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Game of Shadows #1
Game of Shadows: A Novel
A young man plagued by the ability to see ghosts races to save the mythological land of Tara from a terrible fate in Erika Lewis's stunning fantasy debut, Game of Shadows
Ethan Makkai struggles with an overprotective mother who never lets him out of her sight, and a terrifying he can see ghosts. When his mother is kidnapped to the uncharted continent of Tara, he sets out to save her; a journey that leads him to the hidden lands, and straight into the arms of a vicious sorcerer who will stop at nothing until he controls Tara. It’s an arduous road, but Ethan doesn't travel it alone; a cousin he never knew he had and a sword-slinging healer who'd rather fight than mend bones both insist on helping him. Together, they dodge imprisonment, battle beasts Ethan thought only existed in nightmares, and accept help from the beings he’s always sought to ghosts.
This L.A. teen must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother, the fearless girl he’s fallen for, and all the people of Tara.
Ethan Makkai struggles with an overprotective mother who never lets him out of her sight, and a terrifying he can see ghosts. When his mother is kidnapped to the uncharted continent of Tara, he sets out to save her; a journey that leads him to the hidden lands, and straight into the arms of a vicious sorcerer who will stop at nothing until he controls Tara. It’s an arduous road, but Ethan doesn't travel it alone; a cousin he never knew he had and a sword-slinging healer who'd rather fight than mend bones both insist on helping him. Together, they dodge imprisonment, battle beasts Ethan thought only existed in nightmares, and accept help from the beings he’s always sought to ghosts.
This L.A. teen must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother, the fearless girl he’s fallen for, and all the people of Tara.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 28, 2017
8 people are currently reading
1610 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 8, 2016
Put this on your TBR list. It's everything I love in an adventure story. Great world building, strong characters & maps!
Carole
Carole
March 8, 2017
Game of Shadows originally lured me in with a promise of fantasy and mythology. It also seemed to be offering a nice dash of sword and sorcery which I can never turn down. Needless to say, I cracked the spine with a certain amount of enthusiasm and hesitation. I believe we are all somewhat guilty of over hyping titles to discover that they are not what we anticipate. So when I am truly excited, it can begin as an awkward encounter.. I want to love them, but I am afraid. Books are very much like real life relationships in that aspect for me. I have been burned. So what is my current relationship status with Game of Shadows now that we have come to know one another? Complicated but rewarding.
See my full review here
See my full review here
March 7, 2017
Game of Shadows is a riveting, page-turning adventure with a wonderful blend of Celtic mythology and deeply imagined twists. I adored Ethan and the way that Erika Lewis showed him realistically struggling to come to terms with his destiny and his plight, and I found myself plunging through this book at the same time that I hated for it to end. Can't wait for more!
February 9, 2017
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I did not know about the novel before reading it but the synopsis, mixed with a touch of urban fantasy and fantasy, seemed quite promising. And did you see that cover? Really appealing!
Ethan is an overprotected boy, he can not step outside without his mother accompanying him… Even if he understands that his gift that allows him to see ghosts can attract trouble, he still wants to be free and go out at will. It is also what he finally does on his birthday, in secret, to go to school. Unfortunately he does not expect such consequences … Indeed, in his absence, his mother is kidnapped and he is saved from a fight by a man who claims to be his grandfather when he knows he has no family. Discovering the truth about his existence, Ethan travels to a hidden continent called Tara, which seems to have come straight out of a dream. Indeed, if technology is not wise in this place, there are magicians, sorcerers, unicorns and other creatures. And it would seem that Ethan is the heir to the throne.
Even if everyone tries to keep his identity secret and to protect him, our hero is determined to save his mother whatever happens. This quest will allow us to discover a little more about his true identity and his gifts and this will give us the opportunity to learn a little more about this world of which we know nothing about.
This adventure will not be easy for Ethan and everyone seems to expect something from him. Adapting to his new life, we will discover the main characters of the story be it the nice or the bad ones like Christian, Lily or Bean. I had a good time with the story and I was curious to know the rest of the events. The characters evolve and we discover their true nature. In any case, the end of the story opens new perspectives and I am curious to discover what will happen thereafter.
My English review
I did not know about the novel before reading it but the synopsis, mixed with a touch of urban fantasy and fantasy, seemed quite promising. And did you see that cover? Really appealing!
Ethan is an overprotected boy, he can not step outside without his mother accompanying him… Even if he understands that his gift that allows him to see ghosts can attract trouble, he still wants to be free and go out at will. It is also what he finally does on his birthday, in secret, to go to school. Unfortunately he does not expect such consequences … Indeed, in his absence, his mother is kidnapped and he is saved from a fight by a man who claims to be his grandfather when he knows he has no family. Discovering the truth about his existence, Ethan travels to a hidden continent called Tara, which seems to have come straight out of a dream. Indeed, if technology is not wise in this place, there are magicians, sorcerers, unicorns and other creatures. And it would seem that Ethan is the heir to the throne.
Even if everyone tries to keep his identity secret and to protect him, our hero is determined to save his mother whatever happens. This quest will allow us to discover a little more about his true identity and his gifts and this will give us the opportunity to learn a little more about this world of which we know nothing about.
This adventure will not be easy for Ethan and everyone seems to expect something from him. Adapting to his new life, we will discover the main characters of the story be it the nice or the bad ones like Christian, Lily or Bean. I had a good time with the story and I was curious to know the rest of the events. The characters evolve and we discover their true nature. In any case, the end of the story opens new perspectives and I am curious to discover what will happen thereafter.
May 29, 2017
https://lynns-books.com/2017/04/20/ga...
Game of Shadows is a tale of adventure, a coming of age story that focuses on a teenage boy called Ethan Makkai. The abridged version of this review is that whilst I don’t think this book worked for me personally, I can certainly see the appeal for the target audience. This is undoubtedly a fun and fast paced read, maybe a little too young for my tastes but still very easy to read and with plenty of imagination.
As the story begins we make the acquaintance of Ethan. He lives in Los Angeles in a cramped apartment with his mother. We immediately learn that his mother is very protective – a tad over protective really, in fact it becomes apparent that Ethan very rarely has a moment of freedom, he is literally shepherded from A to B and back again and whilst he handles this with a good deal more grace than I would be able to muster he’s beginning to push at the boundaries. On the morning of his birthday he finally makes a bold dash to escape his mother’s clutches and scarpers off to school by himself whilst her back is turned. His little moment of liberation however is going to cost him a lot more than he ever expected and within minutes of leaving home it seems that everything goes to hell in a handcart.
Ethan sees dead people – okay, he sees spirits of dead people. They’re drawn to him and maybe this is the source of his mother’s paranoia concerning his safety. On top of this Ethan seems to have attracted the attention of the school bully who seems to take great delight in singling him out for special attention. Ethan’s life may not sound ideal but as he heads to school that morning, accompanied by his friend Skylar, who he secretly harbours a crush on, he really has no idea how lucky he’s been up to this point. Pretty soon he finds himself accosted by the local bully, a number of ghosts and an old sea faring fellow claiming to be his grandfather. He discovers his mother has been kidnapped and in order to find her he must sail the seas and cross over into a completely different world. From hereon in the rules are completely different, the impossible is probable and Ethan begins to discover that his mother has been keeping secrets from him.
I’ll start out with the parts of the book that I liked. I thought the story got off to a very good start, I was intrigued about Ethan, why was his mother so protective, what was the low down with his ability to see spirits. The author really did intrigue me with her suggestion of mystery, ravens that seemed to spy on the small family and a general sense that something was lurking just ready to pounce. I thought the pacing was great – I mean there’s no shortage of action, the author has tried to inject a good dose of humour and frankly I found this a very quick read.
However, my niggles. And these are the areas that I think single me out as not being the target audience. These are just the little things that don’t sit well for me, where once I’ve thought them I can’t leave them alone and they eventually just annoy the hell out of me. Now, I understand that tropes are only tropes because we enjoy them when all is said and done. However, there is a slight feeling that the tropes here are a little too much in abundance (which is another reason why I think a younger reader might enjoy this more, somebody just stepping onto the fantasy ladder where everything feels fresh). For example, Ethan and his mum. Many cliches right here. A mother who, having run away and gone into hiding, completely hides her son’s heritage. Tells him nothing thereby leaving him a good deal more vulnerable than needs be. A young boy who it turns out is not only the heir to the throne but on top of that it seems he has some sort of magical ability (hence the ghosts above).
If we take a closer look at Ethan. I actually started out really quite liking him but that changed a little when he reached the magical continent of Tara. For me, his character seemed in conflict with itself, sometimes he seemed to be downright broody and sulky, petulant almost, and yet at the same time he managed to calmly accept everything that was thrown at him from this strange new world. So, you can sulk because your newly found father shows somebody else more attention than you but a monster chasing you through the woods is nothing to get excited about. Maybe that’s just his terrible teens kicking in.
Then we have the adventure. There’s plenty going on and the author encompasses lots of ideas here as our little band of travellers go on their way. Basically, Ethan has run away from the relative safety of the castle to go in search of his mother. Along the way he manages to acquire the help of his cousin Christian and a young woman, the daughter of one of the generals – who turns out to be a sorceress. The three of them set off to find Ethan’s father, a man who he believed to be dead – and who it seems is something of a rough and ready character who lives a fairly wild existence and will be just the sort that you need on this sort of quest – if you want to know which direction to go in that is. Again, I quite like the idea of the whole adventure and there’s plenty that takes place along the way, but, I had a number of occasions where events were far too easily resolved or where assistance was offered from the strangest quarter. For me, it felt like the plot became a little bit too much of a certainty. Somehow it just drained the story of the tension that should have existed and made me second guess everything along the way.
Overall, yes, I admit that this book wasn’t really for me. I didn’t dislike it by any means, it was a quick read and the pages flew by but I think it’s an adventure story for a younger audience.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Game of Shadows is a tale of adventure, a coming of age story that focuses on a teenage boy called Ethan Makkai. The abridged version of this review is that whilst I don’t think this book worked for me personally, I can certainly see the appeal for the target audience. This is undoubtedly a fun and fast paced read, maybe a little too young for my tastes but still very easy to read and with plenty of imagination.
As the story begins we make the acquaintance of Ethan. He lives in Los Angeles in a cramped apartment with his mother. We immediately learn that his mother is very protective – a tad over protective really, in fact it becomes apparent that Ethan very rarely has a moment of freedom, he is literally shepherded from A to B and back again and whilst he handles this with a good deal more grace than I would be able to muster he’s beginning to push at the boundaries. On the morning of his birthday he finally makes a bold dash to escape his mother’s clutches and scarpers off to school by himself whilst her back is turned. His little moment of liberation however is going to cost him a lot more than he ever expected and within minutes of leaving home it seems that everything goes to hell in a handcart.
Ethan sees dead people – okay, he sees spirits of dead people. They’re drawn to him and maybe this is the source of his mother’s paranoia concerning his safety. On top of this Ethan seems to have attracted the attention of the school bully who seems to take great delight in singling him out for special attention. Ethan’s life may not sound ideal but as he heads to school that morning, accompanied by his friend Skylar, who he secretly harbours a crush on, he really has no idea how lucky he’s been up to this point. Pretty soon he finds himself accosted by the local bully, a number of ghosts and an old sea faring fellow claiming to be his grandfather. He discovers his mother has been kidnapped and in order to find her he must sail the seas and cross over into a completely different world. From hereon in the rules are completely different, the impossible is probable and Ethan begins to discover that his mother has been keeping secrets from him.
I’ll start out with the parts of the book that I liked. I thought the story got off to a very good start, I was intrigued about Ethan, why was his mother so protective, what was the low down with his ability to see spirits. The author really did intrigue me with her suggestion of mystery, ravens that seemed to spy on the small family and a general sense that something was lurking just ready to pounce. I thought the pacing was great – I mean there’s no shortage of action, the author has tried to inject a good dose of humour and frankly I found this a very quick read.
However, my niggles. And these are the areas that I think single me out as not being the target audience. These are just the little things that don’t sit well for me, where once I’ve thought them I can’t leave them alone and they eventually just annoy the hell out of me. Now, I understand that tropes are only tropes because we enjoy them when all is said and done. However, there is a slight feeling that the tropes here are a little too much in abundance (which is another reason why I think a younger reader might enjoy this more, somebody just stepping onto the fantasy ladder where everything feels fresh). For example, Ethan and his mum. Many cliches right here. A mother who, having run away and gone into hiding, completely hides her son’s heritage. Tells him nothing thereby leaving him a good deal more vulnerable than needs be. A young boy who it turns out is not only the heir to the throne but on top of that it seems he has some sort of magical ability (hence the ghosts above).
If we take a closer look at Ethan. I actually started out really quite liking him but that changed a little when he reached the magical continent of Tara. For me, his character seemed in conflict with itself, sometimes he seemed to be downright broody and sulky, petulant almost, and yet at the same time he managed to calmly accept everything that was thrown at him from this strange new world. So, you can sulk because your newly found father shows somebody else more attention than you but a monster chasing you through the woods is nothing to get excited about. Maybe that’s just his terrible teens kicking in.
Then we have the adventure. There’s plenty going on and the author encompasses lots of ideas here as our little band of travellers go on their way. Basically, Ethan has run away from the relative safety of the castle to go in search of his mother. Along the way he manages to acquire the help of his cousin Christian and a young woman, the daughter of one of the generals – who turns out to be a sorceress. The three of them set off to find Ethan’s father, a man who he believed to be dead – and who it seems is something of a rough and ready character who lives a fairly wild existence and will be just the sort that you need on this sort of quest – if you want to know which direction to go in that is. Again, I quite like the idea of the whole adventure and there’s plenty that takes place along the way, but, I had a number of occasions where events were far too easily resolved or where assistance was offered from the strangest quarter. For me, it felt like the plot became a little bit too much of a certainty. Somehow it just drained the story of the tension that should have existed and made me second guess everything along the way.
Overall, yes, I admit that this book wasn’t really for me. I didn’t dislike it by any means, it was a quick read and the pages flew by but I think it’s an adventure story for a younger audience.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
March 14, 2017
Detailed review: A Bohemian Mind at Work
The story follows a familiar arc. An unfortunate turn of events brings the reluctant hero closer to his destiny, fighting monsters and betrayals from close quarters in the process.
Readers, I think I missed something important. Oh, yes. Our hero, the gallant Ethan Makkai, can see ghosts. The power of seeing or calling upon ghostly beings for interviews or Radharc seem to have passed on from ancestors to the future heir to the throne. Obviously, our guy has it, bypassing the direct bloodline, aka, King's son. The action scenes are pretty great. I liked the description of each path, location, action scenes, character details. The author knows how to help a reader visualize the simplest of sequences. The narration gives us breathing time before the next piece of action starts. The language isn't as complicated as I had expected it would be. The names of characters, places, etc. are more urban than fantastical, barring a few like the hero's mother, and likes. I haven't fallen head over heels with the character of Ethan. Flawed or not, Lily is more heroic than him. Maybe, the author intends things to be that way. Ethan will eventually grow out of his youth and mature as the story moves forward (in sequels). Runyan Cooper is an impressive figure in a classic anti-hero-turns-out-to-be-a-mentor way. The traitor wasn't a big secret. I knew almost half way, but I read a lot of crime fiction/mysteries. While the monsters aren't that scary, and I didn't feel that invested in any of the characters (Bean, maybe), the plot and the action drew me in. I want to read the next book to find out what happens after the events of this one and not because I am rooting for the hero. The primary antagonist's change in fate, the rise of his army, such elements strongly reminded me of Harry Potter scenes. It was one of the best-worked scenes. A character stalking them all around felt familiar to Gollum (not as memorable, though) from LOTR. The ending calls for a sequel but doesn't leave us with a cliff-hanger. I offer 3.5 Bohostars to Game of Shadows. I finished the book in three nights, didn't have to skip pages or skim-read. Game of Shadows, if not an outstanding book, is a fast and enjoyable read for the adventurous mind. What starts as an urban fantasy story of a sulky teenager with his hard-to-express feeling for a cute girl and running from a few crows, turns out to be a daring quest for destiny and a fight between the classic good vs. evil.
Though featuring teenagers the action and violence (no gore, just fear factor) in the story is YA level.
I received an ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
The story follows a familiar arc. An unfortunate turn of events brings the reluctant hero closer to his destiny, fighting monsters and betrayals from close quarters in the process.
Readers, I think I missed something important. Oh, yes. Our hero, the gallant Ethan Makkai, can see ghosts. The power of seeing or calling upon ghostly beings for interviews or Radharc seem to have passed on from ancestors to the future heir to the throne. Obviously, our guy has it, bypassing the direct bloodline, aka, King's son. The action scenes are pretty great. I liked the description of each path, location, action scenes, character details. The author knows how to help a reader visualize the simplest of sequences. The narration gives us breathing time before the next piece of action starts. The language isn't as complicated as I had expected it would be. The names of characters, places, etc. are more urban than fantastical, barring a few like the hero's mother, and likes. I haven't fallen head over heels with the character of Ethan. Flawed or not, Lily is more heroic than him. Maybe, the author intends things to be that way. Ethan will eventually grow out of his youth and mature as the story moves forward (in sequels). Runyan Cooper is an impressive figure in a classic anti-hero-turns-out-to-be-a-mentor way. The traitor wasn't a big secret. I knew almost half way, but I read a lot of crime fiction/mysteries. While the monsters aren't that scary, and I didn't feel that invested in any of the characters (Bean, maybe), the plot and the action drew me in. I want to read the next book to find out what happens after the events of this one and not because I am rooting for the hero. The primary antagonist's change in fate, the rise of his army, such elements strongly reminded me of Harry Potter scenes. It was one of the best-worked scenes. A character stalking them all around felt familiar to Gollum (not as memorable, though) from LOTR. The ending calls for a sequel but doesn't leave us with a cliff-hanger. I offer 3.5 Bohostars to Game of Shadows. I finished the book in three nights, didn't have to skip pages or skim-read. Game of Shadows, if not an outstanding book, is a fast and enjoyable read for the adventurous mind. What starts as an urban fantasy story of a sulky teenager with his hard-to-express feeling for a cute girl and running from a few crows, turns out to be a daring quest for destiny and a fight between the classic good vs. evil.
Though featuring teenagers the action and violence (no gore, just fear factor) in the story is YA level.
I received an ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 14, 2017
Sadly this didn't quite work for me, there are several reasons for this and to be honest I think I might like this as a movie. In fact this did remind me of some beloved childhood favorites...
Alas I ain't no child for a long time now so maybe I am just too old for this one? Who knows.
The storyline is the best and only redeeming part of this book in my opinion. It's fast paced, though some things are very predictable, it's never dull and has many entertaining twists and turns.
Now the writing style is simply put not exactly to my taste.
The dialogues were cliche to the point, that they are corny. And I actually thought that maybe it was done by purpose, you know the craptastic kinda vibes, but no matter how hard I tried, they still were just corny.
Then there were inconsistencies- they small mind you- but they annoyed me. As example Ethan's reaction in the beginning? Well, actually there was no reaction. It was like someone told him, you just thought the sun would shine today, it's going to rain. So he thought to himself, yeah that makes sense... No shock, no fear, no fury, no .. well there was nothing zip, zero. There are quite a few more actually. But I won't list them all. Let's just leave it at the inconsistencies annoyed the hell out of me. And yes I know I am being picky and all that, but they just did.
I think this was enhanced by the character building. Don't misunderstand me, I quite like the cast, all of them. But the problem was that they were all a bit flat. There is no real substance to them. And I think that's why I found their action/ reactions at times totally inconsistent, out of character and basically made no sense- even if they were cliche deluxe.
Maybe this is meant for a different reader? I would however go watch this in movies, cause it does promise a whole lot of corny fun!
Alas I ain't no child for a long time now so maybe I am just too old for this one? Who knows.
The storyline is the best and only redeeming part of this book in my opinion. It's fast paced, though some things are very predictable, it's never dull and has many entertaining twists and turns.
Now the writing style is simply put not exactly to my taste.
The dialogues were cliche to the point, that they are corny. And I actually thought that maybe it was done by purpose, you know the craptastic kinda vibes, but no matter how hard I tried, they still were just corny.
Then there were inconsistencies- they small mind you- but they annoyed me. As example Ethan's reaction in the beginning? Well, actually there was no reaction. It was like someone told him, you just thought the sun would shine today, it's going to rain. So he thought to himself, yeah that makes sense... No shock, no fear, no fury, no .. well there was nothing zip, zero. There are quite a few more actually. But I won't list them all. Let's just leave it at the inconsistencies annoyed the hell out of me. And yes I know I am being picky and all that, but they just did.
I think this was enhanced by the character building. Don't misunderstand me, I quite like the cast, all of them. But the problem was that they were all a bit flat. There is no real substance to them. And I think that's why I found their action/ reactions at times totally inconsistent, out of character and basically made no sense- even if they were cliche deluxe.
Maybe this is meant for a different reader? I would however go watch this in movies, cause it does promise a whole lot of corny fun!
May 15, 2017
Game of Shadows begins brilliantly. Ethan, a sympathetic adolescent hero who can see ghosts, stands up to a school bully. It’s the first time he’s escaped from his mother’s close supervision, something he’s struggled against for as long as he can remember. When he returns, triumphant from his school yard encounter, he finds she’s been kidnapped. Not only that, but a mysterious, dramatic, wild-eyed man rails at him that the two of them should never be separated, that the mysterious Ravens have taken her, and then sweeps our hero off on a sailing ship into waters and lands unknown. I very much enjoyed this opening. And then they arrive at aforementioned Lands Unknown and the story descended into the pedestrian. What started out as initiative and spunk quickly became smart-mouthed, sullen rebellion in the face of reason, a refusal to recognize his own ignorance or limitations, and generally puerile behavior toward the people who could be his guides and mentors. This unrelenting attitude spoiled what could have been an exciting coming-of-age adventure for me. I found myself so impatient and critical that I gave up on the book halfway through. I hope other readers have a more positive experience because there's a lot to like in this book.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
February 6, 2017
Ethan Makkai is the awkward teenage son of an overly protective teenage mom living in a small apartment in Los Angeles. And he can talk to ghosts. Soon his mother is kidnapped and a strange old captain transports him to a hidden continent. There, he must rescue his mom from a sorcerer who plans to use her blood in a plot to take over the land of Tara.
This was an engaging, fast-paced fantasy novel. I particularly liked the world and magic-system based around Celtic mythology. Ethan does get a little teen-angsty for my taste at times, but to the author's credit, many of his fellow characters get tired of him, too, and help him grow into a better young man.
