Exile’s Redemption kicks off The Chronicles of Shadow series with a fierce blend of high-stakes action, ancient magic, and characters you’ll want to follow across worlds. Lee Dunning crafts a fantasy tale that feels both familiar in its mythic structure and refreshingly new in its approach, especially with its complex leads, clever dialogue, and morally layered conflicts.

At the center is Raven, an elven scholar-turned-heroine with a heart full of hope and a relentless drive to reunite a fractured Elven Nation. Her journey from determined academic to reluctant savior is filled with heart and tension, and watching her grapple with emerging powers while under threat of demon-fueled annihilation adds a thrilling layer of urgency. She’s smart, spirited, and fully realized, not just a chosen one, but a character who earns her arc step by step.
Dialogue shines, especially between Raven and W’rath. Their banter injects welcome humor and humanity into an otherwise dark and dramatic storyline. This balance of tone—hope amid horror, wit amid war—is one of the book’s strongest features.

If there’s one drawback, it’s that some early exposition and world details may come on a bit heavy, which could momentarily slow the pace for readers who crave immediate action. But once the demons start flooding in and the plot ignites, the story barrels forward with intensity and heart.

Fell in love with this book by the cover! In this book, we are introduced to the Elven race, along with Raven, our main character. Raven is a historian who wants to find out about Umbral, who was banished thousands of years ago. Umbral has actually come back with a new name W'rath. Really enjoyed the plotline and felt connected to both characters. Raven is super badass while W'rath just wants to redeem himself!

Exile's Redemption introduces us to a world of elven races and their conflicts in interacting with each other and the wider world. The first book of The Chronicles of Shadow, we meet Raven, an exile wanting to find the truth in their history and Wrath, a purported villain returning from 10,000 years of exile to a world he doesn't really understand anymore.

Dunning has not only created an intricate relationship between the races of elves but also touches nicely on issues of historical revisionism, which also provides the intrigue behind what may have happened in the past for the elves to reach the state they are currently in. This is clearly very much an 'establishing' novel, introducing the characters and key political element to be covered, but at the same time, it provides fast-paced action and really enjoyable witty banter. Wrath is a gem! The novel shows plenty of scope for the rest of the series, and it honestly addictive to read. Can't wait for the next one.

Good book!!! It had interesting characters and a plot line that was engaging and fun to follow , it kept me interested to the very end!!

I really enjoy books about elves, which is why I decided to pick this one up. It's fast paced, enjoyable, and action packed, a great start to a new series.

Exiles Redemption by Lee Dunning. An ancient entity released, and a youthful naive elf, struggling together to save those they can, what can go wrong...