The Shadow Elf's Rescuer (Elves of Eldarlan #2)

FANTASY: Veta lives to protect her younger half-brother and ensure he receives his inheritance. When raiders attack their village, Veta sacrifices herself so her brother can get away. Taken to a magus’ horrifying workroom, she finds herself the caretaker for the magus’ experiments, magical creatures drained of their magic and lifeforce. With no way to free herself and return to her brother, she has only one hope: the tortured and half dead Shadow elf, Casimir. As the brother of the elven kings’ spymaster, Casimir knew it was a risk tracking a traitor within range of a magus. Unfortunately, there is only one way to escape and live, but it will mean using the new human girl to do it. But a price must be paid for using bond magic this way, and maintaining the balance could make their temporary alliance more complicated than Casimir or Veta could ever expect.

A light fantasy novella featuring a brooding spy elf and a courageous and selfless human girl, “The Shadow Elf’s Rescuer” is the topping on your sundae. The story follows a slightly different take on human/elf romance, and throws in some meddling siblings to keep things interesting. The tale  is less about saving a people or world and more about individual and group survival, and the unexpected romance. While the story lacks depth and the villain is shallow and quickly defeated, the overall story is engaging, the romance sparks and builds sweetly, and the world introduced in this series invites readers to explore it further. As such, lovers of fantasy will find this book worth a try, with or without reading the first.

Sarah E Bradley