Review: Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye

Ten years after the Blood Rift Rebellion devastated Kichona, Sora and Daemon, newly graduated taigas (magical warriors), receive their first mission — to survey the area around the village of Tanoshi. While there they discover a mysterious encampment and its familiar leader. A magic (ryu) stronger than any the taigas have seen before controls the camp’s inhabitants. Sora and Daemon overhear the leaders plans to murder Empress Aki and race to warn the Council. When the Council don’t believe them Sora and Daemon are forced to return to the camp and face the new enemy themselves.

Blending elements of Japanese and European folklore, Skye brings us a familiar and rounded civilisation in Kichona. Each chapter alternates between young and old characters, giving us a wide view of the world. At times this distracts from the story and flattens the pacing, especially when a character’s viewpoint only appears two or three times, and the reader is left wondering what their purpose is. The use of magic veers between being straight forward spells (taiga magic) and manipulating the environment (ryo magic), accentuating the differences between the two groups of fighters and making the eventual confrontation feel a little one sided. Though, as this is book one in the series this is undoubtedly deliberate. This is a story of love, loyalty and revenge and it is the conflict in the main characters that drives it forward, leaving us wanting to discover more about them as they discover themselves. 

Patricia Hayes