The Brightest Shadow

The Brightest Shadow, Book 1

By: Sarah Lin

Narrated by: Mikael Naramore, Elizabeth Evans

Tani’s world has never been peaceful. Torn between the many cultures that meet on the Chorhan Expanse, the greatest threat they now face is an expansionist army of monstrous nonhumans who call themselves the mansthein.

To take her place as a full warrior of her tribe, Tani must travel across the vast grasslands of the Chorhan Expanse. But she has her sights set higher than a mere ritual journey: She wants to uncover a solution to the impending war that threatens her people.

Tani believes that peace may be possible, but there are others on both sides who believe in legends that tell of monsters with zealous devotion. All around her, warriors have their eyes on a glorious victory with no concern for the piles of bodies they'll create on the way.

She will be joined by a killer pretending to be a healer, a mansthein commander struggling with his orders, a thief who pawned her heart of gold, and a strategist exiled from a foreign land. But none of them are the Hero.

It doesn't matter how many shades of gray might exist, some people see only in black and white. And the terrifying truth is that the stories they tell might not be just legends.

©2020 Sarah Lin (P)2020 Podium Audio

This is now the series I am most excited for.

Sarah Lin has solidified herself as my favorite author. As always her setting and cultures feel alive and I could get lost in them. The characters are each unique and fun. I am so excited to see the continuation of this series and I can't wait to hear more about it.

This is a great fusion of both classic epic fantasy and xianxia while still feeling unique.

poor worldbuilding

why does no one seem concerned that monsters are invading other then an insane hero?

a very interesting take on a classic sorry

the magic and character a very interesting to me, but the ethics and twist on the classic story are what make it most interesting.

Certified Sarah Lin classic

This book has all you would expect from SL: intriguing worldbuilding, compelling characters and masterful subversion of age-old tropes. Narrators for the audiobook are great - and deserve all the recognition too.

If you are reading this - you should definitely give this book a try!

impossible to follow.

the two different readers for this kind of ruin it.
I made it almost halfway through, but every single time I get a switch in reader the entire previous book just falls apart. I tried so hard but I can't stay in it. maybe this book is good I have no idea. but the constant switching between such wildly different readers, is so jarring it just destroys whatever happened before it. I am more than 20 hours into this book and I have no idea what it's about. if I could still return it at this point I would but the settings don't let me. Don't get this.