Bride of the Shadow King Paperback – February 23, 2022

Sylvia Mercedes is one of the few authors where I know I'll love the start of a new series or edition to an existing one. The world's she creates are filled with unique magic and creatures, political turmoil, mystery, landscapes you wish existed,  characters that will surprise you and make you fall in love, or love to hate. Bride of the Shadow King was no exception, as Sylvia haa outdone herself with the start of this series! I was fortunate enough to be picked, to be apart of the ARC team, and I've already preorder the next book!.Non- Spoiler Review;Vor, the Shadow King of Mythanar and leader of the Troldefolk, ventures to the surface realm, seeking a human marriage that will ensure an alliance that would benefit both kingdoms. Fortunately King Larongar of Gavaria has daughters to spare. The younger Princess Ilsevel is the favored one for the union, beautiful and the pride of her Father, it's easy to see why she is selected.  But after an eventful and surprising first encounter it's Faraine who remains in Vor's thoughts and desires, the eldest daughter, a Princess cast aside to live out the remainder of life in a covenant, to be forgotten. Faraine knows for the sake of their kingdom she must stand back and support her sister's marriage to the Shadow King, even though he is striking, with his otherworldly beauty, gentleness and he brings about a calmness that no one else has been able to instil. With a slow burning passion building for each other, they must move on and ignore it for the sake of their kingdoms. Take the plunge and read about magical creatures, other worlds, surprising allies, a slow burn romance and twists that make your heart race and your mind reeling to read more. The cover art alone should be more than enough to entice you to read it ;)..A new take on trolls or better reffered to as Troldefolk,  Sylvia does a great job at creating a unique race with complex forms of magic and tradition thats easy to understand.  Ans each Troldefolk is unique and different,  and how they are physically depending on their lineages and spiritual connections. The secondary characters had depth which added to the scenes, especially the scenes of comedic relief,  it didn't feel out of place or forced. Some of the comedic relief from the main characters is blunt and its hilarious and well enjoyed. chapter changes with a different character's point of view and it was refreshing to see the emotions of the characters in the situations. I do think in the earlier chapters, when the Troldefolk were speaking troldish, it was italicized,  rather than describing that they were speaking troldish. The troldish language was italicized in later chapters, and it was easy to understand the context. I do wish all authors would include an index and pronunciation guide, it would be so helpful for names and new languages!.......The following has spoilers!!!!!!The book starts off with such an amazing scene, who would have thought unicorns would be the bad!!!"“Spitting heavens!” he gasps, blood draining from his cheeks. “It’s those gods-damned unicorns!” - Theodore. And its funny how Theodore's God gift was beauty, not even Vor recognized it, lol.I love how the Troldefolk were afraid of the open sky and air, seeing the vast openness made them feel uncomfortable as they are under ground dwelling. And vise versa when Faraine was disguised and had to travel to the under realm, feeling as though she was going to be crushed! The relationship between Sul and Vor was perfect, as to be expected from half-brothers, and Sul was so sassy! He is the ladies man, who everyone loves and is annoyed by at the same time, but is loyal and dependable. I can understand why Vor accused Sul of poisoning the drink, but it was also such an explosive situation, not knowing if Vor was going to kill Sul. And when Vor found out it was Faraine,  disguising herself as Ilsevel, I was surprised at his reaction! And then she was lead to the chopping block gor execution! I'm so glad Vor was able to snap himself out of the poisons stupor just in time to stop it. And Lyria! She is such a surprise with her God's Gift, and becoming an ally and closer to a real sister to Faraine.  I loved her courage,  even if she was fearful underneath! But that ending, how could we be left on such a cliff hanger!??!

