Shadows of the Dark Realm

Shadows of the Dark Realm is a 2024 epic fantasy novel by Tyler Edwards. It was independently published by the author and is scheduled for release on January 31st. I received an advanced copy from the author.

The idyllic kingdom of Parisia sat nuzzled securely in the Great Emerald Mountains. For generations Parisia had known nothing but peace and prosperity. When the elder dragon Darka Mors, steals the Darkstone, the entire realm is threatened. Without the Darkstone, the magic sealing away the Shadow King would fail. His return would bring death and destruction to the world of men. Desperate, the king of Parisia calls on an unlikely hero, the Disgraced Knight Vale Lox to lead a group of Seekers on the most important quest in a thousand years. To save the realm and everyone they have ever known from the rising shadows of darkness, these misfits must survive hostile lands, enemy armies, unspeakable monsters, and each other in order to retrieve the stone from the dragon’s lair before it’s too late.

This book has a fairly straightforward plot. Vale, and a small group, are tasked with going on a quest to retrieve a magical artifact to save their kingdom. While the overarching plot isn’t unique, I enjoyed the surprising directions the plot went in and the risks the author took in telling this story. There are exciting action scenes, startling reveals and shocking betrayals along the way. The narrative takes the characters farther than the reader might initially expect. Events move at a steady, even pace, with the stakes getting higher as the book progresses. While the journey isn’t a straight drive from Point A to Point B, the stakes are never forgotten. Most of the twists and turns in the plot were well-executed. They were surprising, but they didn’t feel like they came out of nowhere, and left me wanting to go back and see what little hints I might’ve missed on my first read. The one twist I found disappointing was a letdown not because it was poorly foreshadowed but because of the way it impacts the ending of the story. The revelation in question leads directly into the resolution of the story, but completely changes the status quo which makes the ending less impactful. I liked the ending, and the way it sets up a potential sequel, but I didn’t love it. It was satisfying in some senses, but didn’t feel fully earned.

For the most part, I enjoyed the characters in this novel. Vale and his companions Dante, Azalea and Caelan were well-written protagonists. Each had flaws that played off the others very well. I also loved that the characters, mainly Vale and Caelan, had complicated or dark pasts that played an important role in the story, and didn’t simply exist for the sake of it. Each of the four characters were different kinds of morally grey individuals, with some leaning more towards a “light grey” morality while others were closer to “dark grey”. Despite the seriousness of the situation, they’re able to be funny or sardonic without those moments feeling out of place. The development of each of those four characters was well-executed and planned out very well. Celeste, the final member of the main cast, was a character that I wasn’t a huge fan of, because her arc doesn’t quite work. She’s a character that’s not meant to be liked, but the reason I hated at the beginning of the book and the reason I hated her at the end feel disconnected from each other. The indications of her true nature don’t make themselves known early enough in the book for her transformation to feel earned. The supporting cast of characters were complex and engaging. Many were easy to connect with and root for, and the ones that were easy to hate were also fun to hate. Seeing how their motivations aligned with, and at times conflicted with, the main group’s made the story more fascinating and engaging. It added a later of depth to the dynamics between everyone.

The world-building and magic system of this novel was intriguing and felt unique. I enjoyed reading about the different people and cultures that exist in this world. This wasn’t a world with just humans, elves and dragons, but a variety of beings. There also wasn’t just one kind of “magic” that existed, which kept the story interesting. The world felt fully realized, but at the same time, the author didn’t slow the story down to provide exposition, so the reader learns more about some aspects of the world than others, but it’s still a solid world. If this novel gets a sequel, there’s plenty of room for the author to expand the world.

Shadows of the Dark Realm was a novel I found to be incredibly engaging. The plot was exciting and action-packed, though the ending didn’t quite blow me away. The characters, for the most part, were entertaining, fun and complex, with a variety of moralities and motivations. I enjoyed the writing and the world-building. I don’t know if this novel is intended to be the first in a series, or a standalone, but it works either way. Overall, it was a fun, compelling story, and one I can see a lot of fantasy fans enjoying.

Rating: 4 Stars

Purchase Links for the book: Amazon

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