Without a Shadow

by H. J. Reynolds Narrated by Abigail Reno

Overview

You can only teach your shadow one trick . . .

Adlai Bringer remembers going to the desert market with her father: The colorful tents, the wink of gold, and her father's shadow, black as night, as it moved of its own accord and stole whatever trinket she wanted. He called it the Shadow Game.

After her father disappears, Adlai keeps going back to the market determined to find some trace of him and stealing what she can with her shadow. Until one day she picks the wrong mark-someone who knows her little trick and tries to take her shadow for himself.

Everything Adlai thought she knew about her shadow is turned upside down, and her father's disappearance takes on a new light as she's forced to flee the city or risk being hunted. From the desert to the Shadow World to even more unlikely places, Adlai knows one thing for certain: her shadow is a gift worth killing for.

For readers who enjoy Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, We Hunt the Flames by Hafsah Faizal, The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty and Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Adlai uses her shadow to steal—but it’s never occurred to her that someone would try to steal her shadow . . . The mythology and lore of shadow powers are well developed and convincing. The classic magical orphan story gets a refreshing twist.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Without a Shadow is without a doubt a fast-paced, engaging and compelling debut fantasy novel.” —Maria V. Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of The Study of Poisons

“H. J. Reynolds’s debut novel is a brilliant work that will leave you reeling and thirsting for more.” —E. M. Leander, author of Wren and the Tarnished Tiger

Kirkus Reviews

2024-01-19
Adlai uses her shadow to steal—but it’s never occurred to her that someone would try to steal her shadow.

Adlai Bringer has a secret talent: Her father taught her the Shadow Game, in which her shadow sneaks away to steal trinkets from the vendors at the desert market. Once she sells enough of her stolen goods, she’ll be able to leave the orphanage that’s been her home since her father died. One day, Adlai’s shadow picks the wrong mark, and the owner of the unusual pocket watch she tried to steal stabs her, killing her and taking away part of her shadow. But Adlai learns that shadow wielders like herself don’t always stay dead. Resurrecting herself and running away into the desert, Adlai questions everything her father taught her about using her shadow. If she can steal and cheat death, what other powers does she possess? The story unfolds in the kingdom of Zodian, where people are diverse in skin tone; golden-haired Adlai reads white. Adlai is a sympathetic protagonist who grows wiser as she follows her path to greater power. While the pacing is uneven, Reynolds uses the slower middle portion of the story to unravel the complex magical system that underlies shadow-wielding. The mythology and lore of shadow powers are well developed and convincing.

The classic magical orphan story gets a refreshing twist. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160204277
Publisher:	CamCat Publishing
Publication date:	04/09/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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