Received from NetGalley for review.
3.5 stars
Shadow Weaver is a dark middle-grade fantasy full of shadows, danger, and magic. It’s full of wonder and suspense, and although I found it to be a little slow in places, I think it is a wonderful addition to the middle-grade fantasy genre.
‘The first time my shadow spoke to me, I was a mere infant in the cradle.’
Shadow Weaver started strongly with a strong nod to fairy tales and an unmistakably strange atmosphere. The protagonist, Emmeline, is a shadow weaver – someone who can control shadows – and her only friends are the shadows that she calls to her, and her own shadow, Dar. I loved the idea of being able to manipulate shadows – Emmeline not only calls them to her, she can mould them into toys to play with, and use them to cloak herself and hide – and I liked how there was immediately a sinister undertone with Dar, who seems to revel in hurting, distressing, and playing tricks on others. The darkness continues when strange men visit Emmeline’s family and claim to be able to ‘cure’ her of her talent, with things escalating to breaking point when one of the men in left in a coma, forcing Emmeline to run.
Although the story is full of magic, darkness, and uncertainty, I found it to be lacking in places. The plot moves quickly at first, but once Emmeline is on the run I found it to be very slow – she gets taken in by a family with a talented son and the tension seems to dissipate, especially in the second half of the story. There are mysteries about Dar’s true nature and how she became a shadow, and Emmeline’s foster family, but I found them a bit predictable and could have guessed the outcome before I was halfway through. I wanted a bit more from this – more danger, more danger, more uncertainty – but even though my interest wavered, I know many readers will love reading Emmeline’s story.
Read: December 3rd-9th 2017
3.5/5 stars
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