A Kingdom of Silver Shadows by Lily Rian

I was lucky enough to ARC read A Kingdom of Silver Shadows by Lily Rian, and I’m really glad I did. It was a great story. Emotional and intriguing. Though the world is bleak, it is fascinating with supernatural beings, magic, multiple kingdoms, and a war. 

The war is between the supernatural beings and the Conqueror King’s forces. The Conqueror King is an infamous, evil man who’s been magically Bonding himself to the fae creatures, forcing them into enslavement, including our main character, Saoirse. 

Saoirse is strong, kind, traumatized, and beaten down. She’s been Bonded to the Conqueror King for most of her life, forced to spy and betray those with magic, just like her. But she does her best to help the fae and save them when she can, even if it hurts her in the end. She has a good heart. 

But she doesn’t see the good inside her. 

Her magic is cool. She has wisps of silver shadows on her skin that become actual shadows. Her shadows hide her in the shadows and darkness, so nobody can see her. And her powers grow throughout the story as she learns what they're capable of. What she’s capable of.

Saoirse has one good, true friend named Kalee, who is also her handmaiden. Kalee is human. And turns out, she’s a badass too, at least as the story goes on. I really loved her. Both her and her love interest. Kalee is smart, determined, and sweet. And she loves Saoirse purely, honestly. 

And eventually, Saoirse gains more friends too. 

I wish Saoirse and Kalee got more moments together, just the two of them. Their friendship seems really pure and great. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy the moments Saoirse shared with both her love interests. 

Yes, Saoirse has two love interests. It’s a love triangle. 

I really enjoyed the love triangle, but there's one suitor in particular that I started rooting for as soon as he became an option. I won’t share his name because I’m pretty sure that’d count as a spoiler. But he’s fantastic. His and Saoirse's banter was fun, and he became a very important, solid piece of Saoirse’s adventure. He was there for her in the best ways.

Saoirse’s adventure is filled with twists and surprises. And she meets a dragon. 

The dragon was a badass. 

And I found the fact that this story is inspired by Irish mythology very interesting. I don't know much about Irish mythology, but I think this story made me want to learn more. 

I really hope there's a sequel in the works. 

Spoilers Ahead

Saoirse was a fantastic main character. Strong with a good heart. But I felt so bad for her, with her guilt over her mother’s death and how much she blamed herself for it. Her journey does help her accept the guilt and the pain, if only to be replaced by more guilt and uncertainty. 

The revelations about her past and her family were fascinating. Apparently, she’s half fae, half witch. And her witch side is why she’s able to have a dragon as a familiar, which is thrilling. I wonder what else her witch side gives her. What kind of powers she could have.

When she finally breaks her Bond with the Conqueror King, Saoirse discovers her powers are far more powerful than she ever imagined, and it’s awesome. She can create weapons and see memories, and it’s mind-boggling. I really want to see what else she can do. 

Stepping away from Saoirse’s individual journey for a second, I want to talk about the love triangle. Or rather, the suitor I prefer because the first guy, Eoin, is a jerk, even before the very end.

But I adored Cillian. 

Cillian and Saoirse start as an enemies-to-lovers story, at least from Saoirse’s perspective. She never really liked him. And honestly, I didn’t either in the beginning. But when he joins Saoirse and her friends on their adventure, and Saoirse gets closer to him, I started to really enjoy their banter. And it was so obvious how much he cared about her. 

I did feel bad for Saoirse when their bond was cemented officially after they slept together. Cillian knew they were mates before Saoirse did. She didn’t realize it until it was too late. And I thought she had every right to be angry at him for not telling her. Though maybe she should’ve realized it sooner. I’m not sure. Honestly, I’m not sure I would’ve.

But in the world they live in and due to the life Saoirse had already endured, Cillain should’ve been completely honest with her, especially since he knows more about the magical world than she does. 

She was kept away from it for so long. 

But she seems to be a quick learner, so hopefully, she’ll learn more about it. 

I’m excited to see where Saoirse goes from here, how she grows. With Cillian, Orga, and Kalee by her side, I’m pretty sure Saoirse could be unstoppable.