Their love has defeated death. Can it defeat malice and madness?Serrai and Madan sacrificed their lives for each other to prove their love, but the quiet afterlife they’d imagined doesn’t exist. The Shadow Realm is at war and when the conflict threatens the human world, the Fates demand their help.Hunting down four renegade Shades and survive on different sides of the veil between worlds, needs … of the veil between worlds, needs courage, stubbornness and strength of will.
Can Madan triumph over hunger, madness, and his own compassion to make it back to Serrai?
Can Serrai vanquish jealousy and doubt to hold the gate long enough for Madan to return?
Will their love prove stronger than hatred and the need for revenge?
An m/m epic fantasy novella, continuing the story of Serrai and Madan from its beginnings in Sword Oath.
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I loved this continuation of the story of Madan and Serrai, especially the devotion they have for each other. Ms. Keswick’s world is interesting and unique with living humans, shades, souls, and the fates. This is a relatively short story, so there isn’t a whole lot of character growth or development. The MCs are just two well-formed individuals whose love and dedication to each other continues to grow and deepen. When the fates set them to the task to return some renegade shades who’ve escaped to the living world back to the shadow realm, they must trust and rely on their love for each other to succeed and survive. It’s a sweet story, with adventure, emotion, some turmoil, and some steamy scenes, too. You’ll want to read the Sword Oath first because it describes how Madan and Serrai came to be shades, but you can enjoy this story even if you skip the first one.
I received a complimentary ARC from the author. This is my honest, voluntary review.
I discovered this book through another author, and without knowing what to expect I agreed to read an advance copy. Oh, my goodness, I can’t recall the last time I laughed so much reading a book! Initially I agreed because the reluctant heroine who’s been burned before, plus a shy hero, are just my cup of tea; I hadn’t expected Jackie’s irreverent and hysterical sense of humor. Kyle, Sara’s 8-year-old, is an innocent but astute observer who helps drive the action and is entirely likable (without being saccharine), while Nick is everything a big brother should be. Nana is an interesting touch, too. The story is told entirely from Sara’s point of view, which is unusual, and in the present tense, which takes some getting used to. As a result, the reader only knows as much about Travis as Sara does, while at the same time knowing a lot more about Sara’s feelings than she does. Her attraction to Travis develops so gradually she takes a very long time to realize what’s happened, and indeed while much of it seems plausible, I did kind of want to give her a shake (or three) on that score. I also thought the sub-plot with her father was a little distracting, though I suppose one could argue that’s a distraction for Sara from her other issues. I enjoyed this book even more than I expected to, and will happily read more from Roseanne Beck. A good 4.5 star adventure!
I would rate this 4.25 stars.
The first story, Sword Oath, which I thought was a prequel, turned out to be book one. It was a short read and I would recommend you read it first as it establishes who Madan and Serrai are and how they came to be where they are. There are worse things than death, it seems.
When Madan and Serrai were given their choice by the Fates, they didn’t get to read the fine print. Now, their afterlife is not quite what they expected. They’ve been in the Shadow Realm three years. The details are teased out as the reader is thrown into the action. There are so many interesting ideas here that could be explored, but are presented like tapas. I wouldn’t mind dinner.
Given a dangerous task by Grace, the youngest Fate, Madan and Serrai each have their own part to complete. The alternating POV help us understand each characters thoughts and motivations as well as building the tension. While Serrai holds the veil open, Madan has to find the Shades who have escaped. This reminded me of a medieval, pagan, fantasy version of that tv show named Brimstone with Peter Horton, only Madan only has to find 4 Shades and not 113 souls. Once again, I enjoyed that epic high fantasy feel, in a short story. Normally I don’t like so much of a book being in the characters’ (or the author’s) heads with little dialog–here it is essential as most of the battles they face are psychological. The Fates also like to mess with them and have their own agenda. Again, it comes down to the love they have for each other and the author shows that well in a way that makes me root for them. I can’t wait for the next adventure. I also wouldn’t mind other adventures as the world building continues. These could easily be keep as short stories set in different realms/time periods, or interwoven between the living and the dead as novels.
The cover art is by Emma Griffin and fits in with the series, put looks more spooky than the cover of the first book, which is fitting.