In the Shadow of the Palace

A Tide of Shadows, Book 1

By: Eliza Andrews

Narrated by: Elizabeth Saydah

Cara knows one thing for certain: She won't become a prostitute like her mother. But it seems that she cannot escape her fate -- until a chance friendship leads her to a place she would never expect: the glittering palace of the House of Dorsa, where every smile hides a knife.

Cara is thrust into a world of politics and intrigue that she barely understands. She discovers an unexpected ally in Fin, the stable master’s daughter. Their friendship deepens into something more, but desire in the palace can be deadly -- for both of them.

To survive, Cara must risk everything: her freedom, her love, and perhaps the fate of the realm itself.

In the Shadow of the Palace is the first book in A Tide of Shadows, the prequel series to the Chronicles of Dorsa. You do NOT need to have listened to the Chronicles of Dorsa to enjoy this book.

©2023 Rachel Medlock (P)2025 Rachel Medlock

Chef’s Kiss

A master class of epic story telling!
It’s been some time since I’ve listened to the Dorsa series, so I’d forgotten how much I loved Eliza Andrews’ writing.
This one is a roller coaster ride of events! The story is just so well fleshed out- characters, world, storyline- all of it is chef’s kiss. If you want to take a journey and be fully immersed in quality story telling, this is for you. It can be enjoyed as a standalone as well. This made me want to go back and re-listen to the others just to envelop myself in this world again.

Narration 10/10 as always
Story 10/10 as always

Excellent

Chronicles of Dorsa is one of my favorite series, so it's blissful to be back in that world but awash in a completely different story. This is the foundational book of what promises to be another great series. The plot and its twists are well formed. The characters are well developed, with plenty to love and plenty to hate...and even some in between. The ending leaves you begging for more. I can't wait!

This book brings to life the capital and its’s history

The imagery is incredible and the story line is both familiar and very new…with depth and differences from the Princess Dorsa series that allowed me to both continue the series I love while experiencing a brand new story. I can’t wait for the next one!

Another bingeworthy book

Overall, amazing, captivating, suspenseful story with just the right amount of authentic queer love. The crossover of the storyline from Chronicles of Dorsa is hard for me because I have to reimagine Dorsa and the princess while I am still mentally wanting to know what happen next with Runaway Queen Adela. Outside of my personal struggle to have the storylines cross, the story was great and I look foreword to hearing what comes next for the main characters.

What a banger of a story!

Great narration! Another amazing story by Eliza Andrews. The characters are layered and fascinating, pacing is perfect. Just fantastic!