4 out of 4 stars
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Shadows of Men by M. Lee Holmes is an adult fantasy novel following the life of multiple characters. The story starts with Viktor Felson, 'High Protector' to the king, who has to perform a horrid ritual to choose his successor. Unfortunately, not all goes to plan, and now he has to face an uncomfortable choice.
The actual plot of the book begins a few hundred years later. Kaena is a land recovering from a recent civil war. King Firion and his High Protector, Rhada, are the two most hated people in the realm; the king for being a tyrant and Rhada for being his executioner. However, when Myranda, the court sorceress has a vision of the city of Tyos flooded with the blood of its innocent citizens, and a wall of flame swallowing the Blood Sea entirely, Rhada is forced to leave the capital city of Axendra to investigate the truth of the sorceress’s visions. She chooses the Captain of the King’s army and her loyal friend, Mayvard Stonewall, to accompany her on this trip. There a few more subplots included, such as a brewing second rebellion, people scheming to seize the throne for themselves, etc.
The novel was engaging until the very end. There was a constant sense of movement to the storyline. The tale never stagnated or got repetitive. Interesting character motivation propels the plot forward. Everyone's actions have a visible impact on the story. All the characters are well fleshed out. They are also deeply flawed people. Most characters in this book are neither purely good nor evil. They all do despicable things that make it hard to root for anyone in particular.
However, Rhada, unlike others does have a few redeeming qualities. She has a quick temper and can be quite ferocious when angry. She comes across as cold-hearted and aloof. In her past, due to her position as 'High Protector' to the King, she caused a massacre while following the King’s orders. She was never very loved, but this now turned her into the most hated person in Kaena. She believes in doing her duty, but she also despises herself for the things she’s had to do. She understands the hate she gets. If ever she was in their position, she knows she'd hate herself too. Nevertheless, a part of her wants them to forgive her.
The writing style complements the tone of the book. It was brisk and to the point. There was just enough description to give away plot details without utterly boring the reader. It kept the book fast-paced. I especially liked that the author uses all the five senses while describing. It makes the world much more real and imaginable. However, it tends to make the gory scenes all the more vivid and gruesome. This book can be very triggering if one can’t handle explicit sex, violence, and rape.
My only critique with the book is that Viktor's scenes don't seem relevant to the rest of the story. Hopefully, the sequel 'Rise of Darkness' would make things much more clear. I’d still call this a 4 out of 4 stars book and recommend it to people who don't mind reading dark and graphic scenes. Fans of books like the Game of Thrones may enjoy this the most.
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Shadows of Men
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