SECRETS OF NEVERAK by JACOB GOWANS — #review #bookreview #books #amreading

A TALE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW: SECRETS OF NEVERAK by Jacob Gowans. I read both Volume 1 and Volume 2 back to back. I prefer to do it that way so the story continues, although volume 1 ended well. This was a fascinating story from the beginning with the scribe paid to write the story to the storyteller coming in and continuing the story from volume 1. The characters are wonderful and the world is fun to be in, however, it reads more like an epic fantasy than I expected. I found myself skimming parts while others drew me to the edge of my seat. I smiled, shook my head, laughed, feared for, and basically enjoyed the ride Gowans takes the reader on. By the end of SECRETS OF NEVERAK, though, I felt like the story has taken on so many different individual character stories that in a way it was hard to keep up. I'd read what happened to one then jump back three weeks to find out what happened to someone else. It's a bit disorienting at times. It's a great read though that I would recommend for teens and above.

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Henry Vestin always believed that, despite being a carpenter with no training in swordplay or survival, he could lead Isabelle and his friends to safety. He thought he could defy an emperor and protect Isabelle from harm. He was certain that love and friendship would help them survive.

He was wrong.

The second volume in the Tale of Light and Shadow series follows Henry and his friends after the disastrous battle at the Iron Pass. Horrors await the band of travelers in strange new lands. Crippled and broken, Henry must rely on his friends more than ever. New allies and foes find them at every turn, but which are friendly and which are deadly? Isabelle, now a slave in Neverak, finds herself surrounded by enemies, uncertain about the fate of her friends, and relying on only herself to survive. The Emperor moves forward with his plans of conquest, spurred on by the Seer’s dark prophecy, but he has not forgotten those who defied him.

Return to the world of Atolas, where swords and daggers extend life or end it, where feuds and friendships influence kingdoms and courtships, and where magic is feared by all but a few.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.