Customer Reviews

The Office of Shadow

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Some may say that Sturges has become proficient as a fantasy author, but I say he's mastered it. The Office of Shadow is a well-crafted work of art, littered with mystery and espionage throughout. The World that Sturges has designed for this novel is unique and original. The Shadows are a secret organization, only believed to be a myth by most. But what is it that makes a Shadow a Shadow? The intensive training? The secret knowledge they obtain that is absent to others? The answer is an intriguing surprise worth waiting for.

In this World, he has also provided a new spin on the idea of magic in the form of twelve gifts, labeled by their significance (Glamour, Folding, Leadership, Empathy, etc.). Along the way, the characters become puzzled by the presence of a thirtenth gift, which is beyond their comprehension. It is described in human terms as observing a colorless color or trying to divide by zero.

If imagery were a commoner, Sturges would be its King. There are times when reading that you'd think he literally visited this World, soaked it all in, and then came home to write about it. From analyst-filled offices to flying cities high in the sky, you are always right there in the middle of it with the characters - learning as they learn, training as they train, and even fighting when they fight.

The Office of Shadow is a direct sequel to Midwinter, Sturges' previous novel. Midwinter is a nice introduction to the main protagonist, Lord Silverdunn, but reading it is definitely not a necessity, as there are plenty of references in The Office of Shadow that pop their little heads up and fill you in on what previously took place. And don't be intimidated by what seem at first to be difficult to pronounce names and places like Uvenchaud and Prythme because it doesn't take long for them to start flowing with the rest of your vocabulary.

I came across this book at an farmer's market sale by my local bookstore, and I'm really glad I picked it up. Sturges's book takes a number of rather worn-out concepts (elves, the war between Seelie and Unseelie, and a general fantasy world) and manages to give them all a fresh spin. The basic premise is that the Seelie (good) Elves have re-opened The Office of Shadow (an organization that's a bit like a darker version of the CIA) in order to prevent the Unseelie Elves from unleashing wholesale destruction on the world.

I had a little problem getting started -since it's a little slow at the beginning when all the characters are being introduced- but by the time I was about 50 pages in or so, I was really enjoying myself. The characters were all believable (especially the sarcastic, womanizing, and deadly Silverdun), and Sturges spends a lot of time crafting a world full of detail without distracting from the overall plotline.

I don't want to give any of the story away, but I will say that the combination of spy novel and fantasy epic genres was great, and if you're a fantasy enthusiast you'll definitely love this book.

After his exploits as part of Mauritane's desperate prison recruits, Silverdun is at a loss as to what to do with his life. Life as a dissolute, drunken reveler lord only led him to losing his lands and imprisonment. Following Mauritaine led to adventure and becoming a war hero, but now what? Silverdun tries a religious life, but is failing badly when he's recruited for the Office of Shadow, a small and highly secretive operation that will do anything it can to keep the Seelie lands safe. And things are definitely not safe. The Unseelie have shown that they have a weapon of mass destruction that destroyed an entire city. For unknown reasons, it hasn't yet been used to destroy life as they know it, but the Unseelie Queen is gearing up for war, and that means that it is likely that the weapon will be utilized again. It is up to someone to stop that from happening... and most likely it is exactly what the Office of Shadow was created to do.

Silverdun was one of the more intriguing characters from _Midwinter_, so he seems a good choice to spotlight in his own tale. There is nothing quite so unique about a wastrel trying to reform... nor about someone being initiated into an undercover organization, but these themes are always interesting in themselves. His character is developed a bit more through flashbacks, but I'm not sure it ever came to some coherent whole. But the adventures and the secret workings of the Shadow Office were exciting enough to carry a reader through the book satisfactorily. I would have preferred something a bit more developed, in character- and world-building, however.

I read "Midwinter" PK (pre-Kindle) when I picked it up as an impulse buy at the local bookstore. I really enjoyed that book, so I was excited when I saw this book. Publishers Weekly called this a "Magical Mission Impossible" and I think that is an apt description.

It is a completely separate story from Midwinter, with some of the same characters and story line continued on. There is some excellent world building and compelling, believable magic. I like the characters, and I found myself completely engrossed in the story.

If you haven't read Midwinter I would read that first, and then immediately (do not pass "GO" or collect $200) read this. Get a mug of your favorite beverage before you start because you aren't going to want to stop!

I happened to pick this up by chance and that was certainly a lucky break! I discovered a great new author and had the chance to enjoy one of the most original, interesting and well-written fantasies that I have come across in quite a long time. I recommend it most highly and am eagerly awaiting future books by this guy.

It starts off kinda slow but once things get going it makes for an enjoyable read.

Womanizer Silverdun shocks anyone who knows him when he becomes a priest. However, being a man of the cloth proves tedious as all he hears is whining confessions. When the Seelie leadership asks him to serve as a lead espionage field agent of the newly approved (by Queen Tatiana) top secret department Office of Shadow who will perform functions that go against the kingdom's value system like using psyops techniques including blackmail, extortion, and abduction to cause unrest amongst the enemy or stealing Unseelie secrets; he agrees.

However, he is put off by his new employer's demand he receive training in combat skills; mundane and magical. Ennui settles in until he is teamed up with soldier-magic academic researcher Ironfoot, and deadly almost out of control Sela the empath on a dangerous impossible mission. Their mission is to learn the origin of Einswrath, the weapon of mass destruction that Queen Mab and her Unseelie forces apparently are deploying in what will lead to a second battle in the Seelie-Unseelie war (see Midwinter).

This is a typical espionage thriller and a typical quest fantasy, but brilliantly combined into an atypical espionage fantasy. The Office of Shadow has selected the right person to lead the charge while his teammates bring diverse but needed skills to the table. Fast-paced and filled with plenty of action , yet clearly character driven by the band of three and their cohorts, readers will relish the second Seelie-Unseelie dispute as both sides approve anything goes tactics.

Harriet Klausner

Matthew Sturges has pulled off a mean feat with his second novel. He has constructed a grounded and believable fantasy world and populated it with relatable characters. If his first novel, Midwinter was The Dirty Dozen with elves, then Office of Shadow is a Robert Ludlum style Cold War thriller with elves.

Powerful political figures fear the worst as a terrible ultimate weapon is used to destroy an Elven city. Knowing that their enemies will use the weapon again, the Queen orders the Office of Shadow to find and stop the weapon before it can be used again. The narrative follows Perrin Alt, Lord Silverdun from Midwinter as he gets drafted into service as a shadow in the Queen's service. He is aided by an ex-soldier nicknamed Ironfoot and the delightfully unhinged Sela.

The action moves right along and the ending satisfies. I can't wait for another one.