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Defenders of the Light #1
Spears and Shadows
Nora struggled with work-life balance even before an immortal sorcerer showed up and turned her career—and her love life, upside down.
Historian Nora Zvezda is gunning for a promotion at The Chicago Field Museum. The discovery of two ancient Greek weapons unlike any she’s seen before might be her big break—but the artifacts are more than they seem.
Trying to uncover their secrets, Nora enlists the help of professor of ancient languages, Dr. Adam Scott, an undeniably handsome man of intrigue. Nora has been too busy to worry about romance, but Adam seems to be overflowing with charm—and secrets, the biggest being his rank among the Eteria, a secret society of powerful sorcerers who’ve been in hiding since the days of the Greek empire.
When Nora’s work with the ancient and mystical weapons draws the attention of the Shadow, a powerful force that feeds off fear and negative emotions, she finds herself thrust in the middle of a perilous, age-old war between good and evil.
To protect herself, she must join the Eteria in their fight, all while struggling not to sacrifice the life she’s worked so hard for. Complicating things further is her undeniable desire for Adam and the feeling that he may be hiding more than his status as an immortal sorcerer.
Historian Nora Zvezda is gunning for a promotion at The Chicago Field Museum. The discovery of two ancient Greek weapons unlike any she’s seen before might be her big break—but the artifacts are more than they seem.
Trying to uncover their secrets, Nora enlists the help of professor of ancient languages, Dr. Adam Scott, an undeniably handsome man of intrigue. Nora has been too busy to worry about romance, but Adam seems to be overflowing with charm—and secrets, the biggest being his rank among the Eteria, a secret society of powerful sorcerers who’ve been in hiding since the days of the Greek empire.
When Nora’s work with the ancient and mystical weapons draws the attention of the Shadow, a powerful force that feeds off fear and negative emotions, she finds herself thrust in the middle of a perilous, age-old war between good and evil.
To protect herself, she must join the Eteria in their fight, all while struggling not to sacrifice the life she’s worked so hard for. Complicating things further is her undeniable desire for Adam and the feeling that he may be hiding more than his status as an immortal sorcerer.
Unknown Binding
Published June 16, 2022
108 people are currently reading
2853 people want to read
About the author
S.C. Grayson
10 books215 followersI've been reading fantasy novels since I was a little girl stealing books from my older sister’s shelves, and that has developed into a love of writing and storytelling. My writing is currently focused on fantasy and paranormal romance. When I'm not sitting in a local coffee shop writing and consuming an iced americano, I am a nurse researcher focused on breast cancer genetics. Though born and raised in the Chicago area, I live in Maryland with my loving husband and our two cats, who enjoy contributing to my work by walking across my keyboard at inopportune moments (the cats, not the husband).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
June 17, 2022
I devoured this book in one sitting and yes, it was such an amazing book. It was not excepted what i thought I would except. I excepted that i would find a story set in Ancient era but the author planned a completely different story.
The story was interesting as well as intriguing from the beginning. Nora and Adam was perfect in their roles and the other characters are great. The actions, war between light and dark, banter, love, angst, lies, betrayal, romance and spice, everything was blended perfectly.
I am trying very hard not to give away spoliers and if i did, you will miss the twists and turns. I don't know what to say here and am completely in love with Adam. I broke when he revealed the truth to Nora and i anticipated that but still, cried a little.
- Slow burn
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- Modern world with ancient twists
- Fated Mates
- Light and Shadow
- Banter
- Sweet and adorable MMC
- Strong and Loyal FMC
- Romance
- Twists and turns
- Hurt/Comfort
5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
1 -🌶️
I thank the author for an ARC. I loved your book so much it hurts and can't wait for book 2.
The story was interesting as well as intriguing from the beginning. Nora and Adam was perfect in their roles and the other characters are great. The actions, war between light and dark, banter, love, angst, lies, betrayal, romance and spice, everything was blended perfectly.
I am trying very hard not to give away spoliers and if i did, you will miss the twists and turns. I don't know what to say here and am completely in love with Adam. I broke when he revealed the truth to Nora and i anticipated that but still, cried a little.
- Slow burn
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- Modern world with ancient twists
- Fated Mates
- Light and Shadow
- Banter
- Sweet and adorable MMC
- Strong and Loyal FMC
- Romance
- Twists and turns
- Hurt/Comfort
5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
1 -🌶️
I thank the author for an ARC. I loved your book so much it hurts and can't wait for book 2.
June 11, 2022
“𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.”
“𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝.”
“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬.”
“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.”
“𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.”
_______________________
If you count The Mummy, Night at the Museum, Doctor Who (particularly companions Amy and Rory Pond), ancient Greece, archeology, found family, and endless poking fun at the miscommunication trope and other shticks we love to hate (looking at you, villain monologue) then this book is right up your alley!!
