Shadows of Myth (The Ilduin, 1)

By Rachel Lee

Shadows of Myth by Rachel Lee released on Dec 28, 2004 is available now for purchase.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373802129
• ISBN13: 9780373802128
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Luna
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Great fun - a good read for summer

I found Lee's book to be well-written and enthralling. I finished it in two days - I just couldn't put it down. Intriguing characters, though not much development outside of Tess - and an interesting plot, although everything wrapped up a little too conveniently at the end. Still, a good book that I will probably read again.

Intriguing, even upon a second reading

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.

Interesting

I enjoyed this book since the characters were very human. You could relate to the decisions and the confusion they went through. It was a very nice story line and i was extremely upset when it ended and i want to know what happens next! I only give it four stars considering the beginning of the book was rather gruesome and gorey. Also considering i started reading it on a plane ride home and it was odd to start to settle into the book and have dreadfully horrific images come to mind. Otherwise "Shadows of Myth" was a very good book and an interesting read.

riveting

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.

Delightful fantasy

She awakens in a field of corpses with no memory of who she is, where she came from, or how she got there. Archer, a man cursed with immortality, and his friends Giri and Ratha find her and the dead child she is carrying. He takes her to Bandylegs Inn in Whitewater where she recovers her ability to speak and recalls her name is Tess Birdsong. The innkeeper's daughter Sara, Tess, and the three men who found her sense something evil is coming for her. Winter arrives unnaturally early and the townsfolk go hungry. Tess and her new friends along with Sara' wannabe lover Tom travel together in hopes of learning who she is, but are stunned to find a ghost town whose crops and food supply was poisoned. Rumors are heard that a powerful mage gathers those with Ildwin blood to harness their power in a quest to conquer the world. He apparently is calling Tess to come to him, but Sara hears him too. The magnificent six knows they must battle the malevolent mage, but remain clueless that beyond this dimension the Chained One uses the evil sorcerer as a puppet for his mysterious malignant purposes. SHADOW OF MYTH is a fantastic fantasy set in a world where magic exists. The six champions are strong souls; Tom and Sara and Archer and Tess are delightful couples who work well together although Archer remains a bit of an enigma as he hides his true feelings for a woman more powerful than he is. Rachel lee, known for her terrific romantic suspense tales, provides a wonderful good vs., evil fantasy. Harriet Klausner