Shadows and Light Make Magic Together in this New Romantasy
All the Sacrifice of Shadows
Starstorm Series, Book 2
Folklore, Romantic Fantasy, Fantasy Romance
Bohosoul Press
November 13, 2024
Ebook, Paperback, Hardcover
390
She was a storm of violent sunbeams and catastrophic rainbows.
Marrying for love was never in the stars for Creslyn, as evidenced by her future husband. Drake is calculating, cruel, and wields a blade of death. By all rights, he should be terrifying. But something about him draws her in, his shadows call to the darkness she keeps locked away inside of her. She isn't foolish enough to expect love from a marriage contract, but when they bind their vows in blood, Creslyn does the unthinkable-she claims Drake as her mate.
He was a monster of shadow and night, of death and destruction.
Cursed since his first breath, Drake has only known power and a realm of shadows. But now he's bound to a faerie whose heart bleeds for him, and his obsession with her only grows with each passing day. Unfortunately, his world of violence puts her life at stake. Not only is he still the Shadowblade Assassin, but unrest is brewing in Aeramere, and an attack on House Celestine confirms an ill-fated prophecy. War is coming.
As Creslyn longs to find a way to break Drake's curse and struggles to embrace her own darkness, Drake will be faced with a terrible choice-one that will only end in sacrifice.
Secrets will be unearthed and their bond will be put to the test, because love might be enough for a hero, but it will never save a villain.
“I will sacrifice all of my shadows, my soul, all of it, for you.”
Hillary Raymer’s All the Sacrifice of Shadows is the second book in the Starstorm Series. While a reader could hop right into this book and start here, I’d recommend reading it after the first book, All the Chaos of Constellations. In anticipation of reviewing an advanced copy of All the Sacrifice of Shadows, I did just that.
I am now hooked on the Starstorm Series. Let me tell you why.
Bridgerton meets high fantasy: The stories take place in the land of Aeramere, a kingdom of aristocratic houses and high fae lords and ladies. Each house holds their own magic. Alliances, especially those made by marriage, are of the utmost importance. The first two books center on House Celestine, where the eight Starstorm brothers and sisters reside. Each book follows a different sibling and, based on how All the Sacrifice of Shadows ends, there are more stories to come. Raymer does an amazing job writing just enough of another sibling’s story into the current one so that the reader is ready to click “preorder” on that next volume (I mean, I know I am!).
Breathtaking worlds: Raymer has a gift for showing the reader the world of Aeramere and, in All the Sacrifice of Shadows, the kingdom of Brackroth in a way that draws you right into the story. I could feel myself in the moonstone halls of House Celestine, in the muddy Trench as Creslyn trained for battle in Brackroth, or in the Fenmire Bogs while Drake hunted for an all-powerful stone that can destroy worlds. Raymer’s writing is rich and descriptive. I loved getting lost in these spaces.
Shadow daddies: Drake Kalstrand may be one of my new favorite shadow-wielding MMCs. He is the Shadowblade Assassin, a terrifying force of destruction and death. There are some gruesome scenes when his full power is unleashed. Yet the tension between him and Creslyn is delicious. He learns to use his shadows in very…creative ways with her. All the Sacrifice of Shadows is one HOT book.
Powerful females: Creslyn, whose magic is literally sunshine and rainbows, begins this story as a sparkling diamond of laughter and joy. However, as Drake and Creslyn’s relationship unfolds, the sunshine and shadows intertwine. Raymer shows how Creslyn shines brighter in the midst of darkness. She is powerful and cunning. She has no problem putting the Shadowblade Assassin in his place.
“I want your heart, Drake.” She brushed her lips lightly across his, a thrum of power humming between them. Then she whispered, “And I want to wear it like a crown.”
Finally…dragons. Need I say more?
I highly recommend Hillary Raymer’s Starstorm Series and All the Sacrifice of Shadows in particular. It’s a rich romantasy laden with beauty, dissension, and some seriously shmexy scenes.
Celeste is a woman who is unwavering about certain things in life; three of those being books, cats, and cold brew coffee. If she can enjoy all three at the same time, it’s going to be a good day. Her favorite genres are fantasy or sci-fi romance, historical romance, and historical fiction but every few books she likes to mix it up with contemporary fiction, a good psychological thriller, or an inspiring memoir. She has a busy schedule working full-time for an online university but she makes sure to unwind each day with stories, either by reading to her elementary school-aged daughter or tucking herself in bed with her Kindle or the latest book she picked up at a local book store.