This was an engaging, fast-paced fantasy novel. I particularly liked the world and magic-system based around Celtic mythology. Ethan does get a little teen-angsty for my taste at times, but to the author's credit, many of his fellow characters get tired of him, too, and help him grow into a better young man.
June 27, 2017
Very amazing book I love the Celtic mythology and the way the story brings them to life. I'm looking forward to the new book! :)
March 30, 2017
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Game of Shadows is an imaginative, non-stop action teen novel but with the main character’s abrasiveness and combativeness this story may not be for all readers.
Opening Sentence: “Ethan Makkai, freedom is a state of mind.”
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
Game of Shadows is a YA teen fantasy novel geared toward the teen boy in your life. I only say this because I had a hard time really caring for the main character and the only way I could really understand him was to try to imagine myself as a young teenage boy having to deal with the issues that he has to and I would probably have the same attitude problems too. I’ll have more about this below. Game of Shadowsis about a teenaged boy who can see ghosts and because of this he has always been sheltered. His mother never letting him leave her side no matter what. He never realized that his seeing ghosts was a part of a bigger story about a hidden world and that he is an heir to be a King of a land in Tara in this world. The concept of this hidden world of Tara is what really intrigued me about this story.
The story starts off with young Ethan Makkai having to deal with a smothering mother and a total bully at school. Ethan is not allowed to go anywhere without his mother by his side and because of that he has to endure needless torture from an annoying high school bully. It is Ethan’s birthday and he is really hoping that he can walk to school by himself like every other normal kid. Actually he is hoping to walk with his friend Skylar, the cute girl with an apartment by his that he secretly has a crush on with whom he used to be friends. Ethan decides that today is the day for freedom and he bolts on his mother when she went to go change for the walk to school. Ethan finally gets some alone time with Skylar but it soon ends when the bully targets Ethan finally without his mother. A fight breaks out but things get even stranger when birds start attacking Ethan. Then a strange man calling himself Ethan’s grandfather comes to the rescue saying that Ethan’s mother is in trouble. Ethan has been told he has no family. Ethan’s mother was kidnapped during the short time he was outside without her. The man claiming to be his grandfather knows where she has been taken. Ethan was never told anything about his heritage and has no idea about the strange things that the old man is talking about.
Once in Tara, Ethan begins making friends and enemies right away. He is dedicated to finding his mom no matter what could possible happen. Ethan goes on a journey throughout most of Tara searching for his mother and the evil Sorcerer whom had her kidnapped. During his journey he meets a lot of strange creatures and inhabitants of Tara.
I don’t think I would have had such a huge problem with Ethan if he had seemed to learn a lesson in the end about being so snotty. He does learn something but I still think he’s a bit immature to be a ruler. At the beginning, he isn’t nice with his mom, then he just takes off and he doesn’t help matters any during his “fight” with the bully. Of course, I’d probably have attitude problems too if I was smothered like that. Ethan is brash, impulsive and he just straight up likes to do his own thing. He doesn’t listen to anybody unless it suits him for what he needs and sometimes it works out while other times it does not.
Game of Shadows is told in the third person and occasionally jumps around to other characters but it mostly sticks with Ethan’s storyline. The worldbuilding is pretty cool. I really liked Tara and how it wasn’t completely Fae like I would have thought. The creatures were a little different than what I’m used to with the Irish/Scottish folklore. This book is definitely open ended for a sequel. I was a little thrown off since it did have an epilogue but it sets up a sequel and it hooked me enough that I would check out the next novel. I didn’t love this novel but I didn’t hate it either.
Notable Scene:
Runyun patted Christian on the back. “I like any man who enjoys beating the sense out of Julius Niles, no offense to the Niles present.”
“Offense taken,” Lily shot back.
She wasn’t the only one offended. For some reason, the fact that Runyun would tell Christian that he liked him didn’t sit well with Ethan. All he ever did was pick at Ethan, telling him exactly what was wrong with him. He couldn’t ride a horse, or use a sword, or build a fire. Pick. Pick. Pick. But Christian, he liked, and why not? His cousin had trained since birth. He was, to Runyun, what a perfect son would look like.
FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Game of Shadows. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Game of Shadows is an imaginative, non-stop action teen novel but with the main character’s abrasiveness and combativeness this story may not be for all readers.
Opening Sentence: “Ethan Makkai, freedom is a state of mind.”
Excerpt: Yes
The Review:
Game of Shadows is a YA teen fantasy novel geared toward the teen boy in your life. I only say this because I had a hard time really caring for the main character and the only way I could really understand him was to try to imagine myself as a young teenage boy having to deal with the issues that he has to and I would probably have the same attitude problems too. I’ll have more about this below. Game of Shadowsis about a teenaged boy who can see ghosts and because of this he has always been sheltered. His mother never letting him leave her side no matter what. He never realized that his seeing ghosts was a part of a bigger story about a hidden world and that he is an heir to be a King of a land in Tara in this world. The concept of this hidden world of Tara is what really intrigued me about this story.
The story starts off with young Ethan Makkai having to deal with a smothering mother and a total bully at school. Ethan is not allowed to go anywhere without his mother by his side and because of that he has to endure needless torture from an annoying high school bully. It is Ethan’s birthday and he is really hoping that he can walk to school by himself like every other normal kid. Actually he is hoping to walk with his friend Skylar, the cute girl with an apartment by his that he secretly has a crush on with whom he used to be friends. Ethan decides that today is the day for freedom and he bolts on his mother when she went to go change for the walk to school. Ethan finally gets some alone time with Skylar but it soon ends when the bully targets Ethan finally without his mother. A fight breaks out but things get even stranger when birds start attacking Ethan. Then a strange man calling himself Ethan’s grandfather comes to the rescue saying that Ethan’s mother is in trouble. Ethan has been told he has no family. Ethan’s mother was kidnapped during the short time he was outside without her. The man claiming to be his grandfather knows where she has been taken. Ethan was never told anything about his heritage and has no idea about the strange things that the old man is talking about.
Once in Tara, Ethan begins making friends and enemies right away. He is dedicated to finding his mom no matter what could possible happen. Ethan goes on a journey throughout most of Tara searching for his mother and the evil Sorcerer whom had her kidnapped. During his journey he meets a lot of strange creatures and inhabitants of Tara.
I don’t think I would have had such a huge problem with Ethan if he had seemed to learn a lesson in the end about being so snotty. He does learn something but I still think he’s a bit immature to be a ruler. At the beginning, he isn’t nice with his mom, then he just takes off and he doesn’t help matters any during his “fight” with the bully. Of course, I’d probably have attitude problems too if I was smothered like that. Ethan is brash, impulsive and he just straight up likes to do his own thing. He doesn’t listen to anybody unless it suits him for what he needs and sometimes it works out while other times it does not.
Game of Shadows is told in the third person and occasionally jumps around to other characters but it mostly sticks with Ethan’s storyline. The worldbuilding is pretty cool. I really liked Tara and how it wasn’t completely Fae like I would have thought. The creatures were a little different than what I’m used to with the Irish/Scottish folklore. This book is definitely open ended for a sequel. I was a little thrown off since it did have an epilogue but it sets up a sequel and it hooked me enough that I would check out the next novel. I didn’t love this novel but I didn’t hate it either.
Notable Scene:
Runyun patted Christian on the back. “I like any man who enjoys beating the sense out of Julius Niles, no offense to the Niles present.”
“Offense taken,” Lily shot back.
She wasn’t the only one offended. For some reason, the fact that Runyun would tell Christian that he liked him didn’t sit well with Ethan. All he ever did was pick at Ethan, telling him exactly what was wrong with him. He couldn’t ride a horse, or use a sword, or build a fire. Pick. Pick. Pick. But Christian, he liked, and why not? His cousin had trained since birth. He was, to Runyun, what a perfect son would look like.
FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Game of Shadows. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
February 12, 2017
Over the years, fantasy has splintered into various sub-genres, urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, paranormal, and medieval. Stories involving magically enabled American who enters a magical fantasy world to save the day are abundant, some very good, others less so. Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis is a fun read that hits all of the high notes, while maintaining some restraint in the young hero's use of magic and showing a learning curve with respect to other medieval skills While we as readers want to see magic, it can overwhelm a story. Indeed, immediate super powers in all things medieval also detracts. Unless a god endows a character with super powers, it can be hard to believe that a teen from California ends up in magical land and immediately can kill with a sword against trained warriors. Thankfully Lewis has a refined pen. Despite horse riding lessons in Los Angeles, Ethan is not automatically a great horseman. Her young hero wins the day with courage, smarts and using his nascent magical skills of talking to ghosts. He also gets help from others. It's a winning combination.
Ethan Makkai lives in California, a freshman in high school, believes his mother Caitrionai is overprotective. He knows that his ability to talk to ghosts is unusual but wants to be his own person. On his birthday, he escapes his tight apartment only to be attacked by the school bully, who he bests, but his triumph is short-lived, as magical invaders from Tara, Caitrionai homeland, attack him on the streets and kidnap her His savior, a Captain Bartlett takes him back to Tara.
Lewis shows a deft hand with world building. Tara is composed of eight lands and multiple different inhabitants. When Ethan arrives in Landover, his ancestral realm, he is eager to go after his mother, but General Niles, the war leader is reluctant to let him go. Ethan is the heir and must present himself to the other kings to prove his power.
Ethan cannot wait and escapes with Lily Niles and his cousin Christian to find his mother, who is being held by the Ravens, shape shifters, who have aligned with the evil imprisoned sorcerer Sawney Bean. It seems that Bean believes he can use Caitrionai to free himself from his prison and to power a spell of potent evil. Ethan later teams up with Runyun Cooper, his unknown father, who knows the way to Sawney Bean's prison.
But on the way the questers have to escape the Glatisant, a huge monstrous beast, convince some bothersome wood sprites to let them go, escape from the muscular Fomorian king and elude the wild milcai. There is little down time in this engaging novel. As the story progresses, we see Lily form a bond with Ethan that makes her magic grow more powerful, and Ethan learns to use his ability to talk to ghosts.
Sawney Bean has powerful magic at his call, an army of the undead to fight for him. There will be a confrontation with Sawney Bean, a traitor will be revealed and Ethan will have to put on the line his ability to talk to ghosts to prove he is the rightful heir. This young adult action packed adventure and quest novel is worth it. Join the quest.
Ethan Makkai lives in California, a freshman in high school, believes his mother Caitrionai is overprotective. He knows that his ability to talk to ghosts is unusual but wants to be his own person. On his birthday, he escapes his tight apartment only to be attacked by the school bully, who he bests, but his triumph is short-lived, as magical invaders from Tara, Caitrionai homeland, attack him on the streets and kidnap her His savior, a Captain Bartlett takes him back to Tara.
Lewis shows a deft hand with world building. Tara is composed of eight lands and multiple different inhabitants. When Ethan arrives in Landover, his ancestral realm, he is eager to go after his mother, but General Niles, the war leader is reluctant to let him go. Ethan is the heir and must present himself to the other kings to prove his power.
Ethan cannot wait and escapes with Lily Niles and his cousin Christian to find his mother, who is being held by the Ravens, shape shifters, who have aligned with the evil imprisoned sorcerer Sawney Bean. It seems that Bean believes he can use Caitrionai to free himself from his prison and to power a spell of potent evil. Ethan later teams up with Runyun Cooper, his unknown father, who knows the way to Sawney Bean's prison.
