Initiate (The Shadow Atlas)
Welcome to the Tower of London, where dark magic always comes with a price. . .
Uncontrollable Shadow Magic, pleas from her dead father, a mysterious enchanted book, and enemies at her door.
Eighteen-year-old Azalea Sharp thinks life can't get any worse until she is driven into hiding at a secret magic school in the Tower of London. Struggling to hide her dark secrets, Azalea quickly learns that not all magic is equal.
Then she meets the enigmatic Torin Dumont, a notorious shadow mage with secrets of his own. With more than her own life at stake, will his help be enough?
Or will the darkness she brought forth unleash itself on London?
Initiate is a spellbinding new adult urban fantasy and the first book in the Shadow Atlas series.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
My favorite books are thrillers. My jam is faced paced chapters, twists that make you shout, "Holy Sh&t!" and well written procedurals; hopefully with a ton of murder/mayhem/chaos involved. But I do love a good dystopian / scyfi/ urban fantasy and every 5-6 books love to throw one of those. Maybe because they are fantasy light? Over a epic high fantasy book which I have a hard time getting into. So I was thrilled to receive a early copy from a debut author: Jenny Sandiford and her urban fantasy book: Initiate.
Like a traditional urban fantasy this one takes place in modern day London. With people practicing magic unbeknownst by the common population. In the beginning we have eighteen year old Azalea trying to get rid of her "Shadow Magic" It's like the very taboo magic that nobody is suppose to practice. In doing so she gets a message from her dead father to learn how to control her magic. And with the help of her estranged uncle Fabian she finds herself in a community of mages learning how to work their magic right in the middle of London: Under The Tower of London to be exact.
And what follows is a total mind-melt of a urban fantasy. It's basically Harry Potter for adults and we have a epic world building scenario for the first 150-200 pages. But unlike Harry Potter with it's four houses and one magic type here we have eight houses with origins from the Gods and TWO types of magic. Literally Harry Potter on steroids. Like just when I'm patting myself for keeping up with the first round of magic, Jenny Sandiford throws that out and we start learning a new one. Like I kick total ass painting my fence and when I'm congratulating myself my wife goes, "You got both sides right?" Uh no.
This book is totally epic in scope. The world building and amount of characters are huge. But the magic of this book (no pun intended) is right at the half point where it just takes off. What I love in books is when they are just so organic and free flowing that you can't help but read it nonstop. This one has it...... You just have to get past the world building. Uhg. Ok, it wasn't that bad and I know most people who read urban fantasy will LOVE it.
When you do, OMG this is urban fantasy on steroids. (I know I said this twice) Building to a climax where Azalea and her classmates band together to face a creature in modern day London so horrible and evil that its actually terrifying to read. My scariest reads are reading about creatures (and humans) who kill so indiscriminately and without empathy. This book has one and its anarchy and chaos.
It's not a perfect book, however, IMO. Some of the characters are really underdeveloped. Mainly her classmates which she goes to battle with in the end. The main characters are outstanding. (Torin, Danni, and Fabian) But I think with the worldbuilding we go through in the beginning, the only way Sandiford could have developed them more would be to add 100 pages on already a 400 page book. Then we are really talking epic high fantasy. Also I love a kick ass female lead and Azalea was really too much "tea and biscuits" in the beginning. But make no mistake she throws that out the window in the end and kicks all types of ass.
Fortunately this book literally ends on about five plot points going into book two. And without the worldbuilding that we don't need going forward then book Two just promises to be pure adrenaline. Plus, I'm sure we are going to get a much better backstory and character development with her classmates. I was so entertained at the end of this one that when I got to the last page: Preorder Book two I bookmarked it.
So a highly recommended Urban Fantasy and I can't wait for book two.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Like a traditional urban fantasy this one takes place in modern day London. With people practicing magic unbeknownst by the common population. In the beginning we have eighteen year old Azalea trying to get rid of her "Shadow Magic" It's like the very taboo magic that nobody is suppose to practice. In doing so she gets a message from her dead father to learn how to control her magic. And with the help of her estranged uncle Fabian she finds herself in a community of mages learning how to work their magic right in the middle of London: Under The Tower of London to be exact.
And what follows is a total mind-melt of a urban fantasy. It's basically Harry Potter for adults and we have a epic world building scenario for the first 150-200 pages. But unlike Harry Potter with it's four houses and one magic type here we have eight houses with origins from the Gods and TWO types of magic. Literally Harry Potter on steroids. Like just when I'm patting myself for keeping up with the first round of magic, Jenny Sandiford throws that out and we start learning a new one. Like I kick total ass painting my fence and when I'm congratulating myself my wife goes, "You got both sides right?" Uh no.
This book is totally epic in scope. The world building and amount of characters are huge. But the magic of this book (no pun intended) is right at the half point where it just takes off. What I love in books is when they are just so organic and free flowing that you can't help but read it nonstop. This one has it...... You just have to get past the world building. Uhg. Ok, it wasn't that bad and I know most people who read urban fantasy will LOVE it.
When you do, OMG this is urban fantasy on steroids. (I know I said this twice) Building to a climax where Azalea and her classmates band together to face a creature in modern day London so horrible and evil that its actually terrifying to read. My scariest reads are reading about creatures (and humans) who kill so indiscriminately and without empathy. This book has one and its anarchy and chaos.
It's not a perfect book, however, IMO. Some of the characters are really underdeveloped. Mainly her classmates which she goes to battle with in the end. The main characters are outstanding. (Torin, Danni, and Fabian) But I think with the worldbuilding we go through in the beginning, the only way Sandiford could have developed them more would be to add 100 pages on already a 400 page book. Then we are really talking epic high fantasy. Also I love a kick ass female lead and Azalea was really too much "tea and biscuits" in the beginning. But make no mistake she throws that out the window in the end and kicks all types of ass.
Fortunately this book literally ends on about five plot points going into book two. And without the worldbuilding that we don't need going forward then book Two just promises to be pure adrenaline. Plus, I'm sure we are going to get a much better backstory and character development with her classmates. I was so entertained at the end of this one that when I got to the last page: Preorder Book two I bookmarked it.
So a highly recommended Urban Fantasy and I can't wait for book two.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
