House of Shadows [Paperback]

Rachel Neumeier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2012

Orphaned, two sisters are left to find their own way.

Sweet and proper, Karah's future seems secure at a glamorous Flower House. She could be pampered for the rest of her life... if she agrees to play their game.

Nemienne, neither sweet nor proper, has fewer choices. Left with no alternative, she accepts a mysterious mage's offer of an apprenticeship. Agreeing means a home and survival, but can Nemienne trust the mage?

With the arrival of a foreign bard into the quiet city, dangerous secrets are unearthed, and both sisters find themselves at the center of a plot that threatens not only to upset their newly found lives, but also to destroy their kingdom.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Griffin Mage:

"Vivid, satisfying...most compelling is the world and its magical laws, which invite further related stories." --- Publishers Weekly

"This book is like cupped fire, held in the hands: joyful and fierce and precise, painful and true beyond measure. It has the simplicity of poetry, the complexity of myth. I adored it." --- Daniel Fox, author of Dragon in Chains

"Very easy to read, filled with emotion and fluid writing." --- fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com

About the Author

Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead. She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Orbit (July 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031607277X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316072779
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #889,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student; her first publications appeared in journals such as The American Journal of Botany and and would probably be interesting to a readership in the high dozens. She is confident that her fantasy novels have much greater appeal!

Rachel's first YA fantasy, The City in the Lake, was published in 2008, and was followed by the adult fantasy Griffin Mage trilogy in 2010 and by her second YA, The Floating Islands, in early 2011. She gets her ideas from artwork, from history, from other authors' minor characters, and from just throwing words on the page and seeing what happens.

Rachel now lives in rural Missouri, where, having allowed her hobbies to take over her life, she has a very large garden, a very small orchard, two cats, and many beautiful Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful character driven fantasy July 2, 2012

By Charlotte

Format:Paperback

House of Shadows is the story of the old magic at the heart of a city poised at the edge of war, as a fifteen year old treaty with the country to the north comes to the end. In that city, three lives intersect--Taudde, a young man from that northern country, whose magic stems from his music, Leilis, a young woman on whom fate and magic have played a cruel trick, slamming shut the doors of her future, and (my favorite) Nemienne, a girl who finds herself a mage's apprentice, opening doors that lead to darkness.... When these three become entangled in a plot that will shake the kingdom to its core, the choices they make might bring on the war, or make a place for peace.

Why I liked it:

1. Character driven fantasy for the win! It is all about people thinking, and feeling, and making choices. Sure, there's a plot, and danger, and threatenings, but mostly it's about the people. Nemienne, Taudde, and Leilis all became very real too me, each with their own distinct flavor.

2. Sisters! Nemienne is one of eight sisters, and an older sister, Karah, has an important part to play. Though the family as a whole doesn't get much page time, the love between the sisters is an important foundation stone of Nemienne's character, and has shaped Karah, too.

3. Cool magic. I like it very much when music and magic intersect, without bardic clichés coming into play. I love it when people, like Nemienne, learn to magic by showing up on the doorstep of a house that is much more than it seems...I love it when magic has an ancient heart, hidden in darkness...I love it when magic isn't spells or potions, but craft poured into artifacts, or learning to see things from impossible angles.

4. Beautiful descriptions that make pictures in my mind.

Especially and whole-heartedly recommended to fans of Patricia McKillip.

I have, however, one criticism: Nemienne's sister Karah is so wonderfully Nice that she seems almost half-witted. It's a bit too much to take.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful fantasy story! July 12, 2012

By Joy Kimberly

Format:Paperback

"House of Shadows" by, Rachel Neumeier

This story begins with a merchant and his eight daughters living a peaceful and happy life at home in a city called Lonne. When the girls loving father unexpectedly passes away they are forced to make some very difficult decisions in order to save their family's home and business. The decision is made to sell one sister (Karah) to a keiso house or house of flowers. In a keiso house yound women are groomed to be cherished flower wives (Second or left hand wives) and are treated with the greatest care. A second sister (Nemienne) is sold to be an apprentice to a powerful mage named Ankennes who will teach her magic and other skills.
We are also introduced to Taudde who is a bardic mage from Kalches (Kalches is a neighboring land that has a temporary peace treaty with Lirionne) and to Leilis who is a servant in Cloisonne house (The keiso house that Karah is sold to).
"House of shadows" is a beautifully written fantasy story about love, trust, and the power of following your heart. The four main characters are all very different and complex.
*Taudde is clever and complicated. He loves his family and his home, and he is a magnificently powerful mage. What attracted me most to him was his purity of heart and his desire to learn and grow.
*Leilis is probably my favorite character. She is strong and determined, and even when life sucks she doesn't cry about it. I love that she has this quiet way of making others listen to her and she stands her ground even when she is scared. Leilis is someone I would love to sit and have tea with. I think I would enjoy her quiet company and her quick mind.
*Nemienne is eager to learn and find her place in the world. Her eagerness to improve herself and be better everyday is very endearing. Nemienne embodies the hope that our hearts will always show us the right thing to do.
*Karah is not exactly a main character but she is a very sweet character. You can't help but fall in love with her and her innocence. Karah is that part in all of us that still thinks that rainbows are magic.
"House of shadows" took me into a world that I want to explore further. I want to stand on the cliffs and listen to the music of the ocean. I want to watch Taudde play his magic pipe and then go have dinner at a keiso house. I want to walk the streets of Lonne and marvel at the magic that is woven in the very air. I really, really hope that the author writes more stories based in this world. I loved this story!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical July 10, 2012

By Reader of many books

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Lyrical, dense, and magical, HOUSE OF SHADOWS is a character driven fantasy in a world with depth and history. Complete in one volume, too! Three characters, very different from each other, each with their own concerns and drives make choices that bring them all to the satisfying end.

The writing reminds me of McKillip or Kay, but Neumeier has her own voice - still fans of those two ought to try Neumeier.