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Chronicles of Shadow #1
Exile's Redemption
After four hundred years, isolated from the rest of the world, the Elven Nation has finally reestablished a presence on the mainland of Allasea. With their return, the elves have built the city of Second Home, a place of learning, open to all who would come to study.
For Raven, a young Shadow Elf historian, and one of the few elves born on the mainland, it’s an opportunity for her to research the truth about the first child born to the elves, Umbral K’hul, a god-like boy whose attempted patricide and subsequent banishment triggered a civil war that fractured the Elven Nation.
A more sinister presence sees the elves’ return as a chance to strike, filling the beautiful city with an army of chaos and death. But along with the demons, strides another: after ten thousand years of exile, Umbral K’hul has escaped his prison.
Now, the elves’ greatest pariah and an untested heroine must face an enemy bent on genocide. In the process they will discover secrets their people have kept since the elves established First Home. Secrets which could prove even more devastating than the demons.
For Raven, a young Shadow Elf historian, and one of the few elves born on the mainland, it’s an opportunity for her to research the truth about the first child born to the elves, Umbral K’hul, a god-like boy whose attempted patricide and subsequent banishment triggered a civil war that fractured the Elven Nation.
A more sinister presence sees the elves’ return as a chance to strike, filling the beautiful city with an army of chaos and death. But along with the demons, strides another: after ten thousand years of exile, Umbral K’hul has escaped his prison.
Now, the elves’ greatest pariah and an untested heroine must face an enemy bent on genocide. In the process they will discover secrets their people have kept since the elves established First Home. Secrets which could prove even more devastating than the demons.
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2014
86 people are currently reading
472 people want to read
About the author
Lee Dunning
11 books26 followersLee has done many things over the years, including daring the horrors of IT for over 26 years. Having grown weary of that, she went back to school to study accounting. While such a job may not be the stuff of legends, it is a skill needed pretty much everywhere which makes it possible for her to keep a roof over her head regardless of where she chooses to live.
Of course, there is more to Lee than that. She's loved writing since grade school. She finished her first novel length story in high school, though she cringes now to read it. She's also worked with digital art since 2004. She's done several book covers for other authors as well as her own books. She also games both on the computer and tabletop. Her dice slinging has encompassed all versions of D&D, Fantasy Hero and most recently 13th Age.
As of July 26th, 2014, Lee published her first book, "Exile's Redemption" available here at Amazon in Kindle and Trade Paperback formats. The second book, "Exile's Gamble," and the third book, "Exile's Legacy," have since hit the virtual shelves of Amazon. Lee has finally finished the fourth book—"Exile's Vengeance" which concludes the current story line in the Chronicles of Shadows series. Currently she's working on some short pieces taking place ten years in the future from the events in Chronicles.
She currently shares her home with three cats, two Siamese and one horrified orange tabby. She recently moved to the Pacific Northwest, but longs to relocate to Alaska someday.
Of course, there is more to Lee than that. She's loved writing since grade school. She finished her first novel length story in high school, though she cringes now to read it. She's also worked with digital art since 2004. She's done several book covers for other authors as well as her own books. She also games both on the computer and tabletop. Her dice slinging has encompassed all versions of D&D, Fantasy Hero and most recently 13th Age.
As of July 26th, 2014, Lee published her first book, "Exile's Redemption" available here at Amazon in Kindle and Trade Paperback formats. The second book, "Exile's Gamble," and the third book, "Exile's Legacy," have since hit the virtual shelves of Amazon. Lee has finally finished the fourth book—"Exile's Vengeance" which concludes the current story line in the Chronicles of Shadows series. Currently she's working on some short pieces taking place ten years in the future from the events in Chronicles.
She currently shares her home with three cats, two Siamese and one horrified orange tabby. She recently moved to the Pacific Northwest, but longs to relocate to Alaska someday.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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October 26, 2020I feel ridiculous writing a "review" of my own work, but it was suggested I do so to help expand upon the blurb. This isn't a story just about pretty people with long pointy ears. This is a tale about the choices we make and the consequences we have to live with after the fact.
W'rath is an individual who carries a great many regrets, not the least of which is seeing the affects of his past actions on his dwindling people. Raven is a young historian desperate to understand her people's past and help restore them to greatness - only nothing can be that simple. A terrible death of an innocent has left her with a crushing sense of guilt, and a need to grow up much too fast.
I hope if you pick this book up you'll come to love the characters as I have.
W'rath is an individual who carries a great many regrets, not the least of which is seeing the affects of his past actions on his dwindling people. Raven is a young historian desperate to understand her people's past and help restore them to greatness - only nothing can be that simple. A terrible death of an innocent has left her with a crushing sense of guilt, and a need to grow up much too fast.
I hope if you pick this book up you'll come to love the characters as I have.
October 17, 2019
I didn't particularly want to like this book. I'm maxed out on the number of Kindle Unlimited books I can have on my device and was half-hoping to find this to be one of those "give it a try, then give it a toss" volumes.
To my surprise, I found myself quickly engaged by the characters and intrigued by the storyline. Different races of elves take center-stage in this story. The world included humans, yes, along with the usual goblins and orcs and etc., but protagonists are elves.
Elves who don't know their own history, who may have been betrayed by some of their own, and are currently being betrayed by--an unknown adversary.
In the middle of it all, hiding in plain sight, their race's greatest traitor joins a woman who was a scholar and is becoming a warrior to dig through the past and present and figure out how their people began to decline so badly.
I've downloaded the second volume and will be starting it today!
To my surprise, I found myself quickly engaged by the characters and intrigued by the storyline. Different races of elves take center-stage in this story. The world included humans, yes, along with the usual goblins and orcs and etc., but protagonists are elves.
Elves who don't know their own history, who may have been betrayed by some of their own, and are currently being betrayed by--an unknown adversary.
In the middle of it all, hiding in plain sight, their race's greatest traitor joins a woman who was a scholar and is becoming a warrior to dig through the past and present and figure out how their people began to decline so badly.
I've downloaded the second volume and will be starting it today!
August 8, 2015
Amazing Characters and a world that pulls you right in. I didn't want to put the book down and can't wait for the next.
I love fantasy with Characters that can make me laugh out loud when I'm reading.
I love fantasy with Characters that can make me laugh out loud when I'm reading.
September 18, 2020
I wanted to like this. I like to read everything about drow, dark wives, shadow elves, etc.. But the names, being thrown into the middle of situations like we should know who these people were, and the numerous spelling and grammar mistakes too me out of the book before I could really get into it. Good premise, but poor execution. I hear the author has gotten better since this first attempt at writing, so I'll probably check since of his/her brewery stuff out instead.
August 23, 2019
This review was originally posted on Camryn DaytonaI got this book from Netgalley, but it's also available on Kindle Unlimited if you're hoping to read it yourself!!
Exile's Redemption is one of those books that I would not be surprised if someone like George RR Martin or Brandon Sanderson were to step forward and admit that they wrote it under a pen name. It's just that good, I can't believe it hasn't gotten more attention.
This book has pretty much everything I like: world-building, multiple POVs, magic, and elves. In fact, here's a short statement from the author that I feel sums everything up nicely.
Alright, did that sell you on this book? Because it should have.
The World
Oh my goodness the WORLDBUILDING. I cannot express how much I love the world of Chronicles of Shadow.
The Elves believe that they were created by a super-strong elf with almost god-like powers who they call The First. His son, Umbral, turned against his father at a young age and tried to murder him, and for that he was exiled to a demon-filled world called The Shadow Realm.
But that's only half of the story.
One major feature in Exile's Redemption is how biased history can be. In fact, one of the two main characters is actually Umbral, and although we've yet to get the full story from him, it's clear he had a very different opinion of The First.
Since the book takes place over 10,000 years since Umbral's banishment, there's no one left (even among the elves) who recognizes him. Instead of announcing himself as "The Traitor" he picks the name W'rath (which cracks me up every time I read it).
Overall
Read this book.
Please.
I don't know anyone else who has read this book which is upsetting to me because I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
Exile's Redemption is one of those books that I would not be surprised if someone like George RR Martin or Brandon Sanderson were to step forward and admit that they wrote it under a pen name. It's just that good, I can't believe it hasn't gotten more attention.
This book has pretty much everything I like: world-building, multiple POVs, magic, and elves. In fact, here's a short statement from the author that I feel sums everything up nicely.
This isn't a story just about pretty people with long pointy ears. This is a tale about the choices we make and the consequences we have to live with after the fact.
W'rath is an individual who carries a great many regrets, not the least of which is seeing the affects of his past actions on his dwindling people. Raven is a young historian desperate to understand her people's past and help restore them to greatness - only nothing can be that simple. A terrible death of an innocent has left her with a crushing sense of guilt, and a need to grow up much too fast.
Alright, did that sell you on this book? Because it should have.
The World
Oh my goodness the WORLDBUILDING. I cannot express how much I love the world of Chronicles of Shadow.
The Elves believe that they were created by a super-strong elf with almost god-like powers who they call The First. His son, Umbral, turned against his father at a young age and tried to murder him, and for that he was exiled to a demon-filled world called The Shadow Realm.
But that's only half of the story.
One major feature in Exile's Redemption is how biased history can be. In fact, one of the two main characters is actually Umbral, and although we've yet to get the full story from him, it's clear he had a very different opinion of The First.
Since the book takes place over 10,000 years since Umbral's banishment, there's no one left (even among the elves) who recognizes him. Instead of announcing himself as "The Traitor" he picks the name W'rath (which cracks me up every time I read it).
Overall
Read this book.
Please.
I don't know anyone else who has read this book which is upsetting to me because I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
August 17, 2014
I might become a Fantasy Reader!
I just finished reading Exile’s Redemption: Book One and I have to say that it is a very engaging read! The book looks great, it was very well written, and the characters were believable and complex. About the only thing that I would have changed would be to add a hyperlinked table of contents to pick up where I left off. This is a fairly long book, by eBook standards, and with the complex characters and actions, it will take most readers a few days to do it justice in the reading.
The Author starts you off with a very artfully drawn map of the elfish homeland, and there are many wonderful designs, and the whole layout is very clean. The book has a perfect cover. The look of the book is impeccable.
The characters are complex, and the reader will identify with them almost immediately. The main character is named Raven, and she is an example of the Shadow Elf variety. She is young, not even one hundred yet, and she still believes in an ideal world. The other characters vary from the usual human riffraff, to an Elf that is literally thousands of years old.
Early on, Raven is subjected to watching as a demonic horde swarms the Elven city, killing everyone they meet with glee. They saw Raven as tender meat, which was their mistake. The horror and the death transform the young elf into the most powerful that the world had ever seen. The growth of her latent powers came at just the right instant to allow her to dismember the demons and their master in short order. I must say that I got a little choked up when I read this part, but that may just be my Celtic blood talking.
I think the Author was channeling J.R.R. Tolkien, the Silmarillion years in the writing of this book. The interactions of the various factions in the book reminded me of the series Game of Thrones. It was a great read, and you need to get a copy.
I just finished reading Exile’s Redemption: Book One and I have to say that it is a very engaging read! The book looks great, it was very well written, and the characters were believable and complex. About the only thing that I would have changed would be to add a hyperlinked table of contents to pick up where I left off. This is a fairly long book, by eBook standards, and with the complex characters and actions, it will take most readers a few days to do it justice in the reading.
The Author starts you off with a very artfully drawn map of the elfish homeland, and there are many wonderful designs, and the whole layout is very clean. The book has a perfect cover. The look of the book is impeccable.
The characters are complex, and the reader will identify with them almost immediately. The main character is named Raven, and she is an example of the Shadow Elf variety. She is young, not even one hundred yet, and she still believes in an ideal world. The other characters vary from the usual human riffraff, to an Elf that is literally thousands of years old.
Early on, Raven is subjected to watching as a demonic horde swarms the Elven city, killing everyone they meet with glee. They saw Raven as tender meat, which was their mistake. The horror and the death transform the young elf into the most powerful that the world had ever seen. The growth of her latent powers came at just the right instant to allow her to dismember the demons and their master in short order. I must say that I got a little choked up when I read this part, but that may just be my Celtic blood talking.
I think the Author was channeling J.R.R. Tolkien, the Silmarillion years in the writing of this book. The interactions of the various factions in the book reminded me of the series Game of Thrones. It was a great read, and you need to get a copy.
February 4, 2020
Edit: I'm modifying my review. Something in the part I read keep poking and my brain and I had to go back and finish the rest of the book. The story itself turns out to be pretty good. Some of my issues may actually be resolved in the following two books and would likely explain them also having members of their military who are under the age of adulthood. Still, anytime the beginning of a book turns people off or people feel they have to wade through it, it is not a good thing.
I received this as an advanced reading copy.
For fairness, I'll admit I couldn't finish it. The issue started at the beginning of the book.
This book suffers world building errors. You would think that since people create their own worlds you can do whatever you want. But there are certain basics rooted in scientific or biological fact. Longer lived creatures have longer periods of gestation and longer stages of childhood development. So in a race of beings that lives a couple thousand years, reaching ‘adulthood’ at 100 years can make sense. But that is an equivalent of 18 or 20 years of age. In a species living 10,000 years, that is a toddler. In either case, a 21 year old is seriously a child or an infant even. Not someone with the physical and mental development to be traveling along, from city to city, studying history. The very start of this story is just to ludicrous. It totally derails suspension of disbelief and makes the rest of the book difficult to read. Living a 10,000 is also a strangely long life span. I’m guessing the world has to be truly really old in order to have populations of species that live that long. It also stretches credulity. Even magical, fantasy worlds need to follow logical structures.
I received this as an advanced reading copy.
For fairness, I'll admit I couldn't finish it. The issue started at the beginning of the book.
This book suffers world building errors. You would think that since people create their own worlds you can do whatever you want. But there are certain basics rooted in scientific or biological fact. Longer lived creatures have longer periods of gestation and longer stages of childhood development. So in a race of beings that lives a couple thousand years, reaching ‘adulthood’ at 100 years can make sense. But that is an equivalent of 18 or 20 years of age. In a species living 10,000 years, that is a toddler. In either case, a 21 year old is seriously a child or an infant even. Not someone with the physical and mental development to be traveling along, from city to city, studying history. The very start of this story is just to ludicrous. It totally derails suspension of disbelief and makes the rest of the book difficult to read. Living a 10,000 is also a strangely long life span. I’m guessing the world has to be truly really old in order to have populations of species that live that long. It also stretches credulity. Even magical, fantasy worlds need to follow logical structures.
December 3, 2014
The best books are the ones that leave you angry at the finish, not angry at the book, but angry that it is over...especially when you have to wait to get the next one. I admit, I picked this book up totally on a whim, what can I say? I have a thing for elves, especially dark elves...while at the same time I am sick to death of the typical elves, I love seeing their usual tropes subverted and their mythos expanded on. So, picking this up on a whim did not mean I had high hopes for it, I was expecting a quick, silly, probably not well written, high fantasy...
What I got was freaking awesome! I have not been so glued to a fantasy novel since...you know, I can't remember, it has been a while. Partially because I read more nonfiction these days because I keep getting bored by fiction. If there were more action packed, well written, consistent to theme books out there I would not be so cynical...probably.
As you can tell I really enjoyed this book, I won't spoil anything for people who want to read it, but really, you should read it. If you are like me you will greatly enjoy the world and characters, and probably become rather smitten with Umbral's wit and smart-assery.
I hope the next book comes out soon!
What I got was freaking awesome! I have not been so glued to a fantasy novel since...you know, I can't remember, it has been a while. Partially because I read more nonfiction these days because I keep getting bored by fiction. If there were more action packed, well written, consistent to theme books out there I would not be so cynical...probably.
