I was always fascinated by stories of creatures roaming the woods, snatching unsuspecting victims, luring you in until it's too late. But we often hear stories of such creatures from the points of view of the humans that interact with them, rather than from the perspective of the creatures themselves. What are their lives like? What does the world look like from their eyes? Well, this book is answers those questions perfectly for us. Let's dive right in.
Ahraia is a shade, a creature of darkness, living in the deep woods and venturing forth only when it's dark out, as any light stronger than soft moonlight is harmful to her kind. Her kind are bound to certain animals, whom they call their shadows. The shades and shadows have a strong bond, working as constant companions until the day they are separated and the shade becomes a sprite. Ahraia is a rare shade whose shadow is a wolf, Losna, which means she will one day stand in a place of leadership among her people. But becoming a sprite is an alarming thing for her as the time draws neigh. The more she learns, the more Ahraia realizes what it means to be a sprite...and that she wants no part in it.
One thing I noticed pretty quickly about this book was that the world building had a lot of thought and effort put into it. The set up of these creatures and their way of life is really in-depth and impressive. The idea of binding with all living things and bending them to your will, either to make use of them or lure them into a false sense of security, was a very interesting idea. I speaks to how people are lured in by creatures of the dark, even if they know better. While this story doesn't take place in our world (we don't have three moons as far as I know of), it can still be related to in folklore the world over. I really appreciated that about this book.
At the heart of the story, the core idea is Ahraia and facing who she is and what she's told to be. She has to be malicious and use her gifts to kill or manipulate, but doing so is very difficult for her. However, losing is not an option, and so the major conflict is in how she can be free of her obligations and avoid becoming something she doesn't want. I was a little worried when they kept talking about how special she was, fearing the story would turn into a "girl starts revolution" type of thing, but it stays pretty self-contained. Ahraia's journey is a deeply personal one and, while it does involve facing against figures of authority and besting them, it never gets to complicated. It's about Ahraia wanting to be free to be who she wants to be, and her bond with Losna help her realize that. The story is kept to one of personal discovery and fighting to be true to yourself, which I think a lot of people will like.
While the story was interesting, I did feel kind of exhausting at times. So much happens and the pace moves so fast that I felt like I'd read fourteen pages when I'd only read about five. As such, I'd read and read and felt like I hadn't moved much. Thankfully, it's not just constant action and does take time to slow down and catch its breath, which the story needed. It's nitpicking at it's utmost, but that's what I'm here for, right? But the story was interesting, the villains properly despicable, and the overall journey was well told. The story is definitely open-ended and if another book comes out, I'd be happy to pick it up.
Final Verdict
Great world building, imagery, and an interesting story that I actually really enjoyed. Most fantasy fans will be happy with this one, I'm sure and, if it sounds like your cup of tea, then I'd say it's worth your money at your local bookstore!
Have you read the book? What did you think? Comment below and share your thoughts. Please make sure to Follow Midnight Readings for instant updates. Have a book you'd like me to read or would like to make a recommendation? Contact me on goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/65448711-michelle-beer
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Powerless-Shelley-Miller/dp/1543482546/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519062043&sr=8-1&keywords=powerless+by+shelley+miller
Xlibris: https://www.xlibris.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001175242
Next Time: It's up to her to decide the future...so you'd think people would respond to her a bit better....
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