I received an advanced copy of Sisters of Shadow and Light through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Sisters of Shadow and Light is set in the Citadel of the Paladins, a once magical city that has fallen after the birth of Inara. On the night Inara was born, all paladins, including her father, disappeared from the citadel, while a magical hedge simultaneously enclosed the city, trapping the citizens inside. Inara inherited her father’s magic, but is trapped within her own mind, leaving her sister, Zuhra, to take care of their mother. This are not meant to stay the same forever, though, and when a stranger manages to pass through the hedge, the sisters know change is coming.

I have been a huge fan of Sara B. Larson since her first title, Defy! It was the first fantasy novel I had ever read, and I was blown away with how enchanting and real it was. When I heard that I would get to read her latest title in advance, I was overjoyed, and I must say she did not disappoint! Sisters of Shadow and Light is a fantastic new fantasy novel, sure to delight all fans of the genera!

You can get your copy of Sisters of Shadow and Light from Tor Teen today!

My Recommendation-
I would recommend this book to fans of A River of Royal Blood, Kingdom of Souls, and other fantasy books that focus on the relationships between sisters in worlds of magic. I have always found sibling relationships in fantasy to be the most interesting, and the Sisters of Shadow and Light are no exception!

A YA fantasy read. It definitely had Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone vibes and the storyline reminded me of that big time. It was missing the lyrical, otherwordly writing though. But if you liked Laini Taylor I'd recommend you give this a try.

Thank you so much to Tor Teen and NetGalley for letting me read Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B Larson early! Before I was approved for the book, I hadn’t actually heard too much about it, but I had seen a copy or two on Instagram, so I knew what it was (kind of) when I requested it.

Sisters of Shadow and Light 4/5 Stars

Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. I was a little bored during the first 1/3 or so of the book but as soon as the real action took place, I got really into the book/plot line. Now, I can’t wait to see where Sara B Larson takes the story in book 2!

Character wise, I didn’t really like any of the main characters. It was really hard for me to connect to them, but, because they moved the plot forward, I was definitely rooting for them to win.

This was my first Sara B. Larson book and it will not be the last.

I found myself captivated by this magical world that Larson has created and ended up really enjoying this book. With the sisterly bond between Zuhra and Inara at its forefront I ended up connecting with the two characters a lot, having a close bond to my own sister.

However, while I found myself loving these character’s I also felt disappointed by the lack of real character development. I can only hope that the next book provides us with more, especially when it comes to Inara who felt like a secondary character in this story in comparison to her sister.

I really liked the idea of paladins in this book as it’s something I haven’t really read about in my years of reading YA fiction. I loved the magical element to this book and still find myself amazed about the magical hedge which for some reason only lets two people through willingly.

While this does have romance, it’s very much a side note to the story very focused on family bonds. I felt like the book had a smooth and good pace, keeping me hooked and in turn making it hard to put down, especially in the final section of the book.

This book ends on a very stressful cliff-hanger that makes me wish I had the second book ready to read. I cannot wait to see how Larson progresses the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Tor Teen for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Gateways between world, always harbingers of doom!

A combined Beauty and the Beast and a Gateway to another world story. No beasts in this world now, but they have been here in the past, and they truly were malignant Beasts. What we do have is a sentient hedge that sprouts thorns around a strange citadel and doesn't let any one in or out, except for Sami, the midwife and now the cook and housekeeper for the family, when absolutely necessary.
Zuhra and Inara, born of a Paladin father and a human mother, are secured inside the citadel along with their mother Cinnia and Sami.
When the Paladins came through a portal from another world they came to rescue the human world from the renegade Paladins, and the monsters that had swarmed through the gate and attacked the human world.
Then the Paladins disappeared, including the girls' father Adelric, something their mother Cinnia had never recovered from. She is like a demented wraith mourning and trying to protect, from what neither we nor the girls know.
When a stranger is able to come through the treacherous hedge protecting the citadel things become more complex and a course is set on from which there is no retreat.
A fascinating step into a world that involves Paladins, Gryphons, betrayal and two young women's lives being turned upside down
For some reason which I'm having trouble defining, I just wasn't as enchanted as I'd hoped to be, although I kept reading to see what would be revealed.
I did like the bond between the sisters. Inara "had the power of the Paladin in her veins--and her eyes." She is so powerful she's lost to the reality around her unless she can do something to bleed the resonance of her power off. Zuhra spends her life trying to communicate with her sister and protect her.
But, getting back to Beauty and the Beast. Well the young man Halvour (handsome prince) did find a way through the magical hedge, he did awaken the inhabitants out of their daily routine, the citadel's gateway from the Paladin world was breached, and a Beast did come through the gateway between the worlds. Although it seems that unbeknownst to all, another kind of beast was already roaming the human world. (Ok, I had my suspicions that something was up but not the what!)
The arrival of Halvour opened up Pandora's box and as we all know this is never a good thing!

A Macmillan-Tor/Forge ARC via NetGalley

I have to say that this book ultimately was not for me. The words were spellbinding at times and the world building was very unique but it was the characters that failed to draw me in and once the two collided I felt that there was a loss.

I’m not a big fantasy fan overall. It has to be pretty good to draw me in and the lack of character depth didn’t keep me interested and I felt my mind wandering more than a few times.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of my ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a Shannon Hale feel to it. I really liked the magic system and the mystery that surrounded the hedge. This story reminded me a little like Sleeping Beauty, but she's awake and has a sister.

Can't wait for the next one.

What an interesting read! My first experience with Sara B. Larson and I wasn't disappointed. I think my favorite thing about the story was that first and foremost the sisterly bond between Zuhra and Inara took the front seat of it all.

There is romance inside of this story but it doesn't overshadow the overall plot OR bond between the sisters.

I heard many compare this to Strange the Dreamer, and while I haven't read that book YET, I can compare the writing style to Laini Taylor. So if you're a fan of her altogether, I would say jump into this.

Wow. I was simply blown away by this beautifully written series beginner. The first line completely captivated me, and I could not put this one down!

Sisters of Shadow and Light is the story of two sisters, Zuhra and Inara, trapped inside a home and life they have more questions than knowledge about. I found the world so captivating through these sisters eyes. The world-building was wonderful, and I loved the unique magic system. I honestly have read nothing like it, and I’ve read a lot of YA Fantasy, so this was great to read something so original to me.

The characters are deeply flawed individuals who truly only want the very best for those around them and love deeply. I looovve flawed characters. I feel that they are always so relatable and real. They are the kind of characters that leap off the page, and stay with you well after you’ve finished reading. I was so moved by the love and loyalty shown between all the characters, even their mother, who they had a hard relationship with, was a well developed and thought out character who was so relatable on a deep emotional and mental level for me.

The plot and timing was done very well, and I never felt like it was too fast or too slow. I also never felt that anything seemed forced or info-dumpy.

The only thing I am honestly disappointed in is that the second novel on the series isn’t available to read yet 😂 I can’t wait to dive back into these characters when the rest of the series is out!

*Special thanks as always to Tor Teen, NetGalley and the author Sara Larsen for the early review copy in exchange for my honest review**

Sara B. Larson’s latest novel Sisters of Shadow and Light is a beautiful fantasy story about love, family, and sacrifice. It features two sisters, Zuhra and Inara, who have been living in isolation inside a Citadel for the past 15 years with only their mother and a servant for company. They are isolated from the rest of the outside world by a sentient hedge. The hedge not only won’t let anyone from inside the Citadel leave, but it will also actually attack anyone from the outside who tries to approach the Citadel.

One of the elements of the story that immediately jumped out at me was the worldbuilding. While the idea of being trapped in a Citadel is somewhat reminiscent of Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer, everything else about it felt fresh and unique. The Citadel the girls are living in is an abandoned fortress that once housed Paladin warriors. All the girls really know about these legendary warriors is that they possessed powerful magic and that they’re now gone from this world. That includes their Paladin father, who actually disappeared the night Inara, the younger sister was born. He disappeared and the magical hedge appeared, trapping the girls and their mother in the Citadel. No one really knows the circumstances behind his disappearance and his wife assumes he has abandoned his family, which breaks her emotionally. She retreats into herself, leaving the girls to raise themselves with the help of their servant. I was just so intrigued by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Paladins and trying to figure out how it would factor into the girls’ journey.

I love a good sibling story so what actually first drew me to Sisters of Shadow and Light was learning that the focus of the novel is actually the bond between two sisters. Inara has inherited her father’s magic but without him there to guide her, it has just become this uncontrollable roaring sound in her head that makes it impossible for her to communicate with anyone. Zuhra makes it her mission to try to figure out how to help Inara control it and while she is by no means fully successful, she does manage to calm Inara’s mind enough that they can occasionally sit down and chat and bond as sisters.

What drew me in to the story is also unfortunately what left me somewhat unsatisfied. While I did love seeing the bond between sisters and was especially touched by Zuhra’s determination to break through the magic to reach Inara, I did feel that the character development was a little lopsided at times since we got so little from Inara firsthand. I understand why because of the whole ‘magic roaring in her head’ business, but it still just made her feel like a secondary character for much of the story, which didn’t quite work for me.

Although the uneven character development was a bit of a letdown, the mystery surrounding the hedge still very much held my interest, especially when after fifteen years, it randomly lets a young man wander right through it and approach the Citadel. Why has this young man been granted access after all of these years and how will it impact the sisters? Once this young man enters, everything changes and the story blossoms into something entirely new and much more exciting than what it started as. Long-buried truths are revealed and everything the girls thought they knew is turned on its head, especially as it pertains to both their father and the Paladins.

Even though Sisters of Shadow and Light starts off somewhat slowly as we are introduced to the characters and their world, it gradually picked up the pace and the intensity so that by the last third of the book, I just couldn’t put it down. It also ends with an evil cliffhanger that has me anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I would recommend Sisters of Shadow and Light for anyone who enjoys YA fantasy, sibling relationships, mysteries, and adventure.

Zuhra grew up in the citadel with her mother, sister Inara, and their helper/family friend Sami. The citadel was already a fortified structure, but the night her sister was born, the hedge around the citadel grew triple its original height trapping them all inside. Also, his father, a Paladin (Paladins are tall creatures with magical powers and blue light in their eyes), was suddenly gone, leaving them not only with no place to go but also broken hearts. One miraculous day, a stranger was able to pass through the hedge and everything in their lives changed.

First of all, I love that this was a feminist story. There were several strong and empowered women who were treated as men's equals in everyday lives, leadership, and battles. I don't have a favorite but those who stood out for me were Sami, Ederra, and Sachiel. For the male characters, I found Alkimos and Loukas admirable.

Now let's go to Cinnia, Zuhra and Inara's mother. I tried to understand her but I just can't. She's one of the characters I hated in the book. She's a mother but how can she be so weak for her daughters? I also didn't like that she's displacing all her hate to Inara when the poor girl is not even to blame that her husband left fifteen years ago. She's very lucky to have Sami around who voluntarily stayed with them to act as the girls' mother.

For our protagonist Zuhra, I'd say I have a love-hate relationship with her. At first, I was on her side because everything just seemed so unfair to her. She was acting as her sister's protector and putting up with their lonesome mother all the time, but this was not enough for Sami to tell her the truth she deserved to hear. It took a stranger for the secrets in the household to start spilling. Then, on the second part of the book, I just felt that she became too stubborn and insensitive of others' feelings. Suddenly, everything was about her. While I admire her courage, I can't deny the fact that more characters got hurt or died because of her. I just hope she will be more mature in the next book.

For the romance part, I felt that Zuhra's feelings for Halvor and Halvor's feelings for Inara were all too sudden and forced. I'd say Raidyn was a good match for Zuhra, but Raidyn was also one problematic character who needs to grow up which is why I like Loukas more.