As you can tell I really enjoyed this book, I won't spoil anything for people who want to read it, but really, you should read it. If you are like me you will greatly enjoy the world and characters, and probably become rather smitten with Umbral's wit and smart-assery.
I hope the next book comes out soon!
April 26, 2018
So I got this book out of curiousity when it was recommended on Kindle Unlimited. I started reading it and was far more compelled than I expected to be. Dunning KNOWS these characters and tells their story well.
I ended up saving it to be my bedtime book, reading a chapter each night to savor.
I ended up saving it to be my bedtime book, reading a chapter each night to savor.
February 2, 2020
Preface: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Explicit content: Some violence, gory deaths
Recommended for: Classic d&d-esque fantasy fans
Originally, I was going to give this ARC a pass, as the cover and description led me to believe it was another of those D&D rip-off fantasy novels that are so prevalent - however, the reviews made me give it a go, and I'm glad I did. To be honest, a lot of this story and world is very derivative of D&D (the Abyss, the Nine Hells, the various fantasy races), but it still does some interesting things with the formula. The exploration of the elves' history and the lies buried within it was very interesting, as was the exploration of the different types of elves and where they came from. The beginning to the novel is extremely strong, exciting, and unexpected. Overall, though, by far the strongest aspect of this novel is the characters. This story is way more character-driven than plot-driven, and it does this well. Raven and W'rath are both interesting characters in their own right, but become infinitely more engaging when they're bouncing off of each other. Honestly, I could just read about W'rath talking to people all day - he's well-rounded, believable, and genuinely funny. This novel is worth a read for the characters alone.
It does have some problems, however, namely the plot. The beginning is so strong it would be difficult to follow through with regardless, but I still found the rest of the storyline to be something of a let down. It kinda meanders and bumbles around elf politics, before finally settling on a human conflict thread that isn't particularly interesting. Our human antagonist is just an evil caricature of a human being (which is especially disappointing given how strong the other characters are), and the whole war plotline just wasn't particularly engaging. It really felt like a waste of time or padding, vs discovering more of the elves history or what caused the calamity in the beginning.
My other issue is, again, that this world is very reminiscent of D&D, both in its mythology and the general races. We've got demons, devils, gnomes, halflings, orcs, etc., and none of them are different from their D&D counterparts. I really think more thought could have gone into all this, especially since the Abyss/9 Hells are kinda the crux of the conflict. It remains to be seen whether later novels explore these aspects more.
Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read. If character-driven fantasy is your thing, I'd definitely give this a look.
Explicit content: Some violence, gory deaths
Recommended for: Classic d&d-esque fantasy fans
Originally, I was going to give this ARC a pass, as the cover and description led me to believe it was another of those D&D rip-off fantasy novels that are so prevalent - however, the reviews made me give it a go, and I'm glad I did. To be honest, a lot of this story and world is very derivative of D&D (the Abyss, the Nine Hells, the various fantasy races), but it still does some interesting things with the formula. The exploration of the elves' history and the lies buried within it was very interesting, as was the exploration of the different types of elves and where they came from. The beginning to the novel is extremely strong, exciting, and unexpected. Overall, though, by far the strongest aspect of this novel is the characters. This story is way more character-driven than plot-driven, and it does this well. Raven and W'rath are both interesting characters in their own right, but become infinitely more engaging when they're bouncing off of each other. Honestly, I could just read about W'rath talking to people all day - he's well-rounded, believable, and genuinely funny. This novel is worth a read for the characters alone.
It does have some problems, however, namely the plot. The beginning is so strong it would be difficult to follow through with regardless, but I still found the rest of the storyline to be something of a let down. It kinda meanders and bumbles around elf politics, before finally settling on a human conflict thread that isn't particularly interesting. Our human antagonist is just an evil caricature of a human being (which is especially disappointing given how strong the other characters are), and the whole war plotline just wasn't particularly engaging. It really felt like a waste of time or padding, vs discovering more of the elves history or what caused the calamity in the beginning.
