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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Calling of Light by Lori M. Lee
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: violence, death
Calling of Light by Lori M. Lee is the final book in the Shamanborn trilogy. I loved this one so much 😭! It's definitely my favorite of the three books in the series. There is so much growth from Sirscha, so much heartfelt friendship between all the characters, and it's confirmed that Sirscha and Saengo (probably) is bisexual. Potential spoilers for previous books ahead.
We pick up with Sirscha after the events of the last book, and she is now the King's Shadow. There is a lot of social strife to be dealt with now that King Meilek has freed the Shamanborn. The Shamanborn are naturally angry and distrustful of the soldiers who imprisoned them, and the rest of the non-shamans are wary due to years of prejudice from Queen Meilyr. This is also a time of great political upheaval with a new reign, plus the threat of the Soulless to the Nuvali Empire.
So much happens in this book! We get to learn more about the Mountain Spirit and how it is alive and has a will of its own. We see the return of Kendara, who is seemingly betraying Sirscha, and the continued conflict between the Kazan clans and the Nuvali. The Soulless is such a great villain, because in a lot of ways, he isn't wrong, but his methods are. Lee had me so stressed about Saengo! The ending was so epic and perfect, it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
This was such a wonderful series that had zero romance and focused solely on the friendships between Sirscha, Saengo, Theyen, and Meilek. Wonderful world-building, with beautiful prose, morally gray characters, and political intrigue. I'm sad to see this world go. I'm so glad my friend Kaitee convinced me to read these books!
Calling of Light releases April 16th!
Calling of Light by Lori M. Lee is the final book in the Shamanborn trilogy. I loved this one so much 😭! It's definitely my favorite of the three books in the series. There is so much growth from Sirscha, so much heartfelt friendship between all the characters, and it's confirmed that Sirscha and Saengo (probably) is bisexual. Potential spoilers for previous books ahead.
We pick up with Sirscha after the events of the last book, and she is now the King's Shadow. There is a lot of social strife to be dealt with now that King Meilek has freed the Shamanborn. The Shamanborn are naturally angry and distrustful of the soldiers who imprisoned them, and the rest of the non-shamans are wary due to years of prejudice from Queen Meilyr. This is also a time of great political upheaval with a new reign, plus the threat of the Soulless to the Nuvali Empire.
So much happens in this book! We get to learn more about the Mountain Spirit and how it is alive and has a will of its own. We see the return of Kendara, who is seemingly betraying Sirscha, and the continued conflict between the Kazan clans and the Nuvali. The Soulless is such a great villain, because in a lot of ways, he isn't wrong, but his methods are. Lee had me so stressed about Saengo! The ending was so epic and perfect, it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
This was such a wonderful series that had zero romance and focused solely on the friendships between Sirscha, Saengo, Theyen, and Meilek. Wonderful world-building, with beautiful prose, morally gray characters, and political intrigue. I'm sad to see this world go. I'm so glad my friend Kaitee convinced me to read these books!
Calling of Light releases April 16th!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death