in the Spellmongers world.
November 28, 2022
A very well written YA book within the Spellmonger universe. No Mirealline in this book, instead it's on one of the side characters as she learns her craft as a thief. Didn't feel like a Spellmonger book as this was low fantasy, but the story was interesting.
October 14, 2021
Great continuation of the story.
I enjoyed it. Hope you continue. Good work. Recommend timeline to continue with the story to remain true to the original story.
I enjoyed it. Hope you continue. Good work. Recommend timeline to continue with the story to remain true to the original story.
October 17, 2021
Enjoyable
This another well writing book. My only complaint is it was to short and a unnecessary step back in the story line. Time I would rather be spent on the main event.
This another well writing book. My only complaint is it was to short and a unnecessary step back in the story line. Time I would rather be spent on the main event.
October 17, 2021
Really enjoyed this, offers a broader view of the Spellmonger world.
December 20, 2021
Great, engaging and well written addition to the series. Looking forward to many more of these.
December 31, 2021
Good spy novel
Always love an entry of the Spellmonger series, though this is a little light on the magic and action. Bring back Minalan!
Always love an entry of the Spellmonger series, though this is a little light on the magic and action. Bring back Minalan!
March 1, 2023
Surprisingly, this side exploration of secondary characters from the main line, made me slowly fall in love with them and gripped me right until the end.
January 11, 2024
I so love this back story of the shadow makes. I wasn't sure I would at first but wow!
March 13, 2024
A little more catered to YA than the Spellmonger series proper.
Great story, plot, dialogue and character motivation none the less.
An enjoyable read in Alshar.
Great story, plot, dialogue and character motivation none the less.
An enjoyable read in Alshar.
June 2, 2024
Brilliant work :) love the series
September 9, 2024
Good story. A very smart and brave girl.
November 4, 2024
Abandoned audiobook at 26%. Too juvenile for me.
January 24, 2025
Underholdende bok med grei oppbygging, men litt kjedelig "plot".
March 9, 2025
Good character development. Decent story.
February 28, 2024
Outstanding new story. I am looking forward to many more of this series. However, I Do Miss the Spellmonger.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews