Book Review - Carved Amidst the Shadows by M.T. Fontaine

Carved Amidst the Shadows, was a dark, character driven political fantasy that had my attention from start to end.

The Order rules all. For centuries they have monitored the five kingdoms each headed by a marked family. All was under control until the greed of the leaders got out of hand. Separating the nations by deadly, impenetrable barriers, the Order seeks to maintain control over the lands, but it is slipping from their grasp. As a new generation of powerful players start to question the ways of the past and a carved uprising threatens the powers at be, a new war may be on the horizon.

Kaianne, survivor of a household massacre, must learn to flourish on her own. This once spoiled, royal will stop at nothing to bring the Order down, and make others question just why their need for power is so important. Finding herself a Carved, her sheer determination and grit will see her become one of the most fearless, and important fighters the world didn’t know it needed. 

Andreiyes, the Marked, has started to ask too many questions about why entire families must be slaughtered at the sign of a Flawed. His inquisitive mind will get him into trouble as he learns what it means to be in line for the throne, something he never thought he wanted. Will be bow under the pressure of current rules, or learn to forge his own path and challenge the beliefs of the past?

Rau, centuries old Steward, surviving on the waters of the well. Stuck in his ways and wishing for this mission to be his last, he will serve the Order for the rest of his days without means of escape. This brooding and powerful magic user will uphold the ancient laws to the detriment of any who stand in his way. Or could a new addition to his troupe change his mind forever?

The stories of these three POV’s dance around each other throughout the years, providing a thought provoking and entertaining read.

I was extremely impressed by this debut fantasy which balances complicated, dense political tension with entertaining character interactions and life lessons. My favourite aspect would be the structure of the story itself, and how the POV’s interact at different times. I also loved the amount of character growth each of those followed went through. They seem completely different and more well rounded at the end of the book than those we were initially introduced to. I also really liked the magic used by the stewards, it was horrifying and really, really cool.

Our POV’s start interacting with one another fairly quickly which is different from other multi POV tales that I have read previously. Kaianne and Andreiyes have lived similar lives and interacted as children. Immediately they are linked, and we get to understand the origin of their relationship dynamic. Once this has been established, we are introduced to Rau, the Steward who is being sent out to gather information about a recent Flawed sighting in the kingdoms. Something close to all their homes whether they know it or not. As the story progresses, each of our POV’s goes on a journey, growing and questioning their livelihoods. Through the chapters where they are separated, we learn more about their worlds, political standpoints and beliefs actively making the world bigger through the characters themselves rather than travelling. An aspect which is limited due to border restrictions of the Kingdoms. This was a clever way to make the characters a priority without losing the world around them. Towards the end of the book the POV’s come together again, and the pace picks up as do the stakes. This way of layering the character stories made me invested in their interactions from the very beginning, instead of taking some time to understand where each story fell when thinking of the bigger picture.

The structure made way for the individual stories to undergo massive character arcs over 550 pages. Each of our characters experiences several important growth moments which are never overlooked. The rules of this world are harsh, and no one is safe from the Order even when they believe they are. I was extremely impressed with how these characters felt so different from those we were introduced to. Spoiled royals one day, fearless fighters the next. It was an absolute pleasure to experience. I won’t tell you too much about this aspect for fear of spoilers. Just know if you are a character driven reader, you will not be disappointed with this book.

The last thing I will mention is the magic of the drynne. Rau our Steward is a powerful magic user being over five hundred years old he has had plenty of practice. He can sense magic in others and use their life force against them to create some cool and devastating effects. Couple this character with a short fuse and we see some cool things being done with his and others drynne. From turning people to literal dust and creating a choking bond through walls to maintaining the life tree of his former wife and child; if you like a bit of a dark horse who is uncompromising in their beliefs, you are going to enjoy Rau.

This was an excellent read and one I wish I could experience for the first time again. I already can’t wait for book two later in the year.

A huge thank you to the author for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.