Reviewed: August 6th, 2023
Released: January 12th, 2023
Genre: Science Fiction
Princesses are born to defend their people.
Being the best Imperial Air Force cadet, spending time with her friends and maybe meeting a cute boy is all Princess Astrid Zainab Korsning better known as Izzy wants.
If only Yanar, her country, was not at war with Petra.
If only she wasn’t forced to become regent while her mother was fighting on the front lines.
If only she had not come face to face with the unknown enemies while investigating signs of infiltration on earth by dark forces.
If only she was not in danger of falling in love with the wrong boy during her first trip to London.
Princesses are born to die for their people
The kingdom of Petra: once upon a time the best place in the galaxy for art, literature and music. That was until the war against The Alliance, a federation of planets led by the Yan empire.
Their last hope for victory, travelling to a planet of savages named Earth and attacking from the inside, their most powerful country, Yanar.
The Hendus: survivors of a dead world, desperate for a new home.
Their last hope for survival, finalising the colonisation of Earth from the shadows which they started 200 years ago.
The Backhand : Marginalised group of nature lovers, forbidden from practicing their religion by Yanar.
Their last hope for revenge, the alienation of the Members of the Tens, Yanar’s aristocracy and the imperial family.
Petra, Hendu and The Backhand agree, the empire must fall.
And it starts with the death of a 17-year-old princess. The only problem, Izzy is not just a princess, she is also an Omni, a human who possesses five supernatural powers.
Helen’s thoughts: 4/5
A good start to this coming of age science fiction adventure, following the charismatic Izzy on her journey. There is plenty of worldbuilding at the beginning, introducing the various antagonists in the story and the multiple worlds and cultures all about to go to war, so there is a lot of information to rationalise which makes it a little slow to start, but that is not unusual in such a complex universe. And wow, does this author manage a complex universe of cultures and characters.
It’s nice to see a character battling her inner demons to overcome her anxiety and succeeding. Izzy may be the Yerima but she is also a young girl trying to fit in and make friends.
There are elements that could be improved to help make this story great. A little less telling, we want to experience what Izzy is going through, and see how she overcomes her obstacles instead of being told she did it. But with that being said, an amazing adventure, an enjoyable read, and Izzy was a standout character for me.
Purchase Too Many Shadows, Not enough Light via Amazon
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or the Romantic Fantasy SoulMist series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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