ABANDONED. YA/A Fantasy w/ female protagonist who at some point in the story losses her shadow due to magic.

[Notso]

Book is YA/A, I read in in the early to mid 90s. It was new so might have been published then as well. Don't know if it matter, but my mother got it as part of a book club monthly allotment. Book was hardcopy/hardback.

The book surrounded the story of a young girl, a slave/or orphan( cant remember which). She sets out on an adventure, forced or not (don't remember). The journey was typical fantasy world region, forests and such. Kinda dark world where people are really struggling.

Meanwhile in the world a magic based cult is rising in the world, creating some large apparatus of magic with the potential to destroy or enslave all humanity.I think the construct is pyramid shaped but could just be a large temple structure created for the purpose.

During the journey our lead meets a companion of similar age also female but of darker color.

At some point in the story the lead gets blasted by some great magic force that 'burns' her shadow off. (she no longer casts any shadow). Her companion become her living shadow figuretivly.

The biggest detail that sticks out is the 'shadow burning' and the dark skinned companion.

*What follows is more 'feeling' than memory so take with some decent salt:
I also remember that the lead might not have been the focus of what was going on, like she just happened to be here or there witnessing the goings on.

Update: 4/15/2015
I have a feeling this might have been a stand alone book or the first in a series. I lean toward STA.

[Taylor]

Was it Plain Kate? I don't recall the temple structure, but the MC definitely loses her shadow and befriends a darker skinned girl

[Lark]

Sounds kinda similar to the Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce.

The Darkangel

Note: the shadow burning/dark skinned companion is in the second book, if I remember correctly. And the large apparatus of magic was mentioned in book three.

[Notso]

Neither of the two books above, though they look like good reads though. Ill have to check them out. Thank you for the imput.

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

Notso wrote: "Neither of the two books above, though they look like good reads though. Ill have to check them out. Thank you for the imput."

Are you 100 % sure its not The Darkangel trilogy?

Because it definetely have a heroine (Aeriel) who has her shadow burned off and she gains a companion (Erin) who becomes "her shadow"

[Shanna_redwind]

I feel like a book I read ages ago in high school sounds like this. A Spell of Deceit

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Notso, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Cassie]

In the book The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M Valente involves a girl giving up her shadow at one point, and her travel companion is a mer-person with dark skin. There is a magical apparatus towards the end of the book, but it's not at all like a pyramid.

[Kris]

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente - Cassie's suggestion

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Notso, are you still looking for this or did you find it?"

No response in 2 years. Moving to Abandoned.