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Between the Shade and the Shadow
In the deep heart of the forest, there are places where no light ever shines, where darkness is folded by pale hands and jewel-bright eyes, where the world is ruled by the wicked and kept by the wraiths. This is where the Sprites of the Sihl live.
But Sprites are not born, they are made. On the path to Spritehood, spritelings must first become shades. They do so by binding a shadow: a woodland creature, who guides them through their training. Together, they keep from the light and learn to enchant living things, to bind them, and, eventually, to kill them.
Yet, not all spritelings are born with malice—they must earn it or they are condemned. What happens then to the spriteling who finds a shadow where she shouldn’t? What happens if that particular spriteling wasn’t born with malice at all?
Ahraia was that spriteling. She ran too close to the light and bound herself to a wolf, a more powerful shadow than any that came before it. Now a shade, her shadow marks her for greatness. But a test is coming, and the further they wander out of the darkness, the deeper they wander into danger. Ahraia’s time is coming and what awaits her at the end of her test will either make her or kill her . . .
But Sprites are not born, they are made. On the path to Spritehood, spritelings must first become shades. They do so by binding a shadow: a woodland creature, who guides them through their training. Together, they keep from the light and learn to enchant living things, to bind them, and, eventually, to kill them.
Yet, not all spritelings are born with malice—they must earn it or they are condemned. What happens then to the spriteling who finds a shadow where she shouldn’t? What happens if that particular spriteling wasn’t born with malice at all?
Ahraia was that spriteling. She ran too close to the light and bound herself to a wolf, a more powerful shadow than any that came before it. Now a shade, her shadow marks her for greatness. But a test is coming, and the further they wander out of the darkness, the deeper they wander into danger. Ahraia’s time is coming and what awaits her at the end of her test will either make her or kill her . . .
487 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2018
97 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
About the author
Coleman Alexander
4 books33 followersI like to read and write immersive high fantasy. Hopefully my world becomes an escape for you, as it is for me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 10, 2018
Between the Shade and the Shadow has to be one of the more unique fantasy titles I have read. For one, it has Sprites! And secondly, yes, it comes with a straightforward, simple plot in the face of a coming of age story where the protagonist finds herself in front of a difficult choice and an even harder test, but in this case, the saying- in simplicity lies beauty- really rings true. Because the plot really gave room for the other, more important aspects of the book to shine so much brighter... or, maybe in this case, darker!
Generally, readers can tell when a lot of thought, consideration and imagination has been poured into a book by the author. Coleman, at the end of the book, says how he has been on a writing journey for 15 years and you know what? You can tell! This book is the result of thoughtful consideration and hard work, and this is especially noticeable where the setting and atmosphere come to play by creating that very specific feel and visual. Honestly, at some point, I wished I had a better visual imagination to picture what I was reading because it sounded fantastic!
Ahraia is a Shade, a spriteling, and every shade needs a Shadow. A Shadow can be any woodland creature: a bird, a weasel, a snake. Once a Shade binds a Shadow, they have a mental connection where they can communicate with each other by conveying thoughts.
Ahraia surprised her Sprite community, when she binds a wolf as her shadow. It seems to be a sign of power and Ahraia might be in for a future of becoming more than a regular Sprite. A Shade has to undergo a test of sorts, 3 tasks that they must complete in order to become (grownup) Sprites, or face death by the Dae-Mon. This is the way it has always been... And so starts the journey for Ahraia. She discovers truths about the ways of her people that she is not sure she wants to accept and follow. Everything, including her own future and that of her shadow wolf Losna, is hanging in the balance with their lives.
There is an interesting shift of commonly known evil versus good in this book, whereby it's the light that scars and marks the Shades and the Sprites, and it's the darkness that they revere and need to give them a safe home. Like with most things, evil through ambitious actions cares not for its medium and Ahraia discovers that the darkness that they call home and safe, also holds within itself a threat.
I quite enjoyed this book. Ahraia's character is a joy to follow as she grows and finds her true self in the face of danger, death and difficulties. She really needs to grow up quickly and make the right decisions. Just to be clear- this is not a lighthearted read. There is a lot of loss and heartache involved because Sprites are not some soft-at-heart elves. Sprites are violent, cold and calculated, very black and white. And amongst the society that Coleman has created, Ahraia sticks out like a sore thumb.
Between the Shade and the Shadow is a dark experience in many ways, but one that still manages to capture the fight for what really matters at the heart of it. There wasn't a moment in this book that felt extra or too much or not enough- it struck the right balance for me as it allowed me to discover, explore and await with anticipation to witness which decisions Ahraia was going to be making. With purposeful writing, brilliant imaginative descriptions and prose, plentiful turns of events and the stakes growing ever so higher the further into the story I got, it was easy to be captivated.
Ahraia stopped to drink and looked down at her reflection as the wind calmed. The markings on her face and neck showed too now, veins of silver-red seeping across her skin- the markings of the moonlight. She had never seen them so sharply. For a moment, her simmering fear returned. Unnatural. Unwanted. Unwelcome.
Generally, readers can tell when a lot of thought, consideration and imagination has been poured into a book by the author. Coleman, at the end of the book, says how he has been on a writing journey for 15 years and you know what? You can tell! This book is the result of thoughtful consideration and hard work, and this is especially noticeable where the setting and atmosphere come to play by creating that very specific feel and visual. Honestly, at some point, I wished I had a better visual imagination to picture what I was reading because it sounded fantastic!
Ahraia is a Shade, a spriteling, and every shade needs a Shadow. A Shadow can be any woodland creature: a bird, a weasel, a snake. Once a Shade binds a Shadow, they have a mental connection where they can communicate with each other by conveying thoughts.
"The true purpose of a shadow is not to guide the shade- but to make a sprite of her. Our shadows are a measure of us. They choose us as spritelings, when we are weak and naive, grown of soft roots- and they leave us as sprites, hardened and sharp, cut from stone. "
Ahraia surprised her Sprite community, when she binds a wolf as her shadow. It seems to be a sign of power and Ahraia might be in for a future of becoming more than a regular Sprite. A Shade has to undergo a test of sorts, 3 tasks that they must complete in order to become (grownup) Sprites, or face death by the Dae-Mon. This is the way it has always been... And so starts the journey for Ahraia. She discovers truths about the ways of her people that she is not sure she wants to accept and follow. Everything, including her own future and that of her shadow wolf Losna, is hanging in the balance with their lives.
There is an interesting shift of commonly known evil versus good in this book, whereby it's the light that scars and marks the Shades and the Sprites, and it's the darkness that they revere and need to give them a safe home. Like with most things, evil through ambitious actions cares not for its medium and Ahraia discovers that the darkness that they call home and safe, also holds within itself a threat.
I quite enjoyed this book. Ahraia's character is a joy to follow as she grows and finds her true self in the face of danger, death and difficulties. She really needs to grow up quickly and make the right decisions. Just to be clear- this is not a lighthearted read. There is a lot of loss and heartache involved because Sprites are not some soft-at-heart elves. Sprites are violent, cold and calculated, very black and white. And amongst the society that Coleman has created, Ahraia sticks out like a sore thumb.
To be a sprite was to bind, enchant and kill; it was the only way their people managed in this light-strewn world.
Between the Shade and the Shadow is a dark experience in many ways, but one that still manages to capture the fight for what really matters at the heart of it. There wasn't a moment in this book that felt extra or too much or not enough- it struck the right balance for me as it allowed me to discover, explore and await with anticipation to witness which decisions Ahraia was going to be making. With purposeful writing, brilliant imaginative descriptions and prose, plentiful turns of events and the stakes growing ever so higher the further into the story I got, it was easy to be captivated.
May 28, 2025
Interesting and unique dark fantasy. There were parts that lagged for me but overall good story. I don’t think I have ever read a book with sprites before so this was a fun change from the norm. I especially loved Losna(even if I don’t care for Losna as a name).
April 16, 2020
The first thing you should know about “Between the Shade and the Shadow” is that it is atmospheric AF. Really, the writing is prose filled, the land is cast in constant darkness where the light can kill our sprites, and there is a dark secret on what turns a shade into a sprite, and where the shade’s loyal animal companion—their shadow—goes when that transformation takes place. Few sprites have the mental capacity to bond themselves to powerful animals, most seem to have foxes, squirrels, or other small woodland creatures. Strong shades can bond to proud eagle owls, but only the strongest can bond to a wolf as our main character, Ahraia, has done. This marks her as someone with incredibly strong mental capacity for casting enchantments, who can create darkness—basically bending trees and making the forest into impenetrable fortresses of night—and eventually lead her people. But there is a price for that leadership that Ahraia is woefully ignorant of, and those who are power hungry around her are all too eager and willing to use Ahraia and the shadow, the wolf Losna, to achieve their own goals, even if that means they have to sacrifice Ahraia herself. This book is as thematically dark as it is literally dark at times, and it’s one of the more epic, high fantasies I’ve read in a hot minute.
You may think this book is good for YA fantasy readers given Ahraia’s age and it’s themes of “the chosen one” and other coming-of-age thropes, but I really wouldn’t recommend this for younger audiences. Not because it’s gruesome, though be wary if brief instances of violence against animals is triggering for you, but this book is hefty, and can be hard to follow. Alexander teases things throughout the course of this nearly 500 page novel. Leaning heavily into Ahraia’s own ignorance of her Shadow test, the reader doesn’t get to know what’s happening, because Ahraia doesn’t know what’s happening. It makes for a bit of an unreliable narrator, even though the book is told in third person. She doesn’t understand how human’s make fire, or even what a window is, Ahraia knows how to bind plants and make them do her bidding, so that’s the one thing that Ahraia, and therefore the reader, really understands. That and how she binds animals and the relationship between her shadow, which was a lot of fun to read about.
But the confusion and the mystery as to what was happening could make for a slow read, one where, if the writing wasn’t so lovely and the world so intriguing with how atmospheric it was, would be hard to get through. So if you pick this up, be sure to invest yourself in it, and then you won’t be disappointed. There are some things I wish were better explained that our main character should have known, and therefore imparted on the reader, however, and that’s how the hierarchy is set up in her world. Who can be a nit-ward or nitese, how does one become the Astra? I’m still largely confused by the hierarchy and how nit's are set up, even though some of that does get cleared up around the 80% mark of this book, especially when you realize that, in their ignorance, these sprites and shades were just pronouncing words wrong the whole time.
I really did enjoy this book though. It was deep and beautiful and I loved the idea that these evil sprites are not born, they are made. I loved how Ahraia rebelled against that, how she was stronger because she chose not to sacrifice the best part of herself. It’s a slow lesson, one the author teases throughout the novel, but its presentation through Ahraia and Losna was beautiful. The pacing of the book is steady, a little on the slow side, and the writing makes you really feel like you are just as much in the actual darkness with Ahraia, so everything is a touch unclear. It’s really well done, and is honestly not as confusing as that may sound. It’s all about that atmosphere, I’m telling you! I read this at night before bed and it was the perfect setting to lose myself in this chilling world, especially with the demons that live in the heart of the forest! Those monsters were written in such a haunting and creepy manner… I loved it! But I did want to walk away feeling like I really understood Ahraia’s world, and even with this book being a standalone novel, I still have lingering questions about the hierarchy of her nit, which is why I am giving this 4 stars. But, truly, if you love steady, really epically high fantasies that lean more on the prose and atmospheric side of writing, I really can’t recommend this book enough! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review.
You may think this book is good for YA fantasy readers given Ahraia’s age and it’s themes of “the chosen one” and other coming-of-age thropes, but I really wouldn’t recommend this for younger audiences. Not because it’s gruesome, though be wary if brief instances of violence against animals is triggering for you, but this book is hefty, and can be hard to follow. Alexander teases things throughout the course of this nearly 500 page novel. Leaning heavily into Ahraia’s own ignorance of her Shadow test, the reader doesn’t get to know what’s happening, because Ahraia doesn’t know what’s happening. It makes for a bit of an unreliable narrator, even though the book is told in third person. She doesn’t understand how human’s make fire, or even what a window is, Ahraia knows how to bind plants and make them do her bidding, so that’s the one thing that Ahraia, and therefore the reader, really understands. That and how she binds animals and the relationship between her shadow, which was a lot of fun to read about.
But the confusion and the mystery as to what was happening could make for a slow read, one where, if the writing wasn’t so lovely and the world so intriguing with how atmospheric it was, would be hard to get through. So if you pick this up, be sure to invest yourself in it, and then you won’t be disappointed. There are some things I wish were better explained that our main character should have known, and therefore imparted on the reader, however, and that’s how the hierarchy is set up in her world. Who can be a nit-ward or nitese, how does one become the Astra? I’m still largely confused by the hierarchy and how nit's are set up, even though some of that does get cleared up around the 80% mark of this book, especially when you realize that, in their ignorance, these sprites and shades were just pronouncing words wrong the whole time.
I really did enjoy this book though. It was deep and beautiful and I loved the idea that these evil sprites are not born, they are made. I loved how Ahraia rebelled against that, how she was stronger because she chose not to sacrifice the best part of herself. It’s a slow lesson, one the author teases throughout the novel, but its presentation through Ahraia and Losna was beautiful. The pacing of the book is steady, a little on the slow side, and the writing makes you really feel like you are just as much in the actual darkness with Ahraia, so everything is a touch unclear. It’s really well done, and is honestly not as confusing as that may sound. It’s all about that atmosphere, I’m telling you! I read this at night before bed and it was the perfect setting to lose myself in this chilling world, especially with the demons that live in the heart of the forest! Those monsters were written in such a haunting and creepy manner… I loved it! But I did want to walk away feeling like I really understood Ahraia’s world, and even with this book being a standalone novel, I still have lingering questions about the hierarchy of her nit, which is why I am giving this 4 stars. But, truly, if you love steady, really epically high fantasies that lean more on the prose and atmospheric side of writing, I really can’t recommend this book enough! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review.
June 2, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. We meet Ahraia and Losna and we learn about the life of a shade and shadows. I love the world building in this book and how the author drew me right into this story and world with these characters. I have mixed feeling about fantasy books sometimes but this one I loved. I would read more from this author. This book was great! *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*
July 28, 2018
There is some really fine writing, and some decent storytelling in this novel -- maybe some of the emotions are overwrought, and there's some poorly written scenes and whatnot. But on the whole this is an impressive work. The problem is, the only way I know that is because I forced myself to finish the book because I told Alexander I would. If this were a library book, I'd have been done with it by the 10% mark -- if I'd bought it? I probably would've made myself go on to 20%. But I literally had to force myself to finish this -- which was a pain until the last 20% or so, but that's just because momentum had kicked in and my Kindle was telling me there wasn't a lot of time remaining to finish.
That might have been mean of me to say, but what else am I supposed to say? I really didn't like this book -- I guess I can see where some would -- I was reassured on Goodreads what patience would pay off. And you could argue it did -- but I shouldn't have to be that patient.
Here's the thing: a reader needs a way in. We shouldn't have to take notes and flip back and forth to see how an author it using this term or that -- especially when some terms are spelled so similarly that it's difficult to differentiate between them at the beginning. This is truer when you're using terms that in our world or in similar fantasy worlds can be used to mean something else. I don't mean you have to hold our hands and spell everything out in the first few chapters, because that can be really dull. But you need to bring us into this world and give us enough tools to figure out what we're talking about -- it shouldn't be the case where I'm a few hundred pages into something before I figure out that half of my problem is that these characters are mispronouncing things -- like elf!
It's not that I'm stupid. It's not that I'm lazy. I've read plenty of fantasy novels that are stranger, more arcane, less like our world or traditional fantasy than this -- the difference is, those authors were able to bring the reader into the world so that I could get oriented enough to follow the story and not have to wonder if what you think you're reading is anywhere near the story. Maybe if I'd read the description of the book on Alexander's website, or Goodreads (or the form he filled out on my blog) just before starting the book I'd have been better equipped -- but it should be in the book, not on the back-of-the book (metaphorically speaking) where I get grounded in the world.
I'm not saying that people can't enjoy this, or shouldn't, either. But it absolutely didn't work for me in every conceivable way.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author, it clearly didn't bias me in his favor.
That might have been mean of me to say, but what else am I supposed to say? I really didn't like this book -- I guess I can see where some would -- I was reassured on Goodreads what patience would pay off. And you could argue it did -- but I shouldn't have to be that patient.
Here's the thing: a reader needs a way in. We shouldn't have to take notes and flip back and forth to see how an author it using this term or that -- especially when some terms are spelled so similarly that it's difficult to differentiate between them at the beginning. This is truer when you're using terms that in our world or in similar fantasy worlds can be used to mean something else. I don't mean you have to hold our hands and spell everything out in the first few chapters, because that can be really dull. But you need to bring us into this world and give us enough tools to figure out what we're talking about -- it shouldn't be the case where I'm a few hundred pages into something before I figure out that half of my problem is that these characters are mispronouncing things -- like elf!
It's not that I'm stupid. It's not that I'm lazy. I've read plenty of fantasy novels that are stranger, more arcane, less like our world or traditional fantasy than this -- the difference is, those authors were able to bring the reader into the world so that I could get oriented enough to follow the story and not have to wonder if what you think you're reading is anywhere near the story. Maybe if I'd read the description of the book on Alexander's website, or Goodreads (or the form he filled out on my blog) just before starting the book I'd have been better equipped -- but it should be in the book, not on the back-of-the book (metaphorically speaking) where I get grounded in the world.
I'm not saying that people can't enjoy this, or shouldn't, either. But it absolutely didn't work for me in every conceivable way.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author, it clearly didn't bias me in his favor.
June 16, 2018
Read this book on a weekend, otherwise you might need to call in sick to finish it. Even better, read it on a rainy weekend, snuggled up with the internet off and the door locked.
I loved every startlingly imaginative page. Loyal friends and courage of conviction when enemies surround you are the magic dust of classic fantasy. Take the magic dust and put it in the midnight dark of the deep forest, in the bewitching, isolated world of sprites and shades, and you have a very compelling story.
Between the Shade and Shadow may be both the darkest and most hopeful coming of age story I've ever read. Ahraia knows she lives in a hard society, but it's not until she nears her tests that the most terrible secrets of her people reveal themselves.
There are well-written elements of horror, hold-your-breath moments of confrontation with evil and the anticipation of doom. It's not often I feel the prickle of real goosebumps when reading. You can hear the silences in this book, when it's not howling or rustling or snarling. You need to let the Sihl take you.
The author says he's been imagining this world for 15 years and it shows. The culture and environment are rich, textured and full of surprises. The sense is that there is a lot going on, but the perspective holds tight to the limited understanding of a shade so events feel like insidious creepers. The sprites are matriarchal, so almost all of the important characters are female. Ahraia is strong but she's still a child, and she won't be facing childish problems.
This was pitched to me as YA, but I'm well past that and I thought it was quite an adult narrative, darkly whimsical.
The ending was satisfying, but I can't wait to explore more of the Realmless.
I loved every startlingly imaginative page. Loyal friends and courage of conviction when enemies surround you are the magic dust of classic fantasy. Take the magic dust and put it in the midnight dark of the deep forest, in the bewitching, isolated world of sprites and shades, and you have a very compelling story.
Between the Shade and Shadow may be both the darkest and most hopeful coming of age story I've ever read. Ahraia knows she lives in a hard society, but it's not until she nears her tests that the most terrible secrets of her people reveal themselves.
There are well-written elements of horror, hold-your-breath moments of confrontation with evil and the anticipation of doom. It's not often I feel the prickle of real goosebumps when reading. You can hear the silences in this book, when it's not howling or rustling or snarling. You need to let the Sihl take you.
The author says he's been imagining this world for 15 years and it shows. The culture and environment are rich, textured and full of surprises. The sense is that there is a lot going on, but the perspective holds tight to the limited understanding of a shade so events feel like insidious creepers. The sprites are matriarchal, so almost all of the important characters are female. Ahraia is strong but she's still a child, and she won't be facing childish problems.
This was pitched to me as YA, but I'm well past that and I thought it was quite an adult narrative, darkly whimsical.
The ending was satisfying, but I can't wait to explore more of the Realmless.
December 22, 2018
4.5 out of 5 stars
The original copy of this review appears on Fantasy Faction:
Between the Shade and the Shadow has a haunting, fast paced narrative that kept me enchanted from beginning to end. A gripping coming-of-age story about a rebellious adolescent girl and her wolf companion, it’s Island of the Blue Dolphins meets The Golden Compass meets The Hunger Games, except in this case, the heroine isn’t human. Ahraia is an adolescent sprite.
In mythology and folk tales, sprites frequently appear as wild and sometimes malevolent forest-dwelling fairies. True to this idea, Ahraia’s people live in deep, dark forests populated by wild animals and demons. Extremely light sensitive, they sleep during the day, sheltering in canopied communities cultivated from ancient trees. Extremely secretive, they avoid contact with humans and elves, whom they call lightwalkers. Under pressure from human encroachment, the society has strict rules and harsh punishments; merely being seen by a human warrants a death sentence. In fact, any number of infractions can get a sprite sent to the isle of the Shad-Mon, a giant demon that likes to eat sprites head first.
But Ahraia is a born rebel, and she spends the novel breaking every rule of sprite society, getting away with it by the skin of her teeth. This is fairly typical of YA protagonists, and it can be as frustrating for the adult reader. We naturally sympathize with the adult figures in the book, figuring they have a reason for their rules. In Ahraia’s case, there is a reason, but it isn’t what the reader might think in the early pages. Discovering why Ahraia’s instincts lead her off the path laid out for her is one of the joys of this book.
Coleman Alexander spends the first couple of chapters setting up Ahraia’s world, but through action, not exposition. We meet Ahraia on the night she undergoes a rite of passage intended to mark her transition from spriteling, or child, to shade, or adolescent. The spriteling’s task is to go out in the woods and psychically bond with an animal, who becomes the new-made shade’s shadow. Failing to find a shadow is one of those deadly infractions that gets you sent to the Shad-Mon (yes, even for kids), so the pressure’s on. Finding one is life changing, though. Like the daemons in Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series, bonded shadows become integral to their shades’ existence, as the pair share thoughts, emotions, and a spirit. On her night out, Ahraia bonds a wolf called Losna, the first shade in a generation to bind a creature so strong. In doing so, she draws other sprites’ attention and envy.
The real action of the novel begins a few years later on the night when Ahraia tries to spy on her older sister’s rite of passage from shade to sprite. The ritual in which a sprite transitions from adolescence to adulthood is utterly secret, although every shade knows it means separation from their shadow, because adult sprites don’t have shadows. Before Ahraia can find out how this is accomplished, her father catches her spying, and as punishment, he orders her take her younger siblings hunting and show them how to kill using sprite magic.
Sprites can enchant the wills of both plants and animals to make them do their bidding. Ahraia is particularly adept at this skill, but she doesn’t like to use it for hunting:
To force Ahraia to overcome her resistance to killing enchanted creatures, her elders have forbidden her from hunting with a bow or getting help from Losna. Yet, on the hunting excursion, she can’t make herself show her younger siblings how it’s done, and the excursion goes very wrong. By the end, two brothers have been murdered by a mysterious and terrifying entity, and Ahraia and her other siblings are seen by a young human woman, which marks them for death. The only way Ahraia can save them all is to enchant and kill the woman, even though she knows it will make her physically ill. Yet while Ahraia’s mind is linked with the woman’s, she learns that sprites attacked and killed the woman’s companions without provocation, and Ahraia decides to show mercy. Unfortunately, her father finds out, and her surviving brother takes the fall. He tells their father that the human saw him, but not Ahraia, condemning himself to becoming the Shad-Mon’s next midnight snack.
