Written by Sasha Zatz
Eda was once the villain, but now she has her own story to tell. After making a deal with the gods to become Empress, the shadow of her bargain still haunts Eda, and amid court politics and unrest, she struggles to uphold it, but she is meant for even greater things than she could know and her promise will not be the only thing she must give to the gods.
I absolutely loved this unique, entrapping fantasy novel. The concept is so fresh and wickedly enjoyable with a main character who was once a villain given a beautiful redemption arc, gods that struggle to keep the world together, and love that is not what it seems.
Eda was a complex and interesting heroine. It wasn’t always easy to love her as she pushed her friends away and acted in unkindness, but after a while, I came to adore her. She is fierce and determined to achieve her goals no matter the cost, but also fiercely loving and protective of those she cares about, even when blind to their needs. She is stubborn and brave with a far kinder soul than you would expect. And as the book progresses, she becomes far less the evil queen and far more the saviour empress.
Beyond the Shadowed Earth was primarily character-driven, which I loved, but the plot was incredible and exciting too. It was capturing and kept me hooked, filled with unique and interesting concepts and obstacles. I don’t want to give too much away, but as we got to the second half of the book and more plot points began to reveal themselves, I gasped!
My main criticism with this book is that the beginning didn’t hook me in. The first 100 or so pages were slow-paced and I just couldn’t pay complete attention, but then it started to get interesting! The middle section started to hook me into the story and characters, but it was the last third or so that really made the book and its plotline so spectacular! I feel like the beginning could have been a little more interesting but I can see how it was important in setting up Eda’s character and the problems she will have to deal with, and I am so glad I pushed through.
Joanna Ruth Meyer’s prose is captivating and enchanting as she weaves characters and worlds in such a rich and vivid way. The imagery and descriptions were stunning, and the novel was full of hard-hitting and iconic quotes, as well as having amazing dialogue, all captured by the author’s haunting and atmospheric writing.
The world seemed at first a relatively normal fantasy world, but as the book progressed, we find out all its intricacies and uniqueness. It’s clear how much planning and love has gone into Eda’s world, and its magic and gods are absolutely wonderful.
Beyond the Shadowed Earth was an immersive and surprising novel with the villain redemption arc we all needed, and I think fantasy fans everywhere will love this character-driven, haunting story of power, sorrow, and sacrifice.
Beyond The Shadowed Earth is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
It has always been Eda’s dream to become empress, no matter the cost. Haunted by her ambition and selfishness, she’s convinced that the only way to achieve her goal is to barter with the gods. But all requests come with a price and Eda bargains away the soul of her best friend in exchange for the crown.
Years later, her hold on the empire begins to crumble and her best friend unexpectedly grows sick and dies. Gnawed by guilt and betrayal, Eda embarks on a harrowing journey to confront the very god who gave her the kingdom in the first place. However, she soon discovers that he’s trapped at the center of an otherworldly labyrinth and that her bargain with him is more complex than she ever could have imagined.
Set in the same universe as Joanna’s debut, Beneath the Haunting Sea, Beyond the Shadowed Earth combines her incredible world building and lush prose with a new, villainous lead.
