The Brightest Shadow by Sarah Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While on the hunt for some modern fantasy, I came across this recommendation, feeling its high praise, and I suppose I got a bit more enthusiastic, even over-enthusiastic for the tale.

If I could go back in time, I'd say to myself, "Hey, buddy. Manage those expectations. This isn't a gorgeous panorama of a world filled with wonderful characters that will come together to accomplish something we'd never see in our reality."

I'd go, "Huh. Okay. So what is it?"

Solid characters, low-key quests and journeys, and even a bit of skills progression. The pacing is good and the journey is very much in line with MOST fantasies. It's real hook is how it treats its HERO. I admit, this twist got me pretty worked up and excited. It reminded me of the old adage of: "A hero is someone who leaves a multitude of corpses in his/her wake". Only, this one was a bit more interesting. No spoilers.

Unfortunately, the rest of it is pretty standard fare. I've been reading so many fantasies--and this one doesn't stand out THAT much from the multitude.

It is, however, a decent romp.

Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

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