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Shadow

by Jenny Moss (Goodreads Author)

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 576 ratings · 116 reviews

In a time of kings, queens, and conspiracy, it's impossible to know whom one can trust. . . . In a kingdom far away and long ago, it was prophesied at her birth that the queen would die before her sixteenth birthday. So Shadow, an orphan girl the same age as the young queen, was given the duty to watch her every move. And as prophesies do tend to come true, the queen is po...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published April 1st 2010 by Scholastic Press

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YA Novels of 2010

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2010 YA novels (part 2)

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Jul 04, 2011 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

This was an impulse grab at the local library, on a day when I needed fun reading to distract me from life, and all my novels were packed already. It was a good choice. Not brilliant, but oddly compelling and hard to put down. Shadow had some serious emotional/ psychological issues, probably of the attachment kind. then again, it would be hard not to have those kind of issues, given her life thus far. Her relationship with Sir Kenway is odd, tentative, annoyed, fond, concerned, and lots of other...more This was an impulse grab at the local library, on a day when I needed fun reading to distract me from life, and all my novels were packed already. It was a good choice. Not brilliant, but oddly compelling and hard to put down. Shadow had some serious emotional/ psychological issues, probably of the attachment kind. then again, it would be hard not to have those kind of issues, given her life thus far. Her relationship with Sir Kenway is odd, tentative, annoyed, fond, concerned, and lots of other contradictory (and therefore human) characteristics. Kenway himself was a bit of a stiff character sometimes. It wasn't for lack of development. He was just a boy/ man obsessed, and it made him a bit hard to know. The writing in general was good, although the story dragged a bit after the conversations with Kendra and Erce, until back at the castle. reminded me a bit of Eclipse, where the characters just kept rehashing the same emotions and opinions over and over and over and over. but it picked back up, for a fairly satisfying ending. No, no huge surprises in the story, but still enjoyable. I don't know if this is meant to begin a series or stand alone, but I'd read more if there were sequels. It may have been a little Harry Potter, a little Percy Jackson, and a lot teen fantasy romance, written in a fairy tale style, but the sum of the parts ended up much greater than the individual parts would seem to suggest.

lots of side thoughts, though:
I think Jenny Moss is a great name for a fantasy writer. or a history writer. Just has a good sound to it.
Is Kendra the new go-to name for writers, especially YA fantasy? I just read Beastly, which had a major character named Kendra, and saw the name in some other book (that I can't remember) too. Funny, because before a few years ago, I'd only ever met one or two Kendras. I really hope it's not all due to some gross Playboy bunny. ick.
Also, this book, and the Percy Jackson books, and any others dealing with dogs and/or demi-gods, does make me awfully glad to be a Christian. Dealing with a weak, selfish, human-like god and/or goddess as your only resource would seem awfully discouraging. My God is an awesome God, and I appreciate that more all the time. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2010 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. For as long as she can remember, the orphaned peasant girl called Shadow has spent every moment of her life following around Queen Audrey, the young queen of Deor, their kingdom. She has no memory of her real name or of her life before she became the queen’s “shadow.” The young queen was prophesized to die before her sixteenth birthday, and Shadow’s presence is supposed to somehow protect her, but Shadow doesn’t understand how, and longs to escape the dreary castle and the queen’s cruelty.

Shadow...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Reading Vacation rated it 5 of 5 stars

REVIEW

Shadow reminds me of a classic fairy tale. There is royalty, a suffering country, good vs evil, enchantment, and a strong heroine. I love fairy tales! That special, magical feel is captured by Jenny Moss with her words and beautiful descriptions.

Most fairy tales have a strong heroine. In this book, Shadow is that character. Perhaps she drew some of her strength from the years she was imprisoned in the castle and forced to follow the queen. Maybe she was actually born with an inner strength...more

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May 23, 2011 Fairwind rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA people in need of a light fantasy read

Shelves: fairy-tales

I admit, I was a little bit disappointed in this book. I liked it, and reading it wasn't a waste of time, but it could've been so much better. At times it felt rushed, and some scenes needed more details. Although some of the author's emotional descriptors were good and original, she also had a habit of telling you what Shadow was feeling instead of showing you and some times I didn't really understand why she was feeling that way . . . there was just a lot of stuff that needed more explaining a...more I admit, I was a little bit disappointed in this book. I liked it, and reading it wasn't a waste of time, but it could've been so much better. At times it felt rushed, and some scenes needed more details. Although some of the author's emotional descriptors were good and original, she also had a habit of telling you what Shadow was feeling instead of showing you and some times I didn't really understand why she was feeling that way . . . there was just a lot of stuff that needed more explaining and some scenes that weren't really given the attention they deserved.

