They promised me that fairy tales couldn’t be real.And then a man made of illusion and dark magic came to take me away.My foster mother insisted I’d grow out of my overactive imagination. When I saw goblins dancing in the shadows on my bedroom walls, doctors armed with all the medication known to man tried their best to force the visions away. They always swore I was one more pill from being … one more pill from being normal.
And then my dreams became a waking nightmare.
The Erlking is cruel and obsessed. He wants to play a game, with the victor claiming the only prize that matters: my body and soul. I’ll have one chance to defeat him and escape this twisted dream.
Otherwise, I’ll be lost forever to his dark and seductive fantasy.
The modern retelling of a fairy tale that never existed, Stolen by Shadows is a paranormal reverse harem romance for lovers of dream-like fantasy with a darker twist. Contains adult themes and may be triggering to some readers. This is the first book in a planned trilogy.
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Stolen by Shadows (Into the Labyrinth Book 1) by Evelyn Avery is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series written by a brand new author for me to read. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy and paranormal romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is crazy good. You want to talk about messing with your head as you read this book. So when I started reading after the first chapter I was like what is going on. So you read about Izzy and how she writing a play. So you get Izzy’s background and a better understanding of her. So as you read you kind of form an opinion of Izzy. Is she crazy or is everyone around her crazy? What is real and not? Well them one night everything changes. You know the saying Perception is their reality. This book hits the nail with it. So will her friends believe her now. What will happen? Who is actually the evil one. I was at a loss for words after reading this. I love the world that I was transported to. That ending though, mind blown. I can not wait for the next book.
Evelyn Avery has done a phenomenal job! This book took three movies/stories that I adore and did a wonderful mashup! (Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and The Labyrinth).
The characters in this story are easy to love and very relatable. I look forward to the next book in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OMG I loved this book. I got this book on a recommendation of my love of the Labyrinth movie and this is a much more adult rated version take on it. I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. Now I’m totally invested in this series and bought the second and pre ordered the third. Izzy and the Erlking will take you on a journey that’s for sure. Im going to hope into book two and will have a more thorough review then but if your a huge fan of the Labyrinth and would love a darker twisted version of it. With multiple men might I add. Then one click this book you will not regret it!
Into The Labyrinth stolen by Shadows Evelyn Avery
If you love the labyrinth with David Bowie and the twisted tales of wonderland you will eat the story up quicker than a fae deal goes wrong. This book was hot dark and sexy and I can believe I have to wait until June for more so glad I read this book its addicting just like a siren song.
If you were a fan of the 80’s film Labyrinth like myself this is going to tick every one of your boxes and more.
This story is heavily influenced by that particular story which was just so fabulous and hence instantly captured my attention making this a sure thing for me to pick up.
And this has the added bonus of being the darker version for adults and just like years back I’m totally in awe of the goblin king or in this case the Erlking.
I’ve always preferred the apparent Villain over the more traditional hero anyway and I was internally squealing with delight throughout this.
So Izzy has been struggling with reality for years, her parents are deceased and she’s been In and out of mental institutions all her life fantasy and reality becoming intertwined over the years.
She’s on a cocktail of medications to keep the darkness contained but her dreams and nightmares are filled with the underground a realm very much alive in her own head and that’s also spilling over into her regular life.
It’s a fantastical world ruled over by the Erlking a supposed character from a book she’s had with her since childhood.
This dream lord desires her total submission and surrender as his ultimate goal.
As a therapeutic way of dealing with her demons Izzy pens a screenplay that will, unfortunately, summon forth everything that she has been unknowingly running and hiding from her forgotten and mysterious past.
Her nightmares then become reality and to escape she will have to embrace the darkness inside striking a deal with the Erlking himself and entering his labyrinth.
13 hours is the time she’s been granted to save her friends Chloe and Vaughn from there fate.
So this is the first book in the series and its slow-burn reverse-harem.
This one really just sets the stage for what’s to come answering questions and introducing it all and the world-building here is truly fabulous and this is an imaginative and intriguing start to the series.
We are also introduced to Puck and Tamlin and I’m assuming that they are going to play a big part of this going forward.
I’m also not quite sure where Vaughn fits into the mix yet but it’s obvious he really cares for Izzy so I’m intrigued with him being completely human and all but If I’m honest I’m more interested in Puck, Tamlin and mostly the Erlking himself, they’re the ones I want to see with Izzy and sorry Vaughn just don’t compare here.
Still, I’m very much looking forward to seeing where this one goes next and I will definitely be continuing on with this.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Stolen By The Shadows (Into The Labyrinth #1).
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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I didn’t really see the movie as alot of people did lol but Dayum was this book good! It has some twist and turns you didn’t expect and it has your mind trying to understand if you’ll know what’s about to happen but then boom something so much different and better comes!! I loved it and it really does play with the perceptive part and you start to think who really is evil or crazy and that cliffy wow!! I can’t wait for book 2
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While its story does run parallel to the Labyrinth movie, its differences are enough go keep you enthralled and wanting to read more, especially as you get farther in the book. It’s also slightly darker in a different fashion and definitely more erotically charged.
Izzy has spent the majority of her life, that she can remember, being medically treated in one form or another for believing in things that can’t possibly exist… As a coping mechanism, she channels all these dreams and beliefs into her art, one form of which is writing plays. One disastrous night, the right words from her play are read at the wrong time to prove that maybe Izzy isn’t as crazy as she thought…After striking a deal with the Goblin King (Erlking), Izzy is set on a quest through the labarynth to rescue her friends– which forces her to face her deepest fears and desires as well as confront long lost memories. In the end, her actions will not only determine the fate of friends both old and new, but of the very world she finds herself in…
I’m very much looking forward to the next installment.
Seriously this book was so freaking good! If you are looking for something different look no further! Avery knocked this out of the park the way she worked these stories together was incredible and the time and effort she put into flawlessly seaming these characters together is truly amazing! If you haven’t read this yet what are y’all waiting for!
Alluring and unique. I thoroughly enjoyed and loved this twist! I never thought I’d come across a story about the Erlking and I’m glad I did!!! Thank you for this awesomeness!
This is a slow burn rh that is set in a crossover between our reality and the Fae Underground. The world building is excellent and the set up for the plot line is thorough and unique. The characters are believable and compelling. The story is full of haunting scenes and page-turning action. As the beginning of a series is does an excellent job of setting the reader up for more. It ends on a cliffhanger, so beware. This is definitely going to be on my pre-order list.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
ONE ACTION PACKED HARD HITTER!!!
Slam baby! Evelyn brought it with this brilliantly composed spin, laying out this hard hitting, pulse racing, heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, page flipping bombshell, wrapping this bad boy up sleek, shiny and tight. Vexing mishaps and unsettling happenstance, thrusts those churning emotions into play, rocking this baby from start to finish. A whirlwind of horrendous trials and arduous tribulations, exposing the shocking twists and wicked turns, putting our characters through their paces. Sparks fly as perilous drama, mystifying intrigue, chilling danger and electrifying suspense along with nerve racking situations and a boatload of trouble while dodging calamity, you have one block busting experience. Anarchy, escapades and havoc run amuck, kicking this bad boy into a raging tempest, blasting it into a tailspin with a mind-blowing culmination. The characters, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, transforming into genuinely approachable personalities. The scenes are written with such realism, impressive talent and unique insight, blasts this sparkling jewel to life, making the storyline pop. Awesome job Evelyn, thanks for sharing this little treasure with us.
Stolen By Shadows is the debut book from Evelyn Avery as well the first in her Into The Labyrinth Series. By goodness it’s great! The world Everly draws you into is detailed and well considered, her characters are dimensional and the action keeps you turning the pages. Really enjoyable read, written very well.
Izzy had known her entire life she was certifiably insane .. she took the meds and had been “getting help” for as long as she could remember .. going to college, joining the theater program and becoming a playwright had helped focus her mind .. until the world, once again, came crashing down and Izzy was thrown into the imaginings she’d been telling herself couldn’t possibly be real
Oh. My. GOSH!
Stolen by Shadows has literally blown me away! Evelyn Avery managed to take all our favorite aspects from Alice in Wonderland, The Labyrinth, and Wizard of Oz and put them into one single amazing book. Fantasy reverse harem lovers, this book is everything you never knew you needed and MORE! I’m literally gobsmacked by the way this all came together to create such an entrancing world and story.
The characters are phenomenal and I particularly loved Izzy and Chloe’s relationship. Normally in reverse harem it’s common for the FMC to have no female friends that care about them, so this was rather refreshing and truly made Stolen by Shadows stand out even more to me than other fantasy reverse harem books.
If I don’t get book two soon I may cry, haha! This is definitely a must read rec for me…. just keep your hands off of Puck. He’s taken!
An amazing job this author did with this story. I was completely hooked from start to finish and really enjoying the characters a lot. I just couldn’t seem to get enough of this and seriously it was so good
I loved this book and it had me reading continuously from the beginning. Izzys story was very interesting. I love the focus on mental stability. I can’t wait to read the next story.
This is book 1 of Into the Labyrinth series. I loved this book. I loved the storyline and found it very well written. The characters are well developed and well written also. I’m looking forward to reading the next book and would definitely recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Picture The Labyrinth, Alice and Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz. Now imagine if they all came together and had a baby. This is that baby.
This was such a wonderful start to a series! The world building and detail in this book is fantastic as well as the background stories for each of the characters. Avery carefully and beautifully linked her characters in a way that makes you look forward to seeing how their connections develop even more as the series progresses. Will they deepen, change course, or completely derail us when we see what finally happens?
The main character, Izzy, is one of my favorites. She once lived a life where she never knew her place, was always the outcast and never felt at home, but in this realm she truly blossomed. I love how her whole demeanor changed once she entered the Erlking’s Realm. It’s just like everything in her shifted and clicked into place. I look forward to seeing her open up a bit more and be able to feel loved for who she is and all that she is capable of. Definitely looking forward to this series. I know it is going to be phenomenal!!
This book was very good. There were some parts that I felt like were a bit rushed. But overall the book was a very good read.