Shadow’s Hand by Noelle Nichols

Rating: 4 out of 5
Originally Posted on GoodReads

Shadow’s Hand creates a very compelling world where a fantasy equivalent of ninjas called Shadows protect the land. The main character is Kilo, an experienced Shadow who is learning that his black and white views of the world may not be accurate. The supporting cast includes his younger sister Finae, who is wonderful and probably my favorite character, and another point of view (POV) character, Shenrae, who is just beginning to learn the Shadow’s teachings.

The greatest strengths of this novel are the world and the antagonist’s scheme, both of which are slowly revealed to the reader. While in the beginning I was frustrated with not understanding the machinations of the villain in this narrative, by the end, I’m quite excited for the next book in the Shadow’s Creed Saga to see what happens next!

As another commenter mentioned, this book’s pacing starts off a bit wonky. The novel is broken into five parts – each part trades off the POV character and the fifth part is more of an epilogue. The first and third parts are both Kilo’s POV and feel as if they could each be a full novel in their own right. Things happen quite quickly in the first part, so much so that, as a reader, I almost felt out of breath. The rest of the novel calms down, and I do believe it is worth the journey.

One of my favorite parts of the novel were the variety of characters we, the readers, get to encounter. From a town’s protector on the side of ‘good’ with gray morality to a deliveryman who aides our heroes, none of the characters are forgettable. Additionally, Nichols has a gift when it comes to writing her character’s emotions. The first time we meet Finae, we’re seeing her through her brother Kilo’s POV, and I could almost feel his love and protectiveness of her. When Kilo encounters an injured friend of his, my own breath caught in my throat, and Kilo’s concern was palpable. It’s excellent writing.

Overall, if you want a new world to dive into with characters you’ll want to follow, Shadow’s Hand is for you.

You can buy your own copy here!