I found the first part slow but the second part was where all the action was. I was loving it until the last few chapters. I understand that this is the first book in a series and that there should be a cliff-hanging scene in the end. But instead a good closure and leaving just one big mystery, an awful lot has happened in the end that messed the story.

Overall, I still felt good after reading the book. I learned some lessons and there were a lot of quotes I liked. I was so happy at all the family reunions, no matter how short they were. I would recommend this to lovers of fantasy, adventure, and action. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Captivating ya fantasy comes to life. Intriguing world building with mesmerizing magic Engaging swoon-worthy romance, with twists that were completely unexpected but perfectly placed. And the bond between the sisters is powerful and heartwarming.

18year-old Zuhara has been trapped at the Citadel of the Paladin within an enormous sentient hedge that grew over night upon the the birth of her younger sister, Inara.

Inara’s magic born, inherited from their vanished Paladin father, which gives her power over plants, It also comes a hefty price. Living with their unstable Mother in complete isolation. She has forbidden all things Paladin when the girls father disappeared after Inara’s birth.

Inara is often lost in her own dreamy mind, with only brief moments of lucidity, leaving Zuhra feeling alone, longing for sort of real connection.

In a change of events, Halvor, a scholar of the Paladin breaches the hedge, Zuhra is intrigued by his revelations of the world and motivated to escape, but the mysteries of the citadel pose more dangers than any of them know, threatening both realms.

A wonderful portal fantasy story of two sisters, trapped by circumstance and freed by accident. Zuhra and Inara’s bond is brilliantly and empathetically depicted.

A great cliffhanger ending that had me wanting more.

This book was fantastic. The detail in Larson’s writing made me feel everything the characters felt. She weaved the perfect story of family dynamics, the need for love, and the hunger for power. This story is told from two different perspectives, alternating between Inara and Zuhra. I could feel Zuhra’s love for her sister from the beginning. After being trapped in the citadel and losing the husband she thought loved her, their mother is completely broken and unable to care for them as a mother should. Zuhra took over that motherly role for her sister, Inara, whose powers were so strong that they left her unable to live a normal life. The descriptive writing left me wanting more of this world and the characters in it. Zuhra is such a strong woman, but she is also naive to the world of the Paladin and their powers. No one realizes how strong Inara’s powers are until it is too late. The way the author was able to depict the feeling of being completely exhausted and spent after using those powers was felt deep within me. As if I had just released my own pent up energy.

Larson’s character development was beautifully executed. She gave us characters with true individuality and I was able to connect with each of them. I am so excited to read more about the Paladin and what the sisters will do next in book two in the series.

I will be posting my review to Amazon on pub day.

When I first heard about Sisters of Shadow and Light, I was a little skeptical. It sounded really good, but because I’m almost exclusively a fantasy-reader, more often than not, I find myself coming across familiar plot lines, and meeting carbon copies of the same types of characters and relationships.

I’m happy to report that – not only was Sisters of Shadow and Light unique and full of twists – it was super addicting! The beautiful writing captured me at page one and didn’t let go until the very end.

Besides the lush and expressive writing (check out some quotes below to see what I mean) this book really shined because of the strong and beautiful relationship between the sisters: Inara and Zuhra. Even though the mythology surrounding the paladins was fascinating, and a particular romance – swoon-y, the love and dedication between the sisters is what stole the show for me.

Sisters of Shadow and Light is an exciting young adult fantasy novel written by Sara Larson. This novel, published by Tor Teen, is set to be released on November 5, 2019. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is about two sisters, Zuhra and Inara, who have lived their entire life imprisoned in a citadel. The hedge around their “home” is magical, preventing them from ever leaving, but it also protects them from outsiders who might want to harm them. Their world has always been made up of them, their mother, and Sami, a midwife who stayed with them after Inara’s birth, until one day when the hedge lets a stranger—a scholar boy who studied Palladin’s magic—enter the citadel, and their world changes forever. Secrets resurface and shatter the world as they knew it.

This story took me by surprise. I’m so happy about it because the story took me somewhere exciting and new. The reader starts the story with very little knowledge of the world or of Palladin’s magic. As the sisters’ world changes with the arrival of Halvor, a scholar, we learn more about the magic and its history and the dynamics between characters.

Sisterhood is a strong theme in this book, and I particularly enjoyed reading about the love between the two sisters. Their predicament is unique due to Inara’s particular situation and their own history, and they are often challenged in one way or another. I love how the author made them relatable even though they’re flawed—especially Zuhra.

Zuhra’s relationship with her mother is strained at best. I can’t say I liked this character, but it definitely led to some interesting developments.

While the romance in this book is more present in the second part of the book, the primary focus remains on the sisters, which is something I really enjoyed. I think we’ll have more of the romance in the second book. The magic system is very interesting and unique because of its history and the world building.

Overall, this is a fast-paced adventure with lovable characters. The world building will make you want to turn the page. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and it is a four-star read for me.

I am so close to my sister so reading this book and the bond Inara and Zuhra have for each other really hit close to home. My sister and I may be 5,000 + miles apart but it doesn’t stop us from feeling that bond for one another.

Zuhra has always taken care of her sister. She’s calmed her during the storms and protected her from the brunt of her mother’s coldness. When they get separated the loss she feels is so strong that all she can do is fight for a way back. She needs to know if her sister is alive. Zuhra not only has to deal with the not knowing if Inara is okay but she’s now been bombarded with a world she’d been isolated from her entire life. I thought that Zuhra dealt with the separation of all that she’s known fairly well. She’s curious about this new world, a world her mother kept from her, but is conflicted by the need to get home. As the older sister myself I could really relate to a lot of Zuhra’s feelings when it comes to protecting and worrying about her sister. I thought that Sara did a wonderful job of portraying the conflict she feels about her situation.

Inara has always been caught up in the storm raging inside her head. She doesn’t understand it and with only limited lucidity throughout her life she rarely understands what goes on around her. It’s all a fog and she spends so much time trying to navigate it all. When she learns to expense her power she realizes that she gets more and more lucidity but when she expenses it almost completely, and loses her sister, she’s not so sure she wants to live in the world around her. Society hates what she is because of those who came before her and when she experiences it first hand she realizes she has to find a way to bring her sister back, or to go through the gateway herself, in order to protect herself and those within the citadel. I really enjoyed her chapters and getting to see inside her head. Sara did a great job of portraying the fog that Inara feels when she loses herself.

Although it is slow in the beginning in explaining the situation Zuhra and Inara are in, the story definitely picks up. I think that it was good to split them up for a time and we get to see two new worlds, one where the paladins come from and the other outside of the citadel. The rest of the story is fast paced and I can’t wait to learn more about the paladin’s and to see what happens next.

Don’t worry…for those romantics out there. You won’t be disappointed in the love interests in this one!

Upon finishing this book, I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately, there were just too many missed opportunities, pacing felt off in parts, and there was a lack of proper development in characters and certain plot points. While all of this might add up to a definite dislike of the book, I thought some parts helped redeem the book. At least enough for me to want to read the second book in the hopes that it would entirely redeem the first.

As I briefly mentioned, pacing was a little off for me. Mostly it was the fact that Sisters of Shadow and Light did not start out strongly. The first 40% of the book was extremely slow. I think Larson took too much time and space for setting up the story, which never left me excited to jump back into the story until after I hit 40%. I also kept expecting things to immediately jump start as the stranger from the blurb shows up within the first two chapters. At the 40% mark, things get exciting, then slow down again before everything going fast until the end. It took me about four days to get to just before the halfway point and then was able to finish the book a day later.

I also thought that Larson didn’t take the time to really give proper development to the characters, at least not from beginning to end. I think part of the issue is that the first part of the book is all from Zuhra’s POV, so any characteristics or personality traits we get, we get from Zuhra. That isn’t always a bad thing, except, anything that I did get, made the characters feel just shy of fully developed. Zuhra gets a little more developed in the second half of the book, but she still didn’t feel fully like a three dimensional character. I did love her dedication to being a loving and protective sister as well her seemingly endless curiosity (though never really sated). In the end, I just didn’t connect that well with any of the characters.

Speaking of characters, I really disliked the way that romance/ romantic connections were written in this book. I thought they were way too obvious and felt simple. My biggest complaint though is that there was no real development between the characters to explain the romantic feelings. I mean, there was an explanation, but it felt a cop out and way too easy. It seemed that Larson wanted romance to be a part of the story, but didn’t want to or didn’t have the space to develop the relationship realistically. Though I guess in a fictional world created and owned by the author, that author sets the rules.

The world that Larson created is intriguing. I just wished that more time was given to developing it. I also thought that were so many missed opportunities to share about both Zuhra’s world and the world that the Paladin come from. At 368 pages, I would think that there would be enough room to fully develop everything. Larson’s writing went back and forth a lot with using beautiful descriptions and language to not using it as well or enough. There was enough of it though that I did enjoy these parts; I just hope that the second book gives us more. Sadly, I think the first half of the book should have been shorter. Or maybe the book itself could have been written to be longer.

It may seem like I really disliked this book. That is not the case. Overall, I thought it was well written. I just think that there were some missing aspects and several missed opportunities to expand on or describe something more. While I would forgive the lack of world building and parts of the writing, it’s harder to do so with the poorly developed characters and romance aspects.

I will hope that the next book redeems this one and the series.

I received this galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

<i>Sisters of Shadow and Light</i> twists around many traditional fantasy tropes in ways that feel fresh and fun. You have a mysterious castle, isolated by a sentient hedge. A family lives inside, though some may consider them monstrous. A mother, a servant and friend, and two teenage girls. Zuhra and Inara have never been beyond the hedge. They dare not. Inara was born with the glowing eyes of a Paladin, the entities who built their home and who were once the celebrated heroes of the realm; public opinion is not as kind now. Inara is so overwhelmed by her power, a roar that consumes her senses, that she can barely interact with the world. Her older sister Zuhra is her fierce advocate and defender--and desperately want to know about the world beyond the hedge.

Then one day, the hedge actually lets a strange man through, and the girls' world begins to change in radical ways.

Larson does a wonderful job of allowing readers to discover the outer world through the sisters' experiences, but the family dynamics are the true heart of the book. There is a great deal here about sisterly love, and also about abuse and forgiveness. Their mother was utterly broken when her Paladin husband vanished the night Inara was born, and she protects her daughters through deprivation and cruelty. There's a grim note of realism about their relationships, and I loved seeing how the family grew and changed. To me, that was much more interesting than the romantic entanglements of the siblings.

I found this YA fantasy to be a fast, breezy read--I blazed through it in a day! It will be released on November 5th, 2019.

Despite an interesting premise, I found it hard to feel invested in the story or the characters. The romantic elements and the sisters' relationship didn't particularly appeal to me.

I loved the excitement this books generated in me. Quite an adventurous trip it was.

2 sisters, Zuhra and Inara, living with their broken mother in a citadel which hid the portal between two realms of human and rakasa. Their father, a paladin, had disappeared on the night Inara was born. A hedge separated the citadel from the village and protected them actively from attacks. Till Inara's power grew to such a momentum that she could open the doorway and a rakasa came through and sister was pulled into the other side. And the story continued..

My first book by Sara B. Larson, the story gripped me from the beginning to end. A rocking ride with Gryphons and demonic creatures and sisters with love in their heart and power coursing through their veins. The skirmishes and the history between magical Paladin and human was well described. I found the worldbuilding and backstiry easy to understand.

I loved the bond between the sisters, it was palpable and alive down the pages. Their need to save each other brought out my emotions too. That was the driving force behind the story and made me keep turning the pages late into the night. There were romantic elements, but I skim read through them as it came on instantly.

Overall, I found this a soothing yet rocking, loving yet magical, simple yet a powerful read.