Shadow's Past - (Shadowstalker) by Natalie Johanson

About the Book

Rose will learn the past never stays buried. Ancient history won't be forgotten. And duties won't be ignored.

Book Synopsis

Second Place winner in BookFest's book awards for Magic, Myths, and Legends

Second Place winner in Firebird's book awards for Young Adult Fantasy

Last summer, Rose Trewin delivered a dying Light Horse's message to King Micah, and found herself entangled in court politics and plots. She'd stopped the coup and saved the king, but in doing so, she'd exposed her magic and her past. She still didn't understand her changing powers and now her past as an assassin haunts her even more. Worse, the shadows seem to want something from her. She intends to discover what, even if that means leaving her newfound home. Feeling lost and wayward, Rose ventures to the college in search of explanations about her magic.

War is threatening King Micah's southern border. His council continues to push him to choose a queen, reminding him too often of his lack of an heir. He hesitates as he remembers a young woman with defiance in her eyes and the friendship that's grown between them.

A new enemy with unseen magic is destroying the countryside and searching for an ancient weapon. The fighting in the south soon appears connected to this new enemy. Rose and King Micah must search the forgotten past for a way to stop him before he can destroy everything they hold dear.

Review Quotes

Shadow's Past is a work of fiction in the fantasy subgenre and was penned by author Natalie Johanson. Intended for both the young adult and adult reading audiences to enjoy, this book is a sequel to Shadow's Voice and continues the adventures of Rose Trewin. After her encounters with espionage and dangerous missions and the drastic transformation of her magic into something new and unknown, Rose is back to rise up against a new foe: the Earthmover. She still doesn't fully understand her new powers and wants to face the realities of her past even less, but if she doesn't use her unique gifts against the terror of this new enemy, then nobody else will.

Author Natalie Johanson delivers a stellar sequel with plenty of excitement, conflict, and inner turmoil as we meet Rose Trewin once again for a new adventure. One of the things that I think Johanson captures especially well in her work is Rose's trauma and inner battle, which informs her choices - for good or ill - during the story and makes the novel wonderfully unpredictable. The realism in the central protagonist makes readers invest deeply in her transformation and search for peace and strength as the world becomes more and more dangerous around her. Add to this the sharp dialogue, vivid worldbuilding, and atmospheric, cinematic prose style, and this results in a very engrossing fantasy novel that ticks every box a fan could wish for. Overall, I would highly recommend Shadow's Past and the series in general to readers everywhere.

-Reader's Favorite

"An epic tale that has you living each scene as though you are there and wanting to know more."

A story is amazing when you think about it long afterwards and want to camp out on the author's lawn for them to finish the next book. Well, this story falls in that particular and select category.

This story has so many secrets that are revealed bit by bit and in a way that is not frustrating. It is a world of mystery and magic with hidden secrets that are meant to stay hidden forever, but an enemy of old had an ace up his sleeve that he brings out centuries later when the world is not prepared to fight him again.

I loved how the story continues even when one quest is finished, there is m ore that has been hidden within the shadows and has to be faced. Life is complicated in real life and in this story. Nothing is clean cut. Nothing is black and white. Lots of grey areas where secrets can be hidden or misinterpreted.

The characters are well-developed with flaws as well as hidden attributes that they can use for good or evil. I have fallen in love with so many of these characters and wish I had them in my life. I want these people working alongside me to bring justice to the world. They face their own dilemmas and stumble as they try to do right, but you can't help but cheer them on.

I found myself unable to stop reading this book. When I finished book one, I slid right into book two and stayed up all night to finish. I'm upset that I have to wait to read more and discover what comes next. - Reedsy Discovery