Sisters of Shadow (1) — SISTERS OF SHADOW

Sisters of Shadow is a lovely fantasy adventure story which reads like a centuries old fairy tale. The world of the Shadowlands was intriguing, completely cut off from the modern world, stuck in the past while everywhere else seems to embrace modern technology.Alice and Lily make unlikely friends. They are complete polar opposites, Lily all sunshine and warmth, Alice dark and distant. As I got to know them, they reminded me a little of Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked.I loved getting to know the supporting cast of characters, and quickly fell for Grace and the gentle care she took of Alice.The end of the book felt quite sudden and easy but I loved the hints of what was to come. At times, the pace felt a little slow, but I could tell it was building to a sequel, and this is a book that I am looking forward to reading.

This first book in the series sets the scene for the following books. Lily follows her friend Alice after she disappears, with whispers of dark magic coming back to the village.I used to read a lot of fantasy a few years ago, before my taste changed, so was intrigued by the description of this book. I'm maybe not the target reader, it seems more aimed at YA, but this doesn't define it completely. It is a slow burner, taking its time to build pace as Lily continues her search for Alice. It does build up to a climax, with magic abounding, and certainly sets the expectations for the next book. There is some romance involved, in addition to the magic, with atmospheric scenes as Lily cruises the moors. I ended up looking forward to reading the continuation of the story and to find up where the small group go next.I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book and I also purchased it on release.

I bought this book as I have followed the author on Instagram for a while and while I am far from her target audience (57) I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next instalments to see how the characters progress. The way she describes the fierce loyalty and love that best friends share is spot on as well as the other relationships and friendships that are involved. I'd say it's a perfect read for a young adult who's ready to move away from fairies and on to magic and witches!

It’s so great when you find an author who obviously has similar values to you and this comes across in their story without being too obvious or heavy. I loved the fact that female friendship was a central theme rather than romance. The adventure feels fresh and exciting and I’m now delving into the sequel!

This is an intricately woven, imaginative story with beautifully developed characters and a plot that is so perfectly paced that, now I’ve finished it, I’m left impatiently waiting for the second in the series. This was the easy, cosy, story of love and friendship that I needed to get me out of my reading slump - a true page-turner that I looked forward to picking up again every time I had to (reluctantly) put it down!