Description
From the darkness, the shadow rises…
In Eternal Ember, young Eldryn Ravencourt stepped into a world of fractured truths and awakening power — forging bonds with a mysterious wolf and a circle of mentors who saw more in him than he dared believe. He faced the fire of loss, the weight of legacy, and the first tremors of a destiny whispered in blood.
Now, in Of Shadows and Light, that destiny darkens. One year has passed, and the spark Eldryn kindled is growing, but so is the darkness that watches from beyond. Whispers of the Shadowlord spread like frost through the veins of the realm, and ancient pacts once buried threaten to break open anew.
Worse still, someone once close is slipping into the abyss — Auren, proud and wounded, whose fall may echo across the world like thunder.
As Eldryn trains under watchful eyes and battles doubt within his own heart, forces stir in the north that no blade can silence.
Trust will be tested. Blood will be shed. And the line between light and shadow will blur in ways no one is ready to face.
Heartfelt, harrowing, and laced with lyrical beauty, Of Shadows and Light is the second volume in The Chronicles of the Aethlum — a story of ancient magic, untamed courage, and the slow, shattering cost of becoming who you were always meant to be.
What if the greatest threat to the world…
is the light we cannot control?
Goodreads reader –
Of Shadows and Light deepened everything I liked about the first book.
The world feels more confident here, and the emotional stakes are sharper. I especially appreciated how the story allows its characters to sit with uncertainty instead of rushing toward answers.
Eldryn’s growth felt natural rather than dramatic, and I found myself increasingly drawn to the quieter moments — the conversations, the doubts, the choices that don’t come easily.
This book trusts its readers, and I loved that it wasn’t afraid to linger in the grey spaces between shadow and hope.
Hannah P., early reader –
I finished Of Shadows and Light feeling genuinely unsettled — not confused, not disappointed, just emotionally shaken. The book changes something fundamental in the story, and you feel it happen rather than being told it has.
There’s a moment where you realise the ground has shifted under your feet, and from that point on the tone never fully recovers. I didn’t scream, but I wanted to. The kind of reaction where your chest tightens and you’re silently begging the book to stop — and then you keep reading anyway.
It’s rare for a fantasy novel to make you feel like you’ve witnessed the birth of something you can’t unsee. I closed the book knowing the story could never go back to what it was before.
Laura M. –
I loved this book and I’m also slightly furious with it — in the best possible way. Of Shadows and Light doesn’t just raise the stakes, it flips the table and walks away.
By the end I was excited, unsettled, and honestly a bit scared of where the story is heading. It feels like something huge has been unleashed, and I don’t trust anyone to be safe anymore. I finished the last chapter buzzing, half thrilled and half panicking.
MJ Kaye, if you’re reading this: please release Book Three immediately. I am not emotionally prepared to wait.
Bethan –
I wasn’t even planning to buy this today. I saw it in the shop, recognised the name from Eternal Ember, picked it up… and that was it. I had to know what happens next.
I haven’t read a single page yet, but if anything happens to Eldryn — or the wolf pup — I’m going to be furious. In the good way. You can’t just do that to readers and then expect us to walk away.
The cover alone feels like a warning. Like the story’s about to stop being kind. I don’t even care, I need answers.
I’m starting it tonight. You’d better tell me what happens, MJ Kaye.