Kingdom of Shadows and Dust

Ava, Princess of Ankara is expected to spend her life voiceless and submissive, like all of the other women of Ankara. But Ava longs for more. She runs off to war with her good friend Bridger. During her adventurous travels, Ava finds herself torn between two men: the Turnskin Callan and King Aldin of Taurel. When the lives of her family and her people become part of the equation, Ava is forced to make a difficult choice between their wellbeing, and her own happiness.

From captivating characters to heart pounding adventures, Sherry D.Ficklin’s “Kingdom of Shadows and Dust” has it all. Every character is spectacularly well-written, as real seeming as if they had walked straight off of the page, down to the minor characters. Each of the love interests is compelling, though there is little growth to the love. One is an instant love and the other grows at a similarly fast pace once the relationship becomes necessary, without truly seeing the development. The pacing of the story arc is just right, finding just the right blend of romance and action to keep it exciting. Ms. Ficklin’s world building brings to life fascinating civilizations with just enough detail to leave readers wanting more. There were a handful of grammatical errors which may momentarily pull attention from the otherwise stellar writing. For readers looking for a spellbinding fantasy story with a strong female protagonist and a fascinating world to escape to, Ms. Ficklin has concocted the perfect literary recipe.

Shailyn Rogers