The Shadow Path by Elizabeth Hunter is live!
A romantic fantasy adventure with great characters, action and intrigue in an all-encompassing magical world, Elizabeth Hunter has once again transported me with her writing and her imagination, and I loved this read.
Amazon | Amazon Worldwide | Elizabeth’s Store | Hardcover
Includes a signed copy with printed edges, a premium custom sticker, bookmark, and sticky notes.
Blurb
Carys Morgan is torn between two worlds.
One bright. The other shadow.
One familiar. The other filled with magic.
In one life, Carys is an assistant mythology professor in Northern California. In the Shadowlands, she’s a dragon rider with close ties to royals, fae, and powerful magic wielders. It’s not just differing worlds that Carys must navigate, but the love of two very different men who wear the same beloved face.
When the Anglian king dies, Carys returns to the Shadowlands where a brittle peace accord is threatening to crumble. As war looms and old gods begin to wake, Carys will have to choose between the two men vying for her heart, and the two worlds that promise very different destinies.
Dragons, fae, and a fantasy world that is at once familiar and entirely unique— USA Today Bestselling Author Elizabeth Hunter is a master at her craft, unspooling complex worlds and characters into an addictive page-turner that you won’t be able to put down!
Review
4 stars
A romantic fantasy adventure with great characters, action and intrigue in an all-encompassing magical world, Elizabeth Hunter has once again transported me with her writing and her imagination, and I loved this read.
This is the second book in the Shadowlands series, and is a direct follow on from First Light, continuing the storyline with not a lot of background given. This book is definitely not a standalone, and if it’s been a while since you’ve read the first book, a reread may be in order. And beware spoilers below for the first book.
It’s been six months since Carys returned from the portal realm of the Shadowlands to her life in the US. She’s adjusting to her new normal with her bonded dragon shifter by her side, when she receives news of the death of one of the Shadowlands kings, and for diplomatic reasons she needs to return. With her trusty band of friends and allies, Carys is once again transported to the magical Shadowlands where she is a considered part of a noble family, and where she holds mysterious powers. But she’s thrown into simmering tensions between the different factions of the Shadowlands, with ancient magical powers awakening and the fae continuing their dangerous plotting.
We’re thrown right back into the thick of things, reuniting with characters from the first book, and meeting a fabulous bunch of new ones. It’s a complex and twisty story, and I admit I found myself a bit lost even though I had only recently finished the first book. But I enjoyed getting sucked into this world, and as I kept reading, things became clearer. There are new developments and twists to the story, and though it was a slow start, the second half of the book had me madly flipping pages. Though she is torn between her two worlds, Carys plants herself right in the middle of the action and those final few chapters were a whirlwind of excitement!
And in the middle of it all is a gorgeous romance.
“It would be so easy to fall into this … to fall into you. I’m not even going to pretend it wouldn’t be.”
“You think I wouldn’t catch you?”
“I know you would.”
Though it’s in the background of everything else that is going on, Carys’ return to the Shadowlands sees her thrust back into the middle of a love triangle with her ex-lover Lachlan and burly Scotsman, Duncan. There’s no real surprise where that particular storyline is going, and though there were moments that hurt as Carys makes her choice, I was excited for the progression of the love story, feeling the chemistry and the sense of anticipation as it all unfolded.
“If you trusted me to hold you while you slept, it would be the greatest honor of my life.”
“The man I want to be is the one at your side, Carys Morgan. The one you call when you’re hurt or lonely or just need to vent. The man who helps you fight your battles and fucking…washes your socks if that’s what you need. I just want to be with you. I just want to be yours.”
Oh swoon!
I’m so intrigued by the direction of the story and after yet another big twist and the cliffhanger ending, I can’t wait for the release of the next book this coming winter so see what happens next.
A sometimes complicated, but well developed and all-consuming story, I loved this one.
4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
Shadowlands
First Light (#1)
Review
Buy: Amazon
The Shadow Path (#2)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Broken Veil (#3)
To be released Winter 2025
About Elizabeth Hunter
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in Central California, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over thirty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads