Bride of the Shadow King
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- Create Date：2022-03-19 04:19:54
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Sylvia Mercedes
- ISBN：B09NL9WVXN
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Summary
For fans of The Bridge Kingdom and A Deal with the Elf King， this arranged marriage romance about a human princess forced to wed a dark and desperate Shadow King is sure to entice！
A shunned princess。 A reluctant king。
A marriage that could save both their kingdoms 。 。 。 but destroy their hearts。
Though she is the oldest daughter， Princess Faraine lives in the background， shunned from court and kept out of sight。 Her chronic illness makes her a liability to the crown， and she has learned to give place to her beautiful， favored younger sister in all things。
When the handsome and enigmatic Shadow King comes seeking a bride， Faraine is not surprised that her sister is his choice。
Though not eager to take a human bride， King Vor is willing to do what is necessary for the sake of his people。 When he meets the lively Princess Ilsevel， he quickly agrees to a marriage arrangement。
So why can’t he get the haunting eyes of her older sister out of his head？
When disaster strikes and the marriage alliance is compromised， Faraine suddenly finds herself forced to take her sister’s place 。 。 。 regardless of her new husband’s desires。 Can she find a place at Vor’s side as his queen？ Or is his heart forever closed to the woman who deceived him so cruelly？
Passionate and alluring， Bride of the Shadow King is an arranged marriage tale with dual point-of-view （his and hers）。 It’s perfect for fantasy fans looking for a touch of spice to go with the sweet in their next swoony， slow-burn romance。
A shunned princess。 A reluctant king。
A marriage that could save both their kingdoms 。 。 。 but destroy their hearts。
Though she is the oldest daughter， Princess Faraine lives in the background， shunned from court and kept out of sight。 Her chronic illness makes her a liability to the crown， and she has learned to give place to her beautiful， favored younger sister in all things。
When the handsome and enigmatic Shadow King comes seeking a bride， Faraine is not surprised that her sister is his choice。
Though not eager to take a human bride， King Vor is willing to do what is necessary for the sake of his people。 When he meets the lively Princess Ilsevel， he quickly agrees to a marriage arrangement。
So why can’t he get the haunting eyes of her older sister out of his head？
When disaster strikes and the marriage alliance is compromised， Faraine suddenly finds herself forced to take her sister’s place 。 。 。 regardless of her new husband’s desires。 Can she find a place at Vor’s side as his queen？ Or is his heart forever closed to the woman who deceived him so cruelly？
Passionate and alluring， Bride of the Shadow King is an arranged marriage tale with dual point-of-view （his and hers）。 It’s perfect for fantasy fans looking for a touch of spice to go with the sweet in their next swoony， slow-burn romance。
Reviews
Cindy MacDougall
，
great bookGood story with great characters。 Respectful adult romance between alpha male and strong nurturing female。 Loved it so refreshing sick of woke junk messing with my romance。
Maria Charles
，
This book had a lot of potential， but I grew bored with the story at the end。
Debra
，
I really enjoyed this story。 The 2 main characters meet on the road to her homeland and he saves her （n her brother） from the evil Elf Lord who terrorizes the roads， and hamlets of her father's kingdom。 There's an instant connection between the two。 Vor is there to meet n marry her sister but he becomes intrigued by Faranian。 She's kind， gentle， and very intelligent。 Well I don't want to give anything away so I'll just leave it there。 I loved the home world of the Shadow King; it's a wonderland I really enjoyed this story。 The 2 main characters meet on the road to her homeland and he saves her （n her brother） from the evil Elf Lord who terrorizes the roads， and hamlets of her father's kingdom。 There's an instant connection between the two。 Vor is there to meet n marry her sister but he becomes intrigued by Faranian。 She's kind， gentle， and very intelligent。 Well I don't want to give anything away so I'll just leave it there。 I loved the home world of the Shadow King; it's a wonderland of beauty， mystery and horror。 Already ordered book 2。 Oh fyi it's a cliffhanger。 。。。more
Marcia Esders
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This was my first foray into the writing of Sylvia Mercedes and it won’t be my last。 Can I just mention how much I love Vor？ He is kind and good and goes out of his way to help others even at his own personal risk。 And my heart breaks for Fairy… she got the short end of the stick in the parental department…。。 and she is still sweet and kind and trusting after all she’s been through。 The world building was quite imaginative… I think we all think of underground as some dark and dank place but such This was my first foray into the writing of Sylvia Mercedes and it won’t be my last。 Can I just mention how much I love Vor？ He is kind and good and goes out of his way to help others even at his own personal risk。 And my heart breaks for Fairy… she got the short end of the stick in the parental department…。。 and she is still sweet and kind and trusting after all she’s been through。 The world building was quite imaginative… I think we all think of underground as some dark and dank place but such is not the case in Mythanar。 Yes， their ways are different but it looks like a world Faraine could be happy in if ever given the chance。I’m excited to see how the series continues in the next installment。 。。。more
Debbie Eyre
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OMG this first book in a new fantasy romance series is simply put， fantastic！ It’s a well written， exciting and enthralling read that just grabs you and holds on tight！ It’s a wonderful story of love and betrayal and you will be swept off your feet like a real princess in this slow burn romance。 The world holding is incredible， the characters intriguing and some are magical and the storyline gripping， captivating and very enjoyable and I am so ready for the next book especially after that ending OMG this first book in a new fantasy romance series is simply put， fantastic！ It’s a well written， exciting and enthralling read that just grabs you and holds on tight！ It’s a wonderful story of love and betrayal and you will be swept off your feet like a real princess in this slow burn romance。 The world holding is incredible， the characters intriguing and some are magical and the storyline gripping， captivating and very enjoyable and I am so ready for the next book especially after that ending！ 。。。more
Rattlethebook
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Ho letto il libro tutto d'un fiato 😍 Non appena l'ho visto disponibile su Amazon l'ho scaricato senza pensarci due volte！ Inutile dire che ho passato l'intera giornata a leggere perché ero troppo curiosa di sapere cosa sarebbe accaduto 😱Come si sarà capito da queste prime righe ho amato Bride of the Shadow King alla follia e non vedo l'ora di leggere il secondo volume 😭❤Sarà uno strazio aspettare mesi e mesi per il secondo libro 😭 Vorrei averlo tra le mani subito！Bride of the Shadow Ki ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Ho letto il libro tutto d'un fiato 😍 Non appena l'ho visto disponibile su Amazon l'ho scaricato senza pensarci due volte！ Inutile dire che ho passato l'intera giornata a leggere perché ero troppo curiosa di sapere cosa sarebbe accaduto 😱Come si sarà capito da queste prime righe ho amato Bride of the Shadow King alla follia e non vedo l'ora di leggere il secondo volume 😭❤Sarà uno strazio aspettare mesi e mesi per il secondo libro 😭 Vorrei averlo tra le mani subito！Bride of the Shadow King è una storia magica e romantica， piena di colpi di scena che non ti permettono di rilassarti nemmeno per un secondo。Se all'inizio ti ritrovi a fantasticare su una bellissima storia d'amore tra i protagonisti， dopo poche pagine i tuoi sogni vengono infranti dalla cruda realtà: se Vor vuole salvare il suo popolo non può sposare la donna che ama。Lo devo dire， è stata una sofferenza leggere certi capitoli 😭 Ma giuro che ne è valsa la pena e ho aspettative altissime per il prossimo libro ❤ Sono sicura che non resterò delusa perché le premesse sono ottime！Ho adorato tutto: lo stile dell'autrice， la storia raccontata， l'utilizzo di parole in un'altra lingua， i personaggi。。。 Ahhhh！！ Voglio uno Shadow King tutto mio！ 😍 Mi sono innamorata perdutamente di Vor e non capisco perché uomini come lui non esistano nella realtà 😂😱Faraine， la protagonista della storia， è meravigliosa！ Risoluta， coraggiosa e incredibilmente dolce。。。 Ammetto di aver pianto tutte le mie lacrime alla fine del libro。Gli ultimi due personaggi che mi hanno rubato il cuore sono Sul， il fratello di re Vor， ed Heal， il capitano delle guardie e amica sia del re che di Sul ❤Il mio animo di fangirl continua a sperare in una relazione tra Sul ed Heal 😌 I loro caratteri sono completamente opposti， ma forse è per questo che li vorrei vedere insieme ❤ Sul è arrogante， vanitoso e decisamente sfacciato， non risparmia i suoi commenti pungenti a nessuno。 Heal， al contrario， è seria e ligia al dovere。 Non so se l'autrice stia programmando di inserire i loro pov nel prossimo libro， ma se dovesse succedere ne sarei felicissima。。。 E se Sul ed Heal dovessero avere una relazione， potrei iniziare a tirare i coriandoli dalla felicità 😂❤ Il nostro amato Sul ha bisogno di scendere dal suo piedistallo， ed Heal è la persona perfetta per metterlo in riga！❤ Per concludere， consiglio questo libro？Assolutamente sì！！L'ho amato dall'inizio alla fine e queste cinque stelle sono più che meritate。Non è solo una storia d'amore， Bride of the Shadow King rappresenta anche l'incontro tra due culture diverse che imparano a conoscersi e rispettarsi reciprocamente。 Trovo che sia un bellissimo messaggio ❤Menzione d'onore anche per la cover del libro che è stupenda！！ 😍 。。。more
Jessica Michelle
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I’d give this a higher rating， but I’m fucking pissed。 This ends on a motherfucking whopping cliffhanger。 Fuck that shit。 I hate this fucking shit。 Why you do that to me？ I was soo engrossed in this book， eager to see where it was going， and then when we get to the juicy part *boom！* the story fucking ends。 Do you know how frustrating that is？！ Especially since the next installment doesn’t come out until fucking December？ And I didn’t know that it was book 1 of 2 cause I didn’t look at the littl I’d give this a higher rating， but I’m fucking pissed。 This ends on a motherfucking whopping cliffhanger。 Fuck that shit。 I hate this fucking shit。 Why you do that to me？ I was soo engrossed in this book， eager to see where it was going， and then when we get to the juicy part *boom！* the story fucking ends。 Do you know how frustrating that is？！ Especially since the next installment doesn’t come out until fucking December？ And I didn’t know that it was book 1 of 2 cause I didn’t look at the little bleep under the authors name （put it with the book title please if you’re gonna fuck with me）。 It was obviously a fun story。 Or I wouldn’t be soooooo pissed off about how it was finished。 And ya wanna know what？ That now jades me from probably reading this author again even though I enjoyed this book for the most part。 I also probably won’t be reading the next installation of this book because it’s far off and I will have forgotten there will be a sequel。 Just sayin。 If I went into knowing it might end where I wanted to through my kindle across the wall， I’d probably be a more understanding human at this point… 。。。more
Lindsay Rankin
