Shadow Bonds

Shadow War Academy Book 1

By: Rumer Hale

Narrated by: Annabel Hampton, Hunter Johns, Jon Aaron

Death was supposed to be my end. Instead, it was just the beginning.

I woke up in someone else’s body, inside the Shadow Academy, a school for elite warriors. Now they think I’m someone I'm not, and until I escape, I’ll have to play along.

But things get complicated when strange powers awaken inside me, along with forgotten memories.

Then there are the four Elite Shadows who hate me for some reason, but also think I’m their mate:

Knox, the lethal assassin who hears my every thought and whispers back in a voice like sin.
Malakai, the Shadow shifter who sees through my eyes—and likes what he finds.
Theon, whose shadows alone cause pain, pretends to be cold, but one hint of my fear sends him feral.
And Cyrus, the nightmare Shadow who slithers into my dreams just to play.

Between brutal classes, war camps, and deadly games against a rival academy, I’m also hunting the truth. Because this body isn’t the only thing that’s stolen.

My death was no accident. And if they think I’ll play by their rules, they’re dead wrong.

Answers or ashes. Maybe I’ll just end up burning this place down.

Cover Illustration by Bethany Gilbert Art©2026 Rumer Hale (P)2026 W. F. Howes Ltd