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Review: Shadow Lair (Shadow Winged 0.5) by Jilleen Dolbeare

June 22, 2024 by Ashley Brennan Leave a Comment

Rating: 7/10

Synopsis

Alaska bush pilot, Piper Tikaani, is on a desperate search. Her kid sister has been kidnapped and taken deep into the Alaska wilderness by a dark shamanic sect of her own tribe. Only her skills as a pilot, and her ability to shapeshift, will give her the edge needed to get her sister back. Together with her best friend, Branwyn, she takes a desperate flight to save her sister before the worst can happen.

Review

I decided to kick off my summer reading with a short story. Shadow Lair is a short prequel story (56 pages) for the Shadow Winged Chronicles, an Alaskan folklore urban fantasy about a shapeshifting bush pilot named Piper. In this prequel, we follow Piper and her friend (Bran) as they search for Piper’s missing sister. As the story opens, the reader is immediately thrust into action because the search has already begun.

“Every myth has good and evil. Sometimes it’s a matter of perspective, but they do have good and evil.”

I personally love reading short stories when it comes to new-to-me authors. It serves as an introduction to an author’s work and is so often my entry point into a new series. If a compelling story is told and I’m interested to know more, then it’s a guarantee that I’ll be sticking around. By the end here, I enjoyed the mythology and lore, and I’m interested in seeing how the story expands and how characters develop.

I enjoyed the themes of courage, friendship, and identity/self-discovery. I felt the author excelled in the writing and pacing of their action scenes. Although it didn’t distract me too much, the dialogue felt a little stilted at times and had some minor overexplaining that briefly took me out of the story. I love a strong and brave fmc, and Piper and Bran were exactly that.

The inclusion of magical beings, shamanism, and dark shadow creatures contributed to the suspenseful atmosphere and enriched the story. By exploring the conflict between good and evil, Raven and Eagle shapeshifters found themselves pitted against one another. I wish we had been provided a little more insight into the feud between the shapeshifters, although it seems to be a power thing. The first half and the second half felt almost like two separate stories, and I would’ve liked a scene added to help tie some elements together so it didn’t feel as unconnected– but that may just be me

My favorite parts involved the ancient magic and the Native (Inupiaq) lore. Just a note- From what I’ve read, this short story should be read before book one. Other readers mentioned being a little confused when they missed this story.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy adventure, mystery, shapeshifting, mythology, and lore.

TW: Kidn*pping (off page)

Filed Under: Fantasy, Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tagged With: Jilleen Dolbeare, Self Published

About Ashley Brennan

Ashley enjoys multi-pov, character driven stories. Bonus for animal compananions and found family. She loves sci-fi, fantasy, and some horror and enjoys a multitude of subgenres including grimdark, space opera, first contact, gothic, epic, and time travel. Romance is always welcome. Ashley is a huge fan of series, especially the quartet. She always has three books in progress – a physical, ebook, and audiobook. Outside of work, Ashley is a homebody who loves spending time with her husband, two children, and dog. She is an avid runner who can be found listening to audiobooks during her long runs.

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