My other issue is, again, that this world is very reminiscent of D&D, both in its mythology and the general races. We've got demons, devils, gnomes, halflings, orcs, etc., and none of them are different from their D&D counterparts. I really think more thought could have gone into all this, especially since the Abyss/9 Hells are kinda the crux of the conflict. It remains to be seen whether later novels explore these aspects more.
Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read. If character-driven fantasy is your thing, I'd definitely give this a look.
July 7, 2019
Exile's Redemption introduces us to a world of elven races and their conflicts in interacting with each other and the wider world. The first book of The Chronicles of Shadow, we meet Raven, an exile wanting to find the truth in their history and Wrath, a purported villain returning from 10,000 years of exile to a world he doesn't really understand anymore.
Dunning has not only created an intricate relationship between the races of elves but also touches nicely on issues of historical revisionism, which also provides the intrigue behind what may have happened in the past for the elves to reach the state they are currently in. This is clearly very much an 'establishing' novel, introducing the characters and key political element to be covered, but at the same time, it provides fast-paced action and really enjoyable witty banter. Wrath is a gem! The novel shows plenty of scope for the rest of the series, and it honestly addictive to read. Can't wait for the next one.
Dunning has not only created an intricate relationship between the races of elves but also touches nicely on issues of historical revisionism, which also provides the intrigue behind what may have happened in the past for the elves to reach the state they are currently in. This is clearly very much an 'establishing' novel, introducing the characters and key political element to be covered, but at the same time, it provides fast-paced action and really enjoyable witty banter. Wrath is a gem! The novel shows plenty of scope for the rest of the series, and it honestly addictive to read. Can't wait for the next one.
October 17, 2020
Exile’s redemption is the introduction to a completely new fantasy world. The protagonists Raven and Wrath create a powerful bond to oppose the evil that threatens to end the elves of first home and to convince the elf members of the high council to act. Lee Dunnings description of all characters is endearing and her language skills along with her fine humor make you anticipating already the next book in the shadow elves chronicles.
March 7, 2025
Why is there no reviews?? How did I find this series??
Pros:
-Love W’rath even if dear lord he is too edgy.
-Raven is such a stupid name I love it.
-Good political focus. Elf politics are insane.
-Twin souls is a fun concept.
Cons:
-Raven’s story would’ve been more interesting if she stayed weak tbh.
-Also wished Raven kept the empathy power.
-W’rath as a name.
Pros:
-Love W’rath even if dear lord he is too edgy.
-Raven is such a stupid name I love it.
-Good political focus. Elf politics are insane.
-Twin souls is a fun concept.
Cons:
-Raven’s story would’ve been more interesting if she stayed weak tbh.
-Also wished Raven kept the empathy power.
-W’rath as a name.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2017
Great story.
This is a very detailed world and the story is full of drama and emotion as well as action. Anyone who likes books about magic and mayhem will like this one. I'm looking forward to reading more about W'rath and Raven.
This is a very detailed world and the story is full of drama and emotion as well as action. Anyone who likes books about magic and mayhem will like this one. I'm looking forward to reading more about W'rath and Raven.
November 28, 2017
Good story line with a touch of humor.
Came across this book by accident and thought I'd give it a try. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Elves, swords and sorcery with a bit of humor. Can't wait to read the next book!
Came across this book by accident and thought I'd give it a try. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Elves, swords and sorcery with a bit of humor. Can't wait to read the next book!
April 8, 2021
Had to DNF after 50 pages just felt like I was forcing myself to like the characters or even be interested in what was going on in the book to be fair I went into this book thinking it was about drow not shadow elf’s so could see others enjoying this book more than I personal did!
October 12, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyable!
I really liked this! Elves are cool, but Shadow Elves are HOT!! You'll like Raven, but W'Rathe is the story.
I really liked this! Elves are cool, but Shadow Elves are HOT!! You'll like Raven, but W'Rathe is the story.
April 30, 2019
It cannot be put down
Fast paced and hard hitting action which leaves little time to breath. I really enjoyed this book. I highly record this book.
Fast paced and hard hitting action which leaves little time to breath. I really enjoyed this book. I highly record this book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews