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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
The moment I saw the cover and read the blurb, I was hooked. Of course, that leaves a lot of pressure on the story to live up to the promise, and I can honestly say this book blew me away. Christianson did an excellent job with the world and magic building, creating a unique world for the reader to step into. The characters are unforgettable - there are no heroes among them, yet they find a way to crawl under your skin, and you can't help but feel drawn to them. They each have their own motivations for what they do, and stay true to their characters throughout the story. No spoilers, but don't go in expecting a grand redemption arc. The plot moved along fairly swiftly, with enough twists that I had no idea where I would end up next. While there aren't any cliffhangers...I wouldn't mind a sequel, or at least another book set in the same world where magic is power, quite literally and figuratively. The biggest disappointment in this book was that it ended.
Rating: 4.5 stars
What if A Darker Shade of Magic and Six of Crows had a baby?
For some inexplicable reason, this was a combination I never considered before, but it makes sense! An Incarnation of Shadow and Light pulled me into the story from the very first line. “Gabriel was a terrible liar.” From that moment, I knew this character would hold my interest, and indeed he did, but the way that whole first scene was set up immersed me in the world and the magic system as well as the character. Once we moved to the second chapter, where we meet Zoe, and uncovered more of the magic system and the worldbuilding, I sensed I had a unique story in my hands. This feeling? I remember it vividly with A Darker Shade of Magic. The stories are very different, but what they have in common is the vividness of the world, and the magic that is unlike anything you’ve read. S.A. Christianson has that kind of prose style that is both direct and magical. It sucks you in.
Aside from that, this book also counts on a strong and diverse cast of characters. Among them all, Zoe is perhaps the one who is the most canonically good, though all thread the line of morally gray. Some more, others less, while there are others who may have some redeeming qualities but is evil. One character I found really fascinating was Niklas. At first he may seem like the darkest of morally gray characters, but that couldn’t be the farthest thing from the truth. He’s far more complex—a good guy who’s forced to do bad things, or at least that’s how I perceived him. I found that so fascinating.
The book wraps itself up pretty nicely, but there are a few loose threads and dynamics that have me hoping for a sequel. I really, really need a sequel!
I highly recommend this to fans of the series I mentioned above, to anyone who appreciates complex, morally gray characters, and for those readers who want to support a very promising debut with strong LGBTQIA+ rep.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
What if A Darker Shade of Magic and Six of Crows had a baby?
For some inexplicable reason, this was a combination I never considered before, but it makes sense! An Incarnation of Shadow and Light pulled me into the story from the very first line. “Gabriel was a terrible liar.” From that moment, I knew this character would hold my interest, and indeed he did, but the way that whole first scene was set up immersed me in the world and the magic system as well as the character. Once we moved to the second chapter, where we meet Zoe, and uncovered more of the magic system and the worldbuilding, I sensed I had a unique story in my hands. This feeling? I remember it vividly with A Darker Shade of Magic. The stories are very different, but what they have in common is the vividness of the world, and the magic that is unlike anything you’ve read. S.A. Christianson has that kind of prose style that is both direct and magical. It sucks you in.
Aside from that, this book also counts on a strong and diverse cast of characters. Among them all, Zoe is perhaps the one who is the most canonically good, though all thread the line of morally gray. Some more, others less, while there are others who may have some redeeming qualities but is evil. One character I found really fascinating was Niklas. At first he may seem like the darkest of morally gray characters, but that couldn’t be the farthest thing from the truth. He’s far more complex—a good guy who’s forced to do bad things, or at least that’s how I perceived him. I found that so fascinating.
The book wraps itself up pretty nicely, but there are a few loose threads and dynamics that have me hoping for a sequel. I really, really need a sequel!
I highly recommend this to fans of the series I mentioned above, to anyone who appreciates complex, morally gray characters, and for those readers who want to support a very promising debut with strong LGBTQIA+ rep.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
AN INCARNATION OF SHADOW AND LIGHT is a solid New Adult debut strong for its world building, unique magic system, but most importantly for the diverse and intriguing cast of morally gray characters. This is a read I especially recommend to fans of A Darker Shade of Magic and Six of Crows!
I was a huge fan of the world building and unique magic system. I love the sun and moon dichotomy, so I was extremely pleased with the whole aesthetic. But most of all I loved that magic wasn’t a simple accessory in the plot. It played a pivotal role in the political intrigue, especially since depending on the location, having magic is perceived in a completely different way. This story was compelling, high stakes and full of plot twists! The characters, however, were the book’s greatest strength. An Incarnation of Shadow and Light counts on a diverse, morally gray cast, with great LGBTQIA+ representation (including bisexual, lesibian and non binary characters). I especially enjoyed characters like Ada Vard, an ambitious woman with an instinct for profit and one of the most influential conlords, and Gabriel Capello, the Incarnate of the Moon, who delivered charm, ambition, and a vein of ruthlessness.
