Read this book and SAVE A PUPPY! *details belowA runaway girl finds a wolfish beast with broken wings. Will the unlikely pair unlock their true power before Death-Dealers destroy the world?On her fourteenth birthday, Senzo Hikari runs away. Unlike the rest of her people, she has no magical gifts – a secret that is bound to come out and embarrass her royal family. However, fleeing the Realm means leaving behind the protection of the lightening-wielding soldiers, guardian shapeshifters, and the powerful plant whisperers – and facing the savages, monsters, and diseases of the Outlands. But when war breaks out within the Realm, and death and decay spread throughout the lands, will Sen discover her true power in time to save her family?“Thrilling and moving at the same time. If you liked THE LEGEND OF KORRA or the GRISHA TRILOGY, you need to read SHADOWLESS now!” – author Dave Butler, “The Extraordinary Journeys of Clockwork Charlie.” *All book sale profits are donated to rescuing puppies through Lifeline Puppy Rescue in Brighton, Colorado Learn more at www.triorion.com --> "Readers to the Rescue" and signup for L. J.'s monthly mailing list to see the puppies we save!Click BUY NOW to grab this thrilling young adult science fiction / fantasy novel!
Amazon bestselling author L.J. Hachmeister writes and fights -- although she tries not to do them at the same time. L. J. is a world champion stick-fighter, a black belt in Doce Pares Eskrima and Taekwondo, and is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, but maintains that no opponent is as daunting as the last 30% of a manuscript.
L. J. is a cross-genre author under the umbrella of science fiction/fantasy. Her Cuban roots and LGBTQA+ ties greatly impact her writing, as well as her career as a registered nurse. However, her love for rescuing puppies and working with other animal charity organizations drives her passion to succeed as an author so she can continue to give to animals in need. L. J. is an avid sponsor for "Lifeline Puppy Rescue."
I have to admit – I had a hard time coming up with my talking points for this review because the book was just so damn good that I couldn’t figure out where to start. L.J. Hachmeister’s novel is a brutal coming of age story that contrasts the conflicted feelings of a character struggling against a strict society of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. The xenophobia, paranoia and inherent distrust of outsiders, set against a dark fantasy background of powerful clan loyalty, is a sharp contrast and thinly veiled commentary on our world of today.
This first book of the series follows a young girl named Sen, who leaves her home in The Realm. Fearing that she lacks the powers and abilities that are required to stay in The Realm, and wanting to rid herself of her critical, abusive father, she heads out into the unknown to find her own destiny. The brutal reality of her journey soon becomes apparent as she discovers the world is not what she imagined it to be. Her only allies are a great broken-winged beast that she aided during her initial escape and her determination to find her own path. Sen soon encounters the Outliers, a shadowless clan of warriors with their own internal politics and divisions, and immediately clashes with one of their leaders; another young girl named Nya. Unlike Sen, Nya is a hardened warrior fiercely devoted to protecting her people. She doesn’t trust Sen and takes every opportunity to confront her and cast her out. But soon, events take precedence over personal conflicts as a greater threat rises before them.
This book is packed with character, intrigue, and action. And the author’s martial arts background gives her descriptions a reality that vividly allows the reader to access the harsh world of a warrior clan. In many ways, Shadowless reads like Mad Max: Fury Road with its gritty nature, hard topics, and epic rescues.
Hachmeister’s vivid imagination brings these horrors to life through her keyboard. The final battle, and final chapters, leave plenty of teasers for what we might see in a sequel.
"Shadowless Outlier" follows Sen, a teenager who runs away from home because she thinks she's one of the shunned few that don't possess innate magic, and she fears her family's response. Her problems get worse as she faces the deadly beasts of the forests and the harsh reality of living in the "outlands." Being the daughter of nobility, she is initially unwelcome by the other non-magical survivors, but Sen's endearing personality wins even the toughest warrior over. However, she has to knuckle down and discover who she truly is if she's to stop the "death dealers" from destroying the magical realm. Sen is a delight to follow on her journey of discovery, and her constant hope and care throughout her hardships in the outlands is inspiring. This book is illustrated, and seems geared for anyone 13 and over who like young adult adventure/fantasy. "Shadowless Outlier" is a great new addition to Hachmeister's ever-growing shared world.
A very different world and a personification of hope
This book is set in a wholly different world with a furry, scaly cat thing. There's plant people and bug people and shape shifters and lightning magic and living plants and a society with castes and competing factions and evil things and scary regions that no one quite knows about.
Much of this is vaguely mentioned and glossed over and I'm fuzzy about the details about almost everything but I cared about the main character and enjoyed her relationship with her critter so maybe I didn't need to know everything about everything in this interesting and terrifying world to enjoy this story.
Interesting storyline moving forward throughout the realm while factions struggle against each other. Difficulty connecting with characters Sen and Rya, the constant stupid interactions, side comments made them unbelievable. They brought down the story instead of lending to it. Somewhat disappointed.