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Good book！The world building and character development are done so well in this book！ There is one scene that I skipped （the wedding night scene） and there is enough innuendo in the book that I wouldn't recommend it for teenagers。 But it was tastefully written， and the one scene is easily skippable。 Good book！The world building and character development are done so well in this book！ There is one scene that I skipped （the wedding night scene） and there is enough innuendo in the book that I wouldn't recommend it for teenagers。 But it was tastefully written， and the one scene is easily skippable。 。。。more
Clara Thompson
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EXQUISITE！！！ Amazing plot， incredibly deep characters！ Can’t wait for the sequel！
Juvi Santillana
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So honoured to have received an ARC and this is an honest review。Sylvia Mercedes is a genius at world-building。 The story had a medieval feel to it with generous amount of fairy-dust。 The creation of a new language was fascinating。Life was unfair for the heroine， Farraine， yet she plods on。 It's awful enough to be a pawn-surrounded by power-hungry， selfish and greedy people。 Even more awful that these people belong to your clan。 The prejudices and dynamics of these relationships were interesting So honoured to have received an ARC and this is an honest review。Sylvia Mercedes is a genius at world-building。 The story had a medieval feel to it with generous amount of fairy-dust。 The creation of a new language was fascinating。Life was unfair for the heroine， Farraine， yet she plods on。 It's awful enough to be a pawn-surrounded by power-hungry， selfish and greedy people。 Even more awful that these people belong to your clan。 The prejudices and dynamics of these relationships were interesting。 With as much dignity a lady can muster， Farraine puts up with everything。 Makes true the saying: Damned if you do， damned if you don't。The Shadow King did a lot of yearning for Farraine。 A tug on the heart-strings。 He was a man on a mission and with limited choices。 He had to do what's best for his kingdom。 The deception was cruel on him and I can't really blame him for his reactions。 I wouldn't want to be in either the hero's or heroine's shoes towards the end。I definitely enjoyed this read and would look forward to the continuation of this story。 。。。more
Nicole Courtney
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Swoon worthy， slow burn romance！ Again， Sylvia seems to really know hot to hit that spot when it comes to Romance because you just can't seem to get enough of her stories！ Her characters are always compelling， and the love interests just always make me want to gush over and marry！ I am hoping to get a physical copy of this book soon for my collection， if you love fantasy -romance then this will hit the spot！Thank you to the author for kindly providing me with an arc copy of the book！ Swoon worthy， slow burn romance！ Again， Sylvia seems to really know hot to hit that spot when it comes to Romance because you just can't seem to get enough of her stories！ Her characters are always compelling， and the love interests just always make me want to gush over and marry！ I am hoping to get a physical copy of this book soon for my collection， if you love fantasy -romance then this will hit the spot！Thank you to the author for kindly providing me with an arc copy of the book！ 。。。more
Adena Lee
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A princess intended for the religious life meets a warrior fae king - which a sweet beginning to what turns into a not-so-comic tale of errors， misunderstandings， political underdealings and curses。 The author begins with two hearts which are not allowed to join， then shows us two hearts at odds and leaves us with a rejected bride in a dungeon facing transformation。 Seriously， Ms。 Mercedes， you are going to leaving us hanging like that！ What kind of transformation？ What happens next？ Please tell A princess intended for the religious life meets a warrior fae king - which a sweet beginning to what turns into a not-so-comic tale of errors， misunderstandings， political underdealings and curses。 The author begins with two hearts which are not allowed to join， then shows us two hearts at odds and leaves us with a rejected bride in a dungeon facing transformation。 Seriously， Ms。 Mercedes， you are going to leaving us hanging like that！ What kind of transformation？ What happens next？ Please tell me the sweethearts will get over the misunderstanding！I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review （and impatiently waiting for the sequel）。 。。。more
Kira Lou
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oh my goodness！！！Just WOW！ I read an early copy of this and I couldn’t put it down for anything。 Faraine and Vor’s story will both break your heart and set it ablaze and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for these two in the second book！ ❤️
C。K。 Beggan
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Note: I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。Farraine is a disgraced princess with a painful empath gods-gift; Vor is a hunky half-trollde， half-human king of an underground realm。 These two hit it off right away， but unfortunately for them， it's Faraine’s younger sister Ilsevel who's destined to marry Vor in this twisty and exciting romantic fantasy。 If you're hoping for a tidy romance， this book will leave you in agony！ Farraine and Vor are truly star-crossed， and constant unex Note: I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。Farraine is a disgraced princess with a painful empath gods-gift; Vor is a hunky half-trollde， half-human king of an underground realm。 These two hit it off right away， but unfortunately for them， it's Faraine’s younger sister Ilsevel who's destined to marry Vor in this twisty and exciting romantic fantasy。 If you're hoping for a tidy romance， this book will leave you in agony！ Farraine and Vor are truly star-crossed， and constant unexpected events （plus the great action sequences I now expect from author Sylvia Mercedes） keep the course of love rocky as a trollde hide。 This is truly an eventful book， full of swoony touches and missed connections。 This excellent book's plot is riveting， and the traditional fantasy feel of Vor's perspective was a welcome surprise。 I enjoyed both POVs equally and grew fond of supporting characters like Hael and a certain sister of Farraine。 Beyond telling you I can't wait for book two， I honestly don't think I should tell you more！ That's how chuck full of plot twists it is。 。。。more
Renee Allison
，
If this is the first book you have read by Sylvia Mercedes， consider yourself lucky。 Because once you finish book one， you are going to want to devour her entire library while you wait for book two - Vow of the Shadow King！From the very first chapter you are drawn into the mystery of Faraine and Vor。 What draws them together？ Each of them have secrets， but will they overcome them or will their secrets destroy any hope they have at happiness？ Both of them are forced to put the needs of their king If this is the first book you have read by Sylvia Mercedes， consider yourself lucky。 Because once you finish book one， you are going to want to devour her entire library while you wait for book two - Vow of the Shadow King！From the very first chapter you are drawn into the mystery of Faraine and Vor。 What draws them together？ Each of them have secrets， but will they overcome them or will their secrets destroy any hope they have at happiness？ Both of them are forced to put the needs of their kingdoms before their own happiness， but can they actually do it？ Or does fate have something else in store for them？Mystery， intrigue， colourful characters， secret passion， suspense， and secrets。。。Bride of the Shadow King has it all！ And even more。。。but Sylvia is making us wait until book two to find out what that is！I think I'm going to go re-read Sylvia's series the Venatrix Chronicles。 There are seven books in the series - so if I read slowly hopefully Sylvia will finish Vow of the Shadow King by the time I'm done！ 。。。more
Sarah
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Sylvia Mercedes is one of the few authors where I know I'll love the start of a new series or edition to an existing one。 The world's she creates are filled with unique magic and creatures， political turmoil， mystery， landscapes you wish existed， characters that will surprise you and make you fall in love， or love to hate。 Bride of the Shadow King was no exception， as Sylvia haa outdone herself with the start of this series！ I was fortunate enough to be picked， to be apart of the ARC team， and Sylvia Mercedes is one of the few authors where I know I'll love the start of a new series or edition to an existing one。 The world's she creates are filled with unique magic and creatures， political turmoil， mystery， landscapes you wish existed， characters that will surprise you and make you fall in love， or love to hate。 Bride of the Shadow King was no exception， as Sylvia haa outdone herself with the start of this series！ I was fortunate enough to be picked， to be apart of the ARC team， and I've already preorder the next book！。Non- Spoiler Review;Vor， the Shadow King of Mythanar and leader of the Troldefolk， ventures to the surface realm， seeking a human marriage that will ensure an alliance that would benefit both kingdoms。 Fortunately King Larongar of Gavaria has daughters to spare。 The younger Princess Ilsevel is the favored one for the union， beautiful and the pride of her Father， it's easy to see why she is selected。 But after an eventful and surprising first encounter it's Faraine who remains in Vor's thoughts and desires， the eldest daughter， a Princess cast aside to live out the remainder of life in a covenant， to be forgotten。 Faraine knows for the sake of their kingdom she must stand back and support her sister's marriage to the Shadow King， even though he is striking， with his otherworldly beauty， gentleness and he brings about a calmness that no one else has been able to instil。 With a slow burning passion building for each other， they must move on and ignore it for the sake of their kingdoms。 Take the plunge and read about magical creatures， other worlds， surprising allies， a slow burn romance and twists that make your heart race and your mind reeling to read more。 The cover art alone should be more than enough to entice you to read it ;）。。A new take on trolls or better reffered to as Troldefolk， Sylvia does a great job at creating a unique race with complex forms of magic and tradition thats easy to understand。 Ans each Troldefolk is unique and different， and how they are physically depending on their lineages and spiritual connections。 The secondary characters had depth which added to the scenes， especially the scenes of comedic relief， it didn't feel out of place or forced。 Some of the comedic relief from the main characters is blunt and its hilarious and well enjoyed。 chapter changes with a different character's point of view and it was refreshing to see the emotions of the characters in the situations。 I do think in the earlier chapters， when the Troldefolk were speaking troldish， it was italicized， rather than describing that they were speaking troldish。 The troldish language was italicized in later chapters， and it was easy to understand the context。 I do wish all authors would include an index and pronunciation guide， it would be so helpful for names and new languages！ 。。The following has spoilers！！！！！！。。。The book starts off with such an amazing scene， who would have thought unicorns would be the bad！！！"“Spitting heavens！” he gasps， blood draining from his cheeks。 “It’s those gods-damned unicorns！” - Theodore。 And its funny how Theodore's God gift was beauty， not even Vor recognized it， lol。 