They said she was out of her mind. The dark truth will shake the foundations of the fae realm… Lorelei refuses to believe her wild visions mean she’s insane. But despite her royal sidhe heritage, she’s banished to a remote priory to prevent her causing trouble. So when a priestess of the Elemental Order urges her to join a risky pilgrimage, she flees her prison and sails headlong into danger.… headlong into danger.
Traveling to an ancient land imbued with volatile magic, she chokes back her disbelief after unearthing evil sorcery that shouldn’t exist. And now that Lorelei holds the forbidden secrets, she fears it’s only a matter of time before the powerful Elphyne Empire silences her permanently. If the fae church’s ruthless assassins don’t hunt her down first…
Can Lorelei expose the sinister conspiracy before darkness falls forever?
Song of Shadow is the captivating first novel in the Ballad of Emerald and Iron epic fantasy series. If you like strong women, potent magic, and non-stop adventure, then you’ll love Natalya Capello’s enthralling tale.
Buy Song of Shadow to follow a noble fae into a battle today!
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Song of Shadow (Ballad of Emerald and Iron #1)
by Natalya Capello
I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story opens with Lorelei, who we understand is a Sidhe. She can wield magic in a specific way, unintentionally creating a complication at home owing to her magical abilities which results in her being forced to stay with nuns. As a form of punishment, this is in the hope she will change her ways. Suffering from the nightmares of her past lives, she is ultimately rejected by her family, desiring a change for her future, banishing her from their home, leaving her to join the ranks of the sisters. Lorelei desperately wishes to return to her family but when the Apostle of fire requests to speak with her explicitly, awarding her a path out of life in the nunnery, Lorelei realises she has little choice and faces adventure head on.
This is the first book in the Ballad of Emerald and Iron series. A fascinating new series full of mystery, intrigue and illusion. Natalya Capello has constructed a compelling book with exceptional personalities, notably Lorelei who becomes a strong protagonist. Full of problematic magical adventures, it keeps the reader guessing as to where it will end.
The issue I did identify was the quests encountered became a little too frequent for my taste. I listened to the audiobook version of this narrative which was fantastic but I found that it very quickly became too much to follow. There is so much information included concerning characters, names etc that I felt a little thrown in at the deep end, seeming as if I had missed something. It would surely benefit from a novella if one does not exist already. I have considered reading the printed version to see if I would have a different opinion.
The audio version is narrated by Senn Annis, who fully brought Lorelei to life, including most of the other personalities. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the block I encountered when I heard the accent of one of them; Wes.
Overall the book is a great first book to the series that has so much depth. I would just have liked more of an introductory experience. Thank you to Audiobooks Unleashed.
I rate Song of Shadow 3 out of 5 stars.
Great world building, the different aspects of magic and types of people were so intrigue. Loved discovering what each new species had the ability to do / not do. Good layout on what looks to be the start of some deep seeded political/religious intrigue that will hopefully be uncovered in the next book.
The characters always seemed to find themselves in the worse scenario possible with each scene, and then would be saved in the nick of time by someone popping in on the action that it didn’t really seem like should be there. It among other things pulled me out of the story. Might not be the same for other readers though, so worth giving a read if you love adventure, elves, and magical worlds.
Lorelei has a chance to finally clear her name and prove that she isn’t crazy to her family. She heads out with the Order on a mission, without really asking enough questions. Along the way she makes some new friends. I loved the descriptions of the different faerie, but also wish there were more details about some of them, if that makes sense. I really look forward to reading the next book, and seeing where this group heads and what they get up to.
I read (many, many) tons of fantasy novels. It’s a particular addiction of mine but I’m still very picky and only go for books where the world-building, character crafting, plot and writing are all well done. Happily, Natalya Capello’s Song of Shadow, the first book in her new Ballad of Emerald and Iron series, far exceeds that standard. It’s simply superb. Action, thrills, a sinister conspiracy, magic, thrills and adventure await, with a truly superb heroine in Lorelei and an epic-fantasy-in-the-making plot and story arc start. Total fun and, but for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed, I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
With a chance to clear her name and be part of an exciting adventure,Lorelei chooses to join Vaana on her quest for the Order.
They meet Vandameer, a prophet of house Essus, and with his help explore the temple of Muir, but their adventure is brought to a quick halt when Vaana, after touching ancing relic tablets, ends up with several gods residing within her.
Their journey takes an unexpected turn as they try to find a solution for Vaana, which also brings about questions about the Order and whether they can be trusted.
Lorelei also wishes to prove she is not mad, and uncover a secret sect bent on bringing down the Quorum.
Will she finally prove her family wrong about her being mad? Will they find a solution for the gods residing within Vaana? Will the curse of house Essus hinder their adventure?
This is a fast paced adventure fantasy novel full of action, magic, hints of romance, and an easily addictive plot that will keep you reading non-stop.
I eagerly await the sequel.
This is the first book and it starts with excitement and adventure. The Fae world was so well written and intriguing that I just flew through the pages. The story draws you in and you feel like you’re there. The characters were relatable and had depth. I enjoyed this start and look forward to seeing what happens next. Beautifully written, creative and well thought out story!
I received an arc for an honest review
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
Capello gave us a “taste” of Lorelei’s world in “Nocturne”, in “Song Of Shadow” she gives us a feast of nicely done world building. Capello did a fine job of balancing exposition and action.
Will Lorelai recover from losing her fiance to her sister?
Can she gain control of her magical talent?
Grab this book and find out for yourself!!
In the interest of transparency: I was provided a copy of this book for review. I am voluntarily sharing my own honest opinion.