Nora is a weapons expert at Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago on the eve of her promotion to youngest department head in the museum’s history thanks to her securing funding to restore two recently recovered weapons from ancient Greece. Upon unveiling the weapons and seeing their nearly flawless state and then chasing away an intruder from the museum in the middle of the night, strange things begin to happen around her including, but not limited to, her timely meeting of Literature and Ancient Language Professor Adam Scott. Thinking he will be able to help her decipher the words emblazoned on the weapons, Nora is shocked when she and Adam are attacked by shadow beings who are somehow attracted to the weapons and bent on destroying anyone and anything in their way. It is here that Adam, in an effort to save Nora’s life after a near fatal injury, reveals his true identity to her and introduces her to an ancient Order of immortal sorcerers called the Eteria. Sworn to defend the Light, they exist in their own secret pocket of the real world and have been drawn to Chicago to fight the Darkness gathering there…the same Darkness that is now inexplicably drawn to Nora herself. As Nora bands with the Eteria and trains to protect herself against the Shadows stalking her, she finds herself drawn to the Eteria’s history, their lives, and to Adam himself. But can she balance her own life with the secret lives of the immortals? And will it cost her everything, or gain her more than she ever thought could be possible?
This book is a breath of fresh air. It has so many elements that I absolutely love and don’t regularly see in fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal fiction these days. It does start out a bit slow and kind of trips over itself in a few places both being a debut and also getting this storyline kicked off properly, but as a timeline from the past begins to parallel our main, present day story the author does a phenomenal job of capturing your attention and sucking you in. While the twists in this story are highly predictable, it doesn’t take away from the emotional punch that the reveals pack when they are confirmed. I saw it all coming from a million miles away and was STILL all in my emotions reading through to the end of the book.
Nora is fun, nerdy, and feisty, and I love her dynamic with her sister Odelle, who is a strong, independent, sassy news reporter and paraplegic. Having grown up together in the foster system they are all each other has, along with their Russian heritage and some darn good borscht.
Adam is the PERFECT combination of smoking hot professor, immortal warrior defender, and pure unadulterated cinnamon roll. I can’t give you all the reasons I absolutely adore him without delving into spoilers but I promise, by the end of this book you will adore him too!! The other members of the Eteria we are introduced to are absolutely adorable in their own ways and I REALLY hope we get to see more of them and get to know them better in the next book…especially Thad who seems to be hitting it off really well with Nora’s ex-boyfriend Drew which was the sweetest, most hilarious, and absolutely perfect surprise!!
The book thankfully doesn’t leave us with a cliffhanger, but definitely leaves us with some ominous tones for the future. I personally CANNOT WAIT to see how Nora’s character develops given the events that come together at the end of the book and I am BEYOND invested in her and Adam’s future together.
Thank you so much to the author and to City Owl Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to see what comes next for our Defenders of Light!!
“𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝.”
“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐱 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬.”
“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫.”
“𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.”
_______________________
If you count The Mummy, Night at the Museum, Doctor Who (particularly companions Amy and Rory Pond), ancient Greece, archeology, found family, and endless poking fun at the miscommunication trope and other shticks we love to hate (looking at you, villain monologue) then this book is right up your alley!!
Nora is a weapons expert at Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago on the eve of her promotion to youngest department head in the museum’s history thanks to her securing funding to restore two recently recovered weapons from ancient Greece. Upon unveiling the weapons and seeing their nearly flawless state and then chasing away an intruder from the museum in the middle of the night, strange things begin to happen around her including, but not limited to, her timely meeting of Literature and Ancient Language Professor Adam Scott. Thinking he will be able to help her decipher the words emblazoned on the weapons, Nora is shocked when she and Adam are attacked by shadow beings who are somehow attracted to the weapons and bent on destroying anyone and anything in their way. It is here that Adam, in an effort to save Nora’s life after a near fatal injury, reveals his true identity to her and introduces her to an ancient Order of immortal sorcerers called the Eteria. Sworn to defend the Light, they exist in their own secret pocket of the real world and have been drawn to Chicago to fight the Darkness gathering there…the same Darkness that is now inexplicably drawn to Nora herself. As Nora bands with the Eteria and trains to protect herself against the Shadows stalking her, she finds herself drawn to the Eteria’s history, their lives, and to Adam himself. But can she balance her own life with the secret lives of the immortals? And will it cost her everything, or gain her more than she ever thought could be possible?
This book is a breath of fresh air. It has so many elements that I absolutely love and don’t regularly see in fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal fiction these days. It does start out a bit slow and kind of trips over itself in a few places both being a debut and also getting this storyline kicked off properly, but as a timeline from the past begins to parallel our main, present day story the author does a phenomenal job of capturing your attention and sucking you in. While the twists in this story are highly predictable, it doesn’t take away from the emotional punch that the reveals pack when they are confirmed. I saw it all coming from a million miles away and was STILL all in my emotions reading through to the end of the book.
Nora is fun, nerdy, and feisty, and I love her dynamic with her sister Odelle, who is a strong, independent, sassy news reporter and paraplegic. Having grown up together in the foster system they are all each other has, along with their Russian heritage and some darn good borscht.
Adam is the PERFECT combination of smoking hot professor, immortal warrior defender, and pure unadulterated cinnamon roll. I can’t give you all the reasons I absolutely adore him without delving into spoilers but I promise, by the end of this book you will adore him too!! The other members of the Eteria we are introduced to are absolutely adorable in their own ways and I REALLY hope we get to see more of them and get to know them better in the next book…especially Thad who seems to be hitting it off really well with Nora’s ex-boyfriend Drew which was the sweetest, most hilarious, and absolutely perfect surprise!!
The book thankfully doesn’t leave us with a cliffhanger, but definitely leaves us with some ominous tones for the future. I personally CANNOT WAIT to see how Nora’s character develops given the events that come together at the end of the book and I am BEYOND invested in her and Adam’s future together.
Thank you so much to the author and to City Owl Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to see what comes next for our Defenders of Light!!
July 3, 2023
I can only hope that you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it!
November 13, 2022
SPEARS AND SHADOWS was a great debut paranormal romance and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author! I especially enjoyed Nora who is smart, determined, and a touch reckless, but she loves with her whole heart and isn't afraid to put herself on the line in order to save those she cares about. Adam might be a centuries old sorcerer but he's more of an academic soul and his slightly nerdy and stuffy personality worked for me.
While I liked Adam and Nora's romance, it doesn't really take center stage in the book so the majority of my high rating is for the plot itself which I found entertaining and engaging. I also really enjoyed the side characters, especially Odelle, Drew, and Thadd, and I hope we'll get their stories in future books.
Content Warning: on page flashback of the death of a loved one; brief mention of a side character losing her husband in a past battle and then miscarrying afterward.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:
He loved her enough that he was willing to die to save her family. He loved her through the darkest night.
While I liked Adam and Nora's romance, it doesn't really take center stage in the book so the majority of my high rating is for the plot itself which I found entertaining and engaging. I also really enjoyed the side characters, especially Odelle, Drew, and Thadd, and I hope we'll get their stories in future books.
Content Warning: on page flashback of the death of a loved one; brief mention of a side character losing her husband in a past battle and then miscarrying afterward.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:
He loved her enough that he was willing to die to save her family. He loved her through the darkest night.
December 6, 2022
S.C. Grayson has written a fantastic debut fantasy romance!
Adam is one of my favorite heros I've read so far this year. He's the perfect balance of this strong mysterious fighter, but also dedicated and smart (he's a professor!) and sweet. Talk about swoon worthy! He's one of those characters who not only feels like a romance hero in books, but someone you'd actually fall for in real life too. Which, in my opinion, are the best.
Nora a fantastic main character! I loved this Chicago girl (granted, I'm a Chicago girl myself) who is a history expert and brave and strong. You'll be rooting for her the whole time, and feel with her through all of the ups and downs of navigating this new magical world.
But on top of it, the magic and adventure are amazing! The magic works with knowledge and the arts and it was so beautiful and unique. I've never read a book with a magic system like it. I loved all the side characters and I can't wait to read their stories too and dive even further into the magic.
Can't wait to see what Grayson has in store for us next!
Adam is one of my favorite heros I've read so far this year. He's the perfect balance of this strong mysterious fighter, but also dedicated and smart (he's a professor!) and sweet. Talk about swoon worthy! He's one of those characters who not only feels like a romance hero in books, but someone you'd actually fall for in real life too. Which, in my opinion, are the best.
Nora a fantastic main character! I loved this Chicago girl (granted, I'm a Chicago girl myself) who is a history expert and brave and strong. You'll be rooting for her the whole time, and feel with her through all of the ups and downs of navigating this new magical world.
But on top of it, the magic and adventure are amazing! The magic works with knowledge and the arts and it was so beautiful and unique. I've never read a book with a magic system like it. I loved all the side characters and I can't wait to read their stories too and dive even further into the magic.
Can't wait to see what Grayson has in store for us next!
June 2, 2022
Me gustó mucho!✨ Al inicio era lento pero interesante, como toda la fantasía (éste es fantasía urbana), conociendo poco a poco los personajes y la historia, después se puso más interesante porque hubo algo que me gustó mucho, no sé si es un trope (creo que sí) pero me gusta que pase en los libros de fantasía (no lo diré por spoilers) 😍🙈 aparte de que ya estoy shippeando a algunos personajes secundarios que me gustaron mucho😩👀, Aquí aplica el grumpyXsunshine inverso amé, pero cuando Adam está en su momento 🔥no es tan tímido 😎👀. Ya dije que me encantaron los personajes secundarios así que estoy feliz de que el siguiente libro sean otros protagonistas AAHH😍, aparte el libro no tiene mucho texto, la historia tiene lo justo para la cantidad de páginas, un poco lento y de repente rápido, pero entretenido ❤️
Gracias a la autora por el arc☺️
Gracias a la autora por el arc☺️
September 5, 2022
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Filled with romance and action, "Spears and Shadows" is a promising introduction to a world where everlasting love and the ongoing fight between Good and Evil abound!
Read full review in the 2022 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Filled with romance and action, "Spears and Shadows" is a promising introduction to a world where everlasting love and the ongoing fight between Good and Evil abound!
Read full review in the 2022 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.
did-not-finish
August 6, 2025DNF at 27%. This woman's behavior irritates me. I hate the "I've been told I'm in danger but I just want to do things on my own because of reasons". She's an idiot and I hate it.
June 3, 2022
Absolutely loved it. The world building was incredible. I love Nora and Adam. I grinned my face off, bawled, chuckled, and fell completely in love with this book. It’s magical and beautiful. I can already tell this is gonna be a top favorite fantasy series for me. I loved the wittiness and sweetness from Adam and the dry humor from Thad and Ezra’s no nonsense training and of course Nora’s heart and fierceness.
Its set in modern day Chicago, but there is The Eteria, an ancient order dedicated to defending the Light. There’s magic and weapons and I love it all. I just want to live in this book. This book made me so happy. All of it. The side characters, the found family, the romance! I loved the feel of everything. The vibes I guess? It just felt so wonderful, exciting and new! Adam is book bf gold. His heart is so precious. I mean, so dreamy. 🥰
Its set in modern day Chicago, but there is The Eteria, an ancient order dedicated to defending the Light. There’s magic and weapons and I love it all. I just want to live in this book. This book made me so happy. All of it. The side characters, the found family, the romance! I loved the feel of everything. The vibes I guess? It just felt so wonderful, exciting and new! Adam is book bf gold. His heart is so precious. I mean, so dreamy. 🥰
June 1, 2022
Wow, wow, wow. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Spears and Shadows and I am SO happy I did. Without giving too much away, this was such a breath of fresh air! Our female MC Nora is the most charming type A personality, she’s incredibly driven and takes no nonsense, including from literal immortal beings or things that go bump in the night. The world building in this book is phenomenal and left me wanting not only the next book but maybe a prequel and a spin off or two of a few of my favorite characters (Thad!) and what their world looked like before we met them. I’m such a sucker for a found family and you truly get the makings of that in this book, I can’t wait to see the dynamic continue in whatever comes next. The romance was *chefs kiss* slow burn, and so worth the wait. I wish I could give it more stars!
June 29, 2022
I enjoyed this for the historical/academia vibes, the premise, and Adam's creative expletives.
The skeleton of the story is pretty solid but I think the execution wasn't the best and the book felt hollow and not as robust as I expected a fantasy book to be.
The world building left much to be desired. I usually appreciate when authors leave some details up to the reader to fill in, so that we're not faced with a wall of descriptive text, but there wasn't enough for my imagination to contribute to with this.
In regards to the characters and their personalities, there was a lot of telling instead of showing. The characters didn't leave much of an impression on me, I feel like the writing was shallow and the story would've been more impactful if there was more time spent developing the emotions and backgrounds of the characters to establish why we should root for them. I think we were meant to feel shocked and betrayed when the antagonist was revealed but we barely knew this person so it wasn't as dramatic as intended.
Overall, I'm intrigued by this series enough to potentially read the sequel, but this installment didn't blow me away.
Spoiler: Hearing how over the years Adam only successfully found his reincarnated wife 3 times really hit me in the gut.
Thank you Netgalley and City Owl Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The skeleton of the story is pretty solid but I think the execution wasn't the best and the book felt hollow and not as robust as I expected a fantasy book to be.
The world building left much to be desired. I usually appreciate when authors leave some details up to the reader to fill in, so that we're not faced with a wall of descriptive text, but there wasn't enough for my imagination to contribute to with this.
In regards to the characters and their personalities, there was a lot of telling instead of showing. The characters didn't leave much of an impression on me, I feel like the writing was shallow and the story would've been more impactful if there was more time spent developing the emotions and backgrounds of the characters to establish why we should root for them. I think we were meant to feel shocked and betrayed when the antagonist was revealed but we barely knew this person so it wasn't as dramatic as intended.
Overall, I'm intrigued by this series enough to potentially read the sequel, but this installment didn't blow me away.
Spoiler: Hearing how over the years Adam only successfully found his reincarnated wife 3 times really hit me in the gut.
Thank you Netgalley and City Owl Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2023
This was such an Awesome start to this series! Just the right amount of edge of your seat Action, Romance, and Magic. Nora is a total bad@ss, extremely Intelligent, and Driven! I loved Adam so much. The setting is in modern day with a mix of magic and history. It was the perfect Blend for my fantasy-loving ❤️. The World Building is Phenomenal and the side Characters are just as Amazing and I can't wait to read more.. DefinitelyYour Next 5 ⭐ Read..
