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A review by moonlightmoths
Daughter of Shades by Sylvia Mercedes
4.0
Reading Daughter of Shades was like eating a sample of the best ice cream ever but then finding out there's not enough left for an ice cream cone. The story drew you in, got you tangled in its plot and then ended right when things were getting good. I know the sequel is coming out in a few months, so I'm excited to read that and finally get some answers.
So what is this story about?
Ayleth is a venatrix, someone trained to defeat shades and spirits that plague the land, but she's always longer for more. When a position of power opens up, Ayleth decides its her chance to make something more of herself. However, another venatrix is also vying for the position as well, so he Prince decides to turn it into a competition. The two must work together to solve a mystery and by the end of three months one of them will be appointed the position. Ayleth is always up for a challenge, but as she and her partner delve into the dark forest to solve the mystery, they realize they might have bitten off more then they can chew.
Personally, I loved Ayleth, she was smart but she wasn't uptight. I enjoyed that she let her shade chill with her and didn't keep it tightly reigned in like Terryn. Also this book was pitched as similar to Throne of Glass but tbh, Celaena doesn't have anything on Ayleth. She had no "famed reputation" to live up to and yet she was far more skilled then Celaena was. In regards to Terryn, I didn't have a lot of backstory to really judge him based off of. I did like the way his relationship with the Prince was portrayed. Wholesome, platonic male friendships can be hard to find in fantasy stories so I greatly enjoyed that.
Like I mentioned earlier, the plot and world building were imaginative. I enjoyed the way venatrix/shade magic worked, you could tell that Mercedes put a lot of work into making it unique. I wished I could have seen more of Terryn's shade, but I suspect we'll see more in the next book. Plot-wise, I enjoyed the pacing of the book, but it definitely reads more like a novella. So this book is a great book to read if you want fantasy, but can't commit to a giant book like Game of Thrones.
So what is this story about?
Ayleth is a venatrix, someone trained to defeat shades and spirits that plague the land, but she's always longer for more. When a position of power opens up, Ayleth decides its her chance to make something more of herself. However, another venatrix is also vying for the position as well, so he Prince decides to turn it into a competition. The two must work together to solve a mystery and by the end of three months one of them will be appointed the position. Ayleth is always up for a challenge, but as she and her partner delve into the dark forest to solve the mystery, they realize they might have bitten off more then they can chew.
Personally, I loved Ayleth, she was smart but she wasn't uptight. I enjoyed that she let her shade chill with her and didn't keep it tightly reigned in like Terryn. Also this book was pitched as similar to Throne of Glass but tbh, Celaena doesn't have anything on Ayleth. She had no "famed reputation" to live up to and yet she was far more skilled then Celaena was. In regards to Terryn, I didn't have a lot of backstory to really judge him based off of. I did like the way his relationship with the Prince was portrayed. Wholesome, platonic male friendships can be hard to find in fantasy stories so I greatly enjoyed that.
Like I mentioned earlier, the plot and world building were imaginative. I enjoyed the way venatrix/shade magic worked, you could tell that Mercedes put a lot of work into making it unique. I wished I could have seen more of Terryn's shade, but I suspect we'll see more in the next book. Plot-wise, I enjoyed the pacing of the book, but it definitely reads more like a novella. So this book is a great book to read if you want fantasy, but can't commit to a giant book like Game of Thrones.