At this point, the complexity and tension only grow. The queen of the sprites, known as the Masai, arrives and says she wants Ahraia to come live with her, because as a wolf-binder, Ahraia may be the next Masai. The queen appears to be impressed with Ahraia’s abilities and seems sincere in her praise. Yet recent events have left Ahraia increasingly distrustful and isolated. When the Masai orders her to undergo the rite of passage by which shades become sprites, even though Ahraia is too young for the ritual, Ahraia suspects that her life and Losna’s are in jeopardy.
Ahraia’s thoughts and actions can seem a little YA-tropey as she exhibits a teen’s paranoia that all adults are out to get her. In fact, I sympathized with Ahraia’s elders, even when they were behaving harshly toward her, figuring their actions could be explained by the pressures they faced trying to save their declining community. Yet a lot of my assumptions about motivations and actions were wrong. All is not what it seems here, or what the reader may suspect it is, and the reader must discover alongside Ahraia what the situation really is, as she unravels the circumstances surrounding her brothers’ murders.
Alexander stages Ahraia’s adventure in one of the most intricately imagined settings I’ve ever read, which he calls “a corner of the Realmless” (Realmless is the name of this world). Rather than spoonfeed everything to us, he incorporates the worldbuilding into the action, expecting the reader to glean meaning from context, and he gives us a lot of vocabulary to learn. Along with different age groups, the reader has to master the sprites’ names for the sun (Dae-Mon), dagger/knife (drain), and various tasks, tools, and customs unique to sprite culture. Male adults are called wards, whereas sprite refers to female adults and the whole population (just as in human patriarchies, men may refer to male adults as well as the people as a whole). The integrated worldbuilding kept the pace moving at a fast clip, but it also left me confused at times. I was halfway through the book before I realized that sprite society is matriarchal; all the leaders are female and males are always subordinate. These challenges didn’t impair my enjoyment; in fact, they enhanced it. I liked becoming fluent in sprite society as I went along with the story—in the end it made the experience richer.
I do wish some pivotal backstory had been in the book, however. We start with Ahraia as a spriteling gaining her shadow and becoming a shade, but other important developments such as her being sickened by killing an enchanted animal, and her elders forbidding her from using a bow to hunt occur off-page. We’re told Ahraia and her older sister were close before her sister became a sprite, but this also occurs off-page. Ahraia is hurt by her sister’s new aloofness, but the changes in their relationship would have been more poignant—especially as Ahraia’s situation becomes increasingly dire—if we’d seen the before as well as the after.
It’s easy to overlook these flaws in light of the novel’s many strengths. Alexander paints an elegant picture of Ahraia’s darkly beautiful world while capturing action and emotions with vigorous prose. He skillfully pulls the reader into Ahraia’s head, essentially making you a co-shadow with Losna as the stakes rise ever higher and the bad continually gets worse. The narrative dug its nails into my attention, called to me while I was busy with other commitments, and enticed me away from other pleasures. In the backmatter, Alexander says he has many more stories to tell, mostly involving the supporting cast in Ahraia’s story. Whether the next book of the Realmless follows Ahraia or one of the other characters, I know I’ll relish it.
The original copy of this review appears on Fantasy Faction:
Between the Shade and the Shadow has a haunting, fast paced narrative that kept me enchanted from beginning to end. A gripping coming-of-age story about a rebellious adolescent girl and her wolf companion, it’s Island of the Blue Dolphins meets The Golden Compass meets The Hunger Games, except in this case, the heroine isn’t human. Ahraia is an adolescent sprite.
In mythology and folk tales, sprites frequently appear as wild and sometimes malevolent forest-dwelling fairies. True to this idea, Ahraia’s people live in deep, dark forests populated by wild animals and demons. Extremely light sensitive, they sleep during the day, sheltering in canopied communities cultivated from ancient trees. Extremely secretive, they avoid contact with humans and elves, whom they call lightwalkers. Under pressure from human encroachment, the society has strict rules and harsh punishments; merely being seen by a human warrants a death sentence. In fact, any number of infractions can get a sprite sent to the isle of the Shad-Mon, a giant demon that likes to eat sprites head first.
But Ahraia is a born rebel, and she spends the novel breaking every rule of sprite society, getting away with it by the skin of her teeth. This is fairly typical of YA protagonists, and it can be as frustrating for the adult reader. We naturally sympathize with the adult figures in the book, figuring they have a reason for their rules. In Ahraia’s case, there is a reason, but it isn’t what the reader might think in the early pages. Discovering why Ahraia’s instincts lead her off the path laid out for her is one of the joys of this book.
Coleman Alexander spends the first couple of chapters setting up Ahraia’s world, but through action, not exposition. We meet Ahraia on the night she undergoes a rite of passage intended to mark her transition from spriteling, or child, to shade, or adolescent. The spriteling’s task is to go out in the woods and psychically bond with an animal, who becomes the new-made shade’s shadow. Failing to find a shadow is one of those deadly infractions that gets you sent to the Shad-Mon (yes, even for kids), so the pressure’s on. Finding one is life changing, though. Like the daemons in Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series, bonded shadows become integral to their shades’ existence, as the pair share thoughts, emotions, and a spirit. On her night out, Ahraia bonds a wolf called Losna, the first shade in a generation to bind a creature so strong. In doing so, she draws other sprites’ attention and envy.
The real action of the novel begins a few years later on the night when Ahraia tries to spy on her older sister’s rite of passage from shade to sprite. The ritual in which a sprite transitions from adolescence to adulthood is utterly secret, although every shade knows it means separation from their shadow, because adult sprites don’t have shadows. Before Ahraia can find out how this is accomplished, her father catches her spying, and as punishment, he orders her take her younger siblings hunting and show them how to kill using sprite magic.
Sprites can enchant the wills of both plants and animals to make them do their bidding. Ahraia is particularly adept at this skill, but she doesn’t like to use it for hunting:
One night, she was going to have to hunt with bindings and tonight was as good as any to start.
Couldn’t you just let me do it? Losna thought. I’ll be careful.
No, Ahraia conveyed.
Losna’s low grumble turned to a disapproving growl. She knew the ruin that hunting with enchantments held for Ahraia. The problem wasn’t the hunt of course—it was the binding. The act of enchanting and then killing left Ahraia empty and maimed.
To force Ahraia to overcome her resistance to killing enchanted creatures, her elders have forbidden her from hunting with a bow or getting help from Losna. Yet, on the hunting excursion, she can’t make herself show her younger siblings how it’s done, and the excursion goes very wrong. By the end, two brothers have been murdered by a mysterious and terrifying entity, and Ahraia and her other siblings are seen by a young human woman, which marks them for death. The only way Ahraia can save them all is to enchant and kill the woman, even though she knows it will make her physically ill. Yet while Ahraia’s mind is linked with the woman’s, she learns that sprites attacked and killed the woman’s companions without provocation, and Ahraia decides to show mercy. Unfortunately, her father finds out, and her surviving brother takes the fall. He tells their father that the human saw him, but not Ahraia, condemning himself to becoming the Shad-Mon’s next midnight snack.
At this point, the complexity and tension only grow. The queen of the sprites, known as the Masai, arrives and says she wants Ahraia to come live with her, because as a wolf-binder, Ahraia may be the next Masai. The queen appears to be impressed with Ahraia’s abilities and seems sincere in her praise. Yet recent events have left Ahraia increasingly distrustful and isolated. When the Masai orders her to undergo the rite of passage by which shades become sprites, even though Ahraia is too young for the ritual, Ahraia suspects that her life and Losna’s are in jeopardy.
Ahraia’s thoughts and actions can seem a little YA-tropey as she exhibits a teen’s paranoia that all adults are out to get her. In fact, I sympathized with Ahraia’s elders, even when they were behaving harshly toward her, figuring their actions could be explained by the pressures they faced trying to save their declining community. Yet a lot of my assumptions about motivations and actions were wrong. All is not what it seems here, or what the reader may suspect it is, and the reader must discover alongside Ahraia what the situation really is, as she unravels the circumstances surrounding her brothers’ murders.
Alexander stages Ahraia’s adventure in one of the most intricately imagined settings I’ve ever read, which he calls “a corner of the Realmless” (Realmless is the name of this world). Rather than spoonfeed everything to us, he incorporates the worldbuilding into the action, expecting the reader to glean meaning from context, and he gives us a lot of vocabulary to learn. Along with different age groups, the reader has to master the sprites’ names for the sun (Dae-Mon), dagger/knife (drain), and various tasks, tools, and customs unique to sprite culture. Male adults are called wards, whereas sprite refers to female adults and the whole population (just as in human patriarchies, men may refer to male adults as well as the people as a whole). The integrated worldbuilding kept the pace moving at a fast clip, but it also left me confused at times. I was halfway through the book before I realized that sprite society is matriarchal; all the leaders are female and males are always subordinate. These challenges didn’t impair my enjoyment; in fact, they enhanced it. I liked becoming fluent in sprite society as I went along with the story—in the end it made the experience richer.
I do wish some pivotal backstory had been in the book, however. We start with Ahraia as a spriteling gaining her shadow and becoming a shade, but other important developments such as her being sickened by killing an enchanted animal, and her elders forbidding her from using a bow to hunt occur off-page. We’re told Ahraia and her older sister were close before her sister became a sprite, but this also occurs off-page. Ahraia is hurt by her sister’s new aloofness, but the changes in their relationship would have been more poignant—especially as Ahraia’s situation becomes increasingly dire—if we’d seen the before as well as the after.
It’s easy to overlook these flaws in light of the novel’s many strengths. Alexander paints an elegant picture of Ahraia’s darkly beautiful world while capturing action and emotions with vigorous prose. He skillfully pulls the reader into Ahraia’s head, essentially making you a co-shadow with Losna as the stakes rise ever higher and the bad continually gets worse. The narrative dug its nails into my attention, called to me while I was busy with other commitments, and enticed me away from other pleasures. In the backmatter, Alexander says he has many more stories to tell, mostly involving the supporting cast in Ahraia’s story. Whether the next book of the Realmless follows Ahraia or one of the other characters, I know I’ll relish it.
July 23, 2018
Thank you Goodreads giveaways for this free Kindle copy.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, but it was overall okay.
Things I liked; the cover is pretty, the main character was good, the story's whole atmosphere was cool and very dark.
Things I didn't like; every other word seemed to be an invented one(sometimes without a definition) and some upsetting (to me) scenes involving harming animals.
~~~KittyMeowMeow
I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, but it was overall okay.
Things I liked; the cover is pretty, the main character was good, the story's whole atmosphere was cool and very dark.
Things I didn't like; every other word seemed to be an invented one(sometimes without a definition) and some upsetting (to me) scenes involving harming animals.
~~~KittyMeowMeow
September 29, 2020
Between the Shade and the Shadow by Coleman Alexander is a unique fantasy novel that has excellent characterization, wonderful world-building, and is full of action that had very personal stakes. Basically, it's awesome and has certainly earned a place among the best books I've read this year - and in the past few years, really. I think you should all go read it so I'll try to keep my review as spoiler-free as possible.
The main character Ahraia is a spriteling who lives with her family in the depths of woods. In order to grow into a full-fledged sprite and gain the status and acceptance that comes with that she has to go through a process of training that ends with her sprite test. As Ahraia progresses along this path she starts to uncover some of the mysteries of her society and the woods they live in and she faces some very difficult decisions when she starts to question whether her people's ways are right. This growing understanding of how her society works and her discovery of some of the dark secrets of the people around her is extremely well-written and it brought a wonderful moral and introspective dimension to all the action and danger. It created some moments of heartache and some very personal stakes as Ahraia discovered betrayals, fought against dangers, and struggled between doing what she felt was right or just giving in to her society's ways and losing a part of herself. It's very rare to see these kinds of elements so well-written.
One of my favourite things about reading fantasy is the world-building and this book delivered such a well-built and unique world. If the sprites (and younger spritelings) are exposed to light it scars their skin so seeing the world from their eyes is great because it's all coloured by their perspective in some really cool ways. To them, the time to rest and shelter in their homes is the daytime and the time to be out and about is during the darkest hours of the night. Even the moonlight or human fires can harm them, but the sun is so feared that they literally call it the Dae-mon. There are all kinds of other little interesting tidbits like this that I loved discovering and it made for a very unique setting.
The sprites have magic, of course. They have the power to make bindings, literally using their minds to influence the living things around them. So Ahraia's first task on the road to becoming a full sprite is to bind a creature to her that will become a companion and help her train to make stronger bindings. This bond makes for an excellent relationship between Ahraia and her shadow. It also made for some great action scenes where Ahraia had to use her ability to bind things in order to try and escape from danger. There were also many creepy and dangerous situations she got into when she ran into bindings made by other sprites and had to fight against their control. I really loved this magic system because it gave the character so much potential, but also put obstacles in her way and put her and those she loved in real danger.
The story is told from Ahraia's point of view, but it's full of so many interesting characters including her shadow Losna, her family members, various evil sprite characters that betray or threaten her, and some humans and elves she comes across. Each of these characters feels real and has their own motivations and thoughts and realistic actions. Even the few little animals that Ahraia formed fleeting bonds with and only showed up for a paragraph or two had their own personalities and just made the story that much richer.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy fantasy or if you're looking for something unique. And I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author and especially in this world!
The main character Ahraia is a spriteling who lives with her family in the depths of woods. In order to grow into a full-fledged sprite and gain the status and acceptance that comes with that she has to go through a process of training that ends with her sprite test. As Ahraia progresses along this path she starts to uncover some of the mysteries of her society and the woods they live in and she faces some very difficult decisions when she starts to question whether her people's ways are right. This growing understanding of how her society works and her discovery of some of the dark secrets of the people around her is extremely well-written and it brought a wonderful moral and introspective dimension to all the action and danger. It created some moments of heartache and some very personal stakes as Ahraia discovered betrayals, fought against dangers, and struggled between doing what she felt was right or just giving in to her society's ways and losing a part of herself. It's very rare to see these kinds of elements so well-written.
One of my favourite things about reading fantasy is the world-building and this book delivered such a well-built and unique world. If the sprites (and younger spritelings) are exposed to light it scars their skin so seeing the world from their eyes is great because it's all coloured by their perspective in some really cool ways. To them, the time to rest and shelter in their homes is the daytime and the time to be out and about is during the darkest hours of the night. Even the moonlight or human fires can harm them, but the sun is so feared that they literally call it the Dae-mon. There are all kinds of other little interesting tidbits like this that I loved discovering and it made for a very unique setting.
The sprites have magic, of course. They have the power to make bindings, literally using their minds to influence the living things around them. So Ahraia's first task on the road to becoming a full sprite is to bind a creature to her that will become a companion and help her train to make stronger bindings. This bond makes for an excellent relationship between Ahraia and her shadow. It also made for some great action scenes where Ahraia had to use her ability to bind things in order to try and escape from danger. There were also many creepy and dangerous situations she got into when she ran into bindings made by other sprites and had to fight against their control. I really loved this magic system because it gave the character so much potential, but also put obstacles in her way and put her and those she loved in real danger.
The story is told from Ahraia's point of view, but it's full of so many interesting characters including her shadow Losna, her family members, various evil sprite characters that betray or threaten her, and some humans and elves she comes across. Each of these characters feels real and has their own motivations and thoughts and realistic actions. Even the few little animals that Ahraia formed fleeting bonds with and only showed up for a paragraph or two had their own personalities and just made the story that much richer.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy fantasy or if you're looking for something unique. And I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author and especially in this world!
