Shadow

Anne Logston
Mundania Press (1991, 2005)
ISBN 159426161X
Reviewed by Susan Pettrone for Reader Views (8/06)

Shadow, trouble in the form of an elf, a thief and a woman, returns to her homeland after being absent for a few centuries.  But things are not as she left them.  A human city has appeared nearby the woods and within the city, humans and elves struggle daily to co-exist.  When Shadow returns, she immediately discovers there is more wrong with the city than first meets the eye. 

Instead of a calm, average city, Allanmere is a strange place, filled with surprises and danger for this wily elf.  Even the “token” she expected to purchase from the Guild is odd.  Instead of one token which covers all, she discovers there are three separate tokens a thief can choose from - copper, silver and gold - and instead of the Guild protecting its members, it routinely turns its back on those who are in need.  Being a master thief, Shadow purchases her gold token, but not after she has an encounter with Ganrom the local Guildmaster, an encounter she soon regrets.

It is this encounter that sets the stage for more trouble than Shadow ever expected.  And in fact, Shadow’s travels throughout the city become even more interesting when she learns a silver bracelet she has acquired attracts more than its usual share of attention from many, including an assassin who seems determined to kill Shadow.  Early on, Shadow is deeply embroiled not only in the day to day trials of a thief, but in a fight for her life as well.  She finds a long lost friend in Donya, the High Lord’s daughter with whom she has a previous history, as well as Cris and Aubry, two fellow thieves who prove to be more help than she ever imagined when the final encounter with Ganrom occurs. 

"Shadow" was very different from the type of books I usually read and I was hesitant at first as to whether I’d find it to my liking.  But by the second chapter, I was drawn into the mysterious Shadow and her lifestyle and by the end of the book I was so involved in Shadow’s life, that I found myself wanting to know more about this magical elf.

"Shadow" is a fantastical adventure that is sure to mesmerize any young reader who is interested in fantasy and lore.  It is filled with interesting characters, engaging dialogue and a storyline that keep the reader wanting more.  I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a story that is “out of the norm” or simply “out of this world”.  For like its main character Shadow, this book promises, and delivers, a new adventure around every corner.

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