Dance of Shadows (Winter Queen #2)

Title: Dance of Shadows (Winter Queen #2)

Author: Erica Marie Hogan

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Elk Lake Publishing

Release Date: Oct 29, 2018

About the Book:

The Winter Queen has brought the storm … 
and the Abyss roams the halls of the Blood Keep.

Ten days have passed since Sundragon blood was shed for a sacrifice by Raphaela Kael. Ten days since Lathan and Maxx Jandry fled the city in search of Princess Damari Kael and their niece, Noelle. Brecken Jandry, Brae’s loyal husband, remains a tortured prisoner in the Kael dungeons and no one in Sunkai is safe from Roderick and Raphaela’s wrath.

Damari Kael flees Sunkai with little Noelle Jandry, determined to deliver the child to the safety of the Shadow Lands, even as her own power emerges within her. The Eventide Sisters embark on a mission to join the Winter Queen. Across the land, Clea Jandry arrives in her birthplace of Molderëin where she is met with a savagery she thought long dead. Afra Malaki seeks the Creator’s will and the Queen of the Woodlands prepares for battle.

In the peaceful city of Quintaria, the Winter Queen grieves. But the shadows are coming for her. They carry a message for Adlae Sundragon, and they will not rest until all is revealed.

About the Author:

From as far back as she can remember, Erica Marie Hogan loved to write. When she was a little girl she adored make believe, but gradually her imagination became too big to restrict it to playtime and so, she wrote.

 

Erica was born and raised for nine years on Orient Point, Long Island, New York. She then moved with her family to Virginia and, finally, to Texas where she now lives. She lives to plot new stories, enjoys a good tear-jerker, and chocolate is her cure for any ailment. Once a month Erica publishes a post on her blog, By the Book: Diary of a Bookaholic, where she shares her experiences with writing and book reviews. She is represented by Jim Hart of Hartline Literary Agency.

 

Along with the first two books of The Winter Queen Series, Erica’s World War I standalone novel, The Lost Generation, is also available now from Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.

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My Review:

I really wish I would have started with the first book in the series because I’ll admit I felt very out-of-the-loop with what was going on in the story when I started. (My fault–not the author’s). I confess I tend to not favor fantasy, but I can see how this one would appeal to the YA fantasy fans. There is plenty of action and drama to hold the readers’ attention. There is a complex plot line with multiple layers of intrigue. It’s a good option for a read if you like your brain to be stretched.

The names were very unique and while I had difficulty sorting out who was who (again, probably because I missed book 1), I thought they were a special fit for the genre. I found myself thinking if I liked (or disliked) individual names until I got to know their characters more–then my opinion sometimes changed haha.

I definitely recommend starting at the beginning of the series so that you have the backstory leading into this one, but I’d recommend to avid fantasy fans.

*I received a copy of this book through CelebrateLit. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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