How many pieces of your soul can you give away… before you break?
In a faerie hierarchy built upon one’s ability to produce specific, color-driven magic, Opal is an outcast, and on the cusp of giving up on her future at court.
While visiting the human realm, she witnesses a dark magic shadow beast attack a human—a beast which should have been forever imprisoned in the Shadowlands. Upon her return home to the faerie realm, she finds the Shaede Palace in chaos, the vampiric Dark Princes ready to start a war over old wounds and court prejudices, and a revolving door of impossible choices.
Join Opal on her path to self-discovery and a quest to save her realm, all while she navigates a passionate romance with the charming human she manages to save from the shadow beast, and the seductive Dark Prince who captures her and wants to show her a whole new world in the shadows.
It will take everything Opal has to find her way through the darkness, but with the help of her friends and the histories of her people, she might just discover spells that can change the world.
Shaedes of Power is the first in a new Romantasy series written for dark romance lovers who enjoy sexy, complicated characters, epic world-building, and a unique magic system. Fans who enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Ever King, and Fourth Wing will not be disappointed!
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housekeeping
I know I’ve been saying some iteration of this in every post I’ve written in the last couple months, but it’s important to me that everyone understands that I haven’t just dipped out and abandoned my reviews 😓 My migraine prevention meds were late and have completely set me back as far as my head is concerned. I’ve had a migraine/headache every day for the last three or so weeks and writing has been the last thing I’ve felt capable of doing. But I’m slowly getting back in the swing of things, so please be patient with me! I’m so sorry for how late these reviews are and my tardiness has no reflection on the quality of content I’ve read at all 💖
first things first
I first want to point out the dedication in this book because it made me swoon.
To my husband, my favorite MMC in my favorite story–ours.
🫠🥹😍 How cute is that?
So, I won’t lie, that immediately drew me in. I’m a big dedication and acknowledgements reader, so the cute dedications always get me.
main thoughts
I enjoyed reading this book, but I’ll admit once the main character and her friends go back to their world, I struggled a little bit with it. I’m not even sure why, but it was hard for me to get into. However, after taking a step back for a day, I was able to get back into the story fairly easily until I finished it.
Opal is a sweet and genuine character, and I enjoyed her honesty and intense sense of friendship. Of course, a fantasy romance would be nothing without the love interests, and boy, do we have two men who are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum in this book!
Farris is pretty much the definition of golden retriever energy, and man, he is head over heels for Opal. Farris is a human who inadvertently finds himself in the fae world after getting attacked by a fae monster, and rather than freak out, he seems to take everything completely in stride. Is this a realistic reaction? Probably not, but neither is a fae, so take it with a grain of salt 😂
And then we have Edmyn…the vampire. And of course, as soon as this character entered the scene, my heart had immediately set upon him. Look, I also love Farris, okay? But Edmyn…🥵 I wouldn’t say I love him more, but as a self-proclaimed Twilight addict from way back in the day, vampires are always the one for me.
bullet points
- The cast of characters are all quite fun. I especially love Opal’s besties, but we get to see a side of the “know-it-all” that you wouldn’t expect and I ended up loving her as well.
- The portal-ing was fun to read about and well executed. I love the thought of just being able to pull up a portal and going wherever I want haha
- I’m anxious to read book 2 and I’m hoping Opal is able to keep her relationships healthy. I’m not sure if there’s going to be more men added, but I’m excited to see what else comes up.
quotes
Opal, I walk those perilous extra city blocks for you on the daily but would easily cross a hundred portals across a thousand realms to wake up in your bed. So, no. I am going to lie here and wait for you with my eyes wide open, because I don’t want to miss a thing.
Farris, Shaedes of Power
“What is this, Little Prism?” he whispered, our faces so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. “Do not start fires you cannot tame.”
Edmyn and Opal, Shaedes of Power
“You once said that I belonged to you,” I whispered back, my voice a little surer sounding than I think either of us expected. “Prove it.”
final thoughts
This was a fun read with some interesting story lines and was definitely worth the read. It took me a little bit to get into, but once I did, I greatly enjoyed it!
If you end up reading this one, please come back and let me know what you think of it!
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