Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler

Black Rose Writing, 2023

9781685132040

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy (pre-order): Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

The only negative to Shadow Runner is that eventually, like all great stories, it ends.  It would be tougher to put together a better YA fantasy/thriller than this.  Like the Harry Potter series, Shadow Runner has the ability to appeal to young and old alike, although it is oriented to the younger set.  It’s a must-read.

As far as genres, this is listed as “steampunk,” taking place in a Victorian-style society where fancy machines run on steam and electricity hasn’t been invented.  Shadow Runner’s basic premise is that young, born to wealth Ada is kidnapped in her pre-teen years by a group of ladies known as the Shadows.  They’re like the Thieves’ Guild in Dungeons and Dragons, taking robbery and assassination jobs from those willing to pay for it.  As Ada grows and learns the trade of the Shadows, she eventually has to make some important decisions that will determine the course of her life.  Is the Shadow life truly the life she wants, and can she compromise the values she grew up with?

Despite the above, this isn’t a story about robbing and killing.  At its heart, it’s a beautifully told tale of human interaction.  Ada’s adventures are secondary: the story is more about how she and her mentor, Nadine, have to come to trust and rely on each other, even though they live in a world where friendship can get you killed.  The story adds another excellent layer when Ada shows compassion for a young outcast, Dieb, who everyone else scorns.  The three of them have to decide what matters: their emotional ties to each other, or survival in an uncaring world.  It’s a back-and-forth for all of them, as none of the three characters are one-dimensional: they are all painted with shades of gray.

It’s how the author handles them that demonstrates serious writing skill.  Readers will feel and connect with the characters as they try to survive, which isn’t easy with a group of people to whom backstabbing is the norm.  Some parts will make you angry, some will make you cry.  When you love the characters enough that you are unhappy when the book ends, then you’ve just read a pretty special story.

Despite the Shadow lifestyle, the author wisely avoids any graphic material. Characters do kill each other, but the author spares readers any messy details.  It helps keep the focus on the interactions of the three leads themselves, which is where the book’s appeal comes from.

Bottom line: thiis is the first must-read of the summer for everyone.  There’s room for the story to continue in another book, and there will be a lot of unhappy readers if it doesn’t happen.  Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson