IN THE SHADOWS OF THE LIGHT Book Review

In the Shadows of the Light (book 1 in the In Dark and Light series) by Elvira Groenendijk, eBook, 309 pages

Synopsis from Goodreads: Thousands of years ago, a powerful sorcerer named Merva created a magic stone of sinister energy while attempting to extract the darkness surrounding him. A catastrophe unfolded that not only resulted in the stone’s magic becoming too powerful and deadly but also in the creation of a dark and powerful entity. Determined to restore the balance, he created the Core Stone and brought equilibrium back to the world, but the secrets of its creation were lost to time. Now, the Core Stone is stolen and destroyed, the elven city of Ollnahone slowly becomes poisoned with malevolent magic, and the realm is in danger once more.

Born and raised in the city, the elf Valira has watched her homeland slowly wither away. Desperate, her people decide that they must divide into one group that stays to defend the city, one that seeks knowledge in the mountains, and one that moves to the safety of the caves. But these caves are more than a sanctuary. Here, Valira discovers secrets hidden deep within that could change the fate of the realm. Transformed by this discovery, she follows in the long-lost footsteps of Merva to rescue her realm from drowning in the darkness. Though she can lean on some of the odd creatures and scraps of forgotten knowledge Merva left scattered in the realm, Valira must overcome her own darkness within her to restore the balance of the light.

In the Shadows of the Light is a richly imagined and dramatic YA fantasy adventure about balance, inheritance, and courage, where the fate of the world rests not with kings or heroes, but with one girl brave enough to step into the dark and keep going. Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone, Graceling, The Bone Witch, and An Ember in the Ashes.

BOOK REVIEW: I really enjoyed this book. There was something that felt epic and comforting at the same time. Does that even make sense. The land of Nyallore has been crafted beautifully. The author has created vibrant scenes and colorful characters, good and bad, and has the great beginnings to a series. One thing not noted in the synopsis is that we kind of bounce back and forth between following Valira and her friend Trinor and in the beginning a little bit of Valira's brother Andor. It's not really bouncing around in the narrative but we're following those characters. Andor following the bad guy, Valira to the caves, and Trinor to the mountains. Just like all epic tales, each of these characters has their own journey and seeing how the author aligns their stories together is wonderful.

I think the mystical, magical feel of the overall story and world is my favorite part of this story (and I mean did you see the cover...GORGEOUS). We have elves, trolls, bridge walkers, magic, light, dark, all the things. It reminds me a little of Bridge to Terabithia after they cross over the river on the rope swing. That feels so nostalgic to me and is everything that I want to feel in a YA fantasy.

Overall I give this a 4.5 star (rounded up to 5). The only thing that knocked it down a little was the poetry. Do not get me wrong. I loved the poems that the author wrote and included in this book. It could just be a me thing but I didn't quite understand how they were supposed to help the story. It didn't seem to me that they contained clues or were riddles and maybe could have been spread throughout the book instead of where they were placed. Like I said, the world the author has created is wonderful. The characters are fantastic. I believe this is the author's debut novel and she has done a great job! As of 3.14.26 the book is part of the KU member library and is available in paperback and hardback as well!

4.5/5 Stars

2026 Reading Challenge: 13/55 complete