From the acclaimed author of Defy, Sara B. Larson, Sisters of Shadow and Lights is a timeless and fantastical tale of sisterly love and powerful magicThe night my sister was born, the stars died and were reborn in her eyes….Zuhra and Inara have grown up in the Citadel of the Paladins, an abandoned fortress where legendary, magical warriors once lived before disappearing from the … before disappearing from the world–including their Paladin father the night Inara was born.
On that same night, a massive, magical hedge grew and imprisoned them within the citadel. Inara inherited their father’s Paladin power; her eyes glow blue and she is able to make plants grow at unbelievable rates, but she has been trapped in her own mind because of a “roar” that drowns everything else out–leaving Zuhra virtually alone with their emotionally broken human mother.
For fifteen years they have lived, trapped in the citadel, with little contact from the outside world…until the day a stranger passes through the hedge, and everything changes.
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Mysteries and secrets swirl around the magical hedge that has Zuhra and her sister, Inara, locked within. This story captures the depth of a sister bond well, also allowing for their individual growth as they strive to unravel things. The danger, adventure, tension, budding romances, and complicated relationships (especially with family) drew me right in. There is an underlying sense of urgency flowing in a current beneath the plot that sometimes left me feeling a bit anxious, but I loved the traditional fantasy elements that were showcased in a unique way.
Larson does a good job of incorporating the beliefs of two clashing worlds and the persistence and loyalties needed to merge and compromise such a skirmish. I liked the characters right from the start and enjoyed watching this new world develop throughout the pages. The magical elements were well done and although the story started out a little slow, it gained momentum as the book progressed and the culmination of events was definitely worth the wait.
Content: light innuendo, mild romance; mild violence
The night Inara was born, her father disappeared and an impenetrable magical hedge grew to surround their citadel, cutting them off from the rest of their world. For the last fifteen years this is all she and her sister, Zuhra, have known. Until one day, when a boy passes through the hedge and Zuhra starts to question everything she thought she knew. Worlds will collide as magic is sparked, truths are revealed and we learn that some bonds can never be broken.
Sisters of Shadow and Light is a rare beauty that will grip your heart and steal your breath away. I adored this book!
Mystery surrounds Zuhra and Inara. Secrets whose answers seem just out of reach for Zuhra who so desperately tries to take care of her sister, Inara, and gain the approval of her mother. Zuhra carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. I could feel her longing, isolation and her discouragement in the beginning.
After a slow start, this book gained momentum and I was pulled deeper and deeper in. By the end I was reading so fast, desperate to know what was going to happen next. It’s hard to say much without giving things away but I loved how the story expanded. It started out small and grew and grew to include more people, places and emotions. It was really good and very engaging.
My biggest complaint is where the story ended- on the edge of a cliff with me hanging off. Seriously, cliff hangers are the worst. This is a series I would rather read after the whole thing is finished because waiting another year for the next book is crazy! Ugh. So far away.
Content: peril, some mild violence, kissing
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Packed with fascinating relationships, pulse-pounding romance, and breathtaking adventure, this story held me captive to every page.
I was completely swept away with this fierce magical story of broken family, and sisters trying to survive a mysterious past. Romance, betrayal, gryphons, forbidden doorways, and devoted sisters had me flipping the pages to unravel the secrets of this dark world where no one is who they seem to be. Larson has created a spellbinding world that has all the elements I love ― magic, mystery, romance, and sisterhood! I can’t wait for more!
Larson’s bold and imaginative tale of sisterhood, magic, and monsters is a deft exploration of loneliness, family, and friendship inside a citadel hedged by lies and blood.
Two sisters grow up in an abandoned citadel that once was home to magical Paladin Warriors. For more than fifteen years they’ve been trapped behind a sentient, deadly hedge until a young man is mysteriously allowed through. Zuhra has always protected her baby sister Inara but the hope of escape and possibly love is something that burns brightly within her. Inara’s appearance brands her as half Paladin but many forget that so too is Zuhra and that’s something no one should ever overlook !
I truly enjoyed this and thought the pace was excellent. Initially it’s quiet , almost placid and allows the reader to understand the complex relationships that exist within the citadel. Then everything changes as the sisters are separated and it truly took on a vibrancy with new characters and endless possibilities. This is just the start of this series and I definitely will want to read more.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair