In The Shadow of Light

by Tracy Causley

In the Shadow of Light is the award-winning magical tale of Vittoria Giordano, a gifted young woman in 17th century Italy. A plague of sinister origin ravages the bustling city of Florence forcing Vittoria to seek safety in the countryside. She inadvertently tangles herself in the Inquisition's web when she uncovers a secret world teeming with danger, deception, and witches. Devastating heartbreak leads Vittoria to accept sanctuary with a clan of Benedanti Strega. Their mystical influence is a catalyst for exposing the truth of her family legacy. When Vittoria draws the attention of vengeful Malandanti, the long shadow of the witch-hunting Inquisition creeps ever closer. As retribution for an unforgivable act against them, the Malandanti intend to cast Florence into darkness and chaos forever. Only Vittoria can summon the power to stop them—though she doesn't know it yet. Until then, her salvation lies in the hands of an unlikely trio of rabble-rousing cousins and a plague doctor. Readers who love Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series and A Discovery of Witches ( All Souls Trilogy ) by Deborah Harkness will enjoy the beautiful blending of history, mystery, and magic in Tracy Causley's debut novel.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

347 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2018

About the author

Tracy Causley was born into a military family and grew up zig-zagging the country before landing in Germany for seven years. Inspired by her early foreign travel adventures she writes historically inspired fiction seasoned with magical and supernatural themes.

Tracy holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in art history from Savannah College of Art and Design. She is also Reiki master, holistic arts teacher, pretty-good pie baker, and an Italophile. She lives in Virginia.

Reviews

[Patience · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Shadow of Light is a tale of mystery, magic, love, and betrayal all wrapped up in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy. I’ll keep this review spoiler free, but it’s a unique take on history with a magical twist. The magic is a soft undercurrent with an important role that grows and grows, and with it so does Vittoria, the main character. So much revolves around her decisions and you go on the journey with her to see how it all turns out.

The characters are fun and fascinating, and you watch them develop throughout the book as the plague sweeps over Florence. And when the truth about the plague is discovered, they band together to end the evil that has infiltrated the land.

In The Shadow of Light is one of those stories that draws you in bit by bit, so much so that you don’t even notice it’s happening. And then, all of a sudden, you’re turning the page faster and faster to see what happens next.

It has a bit of everything from historical accuracy to church politics to magic. And it's a fun read through the whole book, sure to keep you entertained. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the pace and characters! I usually don't gravitate towards the historical fiction genre, but once I began it pulled me right in. There was a nice whimsical element to it—that I honestly wasn't expecting—yet it felt very natural, and not over-the-top. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovable characters keep this novel moving forward at an exciting pace. It's a great twist on the classic good vs evil magic and well worth the read!

[Booklove247 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I picked this up by chance at a local bookstore. The author was there promoting her book. The cover caught my eye and after talking with her about the book I thought I’d give it a try. I’m so glad I did!

From the get go there was a lot of drama and action. I was swept up in the romance and the magic. She really made history come alive and I could totally picture Florence in my mind as if I were there.

This was a nice escape - a quick, easy read. I’m looking forward the next book.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few well done things in this novel that some readers will enjoy. I liked parts of it--moments of good action, some interesting characters, a setting I'm intrigued by. Overall, though, it's uneven, with long stretches of unconvincing, exposition-laden dialogue, and main characters who have almost nothing to do--a bit of travel, from Florence to the countryside and back, about covers it. The antagonists, who bring about a plague and have plans to destroy their enemies, have much more compelling arcs.

I don't want to build too strong an argument against the novel. I did enjoy some of it, and though it doesn't really work for me, others might find more to like. I hope that's the case.