The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 1)
By: James Islington
My Rating: Four out of Five Stars
Best for: 14 and up

James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!”

So he did.

As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve ever come across one as perfectly ambitious as The Shadow of What Was Lost, book 1 in The Licanius Trilogy.

It was long, fun, and…wonderfully complicated! Multiple POV’s, hard to remember names and places, and a complex plot–all woven into an exciting world of magic and might, kingdoms and kinship, friends and foes, and epic-sized conflicts between Gods and humans. I needed to read with a Wiki open to keep things straight! (Here’s the Wiki I used)

By the end, I had a solid grip on the complexity, and once I did the story sucked me in and I found myself lost in the adventure.

I’m looking forward to book two, but I can already tell a re-read is in my future to pick up on all the things I missed the first time through!

No language or sex and only mild violence. The length and complexity are the only watch-outs.

Best for 14 and up.

The audiobook is excellent, too.

Happy Reading!