Shadowfell ~ 4.5 stars (guest review)

Guest post by jayden robyn.

     Shadowfell is the first in a trilogy for young adults by respected fantasy author Juliet Marillier. It is set in Alban, a world not unlike a fantastical Scotland, and follows the story of a sixteen-year-old girl named Neryn.

     Neryn has been on the run for the last three years of her life, because of a secret she holds: Neryn can call the Good Folk, fairy-like creatures that inhabit Alban. A Caller is born only once a generation, if even that often. If Neryn’s magical ability is revealed, she will be captured and sent to the cruel King Keldec, and she will be forced to do his bidding.

     Alone and wary, Neryn is searching for a place called Shadowfell, rumored to be the hideaway of the rebels who seek to bring down Keldec’s rule. With help from the Good Folk and a mysterious stranger, Neryn journeys to find Shadowfell, which she worries may just be a rumor.

     Marillier’s writing is lyrical, and her characters are well-written and multi-dimensional. Neryn is a likable heroine; she is tough, and despite going through tragedies at a too-young age, she stills retains a kind heart. Neryn is not your typical heroine—she has no fighting ability, rather slipping away into the woods whenever danger approaches. While this starts to become a bit of a problem for me in the second installment, I liked this aspect of Neryn in this book.

     Flint, the troubled anti-hero of the trilogy, is very well-written and likable. While he struggles with the double life he leads, he is kind to Neryn and respects her. The romance that develops between these two is clean, as well as slow burning, a relief from the cases of instant-love that appears in many books today.

     There were several very likable characters among the Good Folk, and although they talk in thick Scottish brogues, I found them easy to understand for the most part. In fact, several of the Good Folk were probably my favorite characters out of the entire book.

     The story, your traditional quest tale, is slow-paced, but it never really dragged despite its 410 pages. Marillier manages to balance Neryn’s book-long journey with meetings with the Good Folk, close encounters with Enforcers, the men who do the king’s bidding, and finally, meeting the rebels of Shadowfell. Despite its dark moments, Marillier keeps a beam of hope shining throughout the story. The ending is not a cliffhanger, rather wrapping up the story of book one while still leaving more to be discovered in the second book. There was only one small instance in the book that I think would probably not be age appropriate for some under 14—however, the particular moment was not presented crudely.

     Shadowfell is my favorite book by Juliet Marillier, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good fantasy read—I’m not sure that it would appeal to those who aren’t into fantasy.

Link to author/Shadowfell website: http://www.julietmarillier.com/books/shadowfell.html