In a world of secrets, power comes at a price, and survival demands more than courage.
Kenric stumbles out of the forest broken, alone, and bleeding. Saved by the village herbalist, he must rebuild his life from nothing. Haunted by loss and forced to prove his worth in a place that does not trust him.
In the nearby town of Two Rivers, Gwene, a gifted bard with a dangerous past, arrives under orders from the King to uncover the truth behind the rising power of the Thieves’ Guild. But as her music reveals more than sound, and powerful enemies close in, she finds herself caught in a web of corruption that reaches far beyond the streets.
Meanwhile, Judd, a ruthless outlaw leader, is given a simple command by the head of the Thieves’ Guild: burn a village to the ground. Gathering a crew together, he seeks to fulfil his orders and, perhaps, find a way to climb higher in the hierarchy of power.
What follows is a chain of violence that will drag them all together through bloodshed, betrayal, and a battle that will decide the fate of more than just one town.
As forbidden alchemy, hidden magic, and dark ambitions collide, no one will emerge unchanged.
Because in the end, survival is only the beginning.
This is one of those books where the tone settles in fast. Cold, dark, a little unforgiving, but never empty. It feels grounded right from the start, with characters pushing through pain, exhaustion, and situations that would break lesser people. The atmosphere is thick, like breath in winter air, always there, always present.
“Move, move, move.” Each word misted before his face, floating upwards and dissipating. His words were nebulous, but determination fired his heart.
Cold seeped into every bone as he meandered his way through the trees. His teeth chattered, and his fingers numbed. Soon all feeling left his feet and legs, but he staggered onwards.
We follow three POVs that could not be more different, but fit together really well.
Judd is a bandit, and very much a bad man. There is no softening that. But what makes him interesting is he is good at what he does. Competent, sharp, and dangerous. You don’t root for him, but you understand him, and that makes his chapters tense in a very specific way. You always feel like something could go wrong, and he might be the one causing it.
Gwene brings a completely different energy. A bard, but not in a soft or decorative way. She uses music and conversation as tools, shaping the mood of a room, slipping into places she otherwise would never reach, pulling information from people without them even noticing. There is something very deliberate about everything she does. And when words are not enough, she has no hesitation reaching for a blade. Her tongue is just as sharp as her wit and her dagger, and I loved that balance.
Her way of perceiving the world adds a really unique layer to her chapters. It gives them a slightly surreal edge, without ever becoming confusing.
Gwene closed her eyes and let the sounds of the night come to her. Something she should have done during her meanderings around the alleys below. Faint trails of colour spread and flew across her vision. Each denoting the step or breath of her pursuers. A curl of blue, a spark of yellow, and a splash of brown. Tiny ripples of light green, rarely seen, were the sounds of the world, its slow breaths and heartbeat.
Then there is Kenric, who was easily my favourite. Losing his arm at the start could have been the end of his story, but it isn’t. What follows is not just survival, but adjustment, stubbornness, and finding a way forward. He learns to work again, to fight again, to exist in a body that suddenly feels unfamiliar. And more importantly, he finds a place where people believe in him. That sense of belonging, of slowly building a life, changes him far more than the loss itself ever could.
These three perspectives balance each other really well. You get different layers of the world, different sides of society, and different emotional tones. Together, they create a story that feels broad without losing focus.
The side characters add a lot to that feeling of depth. The people at the inn, who take Gwene in, were a highlight for me. There is something very warm about them, a kind of found family that doesn’t ask too many questions but also isn’t naive. They feel real, like people who have chosen to stand together in a harsher world.
The same goes for Kenric’s side. The Reeve, with his slightly mysterious presence, and Eadin, who is far more than she first appears, both shape his journey in meaningful ways. They are not just there, they matter.
The world itself feels lived in. Not overly explained, not heavy with exposition, but present in the way people act, the way danger lingers, and the way small communities form where they can. It is dark and bloody at times, but never for shock value. It always fits.
What stayed with me most is that quiet thread running through everything. Determination. People pushing forward, rebuilding, adapting. Finding their place, even when the world has already taken something from them.
This is not a story about easy victories or clean paths. It is about carving something out of a hard world, about choices, protecting those you love and a dash of revenge.
Of Song and Shadow is due out next month, May 28, 2026! You can preorder your copy here!
Jennie Ivins