An ache in the soul. A realization that my heart is not whole and won't be until somehow, somewhere, I find that missing piece.You know the feeling you get when a story sticks with you so much you immediately look forward to reading it again? And there might not be any particular reason you can pinpoint…it just gives you that feeling? Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes is that book for me.I read this book shortly after it came out. It was during what was likely the strangest period of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the whole world was more than ready for “the new normal” but unsure of what it would look like or when exactly it would arrive. I read it twice more within a year after that, then again in 2023, and here we are in 2024!Faraine, who has been treated poorly by her family her entire life and learns quite a bit about herself during this series, is a steadfast yet refreshingly vulnerable MMC. Her demeanor and the inner thoughts we get to witness are very relatable to anyone with family-related trauma. I like her a lot. My mental image of what she looks like changes with each read, which is interesting and has never happened to me before.One of my favorite things about reading is when it’s easy to picture fictional worlds colliding, whether it’s a character, place, or idea. In this case, Faraine always manifests in my mind as someone Poppy from the From Blood and Ash series would be friends with. They are both stronger than they know, extremely self-aware, empathetic, and snarky as hell.It is my belief that no thing of beauty should ever be caged, princess. I would only hope that even a wild bird might be convinced to remain of its own free will. And a man who truly cared for such a bird would be honored to do everything in his power to convince it.Faraine’s love interest, Vor, is a lethal warrior you don’t want to mess with on the outside and a sensitive, caring guy on the inside. He is loyal to his people, doesn’t think he’s a good king (which of course means he is), and respects the cultural differences between his people and the humans. Typical of this genre, right? Well, yes, but he’s missing a key characteristic: he’s not very broody. It’s a nice change of pace, even though I of course love a broody MMC as much as the next reader!In terms of the writing, all the goodies are there. This is the kind of book that forces me to learn new words. Sylvia clearly has a wild vocabulary, and I admire how she weaves it into her writing as if it’s not fiction. This book has love, hate, betrayal, friendship, growth, politics, banter, humor, and worldbuilding. The interspecies interactions are handled well, as there is an obvious divide between people but opportunities to teach one another and recognize what they each share. Some characters are willing to learn, while others aren’t—very similar to real life.It’s not a spoiler to say that the biggest plot twist is known even from the book blurb: Vor is promised to Faraine’s sister, he and Faraine fall in love, then her sister dies, adding all sorts of complexities and questioning of morality to the equation. Even though it’s shared from the start, this giant plot twist makes the story and the character dynamics interesting throughout.“The equals of men, you ask?” He considers the idea, his eyes bright in the candlelight. “A peculiar question. Are we not all trolde—both men and women alike? We cannot very well exist one without the other, so how could one be deemed superior to the other?”The tropes are also effective without being forced or overdone, including slow-burn, fae/human love, and arranged marriage. I especially enjoy the dual POV. Though some reviewers have said the transitions between Faraine’s and Vor’s voices feel choppy, they feel organic to me. One of my reading goals for this year is to try it on audio next, to see how the dual POV aspect is done!Honestly, the only aspect missing from this book is more steam. But don’t worry . . . things heat up in book two 😉

| fantasy romance | romantasy | dual POV | arranged marriage | star crossed lovers | magic | unique worlds | vibrant descriptions | lush dialogue | *the wanting * | trilogy | court politics | intrigue | mystery | comedic relief | swoon worthy | slow burn | world building |This was so worth the read. Whats better than a duology? A trilogy. This series is shaping up to be better than the series I previously read by Sylvia Mercedes.Sylvia absolutely crushes a slow burn romantic fantasy. Every time I read about a world she has crafted I am immediately pulled into a game of dungeons and dragons. There is a quest or journey that is embarked upon by the characters she creates. This world is connected to the world of her series Of Candlelight and Shadows which I read prior to starting this series. The fae realm from the former series is mentioned in this book. I love that these realms and the hinter described in the previous series is also described here.There are numerous world folded into each other, and to travel between realms provides a look into another reality whether human, fae, or some other mythical and fantastical land.The descriptions, dialogue, characters, and the world building are all so fully formed by the end of the book. The comedic relief is always right on time, and the burn is so slow and so delicious. I am totally ensnared in this story, and I can’t wait to find out what happens.I am loving this story and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.Happy Reading Friends xx

I'm not one to review often but I felt I had to for this. It pulled me in, I was shocked by some things, ready for the plot to further, and sometimes I felt like a kid waiting for the school bell to ring at 3pm. I couldn't put it down.There's something here. I like the characters are flawed and I can relate to that. I love the writing, love the pace, hate the MF daddy and his whole court... but I can't turn away. I have questions... about the gate, the realms they cross, the multiverses it alludes to, and yet, I'm waiting (not so patiently) for the 3rd book.... fantastic series this far.