July 5, 2018
I received Between the Shade and the Shadow by Coleman Alexander in exchange for an honest review. I have given this book five out of five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First of all, let's all just take a long moment to soak in the beauty of the front cover of this book. I love the art detail in this cover, especially with the Shad-Mon appearing towards the back, which (to be completely honest with you) I did not realise the Shad-Mon was in it at all until I took a proper look at the cover.
This book was absolutely incredible! Thank you to Coleman Alexander for creating such an adventurous world and wondrous characters! I really adore the relationship between Shade Ahraia and Losna (her shadow). The bond between the two characters is unbreakable and no matter what happens (or tries to happen), nothing can stop these two! I found myself really rooting for them to surpass the challenges and obstacles that lay ahead of their journey. I thought each of the characters were well developed.
Although it took me quite a long time to finish this book, I'm glad I paced myself as there was a lot of information to process that I didn't want to simply rush through it and miss any vital parts. I found myself gasping and shocked at parts throughout the book as there are some twists and brutal turns which I did not see coming.
It reminded me ever so slightly of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series in terms of the relationship between a character and their wolf, it brought back fond memories of that series and i cannot wait to tell my partner about this book as I think he'll love the concept of it too, knowing how much he enjoyed the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series (he was the one that showed me them, now it's my turn to return the favour!)
I can't wait to read more and get stuck into the world of Realmless (hopefully) soon.
June 21, 2018
It was so different and unique which made it so interesting. The world they live in is made evil by the way they live their lives. It just normal to them, it who they are as a species. Their way of existing has been always been their way. Yet she questions it, she fights against the system because it not who she is as a shade. She just wants to live with her shadow, but people won’t let her. She tainted by all their schemes and lies.
I liked how she had to fight to figure out who she really wanted to be. She tried to follow the rules but in the end, just couldn’t. There was no good or bad it was just all grey. Yes, you had your bad guys but in their own way, they were doing it to protect their way of lives. To protect their very existence.
Don’t let the size of the book put you off, very little if anything could have been cut out. The Author was very thorough in the amount of world building and culture building. You had to have it there in order to try and understand them. Which again made it so interesting.
I liked how she had to fight to figure out who she really wanted to be. She tried to follow the rules but in the end, just couldn’t. There was no good or bad it was just all grey. Yes, you had your bad guys but in their own way, they were doing it to protect their way of lives. To protect their very existence.
Don’t let the size of the book put you off, very little if anything could have been cut out. The Author was very thorough in the amount of world building and culture building. You had to have it there in order to try and understand them. Which again made it so interesting.
October 18, 2019
A truly original epic fantasy!
This is one of the best and most original fantasy stories I've ever read!!!! I read it in one sitting because I absolutely could not put it down. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves epic fantasy.
This is one of the best and most original fantasy stories I've ever read!!!! I read it in one sitting because I absolutely could not put it down. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves epic fantasy.
did-not-finish
June 7, 2018I read 7% of this book and it was interesting, but it isn't something for me. I didn't really feel like reading this book and I hate pushing myself.
July 31, 2018
It took me a third of the book to really get into it. The writing felt a bit all over the place and I really struggled picturing Ahraia and her world at the beginning. I actually put the book down after around a third, feeling I was starting to get frustrated. I even considered not finishing it.
However, when I picked the book back up a few days later I started to get into the strange and wondeful world the author has created. In the end I thought it was a really good read. The world feels original, and I have never read a book about sprites before. It was pretty fast paced and full of adventure. Eventually I really cared about Ahraia, the main character, and her shade Losna, a wolf. I realised I was rooting for them and I wanted to know what would happen next.
And the more I read, the more I started to fall in love with this book. I hope there will be others, because I will be reading them.
This is exactly why I tend to push through books, even if I don’t really love them right away. Sometimes they redeem themselves and this one sure did.
However, when I picked the book back up a few days later I started to get into the strange and wondeful world the author has created. In the end I thought it was a really good read. The world feels original, and I have never read a book about sprites before. It was pretty fast paced and full of adventure. Eventually I really cared about Ahraia, the main character, and her shade Losna, a wolf. I realised I was rooting for them and I wanted to know what would happen next.
And the more I read, the more I started to fall in love with this book. I hope there will be others, because I will be reading them.
This is exactly why I tend to push through books, even if I don’t really love them right away. Sometimes they redeem themselves and this one sure did.
July 18, 2018
Original review posted on my blog From Ink to Paper
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I will admit it took me a while to get into this book, it just wasn’t grabbing me at first and I just felt a little confused on how everyone kind of went together. Mainly just like how the different hierarchy was in the group of the Sprites/Shades and then also just who other groups of people were in the book. At first I thought Alps were humans, but it seems like they are actually elves. Anyway once I started to understand it more I got more into the book and also once the story started moving along and there was a little more suspense of what was going to happen to Ahraia (SP)
I thought the plot of the book was interesting, it was unique, you don’t see many books about Sprites/Shades that are part of a group that has to stay in the dark and so they bend the forest to their will to keep them in the dark. Not only that but at some point they have to go out and bind a shadow (an animal) that will be by their side and basically becomes part of who they are. What you don’t know until later is what happens to become a Sprite means you have to let your shadow go. Ahraia is very connected with her shadow Losna and doesn’t want this to happen and is doing all she can to not let it happen. Then enter the Masai and she wants Ahraia to start her shadow test and she just isn’t like the others and doesn’t want to be a Sprite and lose her shadow. Little does she know what she is in store for with this test and what she will discover about losing your shadow to become a Sprite.
I thought the characters were pretty good, really the main one you know about is Ahraia and Losna. There were times I didn’t connect with Ahraia but then there were other times I felt more connected to her. There were supporting characters, of course, but you don’t really learn a lot about them but they do play a part in the story and some are more important than others and those do a good job of moving the story along. The writing was good, I wish it had more background in the beginning of who was who with the different groups and stuff, but the writing was clear and the story progressed nicely.
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I will admit it took me a while to get into this book, it just wasn’t grabbing me at first and I just felt a little confused on how everyone kind of went together. Mainly just like how the different hierarchy was in the group of the Sprites/Shades and then also just who other groups of people were in the book. At first I thought Alps were humans, but it seems like they are actually elves. Anyway once I started to understand it more I got more into the book and also once the story started moving along and there was a little more suspense of what was going to happen to Ahraia (SP)
I thought the plot of the book was interesting, it was unique, you don’t see many books about Sprites/Shades that are part of a group that has to stay in the dark and so they bend the forest to their will to keep them in the dark. Not only that but at some point they have to go out and bind a shadow (an animal) that will be by their side and basically becomes part of who they are. What you don’t know until later is what happens to become a Sprite means you have to let your shadow go. Ahraia is very connected with her shadow Losna and doesn’t want this to happen and is doing all she can to not let it happen. Then enter the Masai and she wants Ahraia to start her shadow test and she just isn’t like the others and doesn’t want to be a Sprite and lose her shadow. Little does she know what she is in store for with this test and what she will discover about losing your shadow to become a Sprite.
I thought the characters were pretty good, really the main one you know about is Ahraia and Losna. There were times I didn’t connect with Ahraia but then there were other times I felt more connected to her. There were supporting characters, of course, but you don’t really learn a lot about them but they do play a part in the story and some are more important than others and those do a good job of moving the story along. The writing was good, I wish it had more background in the beginning of who was who with the different groups and stuff, but the writing was clear and the story progressed nicely.
June 4, 2018
This novel explores what it means to be a monster. How to make one. How to lose what makes you you. This isn’t an easy thing to accomplish, and more often then not writers take this to the extreme, or try to shout it from the top of the mountains. This novel was subtle in that you had to discover what the monsters were.
Well written, this novel is well paced, though fast by no means, and the author has brought characters to play who have depth and flaws.
Now, to the meat.
