Ratings3
Average rating3.7
A Fantasy Romance Novel Inspired by Indian Mythology
Of Light and Shadow is a novel about magic, mayhem, love, and betrayal—the story of a bandit and a prince who change each other in unexpected ways. When they don’t give us our birthright, we steal it. Roshan Chaya is out for justice. Abandoned by her parents at birth and adopted by the kingdom of Jwala's most notorious bandit before his brutal murder, she is now leader of the Shadow Clan, a gang of farmers-turned-bandits impoverished by the provincial governor’s atrocities and corruption. Roshan’s goal: to avenge her adoptive father and earn back rights and dignity for her people. Prince Navin has always felt like an outcast. Second in line for the throne, he has never been close to his grandmother, Queen Bhairavi of Jwala. When a night out drinking with friends leads to his capture by the infamous Shadow Clan, Navin schemes to befriend Roshan and use her as a means to escape. His ploy, however, brings Navin closer to the corruption and poverty at the heart of Roshan’s province, raising questions about its governor and Navin’s own family. To further complicate things, the closer Roshan and Navin get, the harder it becomes to fight their growing attraction. But how can they trust each other when the world as they know it starts to fall apart? Set in a magical world inspired by the badlands of 17th century India, this standalone epic fantasy novel by Tanaz Bhathena is packed with political tensions, dangerous schemes, and swoon-worthy romance that asks the age old question: can love conquer all?
Reviews with the most likes.
Mostly a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.
I typed up a whole review here and the GR app closed down suddenly without saving any of it. I'm just out of the hospital and in pain with very low energy, so I'm not typing it all out again.
Just wanna say this book was a light and enjoyable company when I was admitted to the hospital and I will always remember it as the first book I read after I had my baby, so it's always gonna be special. Check it out if you want something lighter and entertaining, with good characters, lovely romance, wonderful relationships, a very well narrated audiobook, or if you just want a break from all the series and would love to read a stand-alone fantasy.
Fairly standard YA fantasy romance. The world-building felt laboured, particularly with regard to language and the glossary was inadequate (usually I'm a fan of such things but half the time the word I was searching for wasn't even present). The characters, pacing and plot are quite satisfactory and make for an enjoyable read but none of it is particularly memorable.
Thank you to whatever nice publisher it was who sent me a free copy for review.