March 3, 2025
I absolutely loved the plot in this book it is unique and I've not read anything like it before it's definitely different to her other book I loved the two main characters and the romance is really good I'm so happy I got the arc for this and il be purchasing a physical copy on release day id highly recommend this book it has a real good plot great characters and the pacing is on point I couldn't put this book down
July 7, 2022
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Spice: 🌶
Spears & Shadows is a fast paced fantasy novel that’s easy to read. This book takes place in a modern world but our main character, Nora, discovers a secret society of immortal sorcerers. I really liked that this took place in a modern world because it was really easy to get into the story right away without having to worry about understanding world building. An aspect of this book that I absolutely loved is the tie in of Greek mythology. I have been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was a child so I will read any book that has Greek mythology in it and that was what initially caught my attention about this book.
The immortal sorcerers are ancient warriors that wield the Light to protect the world against the evil called the Shadow. I thought that this was an interesting take on the Good vs Evil trope. The story itself is told in dual timeline between the present and the past and I really enjoy it when books do this. It keeps me turning the pages to see how the timelines will eventually connect. I thought that Spears & Shadows was really well written and the author did a great job placing little pieces of information throughout the book that all tied together at the end. I even found myself paging back to certain parts to reread and further connect the dots.
I liked Nora as the FMC, she is feisty and I thought it was cool how dedicated she was to her work as a historian. The history/artifact part of the book was one that I really enjoyed because it was so different from anything I had read before and I found it really interesting. I love it when books have strong friendships and family relationships so I really liked the close relationship that Nora had with her sister Odelle. Adam is the love interest and he is a great balance of an immortal warrior and a nerdy but hot professor. I enjoyed the romance between Adam and Nora but I wish it had been built up and fleshed out a bit more. There are some amazing side characters in the book and I want to get to know more about them in the next book, I’m intrigued to get more of their back stories.
There were definitely some unexpected reveals at the end that I felt added a lot to the plot. The ending of Spears & Shadows was very satisfying and it didn’t end on a cliffhanger! Overall I enjoyed reading Spears & Shadows.
Thank you, S.C Grayson, for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review!
Spice: 🌶
Spears & Shadows is a fast paced fantasy novel that’s easy to read. This book takes place in a modern world but our main character, Nora, discovers a secret society of immortal sorcerers. I really liked that this took place in a modern world because it was really easy to get into the story right away without having to worry about understanding world building. An aspect of this book that I absolutely loved is the tie in of Greek mythology. I have been obsessed with Greek mythology since I was a child so I will read any book that has Greek mythology in it and that was what initially caught my attention about this book.
The immortal sorcerers are ancient warriors that wield the Light to protect the world against the evil called the Shadow. I thought that this was an interesting take on the Good vs Evil trope. The story itself is told in dual timeline between the present and the past and I really enjoy it when books do this. It keeps me turning the pages to see how the timelines will eventually connect. I thought that Spears & Shadows was really well written and the author did a great job placing little pieces of information throughout the book that all tied together at the end. I even found myself paging back to certain parts to reread and further connect the dots.
I liked Nora as the FMC, she is feisty and I thought it was cool how dedicated she was to her work as a historian. The history/artifact part of the book was one that I really enjoyed because it was so different from anything I had read before and I found it really interesting. I love it when books have strong friendships and family relationships so I really liked the close relationship that Nora had with her sister Odelle. Adam is the love interest and he is a great balance of an immortal warrior and a nerdy but hot professor. I enjoyed the romance between Adam and Nora but I wish it had been built up and fleshed out a bit more. There are some amazing side characters in the book and I want to get to know more about them in the next book, I’m intrigued to get more of their back stories.
There were definitely some unexpected reveals at the end that I felt added a lot to the plot. The ending of Spears & Shadows was very satisfying and it didn’t end on a cliffhanger! Overall I enjoyed reading Spears & Shadows.
Thank you, S.C Grayson, for sending me a copy of your book in exchange for an honest review!
June 13, 2022
"Storytellers often come closer to the truth of the world than people like to think."
I love the concept of the plot here, with the MC as historian working in a museum with fascinating artifacts. It's full of actions and secrets as well!
The plot is well written and well paced for a debut novel. Great writing style is also easy to understand and follow.
The world building is captivating and it makes me feel interested in knowing more about the light defender and agents of shadow!
The main characters are pretty well developed, Adam is such a sweet character but also appear mysterious in the beginning.
It takes a while for Nora's character to warm up to me but in the end, I love seeing her grow and become a stronger version of herself. I'd love to see more from her in the next book.
While I do love most of the things here, I wish the romance could be explored a little bit.
Their relationship progress slightly too fast near the ending because we don't see much interactions between Adam and Nora in the first half part of the story.
But, I hope we got to see their growing relationship in the next book!
Overall, for a debut novel this is a great start to a fantasy series!
There's no huge cliffhanger at the end, but it does tell us that things are far from over and it's just the beginning.
I'm really looking forward to read the next book in this series!
I received an advanced review copy for free from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love the concept of the plot here, with the MC as historian working in a museum with fascinating artifacts. It's full of actions and secrets as well!