All my friends who don’t love cliffhangers will be happy to know the story wraps up nicely, although there are some loose threads that hint at a possible sequel. Which I hope is true because I’m very much looking forward to see more of the dynamic between certain princes.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
I was a huge fan of the world building and unique magic system. I love the sun and moon dichotomy, so I was extremely pleased with the whole aesthetic. But most of all I loved that magic wasn’t a simple accessory in the plot. It played a pivotal role in the political intrigue, especially since depending on the location, having magic is perceived in a completely different way. This story was compelling, high stakes and full of plot twists! The characters, however, were the book’s greatest strength. An Incarnation of Shadow and Light counts on a diverse, morally gray cast, with great LGBTQIA+ representation (including bisexual, lesibian and non binary characters). I especially enjoyed characters like Ada Vard, an ambitious woman with an instinct for profit and one of the most influential conlords, and Gabriel Capello, the Incarnate of the Moon, who delivered charm, ambition, and a vein of ruthlessness.
All my friends who don’t love cliffhangers will be happy to know the story wraps up nicely, although there are some loose threads that hint at a possible sequel. Which I hope is true because I’m very much looking forward to see more of the dynamic between certain princes.
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. All opinions are my own.
This one took me a second to get into but once I was in I was IN! There was a diverse cast of characters. There’s a lot of representation in this book that felt so natural. I really fell in love with the characters and all of their different, very strong personalities. One character in particular, Silje, I loved to hate. But I also grew to understand her more and where she was coming from. What was driving her actions.
Lots of morally grey things going on. I never knew what was going to happen next! It was all high stakes and there were lots of twists.
The basis is the Incarnates. Suns or Moons that were thought to be blessed by most and cursed by some. The incarnates are the only ones with magic. They hold a place of power. Such an incredibly fascinating concept! I absolutely loved it!
Overall I strongly recommend this debut NA novel!
Lots of morally grey things going on. I never knew what was going to happen next! It was all high stakes and there were lots of twists.
The basis is the Incarnates. Suns or Moons that were thought to be blessed by most and cursed by some. The incarnates are the only ones with magic. They hold a place of power. Such an incredibly fascinating concept! I absolutely loved it!
Overall I strongly recommend this debut NA novel!
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I really wanted to like this more but had a harder time getting through it than expected. It’s a very unique and intriguing premise, but considering how character-driven it’s intended to be with the multiple POVs, I think it would’ve benefited from more story time. I’m usually quite good at rooting for flawed characters but often felt disconnected. I also personally would’ve much preferred Silje’s POV to the guard, who felt a bit distracting at times.
That said, I’m overall fascinated by SA Christianson’s brain and will certainly seek out future work.
That said, I’m overall fascinated by SA Christianson’s brain and will certainly seek out future work.
I absolutely loved the sun and moon dichotomy, I feel like that really made this stand out even more. What else was great was that we had such a diverse cast of characters! I adored the LGBTQ+ rep. This was a fast paced, high stakes storyline that had a ton of plot twists and political intrigue. The magic system was so ingrained to the story that there was always something happening on the page.
Interesting tale of villains of all angles. The daughter of sun wields power in the day - of healing and of mental control - while the son of the moon harnesses power at night, of shadow and fear.
The sexual fluidity of the characters was welcome and refreshing. I really enjoyed how no character is good or bad — you get a batch of morally grey characters doing good and bad things in a messed up world divided by politics and religion.
I received this book as a give away and am so glad I did. While the story line was a bit slow with bursts of battle and all of the sudden character development, there is real depth to the characters and world. I look forward to the next to discover what happens (lesbian pirates? Yes please).
The sexual fluidity of the characters was welcome and refreshing. I really enjoyed how no character is good or bad — you get a batch of morally grey characters doing good and bad things in a messed up world divided by politics and religion.
I received this book as a give away and am so glad I did. While the story line was a bit slow with bursts of battle and all of the sudden character development, there is real depth to the characters and world. I look forward to the next to discover what happens (lesbian pirates? Yes please).
A good action packed read
A good fantasy novel. The magic system is interesting and the story doesn't take long to get right into the action. No long drawn out chapters where nothing at all happens. I can't wait for the next one.
Received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
A good fantasy novel. The magic system is interesting and the story doesn't take long to get right into the action. No long drawn out chapters where nothing at all happens. I can't wait for the next one.
Received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
It didn't catch with me. The worldbuilding was quite interesting but it lacked de depth I would have liked, the atmosphere didn't ticked. The characters felt underdeveloped too, too juvenile for their age (over their 20, some close to 30). They are good grey characters though. I also felt like I liked in depth relationship, a sense of closeness, even if a negative way, between the characters.
On the bright side, if you likes fast paced story, this one deliver, and I have to say the overall plot was pleasant.
Overall, I think it is maybe more a "me problem" rather than the story fully lacking de depth I wanted, so don't hesitate to try it out!
On the bright side, if you likes fast paced story, this one deliver, and I have to say the overall plot was pleasant.
Overall, I think it is maybe more a "me problem" rather than the story fully lacking de depth I wanted, so don't hesitate to try it out!