Knightshade: Shadow Scourge

It was so terrifying but so satisfying at the same time. The story started off with Quinn staying at Dogan Isle, far away from his home and still trying to learn how to control his inner demon. The story explores more of Quinn’s battle with his inner demon, and the origin story of the Shrouded Woman. There is more depth to this story which makes this an even better upgrade from the first one. I loved the first one, but this one have a lot more to tell.

It was a very well-plotted story, and there was some mind-blowing plot twists that I didn’t see coming. The writing was amazing as usual, and that means the story isn’t hard or complicated to understand. I really liked the concept of shadow magic in this one. Quinn using his power every time he transformed into his shadow-self, and then the Shrouded Woman in all her shadow magic glory terrorizing Quinn’s kingdom, these two are so powerful in their own ways. The whole shadow magic battle was beautiful and haunting, it automatically made me think no one would survive it.

I loved the magic battle in this one, it was very intense from the start to the end. The non-stop actions in this book has the same level of intensity as the one in the first book, so I really liked it and seeing all the main characters in action was truly satisfying. The pacing still remain consistent, it was fast and steady, everything just straight to the point, except for the Queen of Medfyre’s part. I don’t think it was necessary to include her part in the story, the whole traitor thing felt like a filler to me but it was nice to finally meet her.

I liked how the author split the teams into three; Quinn and some of his soldiers went to find answers on how to defeat the Shrouded Woman, John and his team recruiting a group of soldiers who are willing to help them defeat the Shrouded Woman and her Suspellian army, and Henry along with his team seek help from the Queen of Medfyre. With the team split into three, there are multiple POVs where I can see Quinn’s, John’s, and Henry’s progress in trying to save Vanosia. Also, it help readers enjoy the adventure of these three heroes. Multiple POVs help readers learn more about the characters, introducing readers to new characters, and let the readers see and hear the thoughts of each characters.

I really loved seeing the hard works that Quinn, John, and Henry put into saving their kingdom. Henry is a new character, and he was so likable and has a great leadership skills. John still remain consistent, he was still loyal to Quinn and did everything he can to get Quinn back. Bart finally made an appearance—even though it was a small one—I finally get to meet his character. In the first book, he has been journaling and recording his adventures joining Quinn to other places, so it was nice to meet him and get to know a little bit about his character. Also, Ilandra is a new addition, and she has always been so helpful but seeing how easily the Shrouded Woman weakened her makes it hard for me to take her character seriously. I don’t expect Ilandra to be so powerful, but since she is a high priestess with an amazing magical abilities, I was hoping she stood a chance against the Shrouded Woman longer than what it was displayed in the story.

The Shrouded Woman whom we met for a little bit in the first book is back and she get a major appearance in this book. She wasn’t so terrifying in the first book, but in this one, she was so terrifying because of her full wrath that she unleashed on Vanosia. She was a very formidable villain. I liked that she wasn’t written as someone who can easily forgive those who hurt her and wronged her. Her deep hatred for Quinn and his family motivated her to destroy Quinn. Even after Quinn tried to make amends with her, she doesn’t accept it and still continue her attacks. She was a very cold villain, so different than any other villains.

Quinn is still the same. Despite being half-shade and half-human, he doesn’t lose himself or turn fully evil. The story explores more of the inner conflict he had with his own self. He might be able to control his shade self in this one, but I’m afraid to see what will happen to him in the next book. I wasn’t ready to see the shade side of him takes full control of his mind. He still had a hard time battling his inner demon, but he was able to control it even for a little while. I’m hoping there is a cure for him and he can be back to his human self again. I was anxious about him the whole time, I was worried he might be losing control, but glad for his pure and strong heart, because that’s what helped him defeat the shade in him. Quinn has grown quite powerful here, and his development in this book was amazing. His epic entrance when he came back was truly magnificent. He was still a great man, very humble, very selfless, and he never give up when it comes to helping save his kingdom and his people. No wonder he is the best hero and the best protagonist of the Knightshade series.

Eloise…the most sweetest character and is a fierce heroine, I loved her character. She has been so helpful too, and she had a major role in this book. I truly appreciate what she did in order to help Quinn and everyone who defended Vanosia from the enemies. There wasn’t a clear information or explanation about her magical power and from where it came from. It was hinted by Ilandra that Eloise’s power is far different from the Shrouded Woman’s power, and it was one that she never seen before. So that alone made me curious about her power and its origin. She was surprisingly so powerful than any characters in the story, and her heroic act at the end there caught me off guard. I can’t wait to see more of Eloise exploring her power and learning about its origin. Eloise is a fierce young woman, she was so tough despite the torture she had to go through, she never lose hope or give up so easily, she has a strong mind and a pure heart. I was happy that she get the development she deserved, and seeing her used her intelligence just show how smart she can be. I can’t wait to see more of her in the next installment and what she can do with her abilities. I’m hoping her power won’t make her evil.

As usual, the romance was a side focus but it was still playing an important part. Quinn and Eloise’s reunion scene melt my heart, I was happily crying seeing the two of them together again. I was glad that Quinn and Eloise stay loyal to each other, and that there is no third person in the picture. These two deserve to rule Vanosia together. They were so compatible and so strong together, and both proved to have all the skills of a leader. There are some things they need to work out on, I want to see Eloise help Quinn fighting his inner demon because he really need it. All the forces that try to separate them failed to do so, and I’m glad that it failed, I don’t think I can take another heartbreak of seeing them far apart from one another. Their romance was sweet and so beautiful. I loved the connection they shared, and I loved their strong chemistry. I need to see more of this strong couple ruling their kingdom and being the greatest leaders they were born to be.

The whole story was so satisfyingly beautiful, and it was very brilliant. The plot, the storyline, the characters, the romance, the whole thing was very enjoyable. I didn’t expect it to remain consistently good, but most importantly I was happy it turns out to be so much better. The little glimpse of the new enemy already stressed me out, I’m nervous to see what will happen to everyone next, but also looking forward to see which direction the author will go for for the next book.