Series: Reign of Shadows #1
Published by HarperTeen (2.9.2016)
Genres: High Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: eARC, 304 pages
Source: Edelweiss
Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.
But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.
With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.
With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best.
My thoughts
The darkness cannot last. Light will come again.
Wow. This book was amazing! I absolutely loved the world. It was brilliant and creepy! And INTENSE. I was hooked right from the start. The premise is so awesome – the world is in perpetual dark because of a never-ending eclipse, and it’s not safe to be Outside anymore because these creepy things called Dwellers roam the land and attack people. Also, bats are like 4 feet tall. It was SO awesome! I’ve never read anything like this book. The only thing I have to compare it to is the movie Pitch Black, except the creatures don’t fly. (I freaking loved that movie, btw.)
There were so many heart-pounding, edge-of-your seat action scenes in this book! There were also some pretty epic twists thrown in there, which I did NOT see coming. It takes a lot to surprise me these days, and that’s something I really value in a story. View Spoiler »
I am super impressed by how vastly Jordan’s prose has improved since Firelight. I read that book a few years back, and while the concept was great, the book itself didn’t leave much of an impression on me. That was not the case here! Jordan’s writing is very engaging. There was never a single dull moment, and I eagerly soaked up every single sentence. Her imagery was very vivid – this book was cinematic!
I loved the romance between Luna and Fowler – there was a nice slow burn between them. The attraction was there (for Luna at least) right from the start, but it wasn’t instalove. Given the circumstances, I think Luna’s reaction to Fowler made sense for her situation. She’s never been outside the tower walls, and never seen a boy before. Of course she would be intrigued by him. But things didn’t move too fast, thankfully!
I really enjoyed the character development too. In the beginning, Luna is very naive and has hope. She still sees beauty and wonder in the world. In a kill-or-be-killed world, she’s the kind of girl who sacrifices precious water supply for a man who’s already dying. Fowler, on the other hand, is bitter and pessimistic. He knows that the world is a dark place, and expects the worst at every turn. It’s every man for himself. It really drove home the point that it’s a dark, unforgiving world. Bad things happened. People died. He refused to show emotion because he believed it to be a weakness. I love that over time, Luna softened his hard edges!
THAT ENDING THOUGH. Man, it totally sucks that I read this book so early, because I’m sure there’s a loooooong wait for the next book. I can’t wait to find out what happens and I’m super excited to see more of this dark and haunting world Sophie Jordan has created!
Favorite quotes
“Hope is all there is. All we have. And love. Or what’s the point of any of it?”
“Life is full of regrets. They’ll cripple you if you let them.”
Overall Assessment
Plot: 5/5
Premise: 5/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
World-building: 4.5/5
Pace: 5/5
Feels: 4/5
Cover: 4.5/5
Overall rating: 5/5
Awesome review!! I love a good action-packed book and this sounds like just that. I love those quotes and such a beautiful cover too. Glad you enjoyed it and I’m off to add it to the TBR.
I’m so glad you liked this one – I had my doubts because I really didn’t like FIRELIGHT all those years ago,, but I added Reign of Shadows to my TBR because of the premise and gorgeous cover!
Aahhh now I’m torn. I really want to read this book but I hate waiting for sequels. xD
That ending through me off so much! I kept trying to turn pages, but that was the end! O.o
Good to know that Jordan’s writing has improved since Firelight. I’ve read a lot of her other stuff but with little success. So I am really torn about picking this one up because it sounds amazing!
Ooooh nice! So glad to hear you enjoyed this one! I am super excited to read it! I love a good fairytale retelling and this one just sounds amazing! Keep reading some mixed reviews on it, but I feel positive with every positive review! Most have been positive in some sense, just one of those middle of the line kind of reads, but I am still excited! Glad to hear it’s a winner! Great review!
Oooh, this one sounds really good. You’ve got me really itching to read it now!