The strongest thing this book has going for it is the concept, which I liked. The main character Phantist is a Shadewright, which means he can touch shadows and animate them into shapes and stories. His goal is to be a master artist like his idol, Lasander. There aren’t very many fantasy books where the main character just wants to be an artist.
My main problem with this book is that it doesn’t seem to go anywhere. It sets up the scene and the characters and describes Phantist’s childhood. There is a villain, whom he has several encounters with, but nothing is resolved in the end. I know that the author is setting up for a series, but there wasn’t enough hook to keep me reading.
My other problem with this book was a scene in which the villain skins a cat and hangs a little girl. Being both fond of cats and little girls, it really bothered me and I almost stopped reading. So sections of the book were not enjoyable to read.
This eBook is currently 99 cents.
Sami Reviews! 