But on the way the questers have to escape the Glatisant, a huge monstrous beast, convince some bothersome wood sprites to let them go, escape from the muscular Fomorian king and elude the wild milcai. There is little down time in this engaging novel. As the story progresses, we see Lily form a bond with Ethan that makes her magic grow more powerful, and Ethan learns to use his ability to talk to ghosts.
Sawney Bean has powerful magic at his call, an army of the undead to fight for him. There will be a confrontation with Sawney Bean, a traitor will be revealed and Ethan will have to put on the line his ability to talk to ghosts to prove he is the rightful heir. This young adult action packed adventure and quest novel is worth it. Join the quest.
February 26, 2017
I think that most of you know by now that fantasy is my go-to genre in my life, and I was excited to get the chance to discover a new fantasy series, especially one with a lot of promise, great world building and fun characters.
The story begins in a world we know well and a boy whose life is about to be changed forever. Like Percy Jackson and Clary Fray before him, Ethan believes himself to be an ordinary kid, except for the ghosts that he sees that no one else can. In fact, Ethan does share a few commonalities with these characters. Like them, his mother has been concealing the truth of his heritage. Like them, one moment throws his normal world into chaos and leads him to discover a new world.
While Ethan's arc emulates some of those that came before, the plot still features unique characters and interesting twists and turns to keep one interested and to allow the comparisons to fall away for the most part.
What is most wonderful about this story is the worldbuilding. I'm a sucker for Celtic mythology and Erika Lewis does a fantastic job of bringing the land of Tara to life and imbuing it with creatures and characters that provide moments of whimsy and moments of fear.
The plot speeds along at a great pace, packed full of adventure, as Ethan embarks on a journey of his own: to rescue his mother from the clutches of a sorcerer. It makes for a gripping read that rises above the small stumbles. The ending especially leaves off on a tantalizing note and I am rather intrigued to see where this story will go next.
A wonderful debut to a new YA Fantasy series, if you're looking for an exciting adventure, look no further.
The story begins in a world we know well and a boy whose life is about to be changed forever. Like Percy Jackson and Clary Fray before him, Ethan believes himself to be an ordinary kid, except for the ghosts that he sees that no one else can. In fact, Ethan does share a few commonalities with these characters. Like them, his mother has been concealing the truth of his heritage. Like them, one moment throws his normal world into chaos and leads him to discover a new world.
While Ethan's arc emulates some of those that came before, the plot still features unique characters and interesting twists and turns to keep one interested and to allow the comparisons to fall away for the most part.
What is most wonderful about this story is the worldbuilding. I'm a sucker for Celtic mythology and Erika Lewis does a fantastic job of bringing the land of Tara to life and imbuing it with creatures and characters that provide moments of whimsy and moments of fear.
The plot speeds along at a great pace, packed full of adventure, as Ethan embarks on a journey of his own: to rescue his mother from the clutches of a sorcerer. It makes for a gripping read that rises above the small stumbles. The ending especially leaves off on a tantalizing note and I am rather intrigued to see where this story will go next.
A wonderful debut to a new YA Fantasy series, if you're looking for an exciting adventure, look no further.
March 1, 2017
Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis is an exciting fantasy suitable for young adults. It is a unique story that is fast-paced and entertaining. Fourteen-year-old, Ethan Makkai, has an over-protective mother. He doesn’t feel like he fits in. He can see ghosts. Plus, he has found out his life is a complete lie.
I enjoyed Ethan’s character. His heritage has been hidden from him. After his mother, Caitriona, is kidnapped, he finds out the truth about the continent of Tara he never knew existed. He grows a lot throughout this story.
I enjoyed the plot. It had interesting twists. The characters are well-developed. Tara is skillfully described. I like the Celtic pantheon aspect to the story. I’ve always enjoyed books that are based on mythology. I think people that enjoy books by Rick Riordan and Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series would enjoy GAME OF SHADOWS. I could see my fourteen-year-old son and his friends enjoying this story. I also think it would make a good movie. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
I enjoyed Ethan’s character. His heritage has been hidden from him. After his mother, Caitriona, is kidnapped, he finds out the truth about the continent of Tara he never knew existed. He grows a lot throughout this story.
I enjoyed the plot. It had interesting twists. The characters are well-developed. Tara is skillfully described. I like the Celtic pantheon aspect to the story. I’ve always enjoyed books that are based on mythology. I think people that enjoy books by Rick Riordan and Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series would enjoy GAME OF SHADOWS. I could see my fourteen-year-old son and his friends enjoying this story. I also think it would make a good movie. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
February 24, 2017
This story was a great page turning adventure with a 14 year old boy who has no idea that he is destined to be king of a place he never heard of. The book starts out with the author showing us this sheltered 14 year old boy who mother basically shelters him like a 4 year old . I thought this was all very odd and almost cheered when he ran off trying to show his Independence and then was sad when it seemed it was all gonna end with him getting bullied by some jerk. In the end instead he finds out all about his future. At the end of the story their a nice twist that makes the story unique in the fantasy world and is one of the best cliff hanger/sneak peeks of what is to come that i seen before. This was a wonderful read and can't wait to see what next for Ethan.
March 10, 2017
Mother conceals boy's true identity from him and surprisingly enough it backfires, plunging him into an Irish-mythology themed adventure.
There was some good world building in this book, but otherwise I wasn't a fan. It was poorly paced - action sequence followed action sequence with no time for character development. The action was written as though the author had actually wanted to write a film. The dialogue was poor. I didn't believe in the characters - the main characters mother had knowingly and inexplicably completely failed to prep him for the life he would be leading, but that some how doesn't appear to be an issue (e.g. he is able to competently use a sword against trained soldiers after a couple of lessons...). There are medieval style gender rules but the heroine's father attempts to stop his daughter forming an extremely advantageous relationship with the hero.
Overall it was readable but tedious.
There was some good world building in this book, but otherwise I wasn't a fan. It was poorly paced - action sequence followed action sequence with no time for character development. The action was written as though the author had actually wanted to write a film. The dialogue was poor. I didn't believe in the characters - the main characters mother had knowingly and inexplicably completely failed to prep him for the life he would be leading, but that some how doesn't appear to be an issue (e.g. he is able to competently use a sword against trained soldiers after a couple of lessons...). There are medieval style gender rules but the heroine's father attempts to stop his daughter forming an extremely advantageous relationship with the hero.
Overall it was readable but tedious.
March 2, 2017
Game of Shadows – Erika Lewis
I received Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis from Goodreads in return for an honest review, and when I had been informed that I was going to be getting this book I was somewhat excited since it was an ARC and in a genre that I am a big fan of, and I could drop my review before the publishing date. Unfortunately for me, the book was a major disappointment and I struggled to get through it. It wasn’t bad, such as a few books that I’ve read, but it was probably the biggest cliché that I’ve come across in a long time.
Although this is Erika Lewis’ debut novel, she has worked in TV as a writer for a while – as mentioned by the book – and as a result, the book feels like a teen drama fantasy show full of all the general tropes that one would expect (think Shannara or worse). The book’s plot is about a young boy, Ethan Makkai, a freshman in high school who is actually from a hidden fantasy land, Tara, and has a magical gift/power which will lead him to defeat a great evil. Standard YA Fantasy plotline seen done to death as though someone handed Ms. Lewis a generic outline and said fill in the details (names, magic culture, etc.). Now, a plot like this can do interesting things, and grow to become a beloved series a la Harry Potter if handled correctly, and immerse one into the plot, world and characters. However, Game of Shadows fails to do this at every turn.
*SPOILERS*
The book begins with Ethan Makkai being very unhappy because his mother won’t let him go to school on his own on this special birthday of his. Of course, this is nothing new since she has been doing this all his life, never leaving him alone for anytime unless he is inside the school, but since the plot dictates the necessity, his mother Catriona has never given an explanation for her obsessive issue other than having told him that his family is dead. Now, if the character was not a teenager the lack of trust his mother shows would, from the reader’s standpoint, make sense, but now that the boy is at least 13 – probably 14 – it has no logic to it, especially given the context of what is going to happen next. However, since Ms. Lewis wants to have the later excuse for narrative dialogue we get this overused cliché.
So, of course, Ethan sneaks out without his mother so that he can meet his childhood crush and walk to school with him, but in another YA cliché it turns out that the girl has made friends with the local Football Jock Bullies. Consequently, Ethan ends up in a fight with the lead Jock. Now, my issue with this, aside from the trope, is the implications that not only is this 13/14 year old girl seeing this guy, but she may have slept with him – of course this is not delved into at all by the author, but it leaves the entire situation unresolved throughout the book; and the love interest Lily who exists in this fantasy realm gets treated more like a young woman in our world than someone who exists in a medieval style fantasy realm. This plot motivator annoys me because this character is not important (until the epilogue), Ethan forgets about her almost immediately once the plot kicks in, but there is a sequence where serious issues are brought up in an extremely blasé manner and dropped in the same way. And, it is actually quite meaningless period, the entire scene could be done without having the girl as friends, girlfriend, or anything with the Football player, and it would be the same. Anyway, back to the plot.
During the fight we are introduced to the fact that Ethan sees ghosts. However, the fight ends quite quickly as a character name Bartlett, claiming to be Ethan’s grandfather, shows up (he isn’t, and this is even mentioned as a bad plan concocted by Bartlett and Catriona later in the book – was there a word count from the publishers?). Then, before anything can be properly established we find out that Ethan’s mother is in trouble, the characters get attacked by Ravens (which are actually women who can turn into Ravens), Ethan finds his mother has been taken, and then he is unconscious. All this happens within a few pages, and the next thing we know, we are off to the fantasy land of Tara.
Ethan wakes on a boat, a pointless chapter where a meaningless character introduction occurs (perhaps the Cat Sidhe will be important in a later book, but it is wasted in this one, even when it shows up towards the penultimate battle) and somehow the boat with those on board end up in Tara. Ethan is then introduced to a few important people, informed that he is the heir to the throne, and is taken to the castle. Now, granted there is a bit more detail, but ultimately not much happens that is important in this section.
It is also during these few chapters where the author points out her own plot holes. For example, the clothing of Ethan. Yet, she then fails to actually remedy the situation. Honestly, if someone were to be dropped into the middle of Ireland in the 1200’s wearing modern Western street clothes, I am fairly certain everyone would notice them, but it just goes by the wayside – even when it comes up again near the end of the book. I know that she wants to remind us that Ethan isn’t from Tara, especially since he just seems to fit right in and accept almost everything that goes on without any issues other than the fact that people lied to him. He even goes so far as to immediately, and blindly, accept the help of his cousin Christian who is so obviously going to be one of the villains! Don’t point out your own plot holes unless it is to fix them!
Almost immediately upon arriving in Weymiss, ‘befriending’ Christian, and finding out that he isn’t to search for his mother and that his father Raymund Cooper is alive, Ethan leaves that night to go rescue his mom and find his dad and, with the help of Christian goes on the adventure. Of course, at this point the reader is asking themselves, ‘is he serious.’ And, of course, because it’s a YA novel, we must have a FRI (forced romantic interest). So, we have a monster show up and Lily, General Niles daughter, saves Ethan. They then, of course, have a moment and suddenly Lily is a sorceress. In the morning, they find Ethan’s dad. There are Daddy issues, but he joins the quest; and now we have the fantasy genres foursome: the plucky hero (we the reader), the fighter, the sorcerer, and the barbarian.
I could continue with my pointing out of the Tropes, Cliché and Flaws of this book, but I don’t feel like summarizing the entire novel since every single chapter is filled with them. Needless to say, this book is not particularly engaging for someone who reads a lot of fantasy. However, if you are a young reader who has never been exposed to the greats of the genre then you can certainly have some fun, but there are so many better authors out there. Like so many pulp fantasy novels, the characters are saved through MacGuffin’s (unicorns, unexplained magic abilities, random character appearances), the travels lack context, and there isn’t really any history to the world – why can’t we have technology? The Gods forbid it (except in the epilogue where they watch the Super Bowl, and set up the next book). In addition, where there should be character conflict it never truly materializes, such as Ethan’s acceptance of Tara and never having conflict over LA. In fact, if Bartlett doesn’t somehow smuggle in a TV, Satellite Box, Generator and hook it up in violation of some unexplained edict of the Gods there wouldn’t even be a set-up for a second novel.
As a result, of all of the problems in this novel, it took me way more time than I would have like to get this book finished. I just didn’t want to read it because it was so painful due to the pulp nature, and its bad writing. I’m giving it 3 stars because it wasn’t the worst, but it was far from the best.
I received Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis from Goodreads in return for an honest review, and when I had been informed that I was going to be getting this book I was somewhat excited since it was an ARC and in a genre that I am a big fan of, and I could drop my review before the publishing date. Unfortunately for me, the book was a major disappointment and I struggled to get through it. It wasn’t bad, such as a few books that I’ve read, but it was probably the biggest cliché that I’ve come across in a long time.
Although this is Erika Lewis’ debut novel, she has worked in TV as a writer for a while – as mentioned by the book – and as a result, the book feels like a teen drama fantasy show full of all the general tropes that one would expect (think Shannara or worse). The book’s plot is about a young boy, Ethan Makkai, a freshman in high school who is actually from a hidden fantasy land, Tara, and has a magical gift/power which will lead him to defeat a great evil. Standard YA Fantasy plotline seen done to death as though someone handed Ms. Lewis a generic outline and said fill in the details (names, magic culture, etc.). Now, a plot like this can do interesting things, and grow to become a beloved series a la Harry Potter if handled correctly, and immerse one into the plot, world and characters. However, Game of Shadows fails to do this at every turn.
*SPOILERS*
The book begins with Ethan Makkai being very unhappy because his mother won’t let him go to school on his own on this special birthday of his. Of course, this is nothing new since she has been doing this all his life, never leaving him alone for anytime unless he is inside the school, but since the plot dictates the necessity, his mother Catriona has never given an explanation for her obsessive issue other than having told him that his family is dead. Now, if the character was not a teenager the lack of trust his mother shows would, from the reader’s standpoint, make sense, but now that the boy is at least 13 – probably 14 – it has no logic to it, especially given the context of what is going to happen next. However, since Ms. Lewis wants to have the later excuse for narrative dialogue we get this overused cliché.
So, of course, Ethan sneaks out without his mother so that he can meet his childhood crush and walk to school with him, but in another YA cliché it turns out that the girl has made friends with the local Football Jock Bullies. Consequently, Ethan ends up in a fight with the lead Jock. Now, my issue with this, aside from the trope, is the implications that not only is this 13/14 year old girl seeing this guy, but she may have slept with him – of course this is not delved into at all by the author, but it leaves the entire situation unresolved throughout the book; and the love interest Lily who exists in this fantasy realm gets treated more like a young woman in our world than someone who exists in a medieval style fantasy realm. This plot motivator annoys me because this character is not important (until the epilogue), Ethan forgets about her almost immediately once the plot kicks in, but there is a sequence where serious issues are brought up in an extremely blasé manner and dropped in the same way. And, it is actually quite meaningless period, the entire scene could be done without having the girl as friends, girlfriend, or anything with the Football player, and it would be the same. Anyway, back to the plot.
During the fight we are introduced to the fact that Ethan sees ghosts. However, the fight ends quite quickly as a character name Bartlett, claiming to be Ethan’s grandfather, shows up (he isn’t, and this is even mentioned as a bad plan concocted by Bartlett and Catriona later in the book – was there a word count from the publishers?). Then, before anything can be properly established we find out that Ethan’s mother is in trouble, the characters get attacked by Ravens (which are actually women who can turn into Ravens), Ethan finds his mother has been taken, and then he is unconscious. All this happens within a few pages, and the next thing we know, we are off to the fantasy land of Tara.
Ethan wakes on a boat, a pointless chapter where a meaningless character introduction occurs (perhaps the Cat Sidhe will be important in a later book, but it is wasted in this one, even when it shows up towards the penultimate battle) and somehow the boat with those on board end up in Tara. Ethan is then introduced to a few important people, informed that he is the heir to the throne, and is taken to the castle. Now, granted there is a bit more detail, but ultimately not much happens that is important in this section.
It is also during these few chapters where the author points out her own plot holes. For example, the clothing of Ethan. Yet, she then fails to actually remedy the situation. Honestly, if someone were to be dropped into the middle of Ireland in the 1200’s wearing modern Western street clothes, I am fairly certain everyone would notice them, but it just goes by the wayside – even when it comes up again near the end of the book. I know that she wants to remind us that Ethan isn’t from Tara, especially since he just seems to fit right in and accept almost everything that goes on without any issues other than the fact that people lied to him. He even goes so far as to immediately, and blindly, accept the help of his cousin Christian who is so obviously going to be one of the villains! Don’t point out your own plot holes unless it is to fix them!
Almost immediately upon arriving in Weymiss, ‘befriending’ Christian, and finding out that he isn’t to search for his mother and that his father Raymund Cooper is alive, Ethan leaves that night to go rescue his mom and find his dad and, with the help of Christian goes on the adventure. Of course, at this point the reader is asking themselves, ‘is he serious.’ And, of course, because it’s a YA novel, we must have a FRI (forced romantic interest). So, we have a monster show up and Lily, General Niles daughter, saves Ethan. They then, of course, have a moment and suddenly Lily is a sorceress. In the morning, they find Ethan’s dad. There are Daddy issues, but he joins the quest; and now we have the fantasy genres foursome: the plucky hero (we the reader), the fighter, the sorcerer, and the barbarian.
I could continue with my pointing out of the Tropes, Cliché and Flaws of this book, but I don’t feel like summarizing the entire novel since every single chapter is filled with them. Needless to say, this book is not particularly engaging for someone who reads a lot of fantasy. However, if you are a young reader who has never been exposed to the greats of the genre then you can certainly have some fun, but there are so many better authors out there. Like so many pulp fantasy novels, the characters are saved through MacGuffin’s (unicorns, unexplained magic abilities, random character appearances), the travels lack context, and there isn’t really any history to the world – why can’t we have technology? The Gods forbid it (except in the epilogue where they watch the Super Bowl, and set up the next book). In addition, where there should be character conflict it never truly materializes, such as Ethan’s acceptance of Tara and never having conflict over LA. In fact, if Bartlett doesn’t somehow smuggle in a TV, Satellite Box, Generator and hook it up in violation of some unexplained edict of the Gods there wouldn’t even be a set-up for a second novel.
As a result, of all of the problems in this novel, it took me way more time than I would have like to get this book finished. I just didn’t want to read it because it was so painful due to the pulp nature, and its bad writing. I’m giving it 3 stars because it wasn’t the worst, but it was far from the best.
June 18, 2017
I'm tempted to give this one star, but that feels a little harsh. Erika Lewis has a long career in writing for television and has authored (or co-authored?) several graphic novels. Her inexperience with the longer format of a novel shows.
To my dismay, this book turned out to merely be the first in a series, the rest of which I have no intention of reading. I only struggled through the final chapters of this one because I'm generally too stubborn to leave books unfinished. I felt like Lewis got as tired of writing it as I did of reading it.
It's a hodgepodge of bad pacing, fuzzy plotting, and insufficient worldbuilding. The idea, on the surface, had some merit. I was intrigued by the premise of Celtic mythology and a magical land thinly divided from the world we live in. Unfortunately, Lewis didn't build anything substantial; she didn't give Tara the kind of structure that makes a fantasy world feel real. This book seemed to mostly exist as an excuse to send her main character, Ethan, from Los Angeles to Tara, where he wandered around various kingdoms, making a mess of things and essentially causing the deaths of hundreds(? possibly more?) of his new countrymen.
Ethan was, quite frankly, irritating for most of the book. Although he's praised for his compassion and his good heart, he demonstrated intensely selfish behavior most of the way through. I think that's largely due to the writing, since Lewis didn't seem to focus too heavily on character development. She threw in a large cast of characters and had Ethan make irrational split-second decisions about each of them. There's his long-lost father, whom Ethan dislikes and distrusts, despite his father constantly protecting and fighting for him. Ethan's cousin, whose claim to the throne has been displaced by Ethan's return, receives his unquestioning trust, because when someone says, "Oh, no, I totally don't care that you're going to be King, even though I've spent my entire life preparing for this and expecting to receive the crown, because no one knew you even existed," the natural thing to do is believe they're fully loyal to you. In other words, said cousin's Shocking Dramatic Betrayal was obvious from his first appearance. As were most of the Plot Twists.
Lily, the fierce, pretty daughter of the general, has some decent attempts at character-building, unfortunately sidelined by Ethan deciding she's the Love Of His Life and the only girl he's ever cared this much about. He apparently forgot about The Girl Back Home - his best friend and longterm crush - the moment he left LA.
I honestly don't even feel like breaking down the plot, because there isn't much of one to analyze. I can say, though, that it's hard to take a villain seriously when his name is "Sawney Bean." And for someone who writes an exceptional number of battle sequences, you'd think Lewis would spend more time making the descriptions flow, rather than listing each action in a strung-together set of words that don't really qualify as creative writing.
"Two more Faoladhs leaped out of the darkness," she writes in one scene, and a few lines later, "four more Faoladhs leaped out of the darkness."
It's choppy, quite obviously repetitive, and not very interesting to read. When she does attempt more flowery descriptions, such as, "Ethan's hooded eyelids dangled like a curtain starting to close," I realize why she mostly sticks to the more plodding format.
The rest of the series might improve; I'd like to see a book from Lily's perspective, perhaps, or at least with more attention given to her magical powers and her courageous attempts to free herself from the sexist undercurrents in her society. And perhaps Lewis will spend more time exploring the other parts of Tara that sounded far more intriguing than the ones we met in this installment. As it stands now, though, this book isn't a striking example of its genre.
To my dismay, this book turned out to merely be the first in a series, the rest of which I have no intention of reading. I only struggled through the final chapters of this one because I'm generally too stubborn to leave books unfinished. I felt like Lewis got as tired of writing it as I did of reading it.
It's a hodgepodge of bad pacing, fuzzy plotting, and insufficient worldbuilding. The idea, on the surface, had some merit. I was intrigued by the premise of Celtic mythology and a magical land thinly divided from the world we live in. Unfortunately, Lewis didn't build anything substantial; she didn't give Tara the kind of structure that makes a fantasy world feel real. This book seemed to mostly exist as an excuse to send her main character, Ethan, from Los Angeles to Tara, where he wandered around various kingdoms, making a mess of things and essentially causing the deaths of hundreds(? possibly more?) of his new countrymen.
Ethan was, quite frankly, irritating for most of the book. Although he's praised for his compassion and his good heart, he demonstrated intensely selfish behavior most of the way through. I think that's largely due to the writing, since Lewis didn't seem to focus too heavily on character development. She threw in a large cast of characters and had Ethan make irrational split-second decisions about each of them. There's his long-lost father, whom Ethan dislikes and distrusts, despite his father constantly protecting and fighting for him. Ethan's cousin, whose claim to the throne has been displaced by Ethan's return, receives his unquestioning trust, because when someone says, "Oh, no, I totally don't care that you're going to be King, even though I've spent my entire life preparing for this and expecting to receive the crown, because no one knew you even existed," the natural thing to do is believe they're fully loyal to you. In other words, said cousin's Shocking Dramatic Betrayal was obvious from his first appearance. As were most of the Plot Twists.
Lily, the fierce, pretty daughter of the general, has some decent attempts at character-building, unfortunately sidelined by Ethan deciding she's the Love Of His Life and the only girl he's ever cared this much about. He apparently forgot about The Girl Back Home - his best friend and longterm crush - the moment he left LA.
I honestly don't even feel like breaking down the plot, because there isn't much of one to analyze. I can say, though, that it's hard to take a villain seriously when his name is "Sawney Bean." And for someone who writes an exceptional number of battle sequences, you'd think Lewis would spend more time making the descriptions flow, rather than listing each action in a strung-together set of words that don't really qualify as creative writing.
"Two more Faoladhs leaped out of the darkness," she writes in one scene, and a few lines later, "four more Faoladhs leaped out of the darkness."
It's choppy, quite obviously repetitive, and not very interesting to read. When she does attempt more flowery descriptions, such as, "Ethan's hooded eyelids dangled like a curtain starting to close," I realize why she mostly sticks to the more plodding format.
The rest of the series might improve; I'd like to see a book from Lily's perspective, perhaps, or at least with more attention given to her magical powers and her courageous attempts to free herself from the sexist undercurrents in her society. And perhaps Lewis will spend more time exploring the other parts of Tara that sounded far more intriguing than the ones we met in this installment. As it stands now, though, this book isn't a striking example of its genre.
January 15, 2018
I finished Game of Shadows but I do not think that I will be breathlessly awaiting its sequel(s). I generally enjoy quest fantasy, enjoy stories which involve speaking to spirits and magic, but this novel tries to bring it all in together as Los Angeles-born Ethan attempts to grow into the destiny he didn't know he had in hidden fantastical Tara. Because Ethan can see and speak to spirits of the dead (and, additionally, call the unicorns) he is the heir to the throne of a hidden country even though all he wants is to rescue his kidnapped mother.
Game of Shadows is a young adult story trying to be grown up. If it had turned into one of these "neophyte sorceress overcomes the experienced evil warlock" while "young teen newly-made king wins the war just weeks after picking up a sword for the first time" I think I would have had to put the book down. This isn't Harry Potter taking down Voldemort; this kind of story CAN work but it takes a good twist created out of the fresh perspective that the villain lacks. But, with subsequent books, perhaps our young hero and heroine can gain some experience in order to vanquish the main foe.
Too many elements in the plot either aren't adequately explained (such as there suddenly being a traitor in the midst of the questing party). The residents of Tara may live in a medieval setting but they talk like modern people (a speech by the king of Primland, late in the novel, was especially jarring). The magical system of Tara is not well codified and how would our hero suddenly know some gaelic-sounding words?
I finished this book because there were those interesting ghost scenes that occasionally played out. The hero and heroine, while consigned to the dungeon of a foreign ruler, are aided by a dead princess. The hero must question a dead king in order to prove his spirit-speaking skills. While in the evil sorceror's lair the hero must negotiate with the trapped spirit of another magician in order to regain the freedom of our questing party. But the story gets complicated by too many odd creatures and characters that come and go (where did we see this one before??).
If there is an overarching theme t0 the quest in Game of Shadows, a greater point to this story, it remained hidden from me.
Game of Shadows is a young adult story trying to be grown up. If it had turned into one of these "neophyte sorceress overcomes the experienced evil warlock" while "young teen newly-made king wins the war just weeks after picking up a sword for the first time" I think I would have had to put the book down. This isn't Harry Potter taking down Voldemort; this kind of story CAN work but it takes a good twist created out of the fresh perspective that the villain lacks. But, with subsequent books, perhaps our young hero and heroine can gain some experience in order to vanquish the main foe.
Too many elements in the plot either aren't adequately explained (such as there suddenly being a traitor in the midst of the questing party). The residents of Tara may live in a medieval setting but they talk like modern people (a speech by the king of Primland, late in the novel, was especially jarring). The magical system of Tara is not well codified and how would our hero suddenly know some gaelic-sounding words?
I finished this book because there were those interesting ghost scenes that occasionally played out. The hero and heroine, while consigned to the dungeon of a foreign ruler, are aided by a dead princess. The hero must question a dead king in order to prove his spirit-speaking skills. While in the evil sorceror's lair the hero must negotiate with the trapped spirit of another magician in order to regain the freedom of our questing party. But the story gets complicated by too many odd creatures and characters that come and go (where did we see this one before??).
If there is an overarching theme t0 the quest in Game of Shadows, a greater point to this story, it remained hidden from me.
February 24, 2017
So this really isn't my typical read, when I picked this to review it was because the young man sees ghost and that had me leaning more towards paranormal not fantasy. Although I must admit that I think I really needed a read that was not my norm because I really enjoyed it.
Ethan is feeling suffocated by his mother because he can't go anywhere without her, she walks him to school which gets him laughed at. It's his birthday and he wants to be able to just walk to school on his own and she refuses he takes off when she was in the bathroom.
This starts the turn of events in Ethan's life that will change him forever as he finds out that there was a reason she kept him so close to her, now his mother has been kidnapped and he has ravens chasing after him. Capt. Barlett who has been watching out for him grabs him and takes him with him on a ship where they go through a storm of sorts and end up in Tara, the land of his mothers.
Here he finds out that his mother was a princess and he is their heir because he possesses the ability to see a ghost. It is how they know he is the heir but everyone thinks that Landover has no heir and there is an evil sorcerer who is trying to get his hands on the land but doesn't know about him.
Ethan is a bit of a hot head at first and it's easy to see why, he is tossed into this weird situation, his mother is kidnapped by a horrible villain and he is determined to get her back. Sneaks out with a couple of other teens and a search to find the father he didn't know he had. I like Ethan but sometimes I wanted to smack him as well and I felt bad for General Niles who really wanted to smack him too.
This was a fun adventure story with unicorns, brownies, sprites and some other weird creatures. Since it's a fantasy I will overlook the fact that Ethan became quite good with a sword after only a few lessons. :) My only real complaint is the fact that it left me hanging on that cliff. :( I thought it was going to end with all is good and then bam. ERRRR. :( :)
Ethan is feeling suffocated by his mother because he can't go anywhere without her, she walks him to school which gets him laughed at. It's his birthday and he wants to be able to just walk to school on his own and she refuses he takes off when she was in the bathroom.
This starts the turn of events in Ethan's life that will change him forever as he finds out that there was a reason she kept him so close to her, now his mother has been kidnapped and he has ravens chasing after him. Capt. Barlett who has been watching out for him grabs him and takes him with him on a ship where they go through a storm of sorts and end up in Tara, the land of his mothers.
Here he finds out that his mother was a princess and he is their heir because he possesses the ability to see a ghost. It is how they know he is the heir but everyone thinks that Landover has no heir and there is an evil sorcerer who is trying to get his hands on the land but doesn't know about him.
Ethan is a bit of a hot head at first and it's easy to see why, he is tossed into this weird situation, his mother is kidnapped by a horrible villain and he is determined to get her back. Sneaks out with a couple of other teens and a search to find the father he didn't know he had. I like Ethan but sometimes I wanted to smack him as well and I felt bad for General Niles who really wanted to smack him too.
This was a fun adventure story with unicorns, brownies, sprites and some other weird creatures. Since it's a fantasy I will overlook the fact that Ethan became quite good with a sword after only a few lessons. :) My only real complaint is the fact that it left me hanging on that cliff. :( I thought it was going to end with all is good and then bam. ERRRR. :( :)
June 12, 2018
Game of Shadows, the debut novel from Erika Lewis is a fantasy heroic tale that is filled with action, witty dialogue, and Celtic folklore. A spellbinding, thrilling tale that opens the reader to an entirely new world within our own, spirits, sorcerers, and creatures unknown accompany an entertaining story that is difficult to put down.
Young Ethan Makkai, an impoverished kid who lives in Los Angeles with his overprotective Irish mother, thought he knew what his life would be—always poor, always under the watchful gaze of his mother, and always having to deal with his strange gift, the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. However, when his home is attacked and his mother is taken, Ethan is unsuspectingly thrust into the secretive country of Tara. Filled with Celtic creatures, kings and queens, magic and swordplay, and numerous wailing spirits for Ethan to talk to, he must navigate this new world and find his mother.
Ethan soon discovers that because he possesses “radharc”—the gift of seeing ghosts—he is now the heir to the throne for the territory of Landover, yet before he can claim the title, he has to find his mother. With his newfound cousin Christian, potential sorceress Lily, and Runyan Cooper, his father told to be dead, Ethan must journey through the other territories in search of the malevolent Sawney Bean, a powerful sorcerer who captured Ethan's mother for a spirit-raising spell. The group must avoid mind-altering mist, battle vicious Ravens, navigate the fragile political lines between lands, and interrupts Sawney Bean's devious plans for ghostly domination. Will Ethan be able to get a handle on his gift and save his mother? Or will his new kingdom already fall to the powers of Sawney Bean?
An entrancing novel, Game of Shadows is a fully-conceived world, with magic, family drama, treachery, and stubborn teenagers that always seem to get in the way. A splendid mix of Celtic lore, action and adventure, and moving emotion, this is truly a page-turning fantasy tale.
Young Ethan Makkai, an impoverished kid who lives in Los Angeles with his overprotective Irish mother, thought he knew what his life would be—always poor, always under the watchful gaze of his mother, and always having to deal with his strange gift, the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. However, when his home is attacked and his mother is taken, Ethan is unsuspectingly thrust into the secretive country of Tara. Filled with Celtic creatures, kings and queens, magic and swordplay, and numerous wailing spirits for Ethan to talk to, he must navigate this new world and find his mother.
Ethan soon discovers that because he possesses “radharc”—the gift of seeing ghosts—he is now the heir to the throne for the territory of Landover, yet before he can claim the title, he has to find his mother. With his newfound cousin Christian, potential sorceress Lily, and Runyan Cooper, his father told to be dead, Ethan must journey through the other territories in search of the malevolent Sawney Bean, a powerful sorcerer who captured Ethan's mother for a spirit-raising spell. The group must avoid mind-altering mist, battle vicious Ravens, navigate the fragile political lines between lands, and interrupts Sawney Bean's devious plans for ghostly domination. Will Ethan be able to get a handle on his gift and save his mother? Or will his new kingdom already fall to the powers of Sawney Bean?
An entrancing novel, Game of Shadows is a fully-conceived world, with magic, family drama, treachery, and stubborn teenagers that always seem to get in the way. A splendid mix of Celtic lore, action and adventure, and moving emotion, this is truly a page-turning fantasy tale.
March 3, 2017
*Review originally posted on She Dreams in Fiction!*
It has been said many times by me, but I love books based in mythology! One of my favorites is Celtic Mythology, so signing up for this book tour was a no-brainer. Not only did I love the mythological elements in this book, but I am so pleased to be able to say I thoroughly enjoyed Game of Shadows!
