Reviews

Of Light and Shadow by Tanaz Bhathena

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creatrix's review

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

thtblklibrarian's review

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was an interesting and entertaining stand alone fantasy novel. I enjoyed the complex relationship Roshan has with her clan as their leader and her late Baba. I really loved the way the prince explained the aura colors and what emotion they correlate with. I understand its a stand alone novel but I feel lie Roshan fell for prince charming way too fast. Yeah his stories were sad but girl you and yours gotta steal to eat. Its not the same! I can't handle enemies to lovers where the "enemy" is rich. Gross! lol.

Overall this was very straight but it wasn't bad.

frida_kahlo's review

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slow-paced

3.0

words_with_wendy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

kayyreadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This story was so captivating. I went into it not expecting much and was sucked in pretty quickly. The story starts right in the middle of all the action. It’s told in a dual pov and had lots of magic which i love in stories. I dual read it with the audio which made it a lot easier for me for the pronunciation of the words. This story reminded me a lot of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A Brown which is one of my favorite duologies.

My only critique is i wish the magic system was explained instead of just revealing a little bit at a time. I just made guesses most of the story but was left at the end of it not really knowing how everything works.

Overall though there were no dull moments and the ending had me a little shocked. I was throughly entertained.

anwhitebooks's review

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While the worldbuilding and magic system are both very interesting and well-developed, I think this one is just not for me. I'm stopping at 20%. Plot-wise, it's just a bit slow for my taste, and it feels predictable. The predictability of it makes the slowness harder to take, and when I sit down to read it's just not the one I want to pick up.

But that said, I think this could be a great read for someone who enjoys YA fantasy romance books in general, and anyone who would be interested in reading a fantasy based on Indian mythology. On that front, it was great.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

caseythereader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Thanks to Macmillan for the free advance copy of this book.

- OF LIGHT AND SHADOW is one of the most action-packed and engrossing YA novels I've read in a long time. I immediately loved both Roshan and Navin as well as the world they inhabited, cheering them on as they fought for justice.
- You know I love a book with a headstrong girl at the center, and Roshan is one of the best. She's forging her own path, but also willing to learn from her mistakes in an effort to become a better leader.
- Along with some excellent character growth, this story is also full of twists, turns, and betrayals. I'm very much looking forward to reading more books by Bhathena in the future.

Content Warnings

linyarai's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jessread_s's review

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adventurous challenging emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Review: “Of Light and Shadow” is an epic Indian fantasy romance!

Bhathena draws inspiration for her novel from Indian bandits throughout history—specifically from the famous female bandit Phoolan Devi. As someone who was not familiar with Phoolan’s historical impact before reading the book, I enjoyed learning about her through Bhathena’s fictional protagonist Roshan Chaya. Roshan closely resembles Phoolan in that she, too, was wanted for robbery and kidnapping after capturing Prince Navin during a raid. Despite her crimes, Roshan is beloved by Jwalian villagers—just like Phoolan was greatly admired by the people of India— because she does what she can to fight for their rights.

Bhathena successfully weaves magic into her narrative to add intrigue. In the world of “Of Light and Shadow” there is life magic, death magic, and soul magic. The reader learns more about life magic and death magic through Roshan’s perspective. As a life magus, Roshan uses her energy to heal rather than harm. Though she saves many lives, the papers villainize her for being an outlaw. I for one found her character to be very admirable. She is a strong warrior who only wants the best for her clan. She does not shy away from a fight and knows how to hold her own, which is refreshing to see in a female protagonist.

Prince Navin’s perspective offers readers insight on soul magic and palace life. In addition to using his voice to manipulate emotions, Navin’s soul magic allow him to see the aura of those who are bonded to him. But his powerful magic does not come without cost. As a soul magus, Navin is subject to painful mouth blisters when he overexerts himself. Up until he was held hostage by the Shadow Clan, palace hakims, healers, were at his beck and call whenever he used copious amounts of magic to avoid his responsibilities as the spare prince.

At the beginning of the novel, the pair consider each other enemies. However, the longer Navin spends time with his captives while they wait for the queen to meet the clan’s demands, the more he begins to realize that his people are suffering under his grandmother’s rule. I loved watching Roshan and Navin butt heads while they worked together to enact change and struggle to deny their romantic connection before ultimately acknowledging their feelings.

starshynebrite's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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