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In the Shadows of the Light: A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure of Darkness and Hope
Not yet published
Expected 24 Feb 26Thousands of years ago, a powerful sorcerer named Merva created a magic stone of sinister energy while attempting to extract the darkness surrounding him. A catastrophe unfolded that not only resulted in the stone’s magic becoming too powerful and deadly but also in the creation of a dark and powerful entity.
Determined to restore the balance, he created the Core Stone and brought equilibrium back to the world, but the secrets of its creation were lost to time. Now, the Core Stone is stolen and destroyed, the elven city of Ollnahone slowly becomes poisoned with malevolent magic, and the realm is in danger once more.
Born and raised in the city, the elf Valira has watched her homeland slowly wither away. Desperate, her people decide that they must divide to one group stays to defend the city, one seeks knowledge in the mountains, and one moves to the safety of the caves. But these caves are more than a sanctuary. Here, Valira discovers secrets hidden deep within that could change the fate of the realm. Transformed by this discovery, she follows in the long-lost footsteps of Merva to rescue her realm from drowning in the darkness. Though she can lean on some of the odd creatures and scraps of forgotten knowledge Merva left scattered in the realm, Valira must overcome her own darkness within her to restore the balance of the light.
In the Shadows of the Light is a richly imagined and dramatic YA fantasy adventure about balance, inheritance, and courage, where the fate of the world rests not with kings or heroes, but with one girl brave enough to step into the dark and keep going. Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone, Graceling, The Bone Witch, and An Ember in the Ashes.
Determined to restore the balance, he created the Core Stone and brought equilibrium back to the world, but the secrets of its creation were lost to time. Now, the Core Stone is stolen and destroyed, the elven city of Ollnahone slowly becomes poisoned with malevolent magic, and the realm is in danger once more.
Born and raised in the city, the elf Valira has watched her homeland slowly wither away. Desperate, her people decide that they must divide to one group stays to defend the city, one seeks knowledge in the mountains, and one moves to the safety of the caves. But these caves are more than a sanctuary. Here, Valira discovers secrets hidden deep within that could change the fate of the realm. Transformed by this discovery, she follows in the long-lost footsteps of Merva to rescue her realm from drowning in the darkness. Though she can lean on some of the odd creatures and scraps of forgotten knowledge Merva left scattered in the realm, Valira must overcome her own darkness within her to restore the balance of the light.
In the Shadows of the Light is a richly imagined and dramatic YA fantasy adventure about balance, inheritance, and courage, where the fate of the world rests not with kings or heroes, but with one girl brave enough to step into the dark and keep going. Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone, Graceling, The Bone Witch, and An Ember in the Ashes.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This review is of an advanced reader copy provided through NetGalley. Thank you to the Author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance for an honest review.
What drew me to the book was the synopsis; it sounded like an interesting story, a new idea to explore. The plot is there, but I can't say I enjoyed reading it. It was difficult to get through because of structural choices. There is more telling us what happened than showing what happened. The book seems to be unsure whether it is in a third-person omniscient POV or a third-person limited POV. Each chapter seems to be shown through the perspective of a specific character, but they know things they shouldn't. Examples being, knowing exactly how another character feels in relation to what is going on, what has been said etc. The author needs to pick one POV type and stick with it.
There are many places that read like it was an outline of what was going to happen in the moment and was not fleshed out. Action sequences end before they really began. An example being: the shadowvein overtaking the city of Ollnahone, the soldiers, people of the city attack them in the beginning of the sentence, and by the end of the sentence they've given up. Give us more action. Show us how they fought and realized the inevitability of their defeat. This moment felt like an oh you're stronger than me, I'm just going to throw down my sword and let you take me? Is this really how people defending their homes would behave? Wouldn't they fight to the bitter end, even if they knew they couldn't win? So that maybe someone else would?
What really bothered me was the lack of continuity. In the last paragraphs of the prologue, we are told that Merva left the city, taking everything, his notes, his books, etc. with him. We are told that the elves used magic one last time to protect the city and then stopped teaching magic to the next generation and stopped telling stories, and that they were lost to time.
We get to the end of chapter one, and somehow the character Valira's parents know the stories and know everything. Her parents are never named, just "mother" and "father" but other minor characters later in the book are named. They also never finish telling her the story, as we go straight into a time jump.
There are similar moments in the novel where others know the stories and where to go, what to do. The synopsis suggests it's been thousands of years since Merva set all of this into motion. So how long has it been since he left until the main story starts? How old are the elder elves in the city? Were they there when Merva was? It's not explained properly. How could the stories and magic be lost to time in the prologue if someone was there and witnessed it?
We also know very little about any of the characters, especially Valira, who is supposed to be the main character. How does she feel about everything that happens? What is her perspective? Lack of internalization from this character or any of them causes them to be forgettable. Why should I be invested in this story, these characters?