Where to even start? Well, let's start by saying this novel centers around Ethan Makkai, a teen living with his over-protective mother. He has the ability to talk to ghosts, which he isn't allowed to talk about, and he can't go anyway without his mom accompanying him. Though he loves his mother dearly, he wants nothing more than to have his freedom and be able to escape the feeling of always being watched over. He decides to sneak out of his apartment on his birthday to go to school by himself instead of waiting for his mom to go with him. Unfortunately, this one decision triggers a chain reaction that leads to his mom being kidnapped and Ethan discovering his life is not what he thought it was.
Oh my goodness, this book is quite the ride! I loved it from start to finish and couldn't stop myself from flying through it. Ethan is headstrong, brave, smart, and caring. So much happens to him a short period of time, I have no idea how he is able to stand up straight, let alone find a way to rescue his mother. I don't want to give anything away, but some of the stuff he finds out is crazy life-altering! As mentioned in the synopsis, he travels to the land of Tara. Just finding out that there is a mystical place like Tara in existence would be enough, but then he discovers his mother is from there? AND she's a princess in the realm of Landover? Mind-blowing. As I mentioned, Ethan is determined to rescue his mother. However, with his Uncle recently murdered, Landover is without a King. General Niles of Landover is determined to keep Ethan safe, so he tries to keep him from leaving. Ethan escapes with his newly discovered cousin, Christian, and sets off on a journey. They are joined quickly by General Niles' daughter, Lily, who is determined to prove herself to her father. I am quite fond of Lily, in all honesty. She doesn't want to be looked over as nothing more than just a healer. She wants to fight and protect Landover like her father and brothers do, but her father doesn't want her to get hurt. She is super smart and she really keeps Ethan in check. She calls him out when he's being stupid, but she also stands with him when he needs her most. Other than Ethan, I think she may be my favorite. Speaking of Ethan and Lily, when Ethan arrives in Tara, something within Lily awakens. She discovers she has magical powers! How cool is that? The trio face a lot of dangers on their journey, but with Ethan's bravery, Lily's magic, and Christian's fighting skils, they are able to get through quite a lot.
There are multiple creatures and characters in Tara that are positively marvelous, frustrating, terrifying, and intense. Ethan discovers his dad is not dead but alive in Tara. The trio initially heads off to find him, Runyun Cooper, because he knows where to find the bad guy. He's kind of a cad, but I kind of really like him. Can they trust him, though? Only time will tell! The "bad guy" in Game of Shadows is really, really bad. His name is Sawney Bean and he is a seriously evil master sorcerer. He had the Ravens - shapeshifters who have sided with Bean - kidnap Ethan's mom from our world and bring her back to Tara. Naturally, his reasoning behind this is known only to him and his cronies, but you can imagine they are quite evil. Every realm in Tara is terrified of Bean and they fear the day he might escape from his prison. The author has definitely created a villain of masterful cruelty, malice, and evil.
One of my favorite parts of this novel is the setting. The story starts off in Los Angeles, which is familiar of course, but as soon as it moves to Tara, the book really comes alive. Tara seems like an absolutely gorgeous place. Sure, there are many dangers, and even some less than wonderful locales, but this magical land is positively enchanting. Ethan's ancestral realm of Landover seems like a picturesque place and I found myself utterly in love with it. Every realm has its own look, feel, and inhabitants. They all come together so wonderfully in this book, and the author has given such detail to each, you can't help but be immersed in the setting.
Game of Shadows is a fast-paced, engaging, epic quest novel that readers of all ages are sure to love. I definitely recommend getting lost within the pages of this book and joining Ethan on his adventures through Tara!
It has been said many times by me, but I love books based in mythology! One of my favorites is Celtic Mythology, so signing up for this book tour was a no-brainer. Not only did I love the mythological elements in this book, but I am so pleased to be able to say I thoroughly enjoyed Game of Shadows!
Where to even start? Well, let's start by saying this novel centers around Ethan Makkai, a teen living with his over-protective mother. He has the ability to talk to ghosts, which he isn't allowed to talk about, and he can't go anyway without his mom accompanying him. Though he loves his mother dearly, he wants nothing more than to have his freedom and be able to escape the feeling of always being watched over. He decides to sneak out of his apartment on his birthday to go to school by himself instead of waiting for his mom to go with him. Unfortunately, this one decision triggers a chain reaction that leads to his mom being kidnapped and Ethan discovering his life is not what he thought it was.
Oh my goodness, this book is quite the ride! I loved it from start to finish and couldn't stop myself from flying through it. Ethan is headstrong, brave, smart, and caring. So much happens to him a short period of time, I have no idea how he is able to stand up straight, let alone find a way to rescue his mother. I don't want to give anything away, but some of the stuff he finds out is crazy life-altering! As mentioned in the synopsis, he travels to the land of Tara. Just finding out that there is a mystical place like Tara in existence would be enough, but then he discovers his mother is from there? AND she's a princess in the realm of Landover? Mind-blowing. As I mentioned, Ethan is determined to rescue his mother. However, with his Uncle recently murdered, Landover is without a King. General Niles of Landover is determined to keep Ethan safe, so he tries to keep him from leaving. Ethan escapes with his newly discovered cousin, Christian, and sets off on a journey. They are joined quickly by General Niles' daughter, Lily, who is determined to prove herself to her father. I am quite fond of Lily, in all honesty. She doesn't want to be looked over as nothing more than just a healer. She wants to fight and protect Landover like her father and brothers do, but her father doesn't want her to get hurt. She is super smart and she really keeps Ethan in check. She calls him out when he's being stupid, but she also stands with him when he needs her most. Other than Ethan, I think she may be my favorite. Speaking of Ethan and Lily, when Ethan arrives in Tara, something within Lily awakens. She discovers she has magical powers! How cool is that? The trio face a lot of dangers on their journey, but with Ethan's bravery, Lily's magic, and Christian's fighting skils, they are able to get through quite a lot.
There are multiple creatures and characters in Tara that are positively marvelous, frustrating, terrifying, and intense. Ethan discovers his dad is not dead but alive in Tara. The trio initially heads off to find him, Runyun Cooper, because he knows where to find the bad guy. He's kind of a cad, but I kind of really like him. Can they trust him, though? Only time will tell! The "bad guy" in Game of Shadows is really, really bad. His name is Sawney Bean and he is a seriously evil master sorcerer. He had the Ravens - shapeshifters who have sided with Bean - kidnap Ethan's mom from our world and bring her back to Tara. Naturally, his reasoning behind this is known only to him and his cronies, but you can imagine they are quite evil. Every realm in Tara is terrified of Bean and they fear the day he might escape from his prison. The author has definitely created a villain of masterful cruelty, malice, and evil.
One of my favorite parts of this novel is the setting. The story starts off in Los Angeles, which is familiar of course, but as soon as it moves to Tara, the book really comes alive. Tara seems like an absolutely gorgeous place. Sure, there are many dangers, and even some less than wonderful locales, but this magical land is positively enchanting. Ethan's ancestral realm of Landover seems like a picturesque place and I found myself utterly in love with it. Every realm has its own look, feel, and inhabitants. They all come together so wonderfully in this book, and the author has given such detail to each, you can't help but be immersed in the setting.
Game of Shadows is a fast-paced, engaging, epic quest novel that readers of all ages are sure to love. I definitely recommend getting lost within the pages of this book and joining Ethan on his adventures through Tara!
March 12, 2017
3.5 stars from Jana, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
Disclaimer: just so you know, some of the books we review are received free from publishers
High school is hard enough on its own — there’s homework, bullies, unrequited crushes, and overprotective parents, just to name a few hurdles on the way to freedom and adulthood. But that’s nothing compared to the challenges presented in Erika Lewis’ Game of Shadows (2017); our intrepid hero must also learn sword fighting, diplomacy, and an entirely new language and culture if he is to save his mother from an evil sorcerer’s machinations. By comparison, Advanced Geometry seems a lot more appealing!
Ethan Makkai, newly fourteen, wants only one thing for his birthday: to walk to school without his overbearing mother, Caitríona, at his side. Sure, Los Angeles isn’t the safest city in the world, but what’s the worst that could happen? Unfortunately, after Ethan sneaks out of their apartment and gets into a fight with a bully, he returns home to discover their belongings torn to shreds and his mother abducted. A strange man calling himself Captain Bartlett informs Ethan that Caitríona has been taken back to her homeland, a mysterious magic-shrouded island called Tara, and she’d fled to Los Angeles to protect her unborn son from the very enemies who captured her. Ethan has inherited a special ability to see and speak with ghosts, and this gift/curse means that he has a very important part to play in the political upheaval currently plaguing Tara....3.5 stars from Jana, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
Disclaimer: just so you know, some of the books we review are received free from publishers
High school is hard enough on its own — there’s homework, bullies, unrequited crushes, and overprotective parents, just to name a few hurdles on the way to freedom and adulthood. But that’s nothing compared to the challenges presented in Erika Lewis’ Game of Shadows (2017); our intrepid hero must also learn sword fighting, diplomacy, and an entirely new language and culture if he is to save his mother from an evil sorcerer’s machinations. By comparison, Advanced Geometry seems a lot more appealing!
Ethan Makkai, newly fourteen, wants only one thing for his birthday: to walk to school without his overbearing mother, Caitríona, at his side. Sure, Los Angeles isn’t the safest city in the world, but what’s the worst that could happen? Unfortunately, after Ethan sneaks out of their apartment and gets into a fight with a bully, he returns home to discover their belongings torn to shreds and his mother abducted. A strange man calling himself Captain Bartlett informs Ethan that Caitríona has been taken back to her homeland, a mysterious magic-shrouded island called Tara, and she’d fled to Los Angeles to protect her unborn son from the very enemies who captured her. Ethan has inherited a special ability to see and speak with ghosts, and this gift/curse means that he has a very important part to play in the political upheaval currently plaguing Tara....3.5 stars from Jana, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
July 15, 2023
Game of Shadows should be on your to-be-read list. Erika Lewis has put together a magnificent tapestry of life and beauty and death and darkness . . . it's ridiculously good. With a fast-paced storyline, insane Celtic mythology, and some awe-inspiring characters, this book is a fine read and highly entertaining. It bridges the real world with the mythological one, to the point where it gets hilarious:
Lily is adorable.
But I digress. I think I got a little off topic there for a second. At any rate, the only thing that dropped this review to a 4-star book is the kind of stilted dialogue. Sometimes it feels forced, or it turns into a conversation that would probably never happen in real life. This story didn't grip me as much as I would have liked; I had trouble connecting to the characters at times and sometimes their POVs didn't really—hmm, how to describe it—have the same feel as they would have if I'd been totally immersed. Don't get me wrong—I did have a hard time putting this book down. But it didn't really draw me in as much as I would have liked.
Remember that people!!
This book is offering you wisdom right here!!
Anyway. Cheers! Happy reading. I hope you enjoy this book, maybe more than I did! It truly is a good novel, and I'm anxious to get my hands on the second book!
⇒ 4 stars
"While Ethan moved to close [the door], Lily headed for the television without hesitation. She sat down cross-legged on the floor in front of the chairs. 'Is this a sport? How does it get into the tiny box? And what're they doing? Why're they wearing all that padding?'"
Lily is adorable.
But I digress. I think I got a little off topic there for a second. At any rate, the only thing that dropped this review to a 4-star book is the kind of stilted dialogue. Sometimes it feels forced, or it turns into a conversation that would probably never happen in real life. This story didn't grip me as much as I would have liked; I had trouble connecting to the characters at times and sometimes their POVs didn't really—hmm, how to describe it—have the same feel as they would have if I'd been totally immersed. Don't get me wrong—I did have a hard time putting this book down. But it didn't really draw me in as much as I would have liked.
