Title: Initiate (The Shadow Atlas #1)
Author: Jenny Sandiford
ISBN: 9780645444919
Publishing Company: Velikor Publishing
Pages: 405
Source: Review copy from the author
Dark magic always comes with a price…
Desperate for a cure for her Shadow Magic that’s spiralling out of control, eighteen-year-old Azalea Sharp steps into the hidden forest deep within the English countryside.
What she finds is the opposite, a way to control magic, and from an unlikely source—her dead father. But she must be willing to pay the price and raise him from the dead.
With her father’s enemies on her doorstep, she is driven into hiding among a secret community of Mages in the Tower of London. There, Azalea quickly learns that not all magic is equal.
But with more than her own life at stake, will the help of a notorious Shadow Mage be enough?
Or will darkness unleash its brutal force on London, leaving no one safe?
Initiate is a spellbinding new adult urban fantasy and the first book in the Shadow Atlas series.
A must-read fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, entwined lives, and forbidden magic. Perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments.
Official Summary
18 May 2022
This book follows an eighteen-year-old girl, Azalea, in a world with magic. You watch as she tries to get rid of her Shadow Magic, which is seen as a bad thing in this world. She ends up at The Tower of London. Which is a community of mages learning how to use their magic.
I enjoyed the world-building in this book, which is unusual for me as I normally find it extremely boring. However, I think the author did an amazing job describing this world and the magic in it. I found myself being able to understand and enjoy this world quicker than I normally do with other fantasy books.
I loved the different types of magic you got and the gullu demons and honestly the overall vibe of the book. This world was truly original and so creative.
I also liked the possible love interests in this book. Normally I can pretty much guess who the main character is going to end up with but with this book, I have no clue.
My favourite character had to be Faraday. Yes, the cat. How could Faraday not be? Azaela was a close second.
The different points of view were also nice to have. I like when you get to see what other characters are thinking and feeling. I enjoyed seeing Fabian’s point of view the most.
Although there were times, especially in the middle of the book, where the story slightly slowed down a bit, the overall outcome was totally worth it.
Jenny Standiford must write quicker, as I cannot wait for the next instalment in this series. I would definitely recommend this book. I look forward to seeing what Jenny Standiford will do throughout her career.
About The Author
Author Bio from the Author’s Site
Jenny Sandiford grew up in small town New Zealand on a steady diet of fairytales and fantasy books. She lived in Mongolia for nine years with her husband where they spent the unfrozen months of the year living on the edge of the Gobi Desert mining gold. When she isn’t writing, Jenny enjoys hiking, meeting new animals, and loves to curl up in a sunny corner with a cup of tea, a cat, and a book. She is currently in the United States with her husband and their two street cats from Mongolia.
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Goodbye, my little book nerds…
