Review: Shade of Light

 

Title: Shade of Light 

Series: Three Shades Trilogy

Author: Kimberly Grymes

Publisher: Tractor Beam Publishing

Publication Date: October 24, 2023

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Reading Source: NetGalley

Length: 275 pages

Format: e-book

  Cover Art: 5/5

 Overall: 4/5

 

Not all monsters are evil. Some choose to do better. So, which one am I?

Eighteen-year-old Adele believes she’s a monster because of her ability to infiltrate minds. For years, she’s been kept captive at Castle Forge, living comfortably under the watchful eye of a tyrant general. But after secretly witnessing her aunt heal someone with her blood, Adele knows the only way to get answers is to escape. Even if that means leaving behind the one person who’d shown her compassion during her captivity.

She travels far to her childhood village, and while trying to uncover the mysteries of her past, she encounters the Shade. The same mysterious attackers who changed her life eight-years ago. The Shade have been raiding Adele’s childhood village, capturing its inhabitants for their queen, the ruler of the Under Realm. It isn’t long before Adele realizes these attackers possess similar powers, drawing more questions about who she is, where she comes from, and how she’s connected to these evil beings.

After a childhood friend is captured and taken to the Under Realm, Adele must decide whether to stay and help the village or return to Castle Forge, where a dear friend might be in danger from the general’s wrath. With evil all around, Adele must choose who she wants to be and what her future holds.

This young-adult dark fantasy story promises a captivating and thrilling journey filled with action, suspense, and unexpected twists. Book one in the THREE SHADES TRILOGY explores themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the power of choice as Adele navigates a dangerous medieval world to find her place in it.

 

Review:

Shade of Light is the first book in the Three Shades Trilogy series. Eighteen-year-old Adele has the capacity to invade other people’s minds. She finds out her aunt also has powers, the power to heal people using her blood. But Adele has been held captive at Castle Forge for years, she now knows she must escape in order to find answers. She would have to leave the only person in the castle that has shown her any sympathy. 

As Adele proceeds to her childhood village, she runs into The Shade, some shady attackers who have transformed her life eight years ago. The Shade has been terrorizing the villagers, seizing and taking them to the Queen of the Under Realm. The Shade seems to have some of the same powers as she does. Making Adele question her own abilities and also where she came from and how she’s connected to the monsters. 

With evil all around her and her childhood friend in danger, Adele must decide who she wants to be and where her future stands. 

Adele is a strong and brave main character. I loved reading from her Pov. Morally gray characters are my favorite characters ever. This dark young adult fantasy book has so much depth. I love fantasy books with romance in them, but sometimes they get repetitive. Shade of Light has a friendship in it, but it does not turn into a romance and that is very refreshing.  

I can’t wait for the second book. 

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Tractor Beam Publishing for this advance e-copy for my honest opinions.