This book got me hooked from the beginning… both MC were likable as well the side characters. It was packed with action and the world description was on point (not too much, not to little).The author’s writing stile was also perfect. I liked the dual POV from both MCs, and I could put myself in their shoes and feel their angst, hate, love, desperation and much more.The only down thing about this book (I guess it was my fault as I set myself for this disappointment) was that I assumed it was a stand alone and didn’t look further, so when it came to an end, I was thinking: “cool, there is more!!!” But the second book is scheduled to be released only in DECEMBER!!!!! Oh my!!! How am I going to wait that long?

I've only recently discovered Romantasy books after spending most of my time reading non fiction science and philosophy books, with the occasional historical romance thrown in for light relief.I think Bride of the Shadow king is only the fourth book I've read in this genre. But it's certainly my favourite so far! I had to admit my first attraction was the gorgeous cover, so beautifully created, kudos to the artist. Then I was totally hooked by the story. One of the things I love, love LOVE is that it's written from both the heroines AND the hero's perspective. I've never seen this before and it's fantastic, I think it's so important to see inside his head too, to see his hopes and dreams and desires. It adds a whole new dimension to the story. The other romance/fantasy books I've read you just get her point of view, which is ok too I guess but leaves me doing an awful lot of guesswork as to his thoughts and desires. To actually hear them and see what's going on from both their sides of the story is wonderful! And yes, great to read that little extra scene (from his point of view) that's available on the author's website too. I'm kind of glad I didn't discover this book until now, it means I don't have to wait too long until book two comes out! I know for a fact it's going to be pretty tortuous waiting a year in eager anticipation for book three though!Well done Sylvia, you've done a wonderful job.

I honestly have no words to describe how good this book was💙I hadn’t heard anything at all about this book prior to going into it. It popped up once on booktok and I was immediately intrigued by the plot, so I ignored my endless TBR and dove straight into it. And let me tell you, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS! Definitely back in my✨FANTASY ERA✨This book deserves so much hype you guys don’t even know. Vor and Faraine were everything💙I loved the dual-POV in this and how we actually got to see the same scene from a different POV. I find that it’s not too common in fantasy books but I feel like it makes a book so much better because you can truly understand the characters and fall in love with them so much more.My heart constantly broke for Faraine, at how utterly selfless she was, how she always put everyone first without giving herself a second thought. She was ready to give up everything for her sisters. She was ready to live the rest of her life in solitude so as to not burden anyone. Her gods-gift was the cause of so much pain and trauma, yet she never complained. She had accepted her fate, how she would never be loved like her sisters because of it. And when she finally found someone who lessened that pain, who grounded her, who saw her for who she was and loved every part of her, she had to let him go. Worse, she had to deceive him to save a country which didn’t care for her💔Vor was just✨💙✨💙He was initially feared due to being trolde (another aspect of this book which I absolutely LOVED as it was different to the usual fae etc.), the Shadow King. But he turned out to be such an honorable sweetheart🥹He constantly put everyone’s needs and comfort first, even at the expense of his own desires, even though he was king. He was willing to sacrifice everything for Mythanar and his people, even the woman he loved💔If you have not yet gathered, I loved Vor and Faraine😅I loved the forbidden aspect of their love, the agonizing slow-burn because of it💙I loved the plot of this book and I’m super excited to see more of it unfold in the next book. I loved the dynamic between Faraine, Ilsevel and Aurae, how much they truly loved and cared for one another. Surprisingly, I found myself falling in love with Lyria’s character as well. Yok, Sul, Hael, I loved them all really💙The writing in this was stunning and everything flowed so well. Everything was explained perfectly without any parts being repetitive or boring.The only problem with this book was that it ENDED😭And in a cliffhanger no less💔I would sell my left kidney for an ARC of Vow of the Shadow King which should be coming out this December💙Ok this review has been insanely long but it just had to be. An obvious ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Guys, please go give this book the love it deserves💙

Faraine deserved more than to be a pawn in the game of her father to get help from the Shadow King. She is brave and kind and loyal enough to give up her chance at happiness for her sister.Vor is intent on gaining the humans help with the issues in his world and he when gives up hope of a love match to do it.I feel they are destined to love each other but whatever curse they are needing to break may be the thing that breaks them apart.