I got a little annoyed with the love story too. It was fun in the beginning, but I've noticed that in some stories, the author will make the guy all needy and . . . well, move of a highly protective lover. I mean, its nice of him to want to protect her all the time and all, but wouldn't that get annoying. That some times bothers me in books. Plus, I think a love story is always more fun if its less of them as lovers and more of them as best friends because that's very important in a relationship. I didn't see that much in this book.

This story really had so much potential and could've been so great, but I think this author's talent is best suited out of the fantasy genre. I can't really say as I haven't read any of her other books, but that's what I think.

But that's enough of the negative. Let's look at some positive.

Like I said, at the beginning, the love story was just sort of fun because of Shadow's lack of social skills, their opposites, and the sheer annoyance going on between them at first. It was fun to read knowing how they'd end up and knowing that it'd be such a great thing for Shadow who hasn't exactly had the greatest life ever. So that was always fun to read.

This book was also a really light read, easy to understand, which was nice. I have a habit of choosing big complexish books, so whenever I read books like this . . . well, its just nice. A good break. Its probably part of the reason I liked this book

Every now and then scenes would come up where I'd think something like, "Ah, Shadow really needs to talk to this character right now," or "[something] really needs to happen here," stuff like that. Then I'd read the scene and realize I was an idiot and the author was just overall smarter then me. :) I like it when that happens, makes me more aware of things.

The characters were overall individual, which was nice. I've never liked books where all the characters mush together into one and there's no variety. This one did though. There's Shadow with her desperate desire for freedom, Kenway with his firm belief in duty, Inged with her . . . odd behavior I suppose, etc. I loved it! Little things like that always make a book more interesting.

So my overall opinion: yeah, it was good, could've been better, but it was good and I had fun reading it despite my occasional annoyances with certain phrases and such. I think this author has great potential. If this is just her getting started then who knows what she'll be able to do in the future! :)(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 06, 2010 Cindy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, teen

I rarely rate a one star.

Everything felt so rushed, forced and pushed in this novel. I knew what was going to happen before that, and there was very little time spent allowing the reader to get to know Shadow. It was like BOOM get to know her and like her.

If you read the flap of the book you already know what's going to happen in the first half of the book. Which flaps are good to read but really don't spoil the vast majority of the book.

I found the characters, stiff, stilted, boring and just...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 23, 2010 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

All Shadow wants is to run away to freedom. But alas, she does not have that luxury. Years ago, it was prophesized that the young queen Audrey would die before her sixteenth birthday, and so Shadow, an orphan girl, was given the duty of being the queen’s companion and protector. When tragedy and murder strike, Shadow is forced to flee the castle under the protection of young Sir Kenway. She does not know why she must follow the knight’s orders or where she is going, yet she continues on, determi...more

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Mar 26, 2010 McKenzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shadow has always been what her name implies. Seen by no one, following the queen around for her protection. But when the castle is invaded and the queen poisoned, Shadow must run away with Sir Kenway. She does not know where they are going, nor why, nor for what reason. She must trust him and those she meets. That's hard for a shadow with no feelings to do. How will she save her kingdom and those she loves?

Shadow was a good read. While I didn't find it to be unbelievably spectacular, it had a g...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2010 K. Bird rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shadow is the servant of a the queen of Deor, forced to "shadow" the queen by the elders of the kingdom because of a prophecy about the queen's death.

Treated badly by all, Shadow nurses her grudges in silence until one day she awakes...and the queen is dead.

Of course Shadow isn't the lowly servant she has seemed all these years, and her actions will determine the fate of a kingdom.

Shadow was great. Her foil, Lord Kenway, was refreshingly unperfect (he's classist and alternates between being look...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, tour-around-the-world, read-january-2010

A fascinating fantasy read, I enjoyed this book throughout.

Shadow has always been just that, a shadow to the young queen who is the same age she is. She has been told to protect the queen at all costs, so she very rarely gets to move far from the queen. And the queen doesn't get to move because she has been told she will die before her official coronation. So all Shadow wants to do is explore the outside world. She cherishes moments she can spend outside, and she also treasures moments when Sir...more

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May 21, 2010 Seanean rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shadow has always lived with the queen. She's supposed to protect her. A prophecy told when the queen was born warns that she will be killed by her sixteenth birthday. So Shadow is supposed to be there to take the arrow or sword in her stead.

But when Shadow fails and the queen dies anyway, she's taken by a young knight on a journey of magic and discovery.

Her world isn't what she thought it was.

Final thoughts: Awful, awful book. It's obvious from the beginning what the "twist" is and it's dull in...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2010 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars

I probably should start this out by saying I'm not a big fantasy person. I love watching movies that are set in any sort of fantasy realm or medieval times, but I never could get into reading about them. I blame it on the names and the butt load of history that comes with it. But I told myself that I was going to try out new genres so I gave Shadow a stab.

Jenny Moss's writing is very easy going. I never felt myself getting lost in the storyline. The plot was kind of mild. I enjoyed Shadow as a c...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Grace Sensenig added it

shadow has been an orphan all her life, when she was little, she was assigned a task, and that was to protect the queen, this did not mean that she had to carry a sword, or become a knight, this simply meant that shadow was to stay by the queens side, every day, every hour, every minute.
it was prophisised that the queen would die before her sixteenth birthday, and one night, that prophisy came true! queen Audrey is poisened in her sleep.

shadow manages to escape after that, with sir Kenway lead...more

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Aug 24, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read_2010, ya, fantasy

The aptly named Shadow has always been just that, the shadow who must remain with the Queen at all times as it was prophesied that Queen Audrey would not live beyond her sixteenth birthday. The only thing Shadow longs for is her freedom, and when the unthinkable happens she has it, but at what price? As she begins a journey with a young knight, Sir Kenway, that will change her life forever.

There are some interesting and unexpected twists to this story, although I suspect that most people (includ...more

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Apr 22, 2010 Jacqueline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-paranormal, for-review, read-in-2010

As the appointed "shadow" of a young queen, our protagonist has been the subject of unmerited scorn and mistreatment at the hands of Queen Audrey and her court. She dreams of life far away from the castle that is her, and the queen's, prison. Unfortunately for her, freedom is constantly out of reach. Shadow's duty is to always be at the side of the queen. For what reason, no one knows. They can only speculate that it has something to do with the mysterious prophecy that foretells Audrey's death...more

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Sep 07, 2009 Dianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is not available until spring 2010. I read a prepublished readers copy. It is for young adults. It is about a young girl who is to always be near the side of the young girl who is to be the next queen. She doesn't know her own name as she is only called "Shadow".
After the untimely death of the young queen, Shadow escapes with a young prince, and travels the countryside. They discover burned out villages and destruction everywhere as new factions try to overturn the governing parties. A...more

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Jan 07, 2010 Ellz Readz rated it 4 of 5 stars

My thoughts...I adored this story. The story has a fairytale feel, complete with a queen, a knight, beautiful castles, and silk dresses. However, it surprised me with a dark side full of dungeons, dark secrets, betrayals and lies. The heroine Shadow, is just that, a Shadow to the beautiful queen. Queen Audrey treats Shadow very poorly, as do her ladies. Despite her situation, Shadow keeps her head held high and demands respect, even though it usually results in her punishment. Her character grew...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Natalia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Really hated this book. Not for the plot: I thought that was the interesting thing. There was a lot of potential but the result was aggravating. I couldn't connect with any character, they were all one-dimensional, I was unclear about any person's true motivation (for as much as the word "duty" was thrown around, I didn't see it much). The entire book is written in passive voice: "The door was opened," "the sword was lifted" such that a lot of the action felt anticlimactic. I didn't see any chem...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 26, 2010 Lu rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like this book more than I thought I would. It's the sort of book I tend to like, though, you know with royalty types and romance and adventure and a fairy tale-ish feel. Though, this book has a darker feel than Shannon Hale's books (to give you a point of comparison).

The main character, Shadow, is the personal companion/bodyguard of the Queen. She is the only one who stays with the queen all the time--and everyone's paranoid about the Queen because it's been foretold that she'll be killed bef...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Kindle-aholic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

I can't say I loved it. The book flowed well, action was well-paced, and it definitely kept my attention. However, there was something missing. I read in another review that they found the characters unsympathetic, and I have to agree, to an extent. I started feeling sorry for their respective situations, but I feel like something was missing from the interaction between Shadow and Kenway. A little too much of them looking into each others eyes, and then they're mad at each other again, or someo...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Autumn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, fairy-tales

I thought this book was really good.

Charcaters:I am giving the overall score for characters a 3.Shadow I had absolutley no problem with whatsoever.It's Sir Kenway and Princess Audrey I have a problem with.Princess Audrey is just a stuck up butthole.Sir Kenway,don't even get me started.At first he hates Shadow,but when he finds out that she's the real he's like "Oh,well she is kind of cute" I hate him.

Plot:I'm giving the plot a 4.I loved everything about the plot.My favorite part was when Shadow...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Mandi Ellsworth added it

I was impressed by how engaging this story was. I liked Shadow, the main character, and wanted to know what happens to her. I liked the story and how you were never really sure of the thoughts and feelings of the love interest until the end-ish. She kept you guessing in some ways, and in other ways you know what's coming. I loved the world she painted. This is about a girl who had lived her whole life as the Queen's shadow, even her name has been forgotten. The Shadow has no option, her opinions...more

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Sep 06, 2009 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-7th-and-8th-grade-middle-school-t, high-school-and-beyond

Shadow has lived with Queen Audrey from birth. Both girls are orphans of the same age. Shadow is not a lady in waiting, her task is to be an inseparable companion to an increasingly mad and unpleasant queen who is surrounded by equally abusive and unpleasant ladies in waiting. Shadow's dream is to escape the castle and her grim life.
The sudden death of Queen Audrey turns Shadow's life upside down as her try destiny and identity are slowly revealed.
Palace intrigue, mysterious visions, alarming...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars

A random pick at the library... we shall see.

Update: This book started out strong and I was feeling pretty awesome for discovering such a gem, but in the end it just didn't do it for me. The character development was very poor, Sir Kenway was condescending, Shadow was selfish, and the relationship between the two of them was so annoyingly immature, they seemed more like bickering siblings than two people falling in love. So much so that when those few romantic moments actually did pop their litt...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Cinnamon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, chick-lit, consequences, fantasy-fiction, first-kiss, friendship, girl-self-perception, good-v-evil, knights, magic, middle-ages, royals, traveling, wizards, young-adult

I am a sucker for a middle ages romance. I love knights and chivalry and the adventure and romance of it all. This book seemed like it was trying for that feeling, but it never really pulled it off.
The writing was too emotionless to make me care about Shadow. I did continue to read the whole book; the ending was pretty abrupt.

Shadow has spent her life with the Queen, always following her, but never accepted as one of the ladies in waiting. She has always dreamed of running away. Then her chance...more

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May 19, 2010 Phoebe rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Nanci, Deborah, Valerie, Joanie

Shadow, who doesn't know her real name, has been ordered to stay with the young queen at all times, but it's hard going since the queen (along with her ladies) is a petty, cruel person. Shadow dreams of escaping the high tower, but she is trapped--until the day that the unimaginable happens and she is on the run for her life, with unrequited love interest, Sir Kenway accompanying her. Readers will no doubt guess Shadow's identity and destiny before she does, but it doesn't matter. Luscious turns...more

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May 19, 2010 Ellen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 100-books-in-2010, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 07, 2010 Siri rated it 3 of 5 stars

After reading Shadow, one word comes to mind…adventure.
With royal conspiracy, evil kinsman vying for the throne, horseback riding, sword fights, and a hint of both magic and romance.
Though with less, questionable content, Shadow bears semblance to Kristin Cashore’s novels Graceling and Fire, for its strong heroine, self-discovery, and epic sword fighting adventure.
Shadow’s plot, though comparable to others before it, has a relatable, strong, new heroine for readers to love.

My Rating: 3.5 o...more

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May 27, 2010 Mariah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mariah by: a_readers_adventure@yahoo.com

Shelves: 2010, april-10, arc

I was expecting a lot more from this book, based on the synopsis. More adventure and even more intrigue. But I was sadly disappointed, the book was confusing and I really did not understand what was going on until like 40 pages into the book.

Ok, so it was not all bad, once I got into it, it was pretty good, but a little boring. I felt like the plot kept jumping around, and that the characters were disconnected. And while the ending was complete I wish it had been more spontaneous. I have to say...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Suki rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book off a library shelf several months ago but because it took me forever to read Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley, I kept renewing this book. Then I promptly started it last night after finally finishing my last book and finished reading it today.

I thought it might be similar to Poison Study by Maria Snyder but it wasn't. Still good though. I didn't know where all it would lead. The book felt almost a little too quick though. Some characters and relationships and situations weren't...more

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May 26, 2011 Zosia rated it 5 of 5 stars

An orphan girl, Shadow, has been with Queen Audrey ever since she can remember. She is the same age as the young queen. It is prophecied that the queen will die before her sixteenth birthday. Mysteriously, the queen is murdered in her sleep. Shadow feels it is partly her fault because Shadow knew the queen was having painful nightmares and did not wake her. Sir Kenway, who Shadow believes was betrothed to the queen, takes her away along with another girl named Ingen. Filled with romance and adve...more

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