NA fantasy romance for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Holly Black.Sometimes the land chooses for you… back.
Tavarra’s deepest desire was always to be human. By the time she was granted her one true wish, the journey had already claimed those she cared about, including Perin. Alone and on the brink of forgetting how to truly live, she searches for new purpose.
When Perin finds Tavarra, it gives them both the strength they need. Despite the unpredictability of him being the monster this time, Tavarra chooses to help break Perin’s curse by journeying with him to retrieve an enchanted liquid for the Stone of Desire. Tied by fate, a sizzling attraction to one another, and loneliness, they must cross the sea into a deadly part of Laith, and find the liquid, before Perin’s increasing hunger overtakes him.
Perfect for fans of Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas. This final NA book in the Cruel Curses series comes full circle with twists and turns, spicy second chance romance, and heart-stopping action in an epic fae world.
*Includes a bonus short story featuring Brenik from Clouded By Envy
more
Shadowed By Despair is the third book in the Laith series written by Candace Robinson. I previously read and reviewed the earlier two books, both taking place in an intriguing young adult and fantasy realm. The book is due to launch on May 19th of 2020, and I was lucky enough to get an early copy from the publisher. Since I really enjoyed the first two, I definitely needed to finish this trilogy. Before you keep reading, note… there might be a spoiler about earlier books, so be careful. You’ve been warned!
Curious by temptation? Frightened by the power something might have over you? What if you’ve died, and it broke our heart in a previous book? Can we recover? Possibly… but only if you’ve come back to life in a peculiar way. What exactly happened to Perin? And how will Tavarra, our resident warrior queen who fell for him after losing her precious friend in a vicious killing, handle it? These two have a bit of a torrid fling going on, yet they can’t help letting their independent streaks get in the way. Will love conquer all, or will the pain of the past and the new lives within them hurt their chances?
Robinson knows how to capitalize on imagination and build panic. I had moments where Tavarra was in near-danger, and I couldn’t tell whether or not she would let her own beast come to the surface or learn from past mistakes. When she meets a stranger, from a species whom normally she should fear and kill, things take a bit of a change… simultaneously, Perin is on his quest to figure out how he is still alive. I love the back and forth scenes, and when these two come together again, it’s powerful. I must admit, I do miss my little bats tho…
I’m sad the trilogy has ended, but I love Robinson’s writing style. I’ve read both of her current series, and she has a new one starting up this fall. I look forward to taking that one on too. Hope you take a chance on this author, lots of great moments to really draw you into the story.
This is a wonderful dark fantasy romance! Really liked it! Lots of adventure, danger and drama..
“Shadowed by Despair” is already the third installment in the “Laith” series by Candace Robinson, a Fae fantasy series, which began very strong and keeps getting even better with each new installment.
“Shadowed by Despair” continues to tell Tavarra’s story after her most desired wish finally granted (Book 2 ‘Veiled by Desire’). But in Candance Robinson Fae world, granted wishes do not always equal to happily ever afters, Laith is not a children fairytale land, in Laith actions have consequences, and in “Shadowed by Despair” Tavarra has to deal with the consequences of her own action, before the curse was finally lifted. Perin was one of the victims of Tavarra cursed existence, but in spite of it all, he didn’t remain dead. Now Peri is alive again, haunted by a course of his own, while trying against all odd to fight the effects and save his humanity.
Perin and Tavarra unite in a journey to redemption, by finding the Stone of Desire and the cure for Perin’s curse and with it redemption for Tavarra for her own role in allowing the curse take hold of Perin in the very first place. Their quest will bring them to the more deadly lands in the realm, in a race against time to find the cure before the curse overtakes Perin forever.
The story mixes fantasy, gothic tale, Fae lore and mild horror tropes into a fantastic tale. Both main characters (Perin & Tavarra) have a wonderful chemistry, they are capable to bring the story forward by themselves (while alone in their journey to find the Stone of Destiny) while managing to give the plot a multidimensional background that allows the reader to relate with both situations. Once more Candance Robinson give us a rich and complex description of Laith and all its lands, captivating the reader with a fully developed well-crafted Fae world and a fantastic thrilling and intriguing story.
ONE NAILBITING FINALE
Flaming fritters fred! Candace hit the ground running with this tough as nails 100% on point realism, jamming to her own beat and busting a move, displaying unbelievable strength, unfathomable loyalty and cunning strategy, jetting this hot little number to new heights. A raging vortex chocked full of harsh facts, cruel tactics, ruthless lessons, brutal truths, riveting drama, gripping intrigue, spiraling danger, electrifying suspense and torturous situations converge as the deadly twists and turbulent turns unfold, reaching deep for every ounce of strength in a fierce surge of determination, secrets confessed, revelations unveiled and promises made, wrapping this gem up sleek, shiny and tight. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits add diversity, transforming into formidable personalities. The scenes are abundantly descriptive with colorful graphics and vivid details that blend and flow, creating a majestic backdrop that’s so rich and lively it feels like you can just reach out and touch it. Remarkable job Candace, thanks for sharing this little jewel with us.
Oh Perin… I begged and pleaded and prayed to my lucky stars to get more of his story, and this last book in the Laith trilogy delivered on every point! Quest, suspense, romance, it was an epic adventure story rolled into a wonderful romance. The zombie theme interwoven throughout had my jaw dropping and me flipping the pages eagerly to see what would happen. There is so much depth and growth in this story, in this entire series, that it’s soooooo worth reading!!!! Robinson’s description of the settings and world building is off the charts, and this is a great conclusion to an otherwise wonderful series! Can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the 2 other books for a full experience.
This whole series has been fun, cool, and unique! Loved each book! I’d recommend starting from the beginning of the series; well, at least with book 2 since book 1 is more like a long ago prequel. This book picks up shortly after the ending of book 2 in this series. Perin’s back, but not quite right. He’s not quite a zombie, but has zombie tendencies. Love zombies, so I’m all on board for some zombie action. Perin needs to go on a quest for the Stone of Desire in order to better his predicament of zombism. Luckily, he finds some help along the way because things will definitely not be easy. There’s plenty of dangerously creepy creatures out to attack Perin and company on their journey. Along for the journey, is Taverra, who had a moment of connection with Perin right before his “death”. Taverra is having a tough go of things with recently becoming human after her beast curse has been broken, and the deaths of her closest friend, Eza, and Perin, so she’s sort of just been wandering. Taverra is in for some surprises when she finds unlikely allies and that Perin is sort of alive. This is a totally entertaining adventure; love all the characters, and the whole premise is awesome. Robinson does a great job of creating a different type of creepy world with some super cool deadly creatures; these poor characters have to encounter lots of things that are out to get them. Engrossing read!
I love this trilogy from the Laith world. Every book is sooo good, but I have to say this one is my FAVORITE…I LOVED IT!!!!!!
Perin’s story begins so tragic. But he meets up with Tavarra and it becomes not just an awesome adventure story, but a wonderful romance!!!
Tavarra stays by Perin’s side through his journey to find his cure from being a zombie. The love Tavarra shows, staying by his side helping him with his need to feed and fighting to find the cure, it’s so moving and I was completely wrapped up in it. The world in this book is incredible, with all the creatures and challenges it holds. The book is definitely a hard one to put down, I read it in less than 24 hrs. I’m sad the Laith world series Is over, but I know the author has many more great books to come!!!!
From the first book I read by Candace Robinson I fell in love with her stories. I haven’t missed one since. She has grown so much as a writer. She’s had a gift right from book one, but that gift has truly grown and blossomed. I look forward to reading many more books by her.
Awww this was such a great ending to this series. Everything came full circle in this one, and I loved seeing Perin and Tavarra teamed up again, especially with an unexpected ally. This journey was even more challenging than the last, and the stakes were high. I absolutely loved the ending, especially that final scene. Can’t wait to binge read all three books again soon.
***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC of this book.***