I love how the Troldefolk were afraid of the open sky and air， seeing the vast openness made them feel uncomfortable as they are under ground dwelling。 And vise versa when Faraine was disguised and had to travel to the under realm， feeling as though she was going to be crushed！ The relationship between Sul and Vor was perfect， as to be expected from half-brothers， and Sul was so sassy！ He is the ladies man， who everyone loves and is annoyed by at the same time， but is loyal and dependable。 I can understand why Vor accused Sul of poisoning the drink， but it was also such an explosive situation， not knowing if Vor was going to kill Sul。 And when Vor found out it was Faraine， disguising herself as Ilsevel， I was surprised at his reaction！ And then she was lead to the chopping block gor execution！ I'm so glad Vor was able to snap himself out of the poisons stupor just in time to stop it。 And Lyria！ She is such a surprise with her God's Gift， and becoming an ally and closer to a real sister to Faraine。 I loved her courage， even if she was fearful underneath！ But that ending， how could we be left on such a cliff hanger！？？！ 。。。more
Kay
，
What a great read this is。 There's lots of intertwining backstories in this fabulous world the author has built， and you'll be hooked - as always - from the first pages。Our main character is Princess Faraine， eldest daughter of the human Larongar Cyhorn， King of Gavaria。 She was sent away from Beldroth Castle to the silent Convent of Nornala as her gods-gift/curse is a heightened sensitivity to emotions， and she is unable to cope with the sensory overload at the King's Court。 Her father doesn't What a great read this is。 There's lots of intertwining backstories in this fabulous world the author has built， and you'll be hooked - as always - from the first pages。Our main character is Princess Faraine， eldest daughter of the human Larongar Cyhorn， King of Gavaria。 She was sent away from Beldroth Castle to the silent Convent of Nornala as her gods-gift/curse is a heightened sensitivity to emotions， and she is unable to cope with the sensory overload at the King's Court。 Her father doesn't think much of the one gold- and one blue-eyed Faraine， and， as a result， she doesn't have any self-belief herself and feels she doesn't belong anywhere。Vor， the half-human， half-trolde King of Mythanar and Lord Protector of the Under Realm， needs the help and magic of Larongar's three Mages to save his people， whilst Larongar needs allies to fight Prince Ruvaen and the despised and deadly fae Licornyn Riders。 Larongar offers his favourite daughter， Faraine's younger， stunning and songful sister， Ilsevel's hand in marriage to Vor。On the way to Beldroth Castle， Vor and Faraine have met in dangerous circumstances and are instantly drawn to each other。 As required， they will forgo their own feelings and fulfil their royal duties。 Faraine， however， is not that easy to forget。 I'll leave the story there as I don't want to spoil your enjoyment。 Needless to say， it has wonderful twists and turns that you don't expect， and such a poignant feeling of betrayal that it will break your heart then tear it out of your chest。Excellent writing， full believable characterisations， and a world that you can feel beneath your feet and smell the air。 The riveting story will stop you from ever wanting to lay this book down， but oooooh， Ms Mercedes， what a cruel ending！ I can't wait for the next book。I chose an ARC of this work which I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Jes Drew
，
I am newer to Sylvia Mercedes （though an age-old fan to her previous pen name）， and I have been reading her books nonstop。 So when she was offering ARC copies of the first book to a new series， I fought my way onto the list， and here we are。The world: This is my second time reading from this world， and in this is a different slice of it from my previous visit。 Here I get to see a beautiful dichotomy of a medieval human surface world under attack by unicorn-riding Fae， and a majestic underground I am newer to Sylvia Mercedes （though an age-old fan to her previous pen name）， and I have been reading her books nonstop。 So when she was offering ARC copies of the first book to a new series， I fought my way onto the list， and here we are。The world: This is my second time reading from this world， and in this is a different slice of it from my previous visit。 Here I get to see a beautiful dichotomy of a medieval human surface world under attack by unicorn-riding Fae， and a majestic underground Trolde world under siege by a dark， insidious evil。 The sheer level of difference between these worlds was staggering， and watching the characters from each learn the others' cultures was fantastic world-building。The characters: We get the tale through two first-person POVs， which is my favorite construct。 Prince Faraine was a very relatable character as she dealt with her empathetic powers， crazy family， and her lot in life with quiet grace。 Then there is King Vor， ever noble and strong and sacrificial。 Faraine has her four sisters。。。 er， I mean three sisters and a brother。 And Vor has his own brother with whom we both shared a love-hate relationship。 He is absolutely hilarious， but I was right there with Vor threatening to smash his face in every two seconds。 And Vor's loyal captain is also fantastic。 I want to see more of them and all the other characters in this web of intrigue between two courts。The chemistry: Better buckle-up， because there was a lot of this。 So much that there came a point where I was just wincing because I knew that when it all came crashing down， that chemistry was going to be a lethal weapon that would come back on each of the protagonists。 Forbidden love and slow burn to train-wreck in progress。The stakes: Fae oblivion on one side and darkness oblivion for the other。 Everything is hinged on a marriage between two strangers。 But the chemistry might be the biggest obstacle。 Also， the court intrigue。 Lots of that， too。The twist: All I can say is， I better not have read what I thought I read。 Miss Mercedes better fix some things in the second book and undo the terrible- lies， I'm sure it was just lies- or else I am going to be Put Out。The cliffhanger: Wait， what？ I don't want to see a cliffhanger。 I want book two。 Now。 Yesterday。 Come on， now。 *Breathing exercises*Note to more sensitive readers: This book had some bad language， violence， horror elements， and STRONG romantic themes （but it did not go too far）。Review first published on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies。blogspo。。。 。。。more
CC
，
An immersively transportive and beautiful fantasy romance。 I completely adore Vor + Faraine's development and chemistry - it's more on the slow-burn side but not achingly slow ;） （although， let's be honest， that ending is TOO CRUEL xD - I mean that in a reader's heart-wrenching way。。。 it's very well done and this series is obviously intended to be read back to back <3）。 Mercedes crafts a beautiful subterranean Shadow-Under World for the troldfolk （trolls - but much more elegant and refined and a An immersively transportive and beautiful fantasy romance。 I completely adore Vor + Faraine's development and chemistry - it's more on the slow-burn side but not achingly slow ;） （although， let's be honest， that ending is TOO CRUEL xD - I mean that in a reader's heart-wrenching way。。。 it's very well done and this series is obviously intended to be read back to back <3）。 Mercedes crafts a beautiful subterranean Shadow-Under World for the troldfolk （trolls - but much more elegant and refined and advanced - I thought this twist is awesome！） and I love all the scenic descriptions that do not drag out the story。 I really like their unique names and diction and culture in contrast to the human world。 The dual 1st Person POV is written very well and Mercedes' prose is impeccably elegant yet still fast-paced。 For me， this is certainly a wonderful and eagerly-awaited change in prose/tone compared to her Eros/Pysche retelling， OF CANDLELIGHT AND SHADOWS duology。 Faraine is relatable and admirable in her long-suffering and patient responses - all without being weak - she's the catalyst/supportive sort。 （Slight spoiler but I really liked the emotional connection ability she has and how that's weaved with Vor and the story as a whole！） And Vor is irreproachably honorable and competent （and NOT the #badboy type， which is a refreshing aspect， since he's anything BUT boring） despite his struggles dealing with the looming trolde curse as the Shadow King。 This overarching terror implied by the curse throughout the story is brought to the forefront in the final act will certainly be revealed and resolved more in the next book - so I can't wait！！--Content: This is Mercedes' debut in the New Adult genre。 And the story's overall tone reflects this。 So I'd recommend this for mature audiences/adults only due to the overall mature tone of the book in regards to the arranged marriage。 And specifically a rather intensely intimate wedding night scene in one chapter - there's no sex but there's quite a bit of descriptive buildup， so to speak （i。e。 kissing and caressing）。 There are also some repeated swearing in trolde fashion （meaning we don't know what those words mean）。 And although the banter between Vor and his rakish brother Sul are quite fun， the latter is quite persistent in his innuendos。 There is mention/use of fantasy alcohol-equivalent。 （Overall， I personally consider everything well done still in regards to the story at hand。 But do realize that this is not for young adult readers， although， to be honest， sadly many young adult books today feature the same or even higher level of content。） 。。。more
Denise
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Sometimes in life， you fall for the wrong person。 Usually， a kingdom’s survival isn’t at stake。 In this book， two kingdoms face destruction and form an alliance based on marriage of the Troldefolk King Vor and the reluctant human Princess Ilsevel。 Her older sister， Faraine， looked over because of a condition she suffers， meets the King first， and he can’t stop thinking of her。 He knows he must choose Ilsevel but he doesn’t know of all that will happen on the journey to their marriage。 This book Sometimes in life， you fall for the wrong person。 Usually， a kingdom’s survival isn’t at stake。 In this book， two kingdoms face destruction and form an alliance based on marriage of the Troldefolk King Vor and the reluctant human Princess Ilsevel。 Her older sister， Faraine， looked over because of a condition she suffers， meets the King first， and he can’t stop thinking of her。 He knows he must choose Ilsevel but he doesn’t know of all that will happen on the journey to their marriage。 This book sucks you in， flows so easily， taking you along for the ride until the end。 Expect a few twists and turns！ This is book 1， so the story ending leaves room to continue。 Read it！ 。。。more
LaShunda
，
I stopped reading this story 3% in to yell at my husband " THIS IS SO GOOD！ I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT BUT I HAVE TO READ It ALL！ NOW！"That being said， I received this story as an ARC， and as it was already on my tbr list， I was extremely thrilled。 It's set in the same world as her Whispering Wood series， and Prince of the Doomed City which are two of my favorites right now。 I will say that it has some mild swearing and pushes my steam meter， but it does not cross it。 Nothing is gratuitous I stopped reading this story 3% in to yell at my husband " THIS IS SO GOOD！ I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT BUT I HAVE TO READ It ALL！ NOW！"That being said， I received this story as an ARC， and as it was already on my tbr list， I was extremely thrilled。 It's set in the same world as her Whispering Wood series， and Prince of the Doomed City which are two of my favorites right now。 I will say that it has some mild swearing and pushes my steam meter， but it does not cross it。 Nothing is gratuitous and all that's included pushes the story forward。 That being said， I can hardly wait for the next book in this series because cliff hanger！ For now my mind is just filled with what if's and maybe， and how could。。。 Well I can't say that part， you just have to read it for yourself！ 。。。more
Shawnae Aiu
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I am so invested in this story。 Vor and Faraine are beautiful characters that face enemies challenges。 This book moves quickly and has an impressive world at stake。 Between what appears to be mid evil and way advanced time frames brings unique circumstances that both sides face。 Will true love prevail？ Can forgiveness be offered？ I can’t wait to find out。 I received this book free for my honest review。
Sarah Chipman
，
I loved this from the teaser first chapter I read months ago。 The rest of the book was maybe not as fabulous， but still compelling and enjoyable。 It reminds me of course of several of Sylvia Mercedes' books， but also of Miranda Honfleur's No Man Can Tame， Grace Draven's Radiance， and lots of other dark elf stories even though these are "trolls。" A twist at the end （I'm not going to spoil） reminds me of Peeta and Hercules。We have Faraine， the oldest daughter of a human king。 She is viewed as a di I loved this from the teaser first chapter I read months ago。 The rest of the book was maybe not as fabulous， but still compelling and enjoyable。 It reminds me of course of several of Sylvia Mercedes' books， but also of Miranda Honfleur's No Man Can Tame， Grace Draven's Radiance， and lots of other dark elf stories even though these are "trolls。" A twist at the end （I'm not going to spoil） reminds me of Peeta and Hercules。We have Faraine， the oldest daughter of a human king。 She is viewed as a disappointment because her gift makes her over sensitive to the emotions of others。 We have Vor， the king of the Troldefolk。 He is desperately searching for human magic to save his people。 We can tell from the start that they're a match， but politics require the beloved-by-everyone second princess be his treaty bride。 Lots of yearning and angst and so-on ensue。 I felt that part dragged on more than I would have liked。 Then tragedy strikes， deception is forced， and everything goes to hell。 The ending is ambiguous and now I'm champing at the bit waiting for the next in the series。 。。。more
Alisha
，
The best of Sylvia yet！！！ I read the Shadow King in one day！ I knew it was going to be good。 It met and exceeded my expectations。 Vor is seriously my dream husband。 He’s everything a girl wants and more。 Faraine is quiet and strong， and I admire her tenacity。 Put them together and bam。。 chemistry like fireworks。 With the plot twist and action that Sylvia’s known for makes this a knock out the park！！
Ruth Hinojos
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¡DIOS MÍO！ Pensé que The Moonfire Bride era el mejor trabajo de Silvia Mercedes， pero este libro es aún mejor！！！！！ No podía dejar de leer， es tan intenso， cargado de emociones， grandes personajes， los sentimientos， la angustia， está tan bien ejecutado。 Realmente amé este libro y no puedo esperar para leer el próximo libro especialmente por ese final。Gracias al autor por darme esta copia avanzada。 ------OMG！ I thought that Moonfire Bride was Silvia Mercedes' best work， but this book is even bette ¡DIOS MÍO！ Pensé que The Moonfire Bride era el mejor trabajo de Silvia Mercedes， pero este libro es aún mejor！！！！！ No podía dejar de leer， es tan intenso， cargado de emociones， grandes personajes， los sentimientos， la angustia， está tan bien ejecutado。 Realmente amé este libro y no puedo esperar para leer el próximo libro especialmente por ese final。Gracias al autor por darme esta copia avanzada。 ------OMG！ I thought that Moonfire Bride was Silvia Mercedes' best work， but this book is even better！！！！！ I couldn't stop reading is was so intense， emotionally charged， great characters， the feelings， the angst， it was so well executed。 I really love this book and can't wait to read the next book especially for that ending。Thank you to the author for giving me this ARC。 。。。more
Mary Elizabeth
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This story will leave you emotionally spent！ From the very beginning， I was drawn to and connected in with the characters of Princess Faraine and King Vor。 Their characters are so well defined and this is what makes the plot spin you out of control in the chapters toward the end of the book。 And the epilogue- just saying there is so much more to come in the next book。 This book is true to Sylvia Mercedes' rich descriptions of setting and painstaking details in the thoughts of the main characters This story will leave you emotionally spent！ From the very beginning， I was drawn to and connected in with the characters of Princess Faraine and King Vor。 Their characters are so well defined and this is what makes the plot spin you out of control in the chapters toward the end of the book。 And the epilogue- just saying there is so much more to come in the next book。 This book is true to Sylvia Mercedes' rich descriptions of setting and painstaking details in the thoughts of the main characters。 No spoilers from me- you have to experience the book！ 。。。more
Zerin Wetzel
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I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I really enjoyed this story， as I knew I would。 It has all the hallmarks of a great Sylvia Mercedes story: immersive worldbuilding， realistically drawn characters， great relationships （romantic and otherwise）。 My only complaint is that it went by too fast！ I don't mean the pacing was off， I mean that I wasn't ready for the story to be over and now I'll have to wait impatiently for book 2。 If you have read and liked other books by t I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I really enjoyed this story， as I knew I would。 It has all the hallmarks of a great Sylvia Mercedes story: immersive worldbuilding， realistically drawn characters， great relationships （romantic and otherwise）。 My only complaint is that it went by too fast！ I don't mean the pacing was off， I mean that I wasn't ready for the story to be over and now I'll have to wait impatiently for book 2。 If you have read and liked other books by this author， I recommend this one as well。 。。。more
