Shadow's Voice - (Shadowstalker) by Natalie Johanson

About the Book

The chilling adventure of Rose Trewin as she searches for her place in the world. She must face assassins and spies to save her king. At the center of it all; her shadows and what they want from her.

Book Synopsis

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

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

Rose Trewin is on the run, trying to escape her past as a spy and desperate for a quiet life. After a fateful encounter on the road she is forced to carry a message to the king and warn him of forces plotting to end his life and take his kingdom. She is thrown into a world of courtly intrigue, political machinations, and a king who asks too many questions. However, Rose has a deeper secret than her life as a spy; a magic she tries to keep hidden. Her ability to walk among the shadows, disappear into the darkness has its advantages, but in a country where magic is feared and distrusted, it's also a liability.

King Micah Ellsworth knows someone is plotting against him. He just doesn't know who, exactly. When a strange woman with secrets and defiance in her eyes arrives in his court, she seems the perfect person to uncover the plot.

Soon, both realize more is at stake when dark forces fueled by a similar magic to Rose's appear. The two must work together to find who is behind the plots, forcing Rose to share secrets and to question her loyalties, her magic, and the power she wields.

Review Quotes

Shadow's Voice by Natalie Johanson is a Sci-Fi/fantasy novel. It is a story about Rose Trewin, and how she got entangled in a stranger's mess. She has abilities she has been made to feel ashamed of and to hide from most people. These abilities allow her to move in the shadows unnoticed and allowed her to be molded into a ruthless mercenary by her father. She has been on the run for a very long time and fears staying in any place too long, in fear that he would find her. She has learned to trust no one which has served her well in the past. The story develops when she encounters another lone traveler, who strikes up conversations with her, changing her destiny forever. The story is filled with magic, betrayal, newfound friendship, and death.

I am thrilled I got to read this book, and I enjoyed the story so much I was sad when it ended. It fit the genre perfectly, and it ended up falling into a storyline that I love. Ones filled with magic and set in a time filled with dirt roads, cobblestones, and lone travelers going on quests. What I liked most is that things were able to develop naturally, and it wasn't rushed or forced. [...] I think the book was well edited and well written. I loved so many things about this book, and I could not stop reading nor could I stop thinking about it. It was an absolute page-turner. [...] I would recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy novels, ones with magic and set in a non-modern world. There were no graphic or explicit scenes and is okay for children. -Onlinebookclub.org

Shadow's Voice is a dark and exciting work of fantasy fiction penned by author Natalie Johanson. The central plot follows the young Rose Trewin, a drifter who has much more to her than first meets the eye. Rose has been imbued with deadly magical powers, allowing her to merge with shadows, and now those powers are building into something even more terrifying. As Rose tries to escape those who gave her such powers in the first place, her homeland verges on a devastating civil war. Rose is one of the few people who could actually help to bring peace against an enemy with magic like her own, and so she must face her true self to help those people she cares for.

Author Natalie Johanson writes a cracking read right from the first few pages that immerse readers into the plot right away. Rose Trewin is a character that readers can relate to and be intrigued by at once, journeying with her as different obstacles force her to confront and discover the limits of her own power. The enemies she faces seek the usual power, greed, and total control, and the fact that Rose is far from a pure, selfless hero makes it interesting to see her own motivations coming through as she finds ways to combat forces greater than herself. Overall, Shadow's Voice is an exciting and enjoyable fantasy read that is sure to please fans of the genre who are seeking unlikely heroes, exciting magical peril and plenty of drama.

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