Shadows Of Myth [Paperback]

Rachel Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 2011

No memory, no future, and only a white rose to identify her. . .

The Ilduin Bane are myth and legend: assassin mages whose blades drip poison and whose minds share a common purpose-one of death or control. All who have gone against them have been lost, unable to penetrate their powerful protections.

And so Archer Blackcloak gathers a small band to bring about the downfall of the Bane. From Archer comes strength of purpose and an indomitable will. Ratha and Giri, the Anari warriors, give the group a fighter's skill and temper. They are joined by Young Tom, whose unwavering loyalty is matched by an insatiable curiosity, and by Sara Deepwell, who has a surprising talent for magic. From their last member, Tess Birdsong, the only survivor of a brutal attack that left her with no memory, comes the power of one who has nothing left to lose.

But the road to freedom is long and twisted, and before they are finished their old sorrows may destroy them. Yet once started, they cannot turn back--no matter how high the price to be paid. . .

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Luna (August 23, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373802129
• ISBN-13: 978-0373802128
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,359,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars riveting, April 2, 2005

By 

Elizabeth Slater (North Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Shadows Of Myth (Paperback)

You begin this tale in a field of bodies...all dead except Tess, who cannot remember who she is, what happened, or why. She tries to save a child who also lives thru the attack, but the winter conditions, combined with injuries and Tess' amnesia, find her carrying a dead child when she is found by Archer, an immortal. Unable to separate the two, Archer takes her to an Inn nearby to recover. Tess eventually remembers her name and gets her voice back, and decides to stick with Archer and his friends to find the band that attacked Tess' traveling group. A few more villagers join the group (total 6), and they wonder at the magic that is chasing Tess and driving the weather out of season. Tess can hear the mage calling her, and they follow the trail into danger. There is a wonderful balance of romance, mystery, and fantasy in this story, and I look forward to more from Rachel. Her stories entrap you into a different world of magic.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good in a grind yourself along kind of way, February 17, 2005

By 

D. Rumbold (Tualatin, or USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadows Of Myth (Paperback)

The Luna imprint has quickly become my publisher of choice. Stronger female characters, action, a hint of romance, a touch of magick. This seems to be the core. And of course, the concepts of Plot and Character Development are not lost on these writers.

Having said that, I have to admit, I wasn't as tickled with Shadows of Myth as I was the other Luna books I have gobbled up. The pacing was slow, grinding and had this sense of "Oh, look yet another obstacle pulled out of no where."

At times, the character of Tess is so bloody out of it, you want to reach through the paper and shake her.

However, all and all this adventure of Tess the amnesiac, Archer the man who knows too much (and yet is an idiot) and their team of intrepet wanderers is fun and somewhat entertaining.

Normally, I would give a synopsis, but everyone else has.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, even upon a second reading, January 1, 2006

By 

Deborah Wiley (Winter Haven, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadows Of Myth (Paperback)

This was a different type of book than what I normally expect from Rachel Lee. Different... and yet I enjoyed it. A woman awakens to find a caravan slaughtered around her and no memory of who she is or where she came from. She is rescued by Archer Blackcoat and two Anari men, Giri and Ratha, who take her to the nearest town of Whitewater. In Whitewater, she meets Sara Deepwell and Tom Downey. She remembers her name, Tess, and realizes that she has the ability to sense the evil abroad in the forest. Strange signs have been noted, such as the disappearance of the forest animals and the sudden and early arrival of a harsh winter. Archer, Tess, Tom, Giri, Sara, and Ratha begin an adventure to try to find food for the town of Whitewater to survive the winter as well as to try to end the evil that appears to be spreading across the land. Soon, the group realizes that both Tess and Sara are Ilduin, a race of powerful women who wield magick from the First Times. They also learn that the evil mage, Lantav Glassidor, controls an Ilduin in the town of Lorense, and that he is causing much of the evil they sense. Lantav has created a hive of people subject to his control in Lorense. Lantav kidnaps Tess and so the others follow her to Lorense where the powers of the Ilduin are further revealed. The novel concludes with a setup for Lee's next novel as the group realizes that Lantav is only a puppet of the Lord of Chaos and the Anari people are under attack. This was my second time reading this novel and I actually enjoyed it more that the first time as I wasn't surprised by Lee's different writing style.