A century before Of Silver and Shadow takes place, all the silver wielders in Edris (gifted people with the ability, passed on genetically, to manipulate the silver in their blood almost like magic), save for the royal family, were executed during the Silver Purge by order of the King.
Of Silver and Shadow is told from the perspectives of four different characters. Ren, an orphaned silver wielder in hiding who makes a living by stealing, gambling, and fighting in the pits; Darek, the handsome yet annoying head of the rebellion who recruits Ren (using financial incentives) to join the fight to overthrow the evil and powerful King of Edris; Kellen, the youngest Prince of Edris and the black sheep of the family who could care less about his title and is living secret a double life; and Adley, a ruthless warrior working for the King (called a King’s Child) tasked with destroying the rebellion in order to earn the coveted title of King’s Fang while attempting to hide her prohibited relationship with Lesa.
When I read the description for this book, I thought that it would be okay, but it ended up drastically exceeding my expectations! This is Jennifer Gruenke’s debut novel and I am now a big fan of her work. Due to similarities in the plot and setting, this book would be ideal for fans of YA fantasy novels such as Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.
I thought that this book was very engaging, action-packed, and fast-paced; I loved how Gruenke incorporated lots of unexpected surprises and twists into the plot. I also thought that the concept of the silver wielders was very cool and unique; the powerful descriptions of the silver wielders presented in the novel make it very clear why the rebellion wanted to kick the powerful King off the throne and why the King took such drastic measures to ensure that the royals were the only silver wielders in Edris. Without giving anything away, I really enjoyed reading about Ren’s romantic relationship that develops throughout Of Silver and Shadow; I wish that more of this romantic plot line was included in the novel (perhaps we will get to hear more about Ren’s relationship if/ when the sequel is released).
Even though I thought that this book was well-written, I felt like things were often repeated and some information was lost because the story was told from multiple different perspectives. Another downside for me was the violent and detailed descriptions of the punishments that the King (and the King’s Children) dished out and the fights that took place in the pits; I would have preferred if these violent events were either less descriptive or less frequent.
Since this book ended in a bit of a cliffhanger (not everything was nicely wrapped up), I am really hoping that Gruenke will be writing a sequel soon! If there is a sequel, it will definitely be on my TBR list. Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it to fellow readers.
Of Silver and Shadow is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 16th 2021.
Will you be picking up Of Silver and Shadow? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Ren Kolins is a silver wielder—a dangerous thing to be in the kingdom of Erdis, where magic has been outlawed for a century. Ren is just trying to survive, sticking to a life of petty thievery, card games, and pit fighting to get by. But when a wealthy rebel leader discovers her secret, he offers her a fortune to join his revolution. The caveat: she won’t see a single coin until they overthrow the King.
Behind the castle walls, a brutal group of warriors known as the King’s Children is engaged in a competition: the first to find the rebel leader will be made King’s Fang, the right hand of the King of Erdis. And Adley Farre is hunting down the rebels one by one, torturing her way to Ren and the rebel leader, and the coveted King’s Fang title.
But time is running out for all of them, including the youngest Prince of Erdis, who finds himself pulled into the rebellion. Political tensions have reached a boiling point, and Ren and the rebels must take the throne before war breaks out.