The plot is well written and well paced for a debut novel. Great writing style is also easy to understand and follow.
The world building is captivating and it makes me feel interested in knowing more about the light defender and agents of shadow!
The main characters are pretty well developed, Adam is such a sweet character but also appear mysterious in the beginning.
It takes a while for Nora's character to warm up to me but in the end, I love seeing her grow and become a stronger version of herself. I'd love to see more from her in the next book.
While I do love most of the things here, I wish the romance could be explored a little bit.
Their relationship progress slightly too fast near the ending because we don't see much interactions between Adam and Nora in the first half part of the story.
But, I hope we got to see their growing relationship in the next book!
Overall, for a debut novel this is a great start to a fantasy series!
There's no huge cliffhanger at the end, but it does tell us that things are far from over and it's just the beginning.
I'm really looking forward to read the next book in this series!
I received an advanced review copy for free from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 13, 2022
We would like to thank author S.C. Grayson for sending us this Arc for her book Spears and Shadows.
This book was a joy to read from beginning to end. It was face paced and kept my interest the entire time. I found myself looking forward to picking up this book whenever I had the time to read.
I loved the setting in modern day with a mix of magic and history. It was the perfect blend for my fantasy loving heart. There were many complicated and intertwined parts of this story that were detailed but easy to follow. The love between the main characters Nora and Adam was a slow burn at first but results in an epic tale of love that spans time and space. I am looking forward to the sequel and the continuation of this story!
This book was a joy to read from beginning to end. It was face paced and kept my interest the entire time. I found myself looking forward to picking up this book whenever I had the time to read.
I loved the setting in modern day with a mix of magic and history. It was the perfect blend for my fantasy loving heart. There were many complicated and intertwined parts of this story that were detailed but easy to follow. The love between the main characters Nora and Adam was a slow burn at first but results in an epic tale of love that spans time and space. I am looking forward to the sequel and the continuation of this story!
August 7, 2022
I wasn't really sure what kind of book I was getting into, but I was really enticed by the idea of history, magic, and modernization blended together. This was an epic adventure! An adventure I can't wait to continue in the next book. I'm looking forward to getting to know more characters and I hope it takes place in the same "time" as this one with the same cast.
The idea behind the society is an obvious "light vs. dark" issue... more specifically Light and Shadows. It had a little "Dr. Strange" feel to it in my opinion. I like that the main character has to reinvent herself, in a way, and that she's learning things are not so black and white.
I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in reincarnation romance, history, strong female leads, and a variety of cast members.
The idea behind the society is an obvious "light vs. dark" issue... more specifically Light and Shadows. It had a little "Dr. Strange" feel to it in my opinion. I like that the main character has to reinvent herself, in a way, and that she's learning things are not so black and white.
I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in reincarnation romance, history, strong female leads, and a variety of cast members.
August 5, 2022
Can we just take a moment to admire the beautiful cover that blends past and present perfectly?!?! This book kept me enthralled from the first page! It is a perfect combination of paranormal and romance with a Night at the Museum feel!! The characters are all unique and you fall in love with them all! I cannot wait to see what comes next, but I am hoping this series is a long one and the next story involves Odelle....or maybe Ezra..... Or Seraphina!!! Oh who cares! I need more!
June 12, 2022
♥️♥️♥️ Beautiful!
Odelle and Nora were celebrating Nora's future promotion in a bar.
Things were going well and Nora was hoping to get her dream job.
For this, she worked tirelessly at the Museum of Chicago, in the department of paleontology...
------------
Total and absolute crush on this magnificent action-packed adventure!
I really liked the two main characters, Nora and Adam, as well as the general plot of the novel.
I was transported into this magical story that made me dream.
Thanks to the author!
I look forward to reading the sequel!
A must-read ♥️
Odelle and Nora were celebrating Nora's future promotion in a bar.
Things were going well and Nora was hoping to get her dream job.
For this, she worked tirelessly at the Museum of Chicago, in the department of paleontology...
------------
Total and absolute crush on this magnificent action-packed adventure!
I really liked the two main characters, Nora and Adam, as well as the general plot of the novel.
I was transported into this magical story that made me dream.
Thanks to the author!
I look forward to reading the sequel!
A must-read ♥️
June 13, 2022
This was a story that surprised me and drew me into it, loving the characters and the adventure set forth. I am so looking forward to more from this series. I feel as though, I will be counting the days, waiting for more! Great Story! I Loved it!!!
No Spoilers!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
No Spoilers!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 26, 2022
I REALLY enjoyed this read. I was instantly sucked into the story and clung to it til the very end! This book was beautifully written and such a perfect romantasy. I cannot wait for the next in the series!!
June 11, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The beginning really stuck its hooks into me and held on until the very end. The writing is beautiful and the characters are a treat. The story is a mixture of strength, courage, love, mystery, and magic that is woven together in such a wonderful way. I hope to discover more about the world and characters in any future novels. Fingers crossed!
