In the Shadow of the Sun by Em Castellan - ADVISABLE

 

In the Shadow of the Sun (In the Shadow of the Sun, #1) by Em Castellan, 340 pages. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2020. $19.  

Content: Language: PG-13 (5 swears); Mature Content: PG-13 (off page sex); Violence: PG-13 (fighting and death).  

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Henriette is 17yo and as an alliance between England and France, she has been sworn to the French king’s younger brother, Phillipe.  Henriette has magic and has hidden it her whole life.  Her type of magic makes her a Source, giving her the ability to feed magic to a magician.  Henriette quickly finds out that King Louis is a magician, which he has kept secret, and when he uses her as his Source they have powerful magic.  When Sources turn up murdered throughout the city, Louis and Henriette band together to try and solve the mystery.  

France in 1661, magic, romance, friendship and a mystery make for a great adventure.  Henriette is a great protagonist, and I enjoyed the family drama of Louis and Phillipe.  It says this is the beginning of a series, but I felt like it could stand alone, and I was satisfied with the ending.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson