A review by rclairel
The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

adventurous dark lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

An intriguing piece of fantasy but just a bit too confusing. The characters' back stories and the magic system are too muddled to fully grasp, even by the end of the book. Though many things become a bit more clear in the final chapters, it was unpleasant to spend 80% of the book feeling confused. It's also more violent and dark than I personally like (more than Sanderson, as a comparison). The book ends with many threads unresolved, in a bit of a cliffhanger. Grrr. I almost quit resting, even after the first 300 pages (I gave it that long!) and only persevered because the book was recommended by a friend, and I hate not finding I things. It just didn't hold my interest until about halfway through, and even then I didn't love it.