June 11, 2022
Fantastic! All of the characters felt very real, normal and flawed without being annoying. I particularly liked that the characters were all adults, not teenagers, and their regular lives didn’t just stop or cease to matter when the main events of the story got going. And it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, so no worries if you aren’t into incomplete series.
June 4, 2022
Spears and Shadows is wonderfully dreamy. ✨️
I read this book in one sitting and met my new favorite cinnamon roll. Adam must be protected at all costs. It was a lot of fun to read a modern day, "our world" fantasy and it made it easy to follow along with Nora as she was pulled out of her predictable life and thrown into chaos by a hot professor & some creepy shadow monsters. I think Spears and Shadows is a triumph as a debut novel and sets up the rest of the series very well without leaving the reader on an anxiety-inducing cliffhanger. 🙌
✔️Star Crossed Lovers
✔️Friends to Lovers
🌶 Fade to black spice, but nice banter & tension
I read this book in one sitting and met my new favorite cinnamon roll. Adam must be protected at all costs. It was a lot of fun to read a modern day, "our world" fantasy and it made it easy to follow along with Nora as she was pulled out of her predictable life and thrown into chaos by a hot professor & some creepy shadow monsters. I think Spears and Shadows is a triumph as a debut novel and sets up the rest of the series very well without leaving the reader on an anxiety-inducing cliffhanger. 🙌
✔️Star Crossed Lovers
✔️Friends to Lovers
🌶 Fade to black spice, but nice banter & tension
July 3, 2022
cute!
I really enjoyed this read. The story was good and the characters were sweet! Gives you some good feels for sure!
I really enjoyed this read. The story was good and the characters were sweet! Gives you some good feels for sure!
August 4, 2022
Nora works as Historian for the Chicago Field Museum and when a couple of Greek artifacts come to be in her possession, she discovers a mysterious writing. She enlists the help of Dr. Adam Scott. As he helps her decipher the writing and she learns that there is much more to Adam than what he lets on. She discovers that she has a connection to these items and Adam helps her discover who she really is.
This was a great paranormal romance, and I would highly recommend it to any who enjoy this genre. There is a book two in the series, and I can't wait to read it!
This was a great paranormal romance, and I would highly recommend it to any who enjoy this genre. There is a book two in the series, and I can't wait to read it!
April 16, 2024
Thank you to S C Grayson for the eARC of Spears & Shadows
Spears & Shadows follows Nora, who is just a regular woman working at the museum when she finds herself with Adam in what she believes is a fire spreading through her workplace.
Due to unfortunate events, Nora gets struck and that's when her life changes.
I loved how this novel started off as a story about a woman working in a museum, who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, then threw us a massive curve ball that I did not see coming!
Nora's character was complex, stubborn and brave. She stood up for what she believed in and was fiercely loyal in protecting those who she loves.
Adam was an air of mystery and his relationship with Nora was intriguing.
Drew was an interesting character and at first I thought he was there as some tid bit but he actually brought more to the story on the side lines than I first gave him credit for. I loved how his relationship with Thad slowly crept in and had me wondering if they or would they, or even if it was just a mutual respect for them both being "healers"
I actually loved all the characters in this novel, they each brought something to the story and even as I was reading, I felt there was more to everyone, I assume we'll know more about each character in the next book.
I really enjoyed the description in this novel coupled with the storytelling, it made it vivid in my imagination whilst I was reading.
The story pulled you in and with chapters alternating between the present and the past. I loved the insight into Xander when the chapters moved to the past, it all interlinked and made the story more intense.
Spears & Shadows certainly took me on a ride with some twists and turns that I didn't expect. The ending - I just know there's more to come and I look forward to it.
Spears & Shadows follows Nora, who is just a regular woman working at the museum when she finds herself with Adam in what she believes is a fire spreading through her workplace.
Due to unfortunate events, Nora gets struck and that's when her life changes.
I loved how this novel started off as a story about a woman working in a museum, who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, then threw us a massive curve ball that I did not see coming!
Nora's character was complex, stubborn and brave. She stood up for what she believed in and was fiercely loyal in protecting those who she loves.
Adam was an air of mystery and his relationship with Nora was intriguing.
Drew was an interesting character and at first I thought he was there as some tid bit but he actually brought more to the story on the side lines than I first gave him credit for. I loved how his relationship with Thad slowly crept in and had me wondering if they or would they, or even if it was just a mutual respect for them both being "healers"
I actually loved all the characters in this novel, they each brought something to the story and even as I was reading, I felt there was more to everyone, I assume we'll know more about each character in the next book.
I really enjoyed the description in this novel coupled with the storytelling, it made it vivid in my imagination whilst I was reading.
The story pulled you in and with chapters alternating between the present and the past. I loved the insight into Xander when the chapters moved to the past, it all interlinked and made the story more intense.
Spears & Shadows certainly took me on a ride with some twists and turns that I didn't expect. The ending - I just know there's more to come and I look forward to it.
March 3, 2025
✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: Monsters in the Museum (Defenders of the Light Book 1)
💡: Releasing March 4
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.
Nora has been vying for a promotion in her department at the prestigious Chicago Field Museum. When ancient Greek weapons are discovered, she partners with a professor of ancient languages to unearth the history.
But Nora quickly learns that Dr. Adam Scott is not all that he seems as she learns of his place within an ancient immortal order of sorcerers. Now, they must face a darkness that threatens the life she’s worked so hard for and the people she cares for. Can they stop the darkness before it consumes them all?
Tropes:
⏳Dual timeline
📚Historian FMC
🤓Smexy professor MMC
🗡️Magical artifacts
🏛️Mythology
🤫Secret orders
👩🏼🏫Bright academia
🫥Hidden identities
🌶️: mild to moderate
I adored Nora’s sharp wit, ambition, and determination to seek the truth. Professor Adam Scott is a hot scholarly green flag golden retriever/Cinny roll MMC who had me salivating and swooning in equal measure 😮💨. I loved the tension, delightful slow burn, and heartachingly beautiful romance that unfurls between them.
This story paired my love of history and fascination with mythology with a phenomenal blending of The Mummy meets Percy Jackson and the Olympians vibes! In the battle between light and dark, will Nora and Adam emerge unscathed?
Monsters in the Museum is an enchanting, fast-paced tale that infuses elements of levity, magic, and monsters while showcasing the power of love that endures even in the darkest moments.
I cannot wait for the next installments in this series! Huge thanks to the author and Haus of Fables PR for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review
📖: Monsters in the Museum (Defenders of the Light Book 1)
💡: Releasing March 4
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.
Nora has been vying for a promotion in her department at the prestigious Chicago Field Museum. When ancient Greek weapons are discovered, she partners with a professor of ancient languages to unearth the history.
But Nora quickly learns that Dr. Adam Scott is not all that he seems as she learns of his place within an ancient immortal order of sorcerers. Now, they must face a darkness that threatens the life she’s worked so hard for and the people she cares for. Can they stop the darkness before it consumes them all?
Tropes:
⏳Dual timeline
📚Historian FMC
🤓Smexy professor MMC
🗡️Magical artifacts
🏛️Mythology
🤫Secret orders
👩🏼🏫Bright academia
🫥Hidden identities
🌶️: mild to moderate
I adored Nora’s sharp wit, ambition, and determination to seek the truth. Professor Adam Scott is a hot scholarly green flag golden retriever/Cinny roll MMC who had me salivating and swooning in equal measure 😮💨. I loved the tension, delightful slow burn, and heartachingly beautiful romance that unfurls between them.
This story paired my love of history and fascination with mythology with a phenomenal blending of The Mummy meets Percy Jackson and the Olympians vibes! In the battle between light and dark, will Nora and Adam emerge unscathed?
Monsters in the Museum is an enchanting, fast-paced tale that infuses elements of levity, magic, and monsters while showcasing the power of love that endures even in the darkest moments.
I cannot wait for the next installments in this series! Huge thanks to the author and Haus of Fables PR for the review copy opportunity. This is my honest and voluntary review
March 3, 2025
The Chicago Field Museum has acquired two Ancient Greek weapons and Nora wants to be the one to make the big g reveal. Enlisting the help of Dr Adam Scott, Nora realizes there is more to the weapons than meets the eye.
She is drawn into a world of myth and legend that stands before her. Nora must dig deep into her past to fully understand what is happening to her.
The premise of the museum and what lurks in the artifacts was absolutely fascinating! The read was a lot slower than I hoped but I powered through because I love mythology and the fight between light and dark; I just had to know what would happen!
Stay tuned for book 2!
Thank you to author, SC Grayson, and Haus of Fables PR for the opportunity to read this book. I received an EPUB and my review is being left voluntarily.
She is drawn into a world of myth and legend that stands before her. Nora must dig deep into her past to fully understand what is happening to her.
The premise of the museum and what lurks in the artifacts was absolutely fascinating! The read was a lot slower than I hoped but I powered through because I love mythology and the fight between light and dark; I just had to know what would happen!
Stay tuned for book 2!
Thank you to author, SC Grayson, and Haus of Fables PR for the opportunity to read this book. I received an EPUB and my review is being left voluntarily.
February 12, 2025
4.5
A quick, short, and fun standalone! I loved the twists and turns, and it was perfect for bridging the gap between longer and heavier reads.
The museum pretense was a clever and fun way of setting up the story, and I love all the little threads that were laid down throughout the story to explain everything. I loved all of the characters. This was such a fun ride. S.C. Grayson never lets me down, and I cannot wait to add this to my collection!
A quick, short, and fun standalone! I loved the twists and turns, and it was perfect for bridging the gap between longer and heavier reads.
The museum pretense was a clever and fun way of setting up the story, and I love all the little threads that were laid down throughout the story to explain everything. I loved all of the characters. This was such a fun ride. S.C. Grayson never lets me down, and I cannot wait to add this to my collection!
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