"For in darkness there is always light,
And in the face of death a reason to fight."
Remember that people!!
This book is offering you wisdom right here!!
Anyway. Cheers! Happy reading. I hope you enjoy this book, maybe more than I did! It truly is a good novel, and I'm anxious to get my hands on the second book!
⇒ 4 stars
March 7, 2017
Disclosure: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
Game of Shadows was published last week and may have flew under everyone’s radar. It probably would’ve flew under mine as well if it wasn’t brought to my attention for review by the wonderful publicist at Tor. After reading the synopsis, intrigued, I happily agreed to review it. Plus it had an awesome cool cover! And boy am I so, so glad I read it. I loved Game of Shadows! It was the perfect adventure novel, with the right balance of action, mystery and humor. I don’t think it’s too early to say this, but Game of Shadows is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year!
I thought Lewis did an incredible job with the characters and world building. Two important aspects needed in all novels. The world of Tara felt so real and most importantly believable. Tara is divided into six territories. Each territory has their own King, Sorcerer and Book of Spells. I enjoyed seeing the different parts of Tara, learning of each territories; their king, the history, and rules. Each kingdom is very distinctive in their habits and appearance which sets them apart from the others. For example in Gransmore, the Fomorian were like giants well over 7 feet tall and in Kilkerry, there were werewolf men. I’m not too familiar with Irish and Celtic mythology but the background/history of the kingdoms and characters were meticulous, well written and thought out. It clearly shows that Lewis did her homework/research. I loved all of the characters, even the villain Swaney Bean. I found the characters realistic, relatable, likable and most of them charming. I was a little surprised and worried that our main protagonist Ethan was fourteen years old. I thought “Is this story going to be aimed on the lighter and younger side of fantasy or will Ethan be an immature little boy?”. Thankfully, the fantasy was just complex enough and Ethan was mature for his age. Ethan was funny, smart, courageous, loyal, and caring. He knew when to go with his head and his heart, which were pretty good indicators of the future king of Landover.
Game of Shadows was an action packed adventure that I didn’t want to end! Seriously, upon finishing the book I rushed onto Goodreads, scouring for any details whether or not this was going to be the beginning of a series…and I was ecstatic to find out it was! The book ended on a crazy cliffhanger where I am just dying to find out what happens next. I can’t wait to see what Lewis has in store for Ethan and the gang. I highly, highly recommend Game of Shadows to everyone. It has something for everyone of all ages. Action, check. Adventure, check. Humor, check. A dash of Romance, check. Strong hero and heroine, check. Everything you love about Fantasy…check, check, check. Game of Shadows is a truly hidden gem in a sea of books. Read it now, you won’t regret it! If you like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or The Wizard of Oz then you'd like this book too.
Game of Shadows was published last week and may have flew under everyone’s radar. It probably would’ve flew under mine as well if it wasn’t brought to my attention for review by the wonderful publicist at Tor. After reading the synopsis, intrigued, I happily agreed to review it. Plus it had an awesome cool cover! And boy am I so, so glad I read it. I loved Game of Shadows! It was the perfect adventure novel, with the right balance of action, mystery and humor. I don’t think it’s too early to say this, but Game of Shadows is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year!
I thought Lewis did an incredible job with the characters and world building. Two important aspects needed in all novels. The world of Tara felt so real and most importantly believable. Tara is divided into six territories. Each territory has their own King, Sorcerer and Book of Spells. I enjoyed seeing the different parts of Tara, learning of each territories; their king, the history, and rules. Each kingdom is very distinctive in their habits and appearance which sets them apart from the others. For example in Gransmore, the Fomorian were like giants well over 7 feet tall and in Kilkerry, there were werewolf men. I’m not too familiar with Irish and Celtic mythology but the background/history of the kingdoms and characters were meticulous, well written and thought out. It clearly shows that Lewis did her homework/research. I loved all of the characters, even the villain Swaney Bean. I found the characters realistic, relatable, likable and most of them charming. I was a little surprised and worried that our main protagonist Ethan was fourteen years old. I thought “Is this story going to be aimed on the lighter and younger side of fantasy or will Ethan be an immature little boy?”. Thankfully, the fantasy was just complex enough and Ethan was mature for his age. Ethan was funny, smart, courageous, loyal, and caring. He knew when to go with his head and his heart, which were pretty good indicators of the future king of Landover.
Game of Shadows was an action packed adventure that I didn’t want to end! Seriously, upon finishing the book I rushed onto Goodreads, scouring for any details whether or not this was going to be the beginning of a series…and I was ecstatic to find out it was! The book ended on a crazy cliffhanger where I am just dying to find out what happens next. I can’t wait to see what Lewis has in store for Ethan and the gang. I highly, highly recommend Game of Shadows to everyone. It has something for everyone of all ages. Action, check. Adventure, check. Humor, check. A dash of Romance, check. Strong hero and heroine, check. Everything you love about Fantasy…check, check, check. Game of Shadows is a truly hidden gem in a sea of books. Read it now, you won’t regret it! If you like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or The Wizard of Oz then you'd like this book too.
March 7, 2017
Originally posted at www.archeddoorway.com
I’ve been looking forward to reading Erika Lewis’s Game of Shadows since I stumbled across it on Goodreads a few months ago while looking for something to read and thinking that it sounded pretty interesting. So I was excited when I received a review copy in the mail a few weeks ago, even if it did take me a few days to start reading it. It only took a few chapters before I decided I loved this book, yet by the time I finished it I knew I was going to struggle with reviewing it — there were a few things about it that really bothered me about the book.
I want to make it clear from the very beginning that I did enjoy this book quite a bit. I think Erika Lewis is a fantastic author and I found Game of Shadows to be a well-written and action-packed story that I was unable to put down once I had picked it up. I really enjoyed the characters, which I actually found a bit surprising as I tend to find most YA characters to be a bit annoying and unbelievable. I thought Ethan was one of the more believable teenagers I’d read about in a YA book int he last few months. I thought his reactions to being dragged away from the life he knows and the way he interacts with the new friends he makes and the people of Tara to be perfect. I also loved the fact that Erika Lewis chose to build the world of Tara around Celtic Mythology. I think it’s a mythology that often gets overlooked these days.
Despite enjoying the book as much as I did, there was one thing that really bothered me about it, though I have to be honest and say I can’t decide if it’s something the author did intentionally or if I’m just reading to much into something that isn’t there. I just thought there were too many similarities to some of the more popular YA or middle-grade books out there right now. Ethan being dragged off to a hidden continent by someone claiming to be his grandfather where he meets a sword-wielding cousin he didn’t know about was a little bit too reminiscent of the Alcatraz series for my liking. It also bothered me that the country Ethan was dragged off to was known as Landover, which really put me in mind of Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom of Landover series.
Similarities to other books aside, I did enjoy this book and I will gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to read full of interesting characters and awesome mythology. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Erika Lewis in the future for new books to read.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been looking forward to reading Erika Lewis’s Game of Shadows since I stumbled across it on Goodreads a few months ago while looking for something to read and thinking that it sounded pretty interesting. So I was excited when I received a review copy in the mail a few weeks ago, even if it did take me a few days to start reading it. It only took a few chapters before I decided I loved this book, yet by the time I finished it I knew I was going to struggle with reviewing it — there were a few things about it that really bothered me about the book.
I want to make it clear from the very beginning that I did enjoy this book quite a bit. I think Erika Lewis is a fantastic author and I found Game of Shadows to be a well-written and action-packed story that I was unable to put down once I had picked it up. I really enjoyed the characters, which I actually found a bit surprising as I tend to find most YA characters to be a bit annoying and unbelievable. I thought Ethan was one of the more believable teenagers I’d read about in a YA book int he last few months. I thought his reactions to being dragged away from the life he knows and the way he interacts with the new friends he makes and the people of Tara to be perfect. I also loved the fact that Erika Lewis chose to build the world of Tara around Celtic Mythology. I think it’s a mythology that often gets overlooked these days.
Despite enjoying the book as much as I did, there was one thing that really bothered me about it, though I have to be honest and say I can’t decide if it’s something the author did intentionally or if I’m just reading to much into something that isn’t there. I just thought there were too many similarities to some of the more popular YA or middle-grade books out there right now. Ethan being dragged off to a hidden continent by someone claiming to be his grandfather where he meets a sword-wielding cousin he didn’t know about was a little bit too reminiscent of the Alcatraz series for my liking. It also bothered me that the country Ethan was dragged off to was known as Landover, which really put me in mind of Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom of Landover series.
Similarities to other books aside, I did enjoy this book and I will gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to read full of interesting characters and awesome mythology. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Erika Lewis in the future for new books to read.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2017
Ethan is a 14 year old boy who's being bullied at school, starting to develop an interest in girls, and is intent on carving out some space from his overprotective single mother; but then she's kidnapped, and a man introducing himself as his grandfather appears... It turns out that Ethan might be royal and an adventure is just beginning.
The book as a whole reminded me of the Princess Diaries meets, oh, Percy Jackson; this involved more Celtic mythology and some other fantastic events. The writing was slightly uneven; I kept getting jarred out of the story by slightly rushed scenes or a small bit of dialogue (usually something that felt inserted to be funny). It was all the more awkward because many chapters I could definitely get into a flow. This is probably aimed more at the younger end of the YA market.
The book as a whole reminded me of the Princess Diaries meets, oh, Percy Jackson; this involved more Celtic mythology and some other fantastic events. The writing was slightly uneven; I kept getting jarred out of the story by slightly rushed scenes or a small bit of dialogue (usually something that felt inserted to be funny). It was all the more awkward because many chapters I could definitely get into a flow. This is probably aimed more at the younger end of the YA market.
May 27, 2017
Erika Turner has done the Young Adult reader a good thing. This is a well written tale about Ethan, a young teenager that has an unusual gift. I enjoyed the book. It does have a few minor things that caused me to pause at times after clipping along at a great pace. That's not a bad thing at all.
I'm not one to drop spoilers on a review, so bear with me. I am looking forward to seeing Erika close some of those"issues" that cause me to pause. There is quite a bit to digest in this book and some more background and depth of characters would take care of that for me.
This was a nice summer read as I wasn't looking for a total immersion into a world with super complex demographics. Good effort, I will look forward to more from Erika.
I'm not one to drop spoilers on a review, so bear with me. I am looking forward to seeing Erika close some of those"issues" that cause me to pause. There is quite a bit to digest in this book and some more background and depth of characters would take care of that for me.
This was a nice summer read as I wasn't looking for a total immersion into a world with super complex demographics. Good effort, I will look forward to more from Erika.
August 29, 2020
This is a fast-paced, entertaining story that bridges the “real world” with a mystic world. Erika portrays the cares, concerns, and thoughts of mid-teens while pitting them against world-threatening evil. The characters are strong and diverse without being two-dimensional caricatures.
It’s a gripping story with great heroes and villains that kept me from putting the book down. I started it on a Saturday evening and finished it the next Sunday. I didn’t even want to binge watch anything until I was done with the book!
Erika, when is the next book in the series coming out?
It’s a gripping story with great heroes and villains that kept me from putting the book down. I started it on a Saturday evening and finished it the next Sunday. I didn’t even want to binge watch anything until I was done with the book!
Erika, when is the next book in the series coming out?
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