Nic
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So I’ve got to say this cover hooked me before anything else， but as soon as I started reading I knew I had to have this in physical print form as well for my shelf。 I was hooked from chapter one。 It gave me that instant feeling of…I can’t accurately describe it…just that I knew it was going to stay with me。 This book gave me the same nostalgia feeling I got while reading Grace Draven’s Radiance， Miranda Honfleur’s No Man Can Tame and Elise Kova’s Deal with the Elf King。 The world was fantastic So I’ve got to say this cover hooked me before anything else， but as soon as I started reading I knew I had to have this in physical print form as well for my shelf。 I was hooked from chapter one。 It gave me that instant feeling of…I can’t accurately describe it…just that I knew it was going to stay with me。 This book gave me the same nostalgia feeling I got while reading Grace Draven’s Radiance， Miranda Honfleur’s No Man Can Tame and Elise Kova’s Deal with the Elf King。 The world was fantastic and otherworldly， the characters captivating and the overall conflict gripping。 My heart was pounding so fast and hard in that last 25%。 I had so many feels coursing through my veins。 I can’t wait for the next book。 This cliff is a large one and baby I’m eagerly waiting。 A m/f arranged marriage for an alliance between two desperate kingdoms。 Court intrigue， magic galore， lies and betrayals， a desperation to survive and save one’s kingdom。 This was a somewhat clean read but with lots of kissing and touching。 。。。more
Elizabeth Rain
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This story was so compelling， I didn’t want to stop reading it when I first started。 The cover art was so enticing， I mostly had no idea what the story was going to be about。 I didn’t really read the description and signed up to be a part of the ARC as well as preordered the ebook。 I’m a sucker for books with amazing art。 And it helps the story was so absolutely mind-blowing。 It might be my new favorite series。Faraine is the princess that made a mistake with her previous engagement。 She was supp This story was so compelling， I didn’t want to stop reading it when I first started。 The cover art was so enticing， I mostly had no idea what the story was going to be about。 I didn’t really read the description and signed up to be a part of the ARC as well as preordered the ebook。 I’m a sucker for books with amazing art。 And it helps the story was so absolutely mind-blowing。 It might be my new favorite series。Faraine is the princess that made a mistake with her previous engagement。 She was supposed to catch the princes attention but instead makes a bad impression。 When they leave， she is sent off to the covenant to not be considered an option。 But with her younger sister not wanting to marry， she is forced to come back to the castle and persuade her。Vor has to make an alliance with the humans in order to save his people。 When he saves Faraine from a dangerous fate， the two end up starting to have feelings for one another。 Since Faraine is not the favorite daughter and would not secure a good alliance that would benefit each side， he must chose Ilsevel。There was a moment where Faraine is forced into a decision that seemed like the story was a little rushed but that’s the only complaint I have。 I had a feeling this story reminded me of some of the things I learned in the Prince of the Doomed City。 They might be part of the same universe。 Lastly， I thought this was a single story and didn’t realize it’s actually a series。 It might be like a two story series or something like Of Candlelight and Shadows books。It was very enjoyable and it’s a story you can’t put down once you start。 I love Sylvia Mercedes books， you can always count on them being engaging and captivating。 She has such a way with words， it’s no disappointment to see another successful story！！ 。。。more
Sherri Sharpe
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Book hangover alert！ Mercedes has done it again。 What a great story。 This is a story of two people who meet， and feel an instant connection。 Despite this， they are bound to a future that guarantees no chance of a relationship。 The match that will save their two kingdoms only involves one of them。 Forced to honor this arrangement， the marriage moves forward。 Longing for each other， but determined to forget， they go their separate ways。 A tragic death forces one of them into a situation that will Book hangover alert！ Mercedes has done it again。 What a great story。 This is a story of two people who meet， and feel an instant connection。 Despite this， they are bound to a future that guarantees no chance of a relationship。 The match that will save their two kingdoms only involves one of them。 Forced to honor this arrangement， the marriage moves forward。 Longing for each other， but determined to forget， they go their separate ways。 A tragic death forces one of them into a situation that will betray the other， and crush any feelings that were between them before。 This was so well written and wonderful to read。 It ends on a huge cliffhanger， and I can't wait to read more！ *I received an ARC of this book from the author， in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bride of the Shadow King
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bride of the Shadow King&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft