Bunny's Reviews: An Incarnation of Shadow and Light Review Spotlight

“If Six of Crows and The Atlas Six had a baby” – Rozanne Visagie

Welcome to the tour for An Incarnation of Shadow and Light by S.A. Christianson. Read on for more details!

An Incarnation of Shadow and Light is a fantasy novel by S.A. Christianson. This engaging fantasy novel will gradually pull you into this story, and keep you page-turning to the very end. Packed with unexpected situations this story will be one that leaves you wanting more.

An Incarnation of Shadow and Light depicts a world of where magic is only controlled by those who are specifically gifted to have it. Those are few and far between. How do you know who they are? Their eyes. Those blessed by the sun? Well, their eyes change to the color of gold during the daytime. Those blessed by the moon? Their eyes turn pitch black with a sliver of the moon to be seen. Sounds beautiful right? In one country, they are revered and hailed as gods and treated like royalty. In a different country, they are treated as witches and evil. You can imagine what life is like there for them.

So, are you ready to meet Gabriel and Zoe? The last king and queen are gone, and now they are set to be crowned. Unfortunately, things go awry. Gabriel wishes to cling to power so that he’s never powerless again. The problem with him? He’s not exactly keen on doing the work. This will be a frustrating attribute of his character, but it serves a purpose. Zoe is more timid than him and wishes to please those around her. While that is her personality, deep in her heart, she wishes for freedom.

What neither of them expects is the power struggle that is about to come knocking on their door.

Brace yourself for flawed characters all in a quest to live their own lives the way that they want to. Their own selfish desires will cost some their lives and put them on paths that they initially had no desire to be on. Remember – “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Though of course, to be fair, only one truly has good intentions. Until a piece of bait is dangled in front of them that they can’t resist.

This book is packed with twists, turns, betrayals, surprises, and even a bit of growth from the characters. You’re going to find yourself hoping for the best for Gabriel and Zoe, but the author has other plans. Trials and tribulations lay ahead for them, and the question stands – how will it all shake out?

An Incarnation of Shadow and Light details the lives of two pairs of Moon blessed and Sun blessed. One of the highlights of this novel is the dynamics between the two pairs. They are each truly unique in how they have chosen to use their gifted abilities. They have each lead different lives than the rest. Gabriel grew up on the streets, but his life took a turn that has left him with bitter trauma. Zoe was a merchant’s daughter until her gift awakened inside of her. Then you have the two who have come to sow chaos in Verchiél.

The deeper you go into this story, prepare for lots of questions to crop up along the way. You’re going to find yourself curious about these characters and their backgrounds. Don’t worry. The author will tuck in answers in the right places that will have you digging deeper into this story.

While the characters in this story may (okay, they WILL) frustrate you they will intrigue you nonetheless. Two especially are striving to show that they are more than they appear. Gabriel is a mixed bag of a character. He just wants to have a good time and enjoy the upside of being an Incarnate. What he doesn’t want to do is take on the responsibilities of an Incarnate. This creates some tension between him and his opposite Zoe.

It’s intriguing to learn more about these characters and the special gifts that they have been given. You’ll wonder what exactly makes them so different. It all comes down to the choices that they have made throughout their lives. Two have lived the celebrated life, been the center of attention, and adored for what they are. While the others – Niklas and his sister, Silje have been forced to live the exact opposite. Too many have tried to force Niklas to be something other than what he truly is. Will the change that he’s looking to force on another country force him to change himself?

Prepare for unexpected moments throughout this story.

I’m not going to lie to you. The siblings? I absolutely hated them. LOL! It’s possible that you will, too. Or you’ll develop a better understanding of them. Niklas and Silje are absolutely unique characters. What they want is along similar lines, yet they deviate at the same time. But they aren’t alone in the realm of “chaos bringing.” You’re quickly going to learn that those you can TRULY trust? Yeah, those are few and far between.

This book though? It’s a real page-turner. The beginning will pique your interest, but the deeper you go into this story, the harder it will be to put down. So make sure you’re prepared for what’s to come, but this is one heck of a book. And! It’s this author’s debut novel! Trust me. As you read this book, you’ll hardly believe that this is the case. It’s an engaging novel, and I know you’re going to look forward to more from her in the future.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, S.A. Christianson, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to what comes next!

An Incarnation of Shadow and Light

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

Genre: NA Fantasy

Four magicians abuse their magic to gain power in a corrupt Victorian-inspired world.

In the Kingdom of Verchiél only a handful of people known as Incarnate can use magic. Equally feared and respected, they are revered as saints and indulged like gods. But the sudden deaths of Verchiél’s rulers unleashes a power struggle between four Incarnate, each seeking power to fulfill their own desires.

Gabriel, is a charismatic socialite who takes darker paths to avoid slipping back into powerlessness.

Zoe, the daughter of a disgraced merchant, is determined to carve a new path for her life.

Niklas, an exiled prince trying to escape the ghosts of his past.

Silje, an assassin who will stop at nothing until she’s seized the adoration she has always been denied.

Infighting and betrayal run rampant as each becomes worse than their problems in order to solve them.

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