Paragraphs get repetitive; an idea at the beginning of a sentence is said again slightly differently at the end. Descriptions of the shadowvein appear at least three times in the first half of the novel, which is unnecessary. The first time was sufficient, unless something has changed about their appearance, we don't need them described multiple times.
Unfortunately, another thing that reoccurred throughout the story that bothered me was how something simple happened "and everyone forgot about -Insert bad thing here - for a moment." We see this formula repeatedly. The characters are fleeing for their lives; they haven't yet made it out of danger, but they behave as though they have. They relax entirely too much out in the open for people fleeing danger.
We also see a lot of sentences that start off describing something and then saying maybe it is this, or maybe it is that. If the story is being told in an omniscient POV, the narrator should know.
The main character, based on the synopsis, is supposed to be Valira, but as the story unfolds, we see her following others' lead rather than being the one to take charge, fight for things to happen, etc. She is always partnered with someone who takes the lead. We see this a lot in the last few chapters when she is with the character Trinor. Characters randomly appear to guide her or whoever she is with. Trinor pulls out a map after asking how they're going to find where they need to go, and how convenient it is. They look at the map and suddenly they are exactly where they needed to go.
There was another continuity issue regarding the Umbra. After overtaking Ollnahone, he makes his way to Shakara. Andor who is now a shadowvein, makes it to the caves and is 'saved'. Andor escapes, but within minutes makes it to Shakara to unwittingly tell the Umbra about his sister and where she is. The umbra is implied to be alone when he goes to Shakara, but then his army is there. It took the elves from the city weeks to get to the caves, but hours for the shadowvein after he ordered them to attack.
In one poem placed in the book, it mentions 'God', but no deities have been mentioned at all in the entire novel thus far, so having God included doesn't make sense.
The story has so much promise, but fails to deliver, for me at least. I had to force myself to keep reading just so I could give a full review. But reading shouldn't feel like a chore. I'm left feeling disappointed. I really wanted to like this story. Plot-wise, I do, but the execution of the storytelling leaves me wanting. I hope the author improves their writing and increases their editing process for future novels they write.
What drew me to the book was the synopsis; it sounded like an interesting story, a new idea to explore. The plot is there, but I can't say I enjoyed reading it. It was difficult to get through because of structural choices. There is more telling us what happened than showing what happened. The book seems to be unsure whether it is in a third-person omniscient POV or a third-person limited POV. Each chapter seems to be shown through the perspective of a specific character, but they know things they shouldn't. Examples being, knowing exactly how another character feels in relation to what is going on, what has been said etc. The author needs to pick one POV type and stick with it.
There are many places that read like it was an outline of what was going to happen in the moment and was not fleshed out. Action sequences end before they really began. An example being: the shadowvein overtaking the city of Ollnahone, the soldiers, people of the city attack them in the beginning of the sentence, and by the end of the sentence they've given up. Give us more action. Show us how they fought and realized the inevitability of their defeat. This moment felt like an oh you're stronger than me, I'm just going to throw down my sword and let you take me? Is this really how people defending their homes would behave? Wouldn't they fight to the bitter end, even if they knew they couldn't win? So that maybe someone else would?
What really bothered me was the lack of continuity. In the last paragraphs of the prologue, we are told that Merva left the city, taking everything, his notes, his books, etc. with him. We are told that the elves used magic one last time to protect the city and then stopped teaching magic to the next generation and stopped telling stories, and that they were lost to time.
We get to the end of chapter one, and somehow the character Valira's parents know the stories and know everything. Her parents are never named, just "mother" and "father" but other minor characters later in the book are named. They also never finish telling her the story, as we go straight into a time jump.
There are similar moments in the novel where others know the stories and where to go, what to do. The synopsis suggests it's been thousands of years since Merva set all of this into motion. So how long has it been since he left until the main story starts? How old are the elder elves in the city? Were they there when Merva was? It's not explained properly. How could the stories and magic be lost to time in the prologue if someone was there and witnessed it?
We also know very little about any of the characters, especially Valira, who is supposed to be the main character. How does she feel about everything that happens? What is her perspective? Lack of internalization from this character or any of them causes them to be forgettable. Why should I be invested in this story, these characters?
Paragraphs get repetitive; an idea at the beginning of a sentence is said again slightly differently at the end. Descriptions of the shadowvein appear at least three times in the first half of the novel, which is unnecessary. The first time was sufficient, unless something has changed about their appearance, we don't need them described multiple times.
Unfortunately, another thing that reoccurred throughout the story that bothered me was how something simple happened "and everyone forgot about -Insert bad thing here - for a moment." We see this formula repeatedly. The characters are fleeing for their lives; they haven't yet made it out of danger, but they behave as though they have. They relax entirely too much out in the open for people fleeing danger.