This novel deals with three beings who are the same creature: spritelings, the children, shades, the teenagers learning what it means to be an adult, and the sprites, those who have cast off their shadows and now can pave their own way.
The difference between them all? Their shadows. They bind a creature and that creature teaches them. Learns with them. Protects them. Becomes everything.
And the shade? They learn how to bind things. How to connect with things. Eventually, what it means to be a sprite after their three tests.
This is an adventure novel that I couldn’t put down once I started. If you want romance, don’t read this. If you don’t like fantasy… maybe give this a chance. You could enjoy it.
Otherwise, give it a shot.
Well written, this novel is well paced, though fast by no means, and the author has brought characters to play who have depth and flaws.
Now, to the meat.
This novel deals with three beings who are the same creature: spritelings, the children, shades, the teenagers learning what it means to be an adult, and the sprites, those who have cast off their shadows and now can pave their own way.
The difference between them all? Their shadows. They bind a creature and that creature teaches them. Learns with them. Protects them. Becomes everything.
And the shade? They learn how to bind things. How to connect with things. Eventually, what it means to be a sprite after their three tests.
This is an adventure novel that I couldn’t put down once I started. If you want romance, don’t read this. If you don’t like fantasy… maybe give this a chance. You could enjoy it.
Otherwise, give it a shot.
October 27, 2018
Between the Shade and the Shadow is the story of a Shade (young Sprite / night elf) and her struggle to keep her and her wolf companion alive while dealing with their truly terrible community.
The world of the shades and sprites is very dark; figuratively and literally. They get burned by the faintest of light and they fear the sun as much as they do the monsters living in the deep woods. The world building is intricate and seen from the perspective of a creature that doesn’t like the day and sees light-walkers as enemies. (e.g. humans, day elves etc.)
They have a strict hierarchical culture and when the main character, Ahraia, rebels against tradition, she is treated horribly.
There is a lot of political intrigue and back stabbing and at times it was hard to keep track with who was trying to kill Ahraia at any given time. The bond of friendship between Ahraia and her wolf, Losna, is sweet and charming, but the book could have been a third shorter. Almost everyone is cruel to Ahraia and it gets grating. Talk about bad parenting and ignorant authority.
It reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events in the way I kept thinking throughout the book; “Just kill them and leave. These people aren’t worth the suffering.”
But no, we get to see poor Ahraia suffer through her trials.
They speak telepathically at times and without dialog tags. This makes some of conversations hard to follow, but does add an extra layer to the sprites other-worldliness.
So wonderful world building, charming main characters and a satisfying ending that suggest a interesting sequel, but I was ready to burn down the whole forest by the end as all the other characters were so frustratingly evil.
The world of the shades and sprites is very dark; figuratively and literally. They get burned by the faintest of light and they fear the sun as much as they do the monsters living in the deep woods. The world building is intricate and seen from the perspective of a creature that doesn’t like the day and sees light-walkers as enemies. (e.g. humans, day elves etc.)
They have a strict hierarchical culture and when the main character, Ahraia, rebels against tradition, she is treated horribly.
There is a lot of political intrigue and back stabbing and at times it was hard to keep track with who was trying to kill Ahraia at any given time. The bond of friendship between Ahraia and her wolf, Losna, is sweet and charming, but the book could have been a third shorter. Almost everyone is cruel to Ahraia and it gets grating. Talk about bad parenting and ignorant authority.
It reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events in the way I kept thinking throughout the book; “Just kill them and leave. These people aren’t worth the suffering.”
But no, we get to see poor Ahraia suffer through her trials.
They speak telepathically at times and without dialog tags. This makes some of conversations hard to follow, but does add an extra layer to the sprites other-worldliness.
So wonderful world building, charming main characters and a satisfying ending that suggest a interesting sequel, but I was ready to burn down the whole forest by the end as all the other characters were so frustratingly evil.
June 18, 2018
I received this book for free from a goodreads giveaway.
It took the first 5-6 chapters for me to really become interested, but when it finally happened it was sudden and intense. The world building is great and it seemed like the author had a fun time creating this imagined world. I had no trouble imagining any of it.
The characters were well developed. I cared about what happened to both the main characters and side characters. I enjoyed the plot and was pleasantly surprised at the twists. Some of them were easily guessed, but there was just enough doubt left for me to second guess my predictions.
I’m glad I took a chance and read this book.
It took the first 5-6 chapters for me to really become interested, but when it finally happened it was sudden and intense. The world building is great and it seemed like the author had a fun time creating this imagined world. I had no trouble imagining any of it.
The characters were well developed. I cared about what happened to both the main characters and side characters. I enjoyed the plot and was pleasantly surprised at the twists. Some of them were easily guessed, but there was just enough doubt left for me to second guess my predictions.
I’m glad I took a chance and read this book.
June 22, 2018
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
It’s been a while since a book really surprised me. But there are a lot of twists and turns in this very dark fantasy tale. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on I was proven wrong, much to the dismay of the main character and myself!
Woven into this engaging story is a good amount of exposition which really brings the world to life, happily I see that this story might not be a series but the first step into a beautifully dark world of magic.
To sum it up, let this story bind you in it’s magic and drag you along through the dark forest. It’ll be a ride you won’t forget.
It’s been a while since a book really surprised me. But there are a lot of twists and turns in this very dark fantasy tale. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on I was proven wrong, much to the dismay of the main character and myself!
Woven into this engaging story is a good amount of exposition which really brings the world to life, happily I see that this story might not be a series but the first step into a beautifully dark world of magic.
To sum it up, let this story bind you in it’s magic and drag you along through the dark forest. It’ll be a ride you won’t forget.
November 22, 2019
Read this book now!😍 And Buy this book Now! 😍😍
Spectacular Fantasy World 🌎! IF YOU WANT TO READ AN EXCITING ADVENTURE, THEN BUY THIS BOOK NOW!😍 GET SWEPT AWAY IN THIS STORY!😍
Spectacular Fantasy World 🌎! IF YOU WANT TO READ AN EXCITING ADVENTURE, THEN BUY THIS BOOK NOW!😍 GET SWEPT AWAY IN THIS STORY!😍
July 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this one. Coleman Alexander’s Between the Shade and the Shadow is a mixture of a coming-of-age story and a quest fantasy wrapped in a literally dark, forested world. To top it off there are several unique elements from Sprite society, to the assumption of their culture that light is bad (since even moonlight burns them), to a fascinating and mysterious magic.
There is a lot to like in this novel, but I think what Between the Shade and the Shadow does best is worldbuilding and the main character. The world feels different, alien even, and that doesn’t really change even as we discover more about the world and its cultures as the novel goes on. The magic system is also interesting and has a very druidic (think druids in D&D) feel to it. It is a fascinating magic, no doubt, but I do feel like it might have benefitted from a little more explanation. Regardless, this unique world has a great deal to explore and I can’t wait to read more in this setting. The world isn’t the only thing worth noting in Alexander’s work, however. The main character is someone you quickly come to care about. This is a story where a single individual stands against powerful forces and is changed—less by those forces and more by what happens inside herself. Not only is the main character well written, but her Shadow also has excellent characterization.
Some of the side characters fell a little flat for me, as I felt like I didn’t understand their motivations. This was particularly true of one of the antagonists. I like to feel a little something more than “I want to become the most powerful blah blah blah.” This didn’t do too much to distract from the story, however, because while I didn’t necessarily understand the motivations, several of the antagonists are absolute bullies and you quickly come to hate them. So, I had an intense emotional reaction to the “bad guys,” I just would have liked to have had a bit more fleshing out of their motivations. There we also a number of typos throughout the manuscript.
If you love coming-of-age stories, interesting magic, and mysterious worlds, then this book is for you. Highly recommended. This is yet another excellent book that I found because of SPFBO 2018. Huge thanks to everyone that makes SPFBO possible! 4.5/5 stars.
There is a lot to like in this novel, but I think what Between the Shade and the Shadow does best is worldbuilding and the main character. The world feels different, alien even, and that doesn’t really change even as we discover more about the world and its cultures as the novel goes on. The magic system is also interesting and has a very druidic (think druids in D&D) feel to it. It is a fascinating magic, no doubt, but I do feel like it might have benefitted from a little more explanation. Regardless, this unique world has a great deal to explore and I can’t wait to read more in this setting. The world isn’t the only thing worth noting in Alexander’s work, however. The main character is someone you quickly come to care about. This is a story where a single individual stands against powerful forces and is changed—less by those forces and more by what happens inside herself. Not only is the main character well written, but her Shadow also has excellent characterization.
Some of the side characters fell a little flat for me, as I felt like I didn’t understand their motivations. This was particularly true of one of the antagonists. I like to feel a little something more than “I want to become the most powerful blah blah blah.” This didn’t do too much to distract from the story, however, because while I didn’t necessarily understand the motivations, several of the antagonists are absolute bullies and you quickly come to hate them. So, I had an intense emotional reaction to the “bad guys,” I just would have liked to have had a bit more fleshing out of their motivations. There we also a number of typos throughout the manuscript.
If you love coming-of-age stories, interesting magic, and mysterious worlds, then this book is for you. Highly recommended. This is yet another excellent book that I found because of SPFBO 2018. Huge thanks to everyone that makes SPFBO possible! 4.5/5 stars.
June 9, 2018
this was a really interesting story. Not many YA fantasy books use sprites. It was unique.
May 27, 2018
Full RTC tomorrw
05/27-- The confusion went away... eventually.
05/27-- The confusion went away... eventually.
January 15, 2020
Surprising
When I got this I honestly wasn't sure if I would finish it, I'm not generally one for dark themed books. But despite that and the countless other fantasy novels I've consumed over the years I was surprised to love this. This book turned out to be more then a great story, it's one of those few books that resonated with my soul. A shaft of light in a dark and cruel world.
When I got this I honestly wasn't sure if I would finish it, I'm not generally one for dark themed books. But despite that and the countless other fantasy novels I've consumed over the years I was surprised to love this. This book turned out to be more then a great story, it's one of those few books that resonated with my soul. A shaft of light in a dark and cruel world.
September 30, 2022
Between the Shade and the Shadow is my first book, and now that I’ve had a few months to let my emotions settle, I think I’m finally ready to give my two cents.
First of all, this is a strange corner of the greater world that I’m creating, and though it’s mysterious and enchanting in many ways, I look back and wish I would have done more to ease the entry into this corner of the world. Sprites are strange creatures and the darkenings they live in are difficult to understand without being fully immersed. Both are full of mystery and darkness, right down to their roots, and though that sense of mystery appeals to me as part of the adventure, this book definitely isn’t for those who don’t like to be disoriented. The world is not easy to understand at first, and though understanding builds with time, it’s definitely not for readers who want to recognize their surroundings from the start. In the future, I may add a lengthier foreword to help better explain the fundamentals of the world, but suffice to say, it’s not an easy read.
In addition to that, the process of putting it out there has also shown me a lot about my writing. The emotions at times are overwrought, and the consensus is that it doesn’t gain steam until the second half.
All of that being said, it’s still mine and I still love it. The story resonates deeply with me, and in Ahraia, I see a reflection of my own world around me.
For those who are looking for a unique and complex book, this is an excellent read. And for those who love different cultures and characters who grow, I would definitely recommend it. More than anything, it makes me smile to know that Ahraia and Losna are out there running wild in the nights now, and though their adventure isn’t mine any longer, perhaps it will be yours . . .
First of all, this is a strange corner of the greater world that I’m creating, and though it’s mysterious and enchanting in many ways, I look back and wish I would have done more to ease the entry into this corner of the world. Sprites are strange creatures and the darkenings they live in are difficult to understand without being fully immersed. Both are full of mystery and darkness, right down to their roots, and though that sense of mystery appeals to me as part of the adventure, this book definitely isn’t for those who don’t like to be disoriented. The world is not easy to understand at first, and though understanding builds with time, it’s definitely not for readers who want to recognize their surroundings from the start. In the future, I may add a lengthier foreword to help better explain the fundamentals of the world, but suffice to say, it’s not an easy read.
In addition to that, the process of putting it out there has also shown me a lot about my writing. The emotions at times are overwrought, and the consensus is that it doesn’t gain steam until the second half.
All of that being said, it’s still mine and I still love it. The story resonates deeply with me, and in Ahraia, I see a reflection of my own world around me.
For those who are looking for a unique and complex book, this is an excellent read. And for those who love different cultures and characters who grow, I would definitely recommend it. More than anything, it makes me smile to know that Ahraia and Losna are out there running wild in the nights now, and though their adventure isn’t mine any longer, perhaps it will be yours . . .
June 21, 2018
In a culture which immediately assume darkness means evil, Coleman Alexander’s book creates darkness as a place to live for a people who burn under light (even moonlight). This doesn’t mean that there is no evil afoot.
Ahraia is a shade. A dweller of the night who has bonded with a shadow, a wolf named Losna. No one in her home can recall a shade ever binding a wolf as a shadow, though it could be said Losna bound her. Her shadow is not the only thing to set her apart from the people around her. She can’t kill with her ability to bind. It makes her sick, so she depends on Losna or her bow.
Ahraia’s life as the most powerful shade in living memory would be hard enough, but there are other forces at work, within and outside the darkness she calls home.
The world Coleman creates is intriguing and very well thought out. It has a very strong internal consistency. The characters of Ahraia and Losna in particular, are well drawn with their strengths and weakness. The people around her are given levels of complexity needed for their role in the story.
There is a promise of much more to come in this book, so not every thread is neatly bound, which is something I like. Though the conclusion is satisfying and well constructed, we know there is more out there, and given the skill with which this story is crafted, that more is going to be very welcome. I recommend the book for lovers of fantasy and epic fantasy. Though the story is self contained, the world it is set in is broad.
Ahraia is a shade. A dweller of the night who has bonded with a shadow, a wolf named Losna. No one in her home can recall a shade ever binding a wolf as a shadow, though it could be said Losna bound her. Her shadow is not the only thing to set her apart from the people around her. She can’t kill with her ability to bind. It makes her sick, so she depends on Losna or her bow.
Ahraia’s life as the most powerful shade in living memory would be hard enough, but there are other forces at work, within and outside the darkness she calls home.
The world Coleman creates is intriguing and very well thought out. It has a very strong internal consistency. The characters of Ahraia and Losna in particular, are well drawn with their strengths and weakness. The people around her are given levels of complexity needed for their role in the story.
There is a promise of much more to come in this book, so not every thread is neatly bound, which is something I like. Though the conclusion is satisfying and well constructed, we know there is more out there, and given the skill with which this story is crafted, that more is going to be very welcome. I recommend the book for lovers of fantasy and epic fantasy. Though the story is self contained, the world it is set in is broad.
December 16, 2018
Long, complexed, well developed....
This story is complicated and full of well developed characters, that in the end, I just never connected to. The richness of the writing, quality of editing, publishing, and overall presentation is to be commended and there are undoubtedly many readers who will love these stories. I really just didn't like it much, but am at a loss to give a definitive reason for my distaste. I love long stories and refuse to download anything less than 300 pages. I am usually tolerant towards unpleasant characters. I have a fondness.for the.complicated. Any yet this one just fell flat for me. There is a lot to enjoy for the.right reader.
This story is complicated and full of well developed characters, that in the end, I just never connected to. The richness of the writing, quality of editing, publishing, and overall presentation is to be commended and there are undoubtedly many readers who will love these stories. I really just didn't like it much, but am at a loss to give a definitive reason for my distaste. I love long stories and refuse to download anything less than 300 pages. I am usually tolerant towards unpleasant characters. I have a fondness.for the.complicated. Any yet this one just fell flat for me. There is a lot to enjoy for the.right reader.
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