Review by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Great news!  One of borg´s favorite authors is back with new books fans of fantasy won’t want to miss.  Prolific fantasist Sharon Shinn has recently added entries to not one but two of her most popular series.  Whispering Wood adds another element to her Elemental Blessings series, while Shifter and Shadow brings fans back to the world of the Twelve Houses.  Both new releases are available now at bookstores everywhere and here at Amazon, from publisher Fairwood Press.

In Whispering Wood, readers meet Valentina Serlast, estranged sister of series regular Darien Serlast.  Restless and grieving after the death of her mother, Valentina has come to Chialto for Darien’s coronation as king of Welce, but she’s really in town to be secretly reunited with her childhood best friend, Sebastian Ardelay.  A wayward, illegitimate son of the fiery Ardelay clan, Sebastian yearns to prove himself—and
prove himself worthy of a woman like Valentina.  Valentina’s own hunti elemental affiliation—displaying traits of wood and bone—gives her no pleasure in city life.  But her time in Chialto offers her a chance to reflect on her adolescence, raised by the Hunti Prime at the family’s woodland estate, and her lifelong affection for Sebastian.

Events in the royal city, among the scheming and politics, will never be peaceful, and Valentina’s carefully-ordered world is thrown into tumult when she discovers Sebastian at the heart of a dangerous smuggling operation.  Although Valentina is a new introduction, Shinn deftly weaves her tale into the existing series threads, catching readers up on familiar characters and ongoing plotlines. 

Whispering Wood is essential reading for series completists and Shinn fans, while still an accessible entry point for newcomers, a lively political fantasy with a thoughtful and sensitive new heroine on the journey of a lifetime.

In Shifter and Shadow, readers are rewarded with a much-anticipated glimpse into the inner life of one of the Twelve Houses’ most enigmatic characters.  The series revolves around the adventures of a close-knit band of heroes, with each character taking the point of view in their own volume (and one book even starring an entirely new character).  But until now, one key player has been silent: quiet, devoted shapeshifter Donnal, closest companion of series regular Kirra Danalustrous.  Kirra and Donnal’s bond has been firmly established but never explored—what events turned their lifelong friendship into true love?  Now Shinn finally reveals the eventful weeks they spent together between books 2 and 3 (The Thirteenth House and Dark Moon Defender).  This installment is shorter, focusing only on the tale of Kirra and Donnal, and told entirely from Donnal’s point of view—a look we’ve never had before. 

Peasant’s son and shapeshifter Donnal has been following noblewoman Kirra Danalustrous all his life, since Kirra’s noble father engaged him as a companion and guardian for his own shapeshifting daughter. And he has loved her just as long, loyally, quietly, and doggedly.  As Shifter and Shadow begins, Donnal and Kirra are each nursing broken hearts—her from a disastrous love affair, him from finally confessing his unrequited love for Kirra before attempting to part ways with her forever.  But each finds the other impossible to quit—they’re as inseparable as sunlight and shadow. 

Shifter and Shadow is a satisfying romance for Twelve Houses fans, and in prime Shinn fashion, also offers some delightful revelations beyond the main characters’ intimate journey.  Shinn’s remarkable ability to craft rich and accessible fantasy worlds populated with appealing and fully-rounded characters is matched by her talent for revisiting those worlds and sharing more and more details.

In addition to several successful series, her catalogue includes multiple novellas set in the worlds she’s created, which feel like a secret indulgence for those lucky enough to stumble upon them.  With Whispering Wood and Shifter and Shadow she surprises readers with full, novel-length installments of some of her most beloved worlds.  I interviewed Shinn here at borg back in 2012.  In case you missed it, check out my review of Shinn’s third Elemental Blessings novel Jeweled Fire here.  I also reviewed the Uncommon Echoes series here.  

Don’t miss Shifter and Shadow and Whispering Wood, both available now here at Amazon.  And catch up on all of Shinn’s work here.