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TOUR: Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke













Of Silver and Shadow 
by Jennifer Gruenke
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publishing Date: February 16, 2021

Synopsis: Ren Kolins is a silver wielder—a dangerous thing to be in the kingdom of Erdis, where magic has been outlawed for a century. Ren is just trying to survive, sticking to a life of petty thievery, card games, and pit fighting to get by. But when a wealthy rebel leader discovers her secret, he offers her a fortune to join his revolution. The caveat: she won’t see a single coin until they overthrow the King.Behind the castle walls, a brutal group of warriors known as the King’s Children is engaged in a competition: the first to find the rebel leader will be made King’s Fang, the right hand of the King of Erdis. And Adley Farre is hunting down the rebels one by one, torturing her way to Ren and the rebel leader, and the coveted King’s Fang title.But time is running out for all of them, including the youngest Prince of Erdis, who finds himself pulled into the rebellion. Political tensions have reached a boiling point, and Ren and the rebels must take the throne before war breaks out.

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MY REVIEW

      This was a very refreshing fantasy read for me. It gave me a lot of nostalgic fantasy book vibes but was still unique! The story follows a cast of characters who all end up intwined in a plot to overthrow the oppressive King and his determination to outlaw silver magic in everyone but himself. Our main character is Ren, a thief and pit fighter who only agrees to join the rebellion for the promise of a small fortune so that she can pay off her debts. Ren happens to be one of the last remaining silver wielders in Erdis. However, the story unfolds into multiple perspectives and narrative threads, from the rebel leader, sympathizers, members of the ruthless personal army of the King, and even the Prince himself. I really loved how each perspective slowly began to overlap one another. The world building was very strong, with detailed politics needed to explain rebellion and treaty tensions. One thing I wish was covered more was the magic system. It was never really explained to the degree I would have liked, such as limitations or even the whole shadowing concept. Regardless, it was still a fun concept to read about. This story was also very dark and way beyond morally grey! For sure my favorite part was how the storyline was approached from all sides, and each character's had their own distinct motivations and development. It was incredibly fast-paced and I was surprised how short the book felt in comparison to its page length! There was some good enemies to lovers, unlikely pairings, pining, and friends to lovers content as well that can never be too under appreciated   

     Overall this was a highly addictive, quick low fantasy story with a strong setting in political intrigue and rebellion. If you like stories that center a group of unlikely companions who end up working together against all odds, then you will enjoy how this story develops! It is not for the faint-of-heart though, so be mindful of heavy violence, torture, and gore content. 

RATING: 4/5 STARS

PLAYLIST 

Eye of the Storm - X Ambassadors 

Gasoline - Halsey 

Crown - Camila Cabello & Grey

Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Lorde

Game of Survival - Ruelle

Young & Unafraid - The Moth & The Flame

Read My Mind - The Killers

Houdini - Foster The People


About the Author:Jennifer Gruenke is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, where she studied communication and writing. She grew up among the redwoods of Northern California, and now lives in Charlotte with her books and the houseplants she hasn’t killed yet. If she’s not writing or reading, you’re most likely to find her in a cafe, music venue, or the aisles of Trader Joe’s

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Comments

  1. Joy February 17, 2021 at 7:03 PM

    I think it's great when a book hits all the fantasy notes and still manages to be unique in of itself. That's quite a feat!

    ReplyDelete
  2. MellianeFebruary 22, 2021 at 2:45 AM

    Oh it's the first time I hear about this one but it loosk good!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jen @ Star-Crossed Book BlogMarch 2, 2021 at 4:26 PM

    I have this one on my tbr because it hits so many marks for the type of book that I'll love! And you're review has me so excited for this one but the gore warning makes me pause lol. I can be such a baby sometimes, maybe I can just skip those pages ha!

    ReplyDelete

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