Review: Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly

by MK French

Emmeline has the gift to manipulate shadows, and her best friend Dar is her own shadow. This talent causes others to fear or ridicule her, and her parents jump at the chance of a cure when it's offered to them. She doesn't want to lose her best friend or her magic, so Dar strikes a deal with her: help her become flesh and blood, and Emmeline will never have to lose her gift.
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January 2018; Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
978-1492649953; ebook, print (320 pages)
children, fantasy

This is a fantastic fantasy story for school-age children, particularly the middle grades. Emmeline is a fairly average young girl aside from her gift of shadow weaving. She wants to play and have friends, and she chafes at being practically held hostage in her parents' home.

The world building is very gradual and makes it all feel so very real; while the parents themselves and the guards are never really fleshed out, we can infer a lot about them and their motivations as we see them from Emmeline's point of view. We know there's more to the story before she does, which creates a bit more mystery about the situation and characters before the big reveal in the last quarter of the book.

It's a bit open-ended at the conclusion of this story so that even though it's self contained, there is still the sense of more to come. There is mention on Amazon and NetGalley that this is a duology or a start to a series, so I look forward to seeing the next adventures with Emmeline.

Buy Shadow Weaver at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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