We also see a lot of sentences that start off describing something and then saying maybe it is this, or maybe it is that. If the story is being told in an omniscient POV, the narrator should know.
The main character, based on the synopsis, is supposed to be Valira, but as the story unfolds, we see her following others' lead rather than being the one to take charge, fight for things to happen, etc. She is always partnered with someone who takes the lead. We see this a lot in the last few chapters when she is with the character Trinor. Characters randomly appear to guide her or whoever she is with. Trinor pulls out a map after asking how they're going to find where they need to go, and how convenient it is. They look at the map and suddenly they are exactly where they needed to go.
There was another continuity issue regarding the Umbra. After overtaking Ollnahone, he makes his way to Shakara. Andor who is now a shadowvein, makes it to the caves and is 'saved'. Andor escapes, but within minutes makes it to Shakara to unwittingly tell the Umbra about his sister and where she is. The umbra is implied to be alone when he goes to Shakara, but then his army is there. It took the elves from the city weeks to get to the caves, but hours for the shadowvein after he ordered them to attack.
In one poem placed in the book, it mentions 'God', but no deities have been mentioned at all in the entire novel thus far, so having God included doesn't make sense.
The story has so much promise, but fails to deliver, for me at least. I had to force myself to keep reading just so I could give a full review. But reading shouldn't feel like a chore. I'm left feeling disappointed. I really wanted to like this story. Plot-wise, I do, but the execution of the storytelling leaves me wanting. I hope the author improves their writing and increases their editing process for future novels they write.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If “The Odyssey” and “The Name of the Wind “had a baby, it would be “In The Shadows of the Light.” 3.5 stars (rounds UP to 4).
I really enjoyed the lyrical, storytelling style of the book, and I imagine it would be great as an audiobook. Then you could cozy up under a blanket and imagine a grandparent telling this story as if it were an oral history passed down through the generations. I do assume it would be a grandparent, by the way, given the odd pacing and sometimes choppiness of the POV switching. There’s one too many chapters of setup, a lot of “telling” instead of “showing,” and characters that pop up in the last third of the book that felt like an “oh, I forgot to mention this person” kind of moment. But that’s just how Grandpa tells stories, you know?
But if you can get past some of the structural choices, this story is worth the read. The “journey is the purpose” theme feels like every classic Greek novel, where the hero gets thrown around a lot - a victim of the plot and not the driver of it. And this choice makes even more sense when you read the author’s note before the story begins… the book is an allegory of depression. And for anyone that has suffered it in some capacity, I imagine there are several scenes - and poems - in this novel that are devastatingly relatable… especially the part where you often do not feel in control of your own story. I think what the author is doing is here is beautiful, important, and a sign of vulnerability that I wish more people had.
Now, I do have a few notes that would have helped this story have a clean landing for me:
1. I want to know more about the characters - there is a lot of exposition but not nearly enough dialogue, internalization, or action that allows us to learn who our characters are - especially Valira. I think there is a lot of interesting stuff buried underneath this plot!
2. I’d like to have seen a little more world building. How does magic work? Why were Bridge Builders special? Besides Shadowveined, trolls, and Elves, what other beings live in this world? Please tell me more!
3. I wish this had gone through maybe one more round of structural editing… I did tend to get distracted by (too many) similes used in exposition, passages that were too long (the journey to the caves), passages that were not long enough (all the actual action), and over explanations (we did not need to be told 4+ times what the Shadowveined were… once would have been good).
None of these notes detracted from the story (much), but I think at least a few tweaks could have made this book un-put-downable!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the lyrical, storytelling style of the book, and I imagine it would be great as an audiobook. Then you could cozy up under a blanket and imagine a grandparent telling this story as if it were an oral history passed down through the generations. I do assume it would be a grandparent, by the way, given the odd pacing and sometimes choppiness of the POV switching. There’s one too many chapters of setup, a lot of “telling” instead of “showing,” and characters that pop up in the last third of the book that felt like an “oh, I forgot to mention this person” kind of moment. But that’s just how Grandpa tells stories, you know?
But if you can get past some of the structural choices, this story is worth the read. The “journey is the purpose” theme feels like every classic Greek novel, where the hero gets thrown around a lot - a victim of the plot and not the driver of it. And this choice makes even more sense when you read the author’s note before the story begins… the book is an allegory of depression. And for anyone that has suffered it in some capacity, I imagine there are several scenes - and poems - in this novel that are devastatingly relatable… especially the part where you often do not feel in control of your own story. I think what the author is doing is here is beautiful, important, and a sign of vulnerability that I wish more people had.
Now, I do have a few notes that would have helped this story have a clean landing for me:
1. I want to know more about the characters - there is a lot of exposition but not nearly enough dialogue, internalization, or action that allows us to learn who our characters are - especially Valira. I think there is a lot of interesting stuff buried underneath this plot!
2. I’d like to have seen a little more world building. How does magic work? Why were Bridge Builders special? Besides Shadowveined, trolls, and Elves, what other beings live in this world? Please tell me more!
3. I wish this had gone through maybe one more round of structural editing… I did tend to get distracted by (too many) similes used in exposition, passages that were too long (the journey to the caves), passages that were not long enough (all the actual action), and over explanations (we did not need to be told 4+ times what the Shadowveined were… once would have been good).
None of these notes detracted from the story (much), but I think at least a few tweaks could have made this book un-put-downable!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75 stars)
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC 🤍
A Dutch author writing an English fantasy novel immediately caught my attention — and that cover… wow 😍 The worldbuilding is strong and the writing style is clear and accessible. At first, the city felt magical and alive ✨, but as darkness took over, everything became empty and bleak — something the author portrayed very well.
I didn’t realize while reading that this is likely the first book in a series, which made the story feel quite long and somber at times. I was really hoping for more light 🌙➡️☀️. However, after finishing the book, the ending made much more sense and left me curious about how the story will continue.
The author’s letter at the beginning and the poems throughout the book were a beautiful and emotional addition 🤍 As a new mom, these words truly resonated with me and felt like a reminder that we are not alone — and that light will return.
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC 🤍
A Dutch author writing an English fantasy novel immediately caught my attention — and that cover… wow 😍 The worldbuilding is strong and the writing style is clear and accessible. At first, the city felt magical and alive ✨, but as darkness took over, everything became empty and bleak — something the author portrayed very well.
I didn’t realize while reading that this is likely the first book in a series, which made the story feel quite long and somber at times. I was really hoping for more light 🌙➡️☀️. However, after finishing the book, the ending made much more sense and left me curious about how the story will continue.
The author’s letter at the beginning and the poems throughout the book were a beautiful and emotional addition 🤍 As a new mom, these words truly resonated with me and felt like a reminder that we are not alone — and that light will return.
February 9, 2026
I was attracted to this book by the cover and the intriguing title and blurb. The story didn’t disappoint from the blended intricacies of the rescue mission carried out by the elf, Valera. The Core Stone which was created many years ago by Merva but has been stolen leaving fear and uncertainty for all.
From living in the city with her parents and brother knowing that entering into the cave which was guarded by the King’s Guard could do a lot of harm to the City and the City folk, to her brother deciding he wanted to join the Kings’ guard himself and something happening to her parents. Valeria has to try and rescue the City from the ever growing Disease of Darkness taking over everything in its path, people included.
Elvira knows she must do everything she possibly can to bring normality and safety back to the City of Ollnahone before it is destroyed for eternity.
From living in the city with her parents and brother knowing that entering into the cave which was guarded by the King’s Guard could do a lot of harm to the City and the City folk, to her brother deciding he wanted to join the Kings’ guard himself and something happening to her parents. Valeria has to try and rescue the City from the ever growing Disease of Darkness taking over everything in its path, people included.
Elvira knows she must do everything she possibly can to bring normality and safety back to the City of Ollnahone before it is destroyed for eternity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I came for elves and magic and ended up with feelings and a full blown adventure.
I had such a good time with this story. It has ancient magic, a poisoned city, creepy caves, and a heroine who actually has to deal with her own inner mess while trying to save the world. I love when fantasy does that. Valira is brave but not perfect, and the whole idea of light and darkness needing balance instead of just a big final fight made it way more interesting. The world feels big, the danger feels real, and I was fully invested in whether the realm would survive. If you like emotional fantasy with secrets, lost history, and a journey that hits both the heart and the action, this is one you should pick up 📖✨
I had such a good time with this story. It has ancient magic, a poisoned city, creepy caves, and a heroine who actually has to deal with her own inner mess while trying to save the world. I love when fantasy does that. Valira is brave but not perfect, and the whole idea of light and darkness needing balance instead of just a big final fight made it way more interesting. The world feels big, the danger feels real, and I was fully invested in whether the realm would survive. If you like emotional fantasy with secrets, lost history, and a journey that hits both the heart and the action, this is one you should pick up 📖✨
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In the Shadows of the Light pulled me in with its mix of classic fantasy and emotional depth. It follows Valira, an elf watching her city slowly fall apart after a magical balance stone is destroyed, and her journey into hidden places and old secrets to try to save her world. I loved how the story was not just about magic and danger but also about facing the darkness inside yourself, which made everything feel more personal and meaningful. The setting felt rich and alive, and I found myself really caring about what would happen to the city and to Valira, which made it hard to put down.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lost magic, big stakes...
This is the kind of fantasy that sneaks up on you with magic and then hits you right in the heart while the world is falling apart.
This is the kind of fantasy that sneaks up on you with magic and then hits you right in the heart while the world is falling apart.
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