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Promise of Shadows
Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.
Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?
Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?
371 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2014
About the author
Justina Ireland
111 books3,026 followersJustina Ireland is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books including Dread Nation and its sequel Deathless Divide, the middle-grade novel Ophie's Ghosts, which won the Scott O'Dell award for historical fiction, and a number of Star Wars books including Flight of the Falcon: Lando’s Luck, Spark of the Resistance, A Test of Courage, Out of the Shadows, and Mission to Disaster. She is a former editor in chief of FIYAH Literary Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, for which she won a World Fantasy Award. She holds a BA in History from Georgia Southern and an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
March 23, 2014
The darkness agrees with me. It asks me to release it, as loud as a roar and as quiet as a whisper. I remember what my sister said long ago: You must control the darkness. You can’t ever give in to it. But the shadows want to make me happy, and I deserve a little happiness.This book is fantastic. It has the misfortune of having one of the worst summary opening lines I have ever read. I mean, come on "She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man?" SERIOUSLY? After reading that line, my expectations for the book just dropped. I expected a stupid, brainless girl, the sort who spends her days watching TLC's Hoarders or Toddlers and Tiaras. I was so blessedly wrong.
Ignore the summary. This book is fantastic.
The main character is flawed, she is hurt, she is vulnerable. But she is intelligent, she is rational, she can use her brains. She is depressed, but fuck, wouldn't you be, too, if you were sentenced to hard labor in Tartarus after seeing your sister's corpse flayed open like a wild animal?
Zephyr is not strong, but she grows. She is in pain, suffering from the murder of her beloved sister, Zephyr. Yes, this book has the standard YA elements of a special destiny, but what differentiates it from other YA books of its ilk is that the main character is fanstastically built, the mythology is wonderfully wrought (and the Greek gods and goddesses well represented), the romance is light, the emotions there, but believable. And really, there's better things to think about when the gods are out for your blood---than love.
I just don’t need the distraction. I need to focus on not failing. That’s going to be hard enough for me to do without getting all twitterpated about a boy.YES! That's the fucking attitude I want!
My point is that the main character does not feel like a Mary Sue. There is a supporting cast of character that actually does stuff. There are relationships and friendships. There are questions as to whom one can trust. The main character is a Harpy with *gasp* dark skin. Thank you, book!
My one complaint in the book is that it's slow, and in the middle, the plot kind of fell into the yawn category. I wanted more action, I wanted more excitement, and this book didn't deliver what I wanted for the middle half of the book.
The Summary: Zephyr Mourning is a Harpy, and she is in Hell. Actually, she's in Tartatus, same thing, you know. And man, it fucking sucks. For one thing, it sometimes rains excrement in Tartarus.
Rain in Tartarus means a lot of different things. Today it’s a fine mist of excrement falling from the sky. It’s like having an outhouse upended over your head.It wasn't always like this. Life wasn't always so miserable. There was a time before, when Zephyr was happy. She wasn't the best Harpy in the world---she fails at magic, but she doesn't fail at ALL magic. It's just that the magic she can wield---Erebos---is the forbidden sort. Harpies are supposed to use light magic---Aether, and Zephyr is incapable of that. Since Erebos is forbidden, Zephyr is the most useless Harpy ever, failing her Trials, but nevertheless, she had a future.
That promise of a future ended with her sister's murder.
I can’t think of my sister without remembering the last time I saw her, her chest a gaping wound, her blood soaking into the concrete of the patio. She was my best friend and now she’s gone.Zephyr is in Tartarus because she somehow managed to kill the minor god who murdered her sister. That isn't supposed to happen, literally. Harpies---lowly warriors in the scheme of things, aren't supposed to be able to kill any type of god, and the Gods, the Exalted, wants to know how she did it. They captured her, they ripped out her wings, and now they want to make her pay. Zephyr doesn't care anymore, she's so tired, so lost, so desperately sad.
I’m finally realizing that my imprisonment is permanent. I’m not going to go to high school, or college, or anywhere else in the Mortal Realm. I’m going to be forever stuck here in Tartarus, covered in sludge and pretending to be brave. A year has passed, and I feel just like I did the last time I saw Hermes. Desperate, confused, and incredibly lost.As lost as she is, as hopeless as she feels, her life will not end in the pits of Tartarus. Her friends Cass is with her, and she has bigger plans. She doesn't want to remain in Tartarus for a moment longer, and she is taking Zephyr with her as they escape to the Mortal Realm. Zephyr has another motive for escaping to the Mortal Realm. Her sister's soul is not in the Elysian Fields, it's just gone. There is a mysterious being, the Nyx, who can find lost souls, and Zephyr is desperate to locate him...it...her. The Nyx. A legend, like the Easter Bunny. Like the Boogeyman.
“He’s dead. He was betrayed long ago by his beloved, and killed by a sword made of bright. But as he lay dying, he swore he would return, that not only would he avenge his murder, but that he would slay the bright Exalteds who killed him.”Luckily, Cass and Zephyr are not alone. As awesome as both of them are, it takes more than a little luck to escape a fucking drakan. Zephyr is terrified, she's ready to give up. Really, what's the use? Her sister is gone, she is on the run from a mess of gods and goddesses (Hera, that bitch) who wants her ass on a platter. What's the use? Might as well end it all by being eaten. Dying is easier than this.
I’m suddenly just so exhausted.But fate---or rather, a childhood friend, has bigger plans for her.
I’m tired of being afraid.
The entire mass of the creature regards me, waiting for me to do something. But I’m so sore and tired, and a wave of defeat washes over me. I just can’t see the point in fighting anymore.
“Are you seriously going to sit there and wait for it to eat you, or are you going to cross the chasm?”She is not alone. She has friends. But who is her friend? Who can she trust? Is it Cass? The legendary liar? The one whose Pellacis family line is known to be betrayers? Her one true friend in Tartarus?
Nanda’s expression turns stormy. “A Pellacis?”Is it Blue? The charming boy with a smile that could be deceptive?
I turn to look at Cass, who hangs back. “What’s wrong?”
“Pellacis are dangerous vættir. They’re liars and cheats, as dishonest as they are pretty."
I like Blue and his playful attitude.Is it her childhood friend, Tallon? He may have rescued her from Tartarus, but what's his true incentive?
But even though I’m fond of Blue, I don’t trust him. To be fair, there aren’t many people I trust these days.
“I would guess that the kid you knew has changed some.”It is not by accident that Zephyr came to be rescued. Zephyr is a pawn, she is a plan, she is a hope to her people, the downtrodden Vaettir. And she fears that she may fail them all.
Not even the frowns of the few skeptics in the crowd can remove the hope of all those people looking at me, wanting me to be the answer to all their problems.The Setting: This is an altered version of Greek mythology, with some of its main players, like Hermes, Hera, and Hades (I stuck to the H's), and as a mythology Nazi, I have to say that this book worked just fine. I have no problems with how the gods and goddesses were portrayed, such as the fucking awesome Hades. As cuddly...
I can’t save them. I can’t even save myself.
Hades suddenly opens his arms, and before I can retreat out of his reach, I am wrapped up in a hug. It’s a strange sensation, and his darkness wraps around me in a comforting embrace. I want to stiffen, to resist even this small measure of affection. But the darkness is calming. Reassuring.As he is terrifying.
... the whole of his darkness draws back from him, so that for one shining moment his form is revealed. The inky aura looms over him like a snake about to strike.These gods are not the focus of the book, but the brief glimpses we get of them are glorious. The book centers around Greek mythology, building around the myths of the Titans, Cronus. The book has its own system of immortals, with definite ranks. From the lowly Vaettir, with partially human blood, downtrodden and used by the Gods.
“Insolent puppy,” he says.
The gods tell us the vættir are the ones who are flawed, our human blood compromising us. But it’s the gods who betray the ones they love without remorse.To the Exalted, gods like Hades and Hera, all-powerful beings, to lesser gods of the Acolyte order, who use and abuse the lower classes at will. This book focuses on the tension between the ranks, and it does so very well.
The descriptions of various places are awesome. We see Tartarus, the river Styx (which smells just fucking horrible).
I smell the river long before I see it, the stench of rotting flesh and dead fish wafting across the plain toward us. It smells like hatred and lies, and I wonder if that’s why some vættir refer to the Styx as the River of Deceit.Zephyr: Love! Love! Love~ Zephyr is the kind of character I have always wanted in an YA book. A heroine who is angry, sad, flawed. She sometimes gives up, but the thing is that we don't blame her for wanting to give up. Initially, Zephyr is so angry that I completely understand her attitude of "Why bother? Why bother when I have no future." Because really, can you feel otherwise when you're in a place that rains crap. But what I love about Zephyr is her rationality in the face of chaos.
I take a deep breath and fight back the hysteria. I have to try to think about this rationally.It's her realism, she's not some starry-eyed girl who takes unnecessary risks.
I already know that I stand absolutely no chance against a cerberus. No need to tempt the Fates.It's her self-realization. She knows when she's behaving badly.
The physical contact combined with the childhood nickname is enough to break through the haze of rage. I look down at him, and I suddenly feel very guilty.It's the fact that she's so human, she's not a prophetic heroine, she's scared. She's not ready.
I’m acting like a spoiled brat.
But I’m not brave. Never have been, never will be.That's what makes Zephyr a character I like. She is a girl who is forced to grow up.
The Romance: No insta-love. No heart that goes pitter fucking patter every 5 seconds. Don't worry, her friend is totally hot, and she does feel things for him, but really, THERE'S BIGGER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT HERE. Not to mention she's a Harpy. Love is an emotion that good Harpies do not feel. Breeding is the game for the survival of the species. Love is out of the question.
Whoever my father was, I know I was the result of a breeding contract, not some torrid affair. Love just isn’t in the cards for Harpies.When Zephyr catches herself noticing something about the guy she loves---his eyes, his muscles, she tells herself to snap out of it.
Harpies do not have crushes, especially on their childhood best friends.She hates herself sometimes, for feeling such things, for being so weak as to fall for someone.
No wonder I failed my Trials. I’m not even a Harpy. Feeling this turmoil and sick excitement over the mere thought of kissing Tallon proves what a failure I am. Harpies never fall for anyone. They definitely never fall in love.Zephyr isn't a pretty pretty princess, and Tallon doesn't treat her like one. They argue, they clash, he pushes her beyond her limits when he sees that she's going nowhere with her apathy.
“Apologize for what? Trying to keep us from waking up to a battalion of Acolytes on the doorstep? If anything, you owe everyone an apology for putting them in danger and for being a brat.”They have a great relationship, trust is built, friendship regrows from lost time, and I completely ship the two of them.
Before I even think about it I’m swinging at him.
He laughs. “If anyone is strong enough to stand with me, it’s you. You can handle my darkness.”
I don’t tell him that’s because I am the dark. Besides, a girl has to have some secrets.
May 29, 2016
Welcome to: 10 reasons why you should read Promise of Shadows (aka the most underrated book ever)
1. Greek mythology! And not just that, but Greek mythology done right. Unforgiving gods who know nothing of love or humanity, bloodshed, terrifying creatures and revenge.
2. Most of the book is set in Tartarus. Yes, Tartarus as in Hell. Can't get more awesome than that, really.
3. Absolutely amazing main character! Zephyr is smart, funny and relatable - and she's also an Harpy, with talons and everything, in a world in which Harpies are the trained assassins of the higher gods, the AEthereals.
4. Diversity!!! The main character is a black girl with blue locks, and one of the other main characters is gay. And YA fantasy is in desperate need of diversity, if you ask me.
5. The secondary characters are insanely good. They actually play important roles in the story and have their own secrets and storylines, and are just as interesting as the main character.
6. FRIENDSHIP. I love books with strong friendships, and Zephyr has the most badass best friend - Cass, a mysterious and very powerful girl from ancient Greece who has been confined to Tartarus for centuries and
7. The amount of romance is perfect! Not too much, not too little. The love interest, Tallon, is extremely intriguing, and the relationship between him and Zephyr is great. They fight and disagree all the time, and Tallon never goes easy on her (nor does Zephyr, actually. Unless you call punching someone in the face going easy on them.)
8. The gods. I can't stress this enough, but the gods are portrayed in the best way ever. I can't yet decide whom I love more: if Hermes with his designer clothes, or the darkest of dark lords - Hades. (Who am I kidding, I've always been a sucker for dark lords.)
9. The book is darker than I expected, which made me really happy! Zephyr is powerful, and unapologetically so. None of that "I'm a monster" bullshit: she doesn't regret going after the bad guys, and revels in her darkness and power.
10. This book is so underrated. It's extremely original, well-written, with a compelling storyline, amazing and diverse characters and a complex and fascinating mythology. I really, really want more people to read it, because this is the kind of book that deserves to be on everyone's shelf and to have thousands of raving reviews.
1. Greek mythology! And not just that, but Greek mythology done right. Unforgiving gods who know nothing of love or humanity, bloodshed, terrifying creatures and revenge.
2. Most of the book is set in Tartarus. Yes, Tartarus as in Hell. Can't get more awesome than that, really.
3. Absolutely amazing main character! Zephyr is smart, funny and relatable - and she's also an Harpy, with talons and everything, in a world in which Harpies are the trained assassins of the higher gods, the AEthereals.
4. Diversity!!! The main character is a black girl with blue locks, and one of the other main characters is gay. And YA fantasy is in desperate need of diversity, if you ask me.
5. The secondary characters are insanely good. They actually play important roles in the story and have their own secrets and storylines, and are just as interesting as the main character.
6. FRIENDSHIP. I love books with strong friendships, and Zephyr has the most badass best friend - Cass, a mysterious and very powerful girl from ancient Greece who has been confined to Tartarus for centuries and
7. The amount of romance is perfect! Not too much, not too little. The love interest, Tallon, is extremely intriguing, and the relationship between him and Zephyr is great. They fight and disagree all the time, and Tallon never goes easy on her (nor does Zephyr, actually. Unless you call punching someone in the face going easy on them.)
8. The gods. I can't stress this enough, but the gods are portrayed in the best way ever. I can't yet decide whom I love more: if Hermes with his designer clothes, or the darkest of dark lords - Hades. (Who am I kidding, I've always been a sucker for dark lords.)
9. The book is darker than I expected, which made me really happy! Zephyr is powerful, and unapologetically so. None of that "I'm a monster" bullshit: she doesn't regret going after the bad guys, and revels in her darkness and power.
10. This book is so underrated. It's extremely original, well-written, with a compelling storyline, amazing and diverse characters and a complex and fascinating mythology. I really, really want more people to read it, because this is the kind of book that deserves to be on everyone's shelf and to have thousands of raving reviews.
April 15, 2016
DNF at 75%
Feel free to leave spoilers for the ending, I don't want to waste my time reading the last 90 pages.
Want to read
June 3, 2013Added because I want to support badass book covers.
August 25, 2014
When I saw the cover and read the jacketflap, my first thought was something along the lines of "more like Promise of Awesome." It's about a harpy who avenged the death of her sister by killing the god who slew her. To do this 'impossible' task, she used a secret, forbidden power. Now she's locked away in the Pits of Tartarus, basically a work-camp. But then she reunites with an old friend and learns, bam, she's the Nyx, a "dark goddess who is prophesied to change the power balance." Aw yeah, revolution. A harpy as a main character. Bring it on.
Now that I'm almost halfway through and I've changed my tune. The inaccuracies are stunning. I mean, this book is 99.9% Greek mythology. But then there’s some random other stuff thrown in, too.
Number one being that half-god, half-mortals (which in this case includes ‘magical creatures’ such as harpies and dragons and minotaurs), are called “Vættir.” But this is a NORSE term for spirits, which the Norse then group into different clans, like the Aesir and Vanir (god clans), the Jotnar (giants), the Alfar (elves), and the Dvergar (dwarves). Why would a book steeped in GREEK mythology use a Norse term? Especially since, if use accurately, the term would pertain to both what the book calls vættir and what the book calls Æthereals/Exalteds/gods.
And then there’s some brief mentions of the Du’at (Egyptian) and Folkvangr (Norse) being parts of the Underworld.
The Du’at is the Egyptian underworld, where a dead person must pass through a series of guarded gates (12 gates, passed through by correctly stating the guardian’s name—sort of Rumpelstiltskin type of thing) and dangerous landscapes to read the afterlife. If the dead person made it, then their heart would be weighed. Those whose hearts failed were eaten by Ammit. Those whose hearts passed went on to live happily-ever-after in the paradise of Aaru.
Basically, the Du’at is not a permanent residence. It’s more like a dangerous obstacle course. Or maybe a salmon run. It makes you wonder if the author so much as pulled up the Wikipedia page.
Folkvangr, on the other hand, is a meadow ruled over by the very-important-and-occasionally-confused-with-Odin’s-wife-Frigga goddess Freyja. She, and her meadow, receive half of those slain in battle—the other half goes to Odin and his Valhalla. There's no mention of Valhalla thus far in the book.
And then there’s a befuddling throwaway line of “I wonder if [Hades] has the power to see the stains on my soul, like Anubis.”
Am I supposed to infer, from all of this, that other mythologies, namely Egyptian and Norse, are real? Because other than these casual asides, there’s no evidence of them existing. And I’m nearly halfway through the book.
AND THEN there’s the fact that the author doesn’t seem to know all that much about ancient Greece or Greek mythology.
For one thing, she describes an animal with a lion’s body, an eagle’s wings, and a scorpion’s tail as a chimera. A chimera is part lion, part snake, and part ram. What she describes was clearly a manticore. And she made this even weirder by having one character ask if it was a manticore, and then having the mentor character reply, no it’s a chimera.
And then there’s the fact that a character, a really old female character who supposedly lived during the time of the Trojan War in ancient Greece, was described as wearing a toga. There’s two problems with this.
One: in ancient Rome, tunics were almost always worn under a toga. They weren’t really a stand alone garment. It came, as I understand it, not from the Greeks but from the Etruscans.
And two: ancient Greeks DIDN’T WEAR TOGAS. In colder weather, they would wear an outer cloak similar to a toga called a “himation,” but it was not a toga. Women wore tunics called peplum (singular: peplos). In addition, there was a shawl—for women—called a epiblema, and a short cloak—for young men—called a chlamys. A man’s tunic was called a chiton.
And thirdly: even if the character in question had lived during the Roman times, there are several reasons she wouldn’t be wearing a toga. Number one, they were pretty much for men, particularly high-class men. Number two, they were awkward, cumbersome, and altogether hard to move in. The character is described as running, digging ditches, and fighting, all while in a toga, wearing nothing underneath it. She would not have been wearing a toga.
On a side note, according to Wikipedia (and supposedly the source, Catharine Edwards, "Unspeakable Professions: Public Performance and Prostitution in Ancient Rome”), after the 2nd century BCE, women were expected to wear a sola (over a tunic) to distinguish them from prostitutes who wore togas.
Take this sentence, “Cass stares at the clothes, like she can’t believe people would willingly give up wearing togas.” (page 148). Cass, let me tell you why people willingly, happily, gave up wearing togas. It’s for the same reason you cannot possibly be wearing one in any of your previous scenes; they suck. They’re uncomfortable, unwieldy, and ultimately a pain in the ass.
Now that I'm almost halfway through and I've changed my tune. The inaccuracies are stunning. I mean, this book is 99.9% Greek mythology. But then there’s some random other stuff thrown in, too.
Number one being that half-god, half-mortals (which in this case includes ‘magical creatures’ such as harpies and dragons and minotaurs), are called “Vættir.” But this is a NORSE term for spirits, which the Norse then group into different clans, like the Aesir and Vanir (god clans), the Jotnar (giants), the Alfar (elves), and the Dvergar (dwarves). Why would a book steeped in GREEK mythology use a Norse term? Especially since, if use accurately, the term would pertain to both what the book calls vættir and what the book calls Æthereals/Exalteds/gods.
And then there’s some brief mentions of the Du’at (Egyptian) and Folkvangr (Norse) being parts of the Underworld.
The Du’at is the Egyptian underworld, where a dead person must pass through a series of guarded gates (12 gates, passed through by correctly stating the guardian’s name—sort of Rumpelstiltskin type of thing) and dangerous landscapes to read the afterlife. If the dead person made it, then their heart would be weighed. Those whose hearts failed were eaten by Ammit. Those whose hearts passed went on to live happily-ever-after in the paradise of Aaru.
Basically, the Du’at is not a permanent residence. It’s more like a dangerous obstacle course. Or maybe a salmon run. It makes you wonder if the author so much as pulled up the Wikipedia page.
Folkvangr, on the other hand, is a meadow ruled over by the very-important-and-occasionally-confused-with-Odin’s-wife-Frigga goddess Freyja. She, and her meadow, receive half of those slain in battle—the other half goes to Odin and his Valhalla. There's no mention of Valhalla thus far in the book.
And then there’s a befuddling throwaway line of “I wonder if [Hades] has the power to see the stains on my soul, like Anubis.”
Am I supposed to infer, from all of this, that other mythologies, namely Egyptian and Norse, are real? Because other than these casual asides, there’s no evidence of them existing. And I’m nearly halfway through the book.
AND THEN there’s the fact that the author doesn’t seem to know all that much about ancient Greece or Greek mythology.
For one thing, she describes an animal with a lion’s body, an eagle’s wings, and a scorpion’s tail as a chimera. A chimera is part lion, part snake, and part ram. What she describes was clearly a manticore. And she made this even weirder by having one character ask if it was a manticore, and then having the mentor character reply, no it’s a chimera.
And then there’s the fact that a character, a really old female character who supposedly lived during the time of the Trojan War in ancient Greece, was described as wearing a toga. There’s two problems with this.
One: in ancient Rome, tunics were almost always worn under a toga. They weren’t really a stand alone garment. It came, as I understand it, not from the Greeks but from the Etruscans.
And two: ancient Greeks DIDN’T WEAR TOGAS. In colder weather, they would wear an outer cloak similar to a toga called a “himation,” but it was not a toga. Women wore tunics called peplum (singular: peplos). In addition, there was a shawl—for women—called a epiblema, and a short cloak—for young men—called a chlamys. A man’s tunic was called a chiton.
And thirdly: even if the character in question had lived during the Roman times, there are several reasons she wouldn’t be wearing a toga. Number one, they were pretty much for men, particularly high-class men. Number two, they were awkward, cumbersome, and altogether hard to move in. The character is described as running, digging ditches, and fighting, all while in a toga, wearing nothing underneath it. She would not have been wearing a toga.
On a side note, according to Wikipedia (and supposedly the source, Catharine Edwards, "Unspeakable Professions: Public Performance and Prostitution in Ancient Rome”), after the 2nd century BCE, women were expected to wear a sola (over a tunic) to distinguish them from prostitutes who wore togas.
Take this sentence, “Cass stares at the clothes, like she can’t believe people would willingly give up wearing togas.” (page 148). Cass, let me tell you why people willingly, happily, gave up wearing togas. It’s for the same reason you cannot possibly be wearing one in any of your previous scenes; they suck. They’re uncomfortable, unwieldy, and ultimately a pain in the ass.
September 7, 2016
So underrated.
Read
February 12, 2016This review appeared as a guest post on Happy Indulgence. I regularly post reviews on Readers in Wonderland
IMMEDIATE REACTION
Decided to DNF at p. 162. It wasn't bad but
I was struggling to care about the story in my slump mood. I'm probably going to skim read through to the end just to see what happens
REVIEW
One of the wost things that can happen when reading a book is having your external mood interfere with your reading experience. Recently I’ve been feeling pretty unmotivated towards most things recently, so it was going to be hard for any book to keep my attention. Maybe a fast paced, action packed book with addictive writing would have kept me entertained. Unfortunately Promise of Shadows was not that book.
Promise of Shadows isn’t a bad book. I was just having trouble caring because of my unmotivated mood/ reading slump. Because I didn’t care I was bored and decided to DNF at page 162 (approximately 48%). The whole thing sucks because I actually started off really enjoying it.
Other than the complete lack of drive to read it, Promise of Shadows was going relatively well. If I could be bothered to push on I’m pretty sure I would have given it three stars or so. Everything about it was just okay, nothing was really amazing. It’s the type of book I would have devoured back when I was fourteen, back when paranormal/urban fantasy was my thing. There were many things that are common to your usual prophecy paranormal read, but also a number interesting elements.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology you will probably appreciate Promise of Shadows because this book is saturated in it. It’s jam packed with characters that are either creatures of Greek mythology or important figures from Greek stories. A lot of terms are thrown around which made it a little confusing until I figured out what everything meant (a glossary would have been helpful).
Magic plays a relatively large part in this novel, as does a prophecy. This is not a complaint from me because I usually love novels like this. Promise of Shadows doesn’t really present it in a particularly unique way. There are two types of magic, the dark erebos and light Aether, and is war brewing between halfbreeds (vaettir) and the gods. Our main character, Zephyr, is the new reincarnation of a erebos wielding hero who is supposed to help the vaettir escape from the servitude of the gods. This concept could have led to some pretty epic boss magic battles, but where I stopped I’d only seen the magic used once or twice with outcomes that were clearly just meant to show “wow she’s so powerful and can destroy lots of things with little effort because who has control!”
The only thing that kind of annoyed me was the start of the romance. I don’t know if the couple’s relationship itself would have pissed me off, but Zephyr, the narrating main character, really liked to point out things about Tallon’s appearance. I mean every now and then it’s okay to be caught by something on his face that looks good. But not every time you look at him. I don’t like to be constantly told he’s attractive. I got that he was good looking the first time. Shut up and start telling us something about the plot or whatever.
In summary
Promise of Shadows wasn’t a terrible book. There were a lot of elements that intrigued me, such as the Greek mythology and creatures, and maybe if I read it when I wasn’t in such an annoying mood I could have enjoyed it more. But I didn’t find it particularly unique or entertaining. Some other time I may have given it three stars but right now I think I’ll DNF (and skim read the rest of it).
IMMEDIATE REACTION
Decided to DNF at p. 162. It wasn't bad but
I was struggling to care about the story in my slump mood. I'm probably going to skim read through to the end just to see what happens
REVIEW
One of the wost things that can happen when reading a book is having your external mood interfere with your reading experience. Recently I’ve been feeling pretty unmotivated towards most things recently, so it was going to be hard for any book to keep my attention. Maybe a fast paced, action packed book with addictive writing would have kept me entertained. Unfortunately Promise of Shadows was not that book.
Promise of Shadows isn’t a bad book. I was just having trouble caring because of my unmotivated mood/ reading slump. Because I didn’t care I was bored and decided to DNF at page 162 (approximately 48%). The whole thing sucks because I actually started off really enjoying it.
Other than the complete lack of drive to read it, Promise of Shadows was going relatively well. If I could be bothered to push on I’m pretty sure I would have given it three stars or so. Everything about it was just okay, nothing was really amazing. It’s the type of book I would have devoured back when I was fourteen, back when paranormal/urban fantasy was my thing. There were many things that are common to your usual prophecy paranormal read, but also a number interesting elements.
If you’re a fan of Greek mythology you will probably appreciate Promise of Shadows because this book is saturated in it. It’s jam packed with characters that are either creatures of Greek mythology or important figures from Greek stories. A lot of terms are thrown around which made it a little confusing until I figured out what everything meant (a glossary would have been helpful).
Magic plays a relatively large part in this novel, as does a prophecy. This is not a complaint from me because I usually love novels like this. Promise of Shadows doesn’t really present it in a particularly unique way. There are two types of magic, the dark erebos and light Aether, and is war brewing between halfbreeds (vaettir) and the gods. Our main character, Zephyr, is the new reincarnation of a erebos wielding hero who is supposed to help the vaettir escape from the servitude of the gods. This concept could have led to some pretty epic boss magic battles, but where I stopped I’d only seen the magic used once or twice with outcomes that were clearly just meant to show “wow she’s so powerful and can destroy lots of things with little effort because who has control!”
The only thing that kind of annoyed me was the start of the romance. I don’t know if the couple’s relationship itself would have pissed me off, but Zephyr, the narrating main character, really liked to point out things about Tallon’s appearance. I mean every now and then it’s okay to be caught by something on his face that looks good. But not every time you look at him. I don’t like to be constantly told he’s attractive. I got that he was good looking the first time. Shut up and start telling us something about the plot or whatever.
In summary
Promise of Shadows wasn’t a terrible book. There were a lot of elements that intrigued me, such as the Greek mythology and creatures, and maybe if I read it when I wasn’t in such an annoying mood I could have enjoyed it more. But I didn’t find it particularly unique or entertaining. Some other time I may have given it three stars but right now I think I’ll DNF (and skim read the rest of it).
April 11, 2016
blog | goodreads
4 Oct. '14
I didn't care about anything else at that point; Zephyr had completely won me over.
This is what I mean when I'm talking about a balanced heroine. She is sex-positive, has an overall good image of her body, and is confident but not overbearingly so *ehem* Celaena Sardothien . She is also all-out powerful but manages to have flaws that cut her short from being a perfect Mary-Sue.
For one, she's a coward, which is not something many people will openly admit or even write into their prized character. And second, like Einstein apparently said, Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. And similarly misattributed, Zephyr was also a huge disappointment to her teachers and family. She sucks at school, though by no fault of her own.
A reflection on the world's educational system? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But I appreciated it nonetheless.
Zephyr is also a little selfish and can be whingy at times. But all of this I found forgivable, and I was happy to see how she grew into her powers by the end.
Speaking of which. Talk about an ending! It was refreshing to see a climax where our hero/ine didn't just breeze through everything, defeat the villain, and come out unscathed.
Although Zephyr's sacrifice might have been undermined in the end, it was still a nice change from the happily-ever-afters littering the YA scene (often at the expense of logical consequences). So this was definitely one of the greater points of Promise of Shadows.
Another major love point for this novel was how diverse it was. Our heroine, for once, was not a caucasian female! Hurray for diversity! Seriously, this book has almost everything I look for in a YA novel. Likeable and flawed characters, a romance that does not overshadow the actual plot, none of those damsel-in-distress heroines that at one point needs their Love Interest to come and rescue them, and friendships that actually see growth and development.
So far I've only pointed out the positive points, but now I'm gonna be a Negative Nancy and spoil everyone's mood. I have one big gripe: Zephyr's power just suddenly blossomed and all of a sudden, she's the most powerful thing around.
If she had it all this time, where was it when she was stuck in the underworld? Where was it when she was growing up? She'd been containing it so well for so long ... how come all of a sudden it was literally seeping out of her?
My second and final meh moment was the surprise factor, or lack thereof. Was it really any surprise who her father turned out to be? I knew it the instant the man was mentioned.
But overall, this was definitely an enjoying read and definitely much recommended for YA readers who want something a little different than your average paranormal romances.
***
More reviews are also found at my blog
4 Oct. '14
Review to come
4 Oct. '14
What did he mean "ruin" me? What, like I'm some maiden to be delivered to an altar as a sacrifice?- Zephyr Mourning, at Tallon's refusal of sex.
I didn't care about anything else at that point; Zephyr had completely won me over.
This is what I mean when I'm talking about a balanced heroine. She is sex-positive, has an overall good image of her body, and is confident but not overbearingly so *ehem* Celaena Sardothien . She is also all-out powerful but manages to have flaws that cut her short from being a perfect Mary-Sue.
For one, she's a coward, which is not something many people will openly admit or even write into their prized character. And second, like Einstein apparently said, Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. And similarly misattributed, Zephyr was also a huge disappointment to her teachers and family. She sucks at school, though by no fault of her own.
A reflection on the world's educational system? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But I appreciated it nonetheless.
Zephyr is also a little selfish and can be whingy at times. But all of this I found forgivable, and I was happy to see how she grew into her powers by the end.
Speaking of which. Talk about an ending! It was refreshing to see a climax where our hero/ine didn't just breeze through everything, defeat the villain, and come out unscathed.
Although Zephyr's sacrifice might have been undermined in the end, it was still a nice change from the happily-ever-afters littering the YA scene (often at the expense of logical consequences). So this was definitely one of the greater points of Promise of Shadows.
Another major love point for this novel was how diverse it was. Our heroine, for once, was not a caucasian female! Hurray for diversity! Seriously, this book has almost everything I look for in a YA novel. Likeable and flawed characters, a romance that does not overshadow the actual plot, none of those damsel-in-distress heroines that at one point needs their Love Interest to come and rescue them, and friendships that actually see growth and development.
So far I've only pointed out the positive points, but now I'm gonna be a Negative Nancy and spoil everyone's mood. I have one big gripe: Zephyr's power just suddenly blossomed and all of a sudden, she's the most powerful thing around.
If she had it all this time, where was it when she was stuck in the underworld? Where was it when she was growing up? She'd been containing it so well for so long ... how come all of a sudden it was literally seeping out of her?
My second and final meh moment was the surprise factor, or lack thereof. Was it really any surprise who her father turned out to be? I knew it the instant the man was mentioned.
But overall, this was definitely an enjoying read and definitely much recommended for YA readers who want something a little different than your average paranormal romances.
***
More reviews are also found at my blog
4 Oct. '14
Review to come
February 18, 2015
I should have known better than pick this for its cover when the summary made zero sense to me.. But I am learning..
More than what I liked, this review will be about what I didn't like, if you didn't get a hint from my rating..
First of all, this girl Zephyr, or whatever her name is spelled like, irritated the hell out of me. She is pretty weak, unreliable and naive character to carry the weight of such plot. Now, if the MC were Cassiphone I'd give this a different rating. Zeph survived by sheer luck while Cass survived by her own will only to be rid of for such weak character like Zeph. I do not appreciate this.
Second of all, this is a heavy greek mythology, which if it was clear from the summary I would not have picked even if it was free. Now this is my problem than the book's. I should have paid more attention.
Thirdly, the information dump in almost every chapter was tiring and confusing to follow. By the end I didn't really care who is who and what is what. I just hoped Zeph would get her head out her own backside and be a worthwhile charachter.. Nope that did not happen.
I actually regret the time I spent reading this..
More than what I liked, this review will be about what I didn't like, if you didn't get a hint from my rating..
First of all, this girl Zephyr, or whatever her name is spelled like, irritated the hell out of me. She is pretty weak, unreliable and naive character to carry the weight of such plot. Now, if the MC were Cassiphone I'd give this a different rating. Zeph survived by sheer luck while Cass survived by her own will only to be rid of for such weak character like Zeph. I do not appreciate this.
Second of all, this is a heavy greek mythology, which if it was clear from the summary I would not have picked even if it was free. Now this is my problem than the book's. I should have paid more attention.
Thirdly, the information dump in almost every chapter was tiring and confusing to follow. By the end I didn't really care who is who and what is what. I just hoped Zeph would get her head out her own backside and be a worthwhile charachter.. Nope that did not happen.
I actually regret the time I spent reading this..
May 23, 2015
A copy of this novel was provided by Simon & Schuster Australia for review.
Okay.
That’s how I felt about Promise of Shadows. One hundred percent “okay”. Which, you know, means that I didn’t hate it or anything but I didn’t love it, either. Everything was just oaky, and I guess I was okay with that.
I thought that I might really like it because a) pretty cover (shh I judge books by their covers leave me alone), b) a unique premise about a harpy, and c) “darkly funny”. I thought that Promise of Shadows might live up to the a), b), and c), but unfortunately it didn’t.
a) The cover is still beautiful.
b) It was a unique premise, but sometimes things moved way to freaking quickly to understand what was going on, and other times it was like “this scene seems to have been going on for 3498385 pages and nothing has happened”.
I did like the vaettir/aethereal/everything else magical and godlike in this book. I really like mythological retelling-type stories, so I did like that.
But I wasn’t a big fan of the special snowflake story. Zephyr (and this isn’t a spoiler by the way, it’s on the blurb – which I don’t think it should be but whatever) is this total badass saviour of half-god kind who is supposed to lead the half-gods into battle and beat the bitch Hera. Except … there was no battle. I was waiting for WAR, DEATH, GOD MURDER but none of it happened. In fact, the ending was quite anticlimactic in terms of the badass half-god saviour thing.
I did like, however, that Zephyr was the reluctant hero. She was all: I am not cut out for this and I don’t even want this – which I think is more reasonable than: yes, I am a teenager and I am going to lead my people to salvation - follow me, minions! At times her reluctance was a bit repetitive and self deprecating, but she’s a teenager. We all get a bit self deprecating and reluctant when were teenagers.
The hot-cold love interest was not unique, and I am so totally over that trope, like a hundred years ago, and I’ve certainly read ones of better quality than Tallon. He was a complete jerkwad and I don’t think Zephyr should have been pining over him as much as she did (ALTHOUGH YAY FOR A GIRL WITH A SEX DRIVE SERIOUSLY).
c) I didn’t think this book was “darkly funny”. There were some seriously lame one-liners that I was kind of cringing at, and that was the extent of this claim, in my opinion. I wish there had been some humour because I find these mythology books/retellings to be very heavy sometimes. I guess Promise of Shadows was not as heavy going as others – there were some lighter moments – but it wasn’t “darkly funny” in my books.
~
If there is a sequel, and boy does it need it because that ending was about as open as … something really open IDK THE SKY, I’d probably pick it up, just to see what happens.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
Okay.
That’s how I felt about Promise of Shadows. One hundred percent “okay”. Which, you know, means that I didn’t hate it or anything but I didn’t love it, either. Everything was just oaky, and I guess I was okay with that.
I thought that I might really like it because a) pretty cover (shh I judge books by their covers leave me alone), b) a unique premise about a harpy, and c) “darkly funny”. I thought that Promise of Shadows might live up to the a), b), and c), but unfortunately it didn’t.
a) The cover is still beautiful.
b) It was a unique premise, but sometimes things moved way to freaking quickly to understand what was going on, and other times it was like “this scene seems to have been going on for 3498385 pages and nothing has happened”.
I did like the vaettir/aethereal/everything else magical and godlike in this book. I really like mythological retelling-type stories, so I did like that.
But I wasn’t a big fan of the special snowflake story. Zephyr (and this isn’t a spoiler by the way, it’s on the blurb – which I don’t think it should be but whatever) is this total badass saviour of half-god kind who is supposed to lead the half-gods into battle and beat the bitch Hera. Except … there was no battle. I was waiting for WAR, DEATH, GOD MURDER but none of it happened. In fact, the ending was quite anticlimactic in terms of the badass half-god saviour thing.
I did like, however, that Zephyr was the reluctant hero. She was all: I am not cut out for this and I don’t even want this – which I think is more reasonable than: yes, I am a teenager and I am going to lead my people to salvation - follow me, minions! At times her reluctance was a bit repetitive and self deprecating, but she’s a teenager. We all get a bit self deprecating and reluctant when were teenagers.
The hot-cold love interest was not unique, and I am so totally over that trope, like a hundred years ago, and I’ve certainly read ones of better quality than Tallon. He was a complete jerkwad and I don’t think Zephyr should have been pining over him as much as she did (ALTHOUGH YAY FOR A GIRL WITH A SEX DRIVE SERIOUSLY).
c) I didn’t think this book was “darkly funny”. There were some seriously lame one-liners that I was kind of cringing at, and that was the extent of this claim, in my opinion. I wish there had been some humour because I find these mythology books/retellings to be very heavy sometimes. I guess Promise of Shadows was not as heavy going as others – there were some lighter moments – but it wasn’t “darkly funny” in my books.
~
If there is a sequel, and boy does it need it because that ending was about as open as … something really open IDK THE SKY, I’d probably pick it up, just to see what happens.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
April 6, 2014
Lets start out with the synopsis. That thing is absofuckinglutley ridiculously bad. It does not describe the book or events that happen. Let alone Zephyr.
The book starts out with Zephyr in Tartarus digging a ditch with excrement falling from the sky. Not what I was expecting. Thanks to that synopsis. I thought for sure it would be her sitting at home watching My Five Wives. NOT. Thank fucking hallelujah.
Lets start with Zephyr she is beautifully flawed and I love it. Yah there is the whole "she is destined for awesomeness malarkey" But she does not believe her shit don't stink crap like all the other YA heroines seem to have. She whole heartedly believes she cannot be the Nyx a mythical being able to bring balance to the severed worlds. How can she be when she can't even pass a harpy exam, she feels fear and loneliness, love. Harpy are too not feel anything and yet she does. How is she suppose to be this awesome kickass being when she can't even wield enough magic to light up her hand. And she is so beautifully wonderful because of that. She has doubts, and sometimes her rage gets the best of her. Like ay human would.
The secondary characters are great too.
Cass. CASS! if it wasn't for her our heroine would be killed the second she landed on Tartaruses hot dead ground. Her best friend. Even though she is being constantly told that Cass is a traitor and always will be. She pushes through those doubts and still believes in her and that is great friendship. Even after the
Tallon, Zephyrs childhood friend Oh My does he ever ooze hot bad boy. And *faints* I loved it. He also helps Zephyr control the power she is having so much trouble with controlling. And totally calls her out on bullshit brattyness.
Blue, Tallons brother. He is the soft to Tallons hard. Where Tallon is cold and calculating, Blue is warm and huggable.
Gods/Exalted.
You`ve got Hera the bitch who wants to enslave Vaettir and rule over mankind once again.
Hades, the big badass with the heart of teddy bear. Damn he must have been my favourite. Except for the douche move he made against Zephyr. Not cool bro, not cool.
Hermes the messenger who is secretly protecting Zephyr, for his own needs or for her sisters.
The whole setting and world building of this book is fucking fantastic. The way Justina Ireland built the hierarchy of the Gods/Demigods/mortals takes a new twist and it is thoroughly thought and flushed out. I am guessing she did some research. And it totally shows. The Underworld and Tartarus are beautifully described as a horrible and disgusting punishment. Even the river Styx is a black unmoving mass of rotting flesh and decay. Even the Aerie is described as a camp for the Harpy`s yet feels like a cult it has its own rule and systems. And you should not deviate from that.
Now the romance in this book is vey light no tongue tied, puppy love. AND NO INSTA LOVE!!! I cannot punctuate that more. Zephyr know she has no time for love she has too many thing to worry about than falling for someone. THANK GOD!!!
Yes this book is so fucking awesome, The world building and setting to me seem to be the highlight of this book. No mythology butchering in here. And Zephyr is a heroine you can truly relate to.
The book starts out with Zephyr in Tartarus digging a ditch with excrement falling from the sky. Not what I was expecting. Thanks to that synopsis. I thought for sure it would be her sitting at home watching My Five Wives. NOT. Thank fucking hallelujah.
Lets start with Zephyr she is beautifully flawed and I love it. Yah there is the whole "she is destined for awesomeness malarkey" But she does not believe her shit don't stink crap like all the other YA heroines seem to have. She whole heartedly believes she cannot be the Nyx a mythical being able to bring balance to the severed worlds. How can she be when she can't even pass a harpy exam, she feels fear and loneliness, love. Harpy are too not feel anything and yet she does. How is she suppose to be this awesome kickass being when she can't even wield enough magic to light up her hand. And she is so beautifully wonderful because of that. She has doubts, and sometimes her rage gets the best of her. Like ay human would.
The secondary characters are great too.
Cass. CASS! if it wasn't for her our heroine would be killed the second she landed on Tartaruses hot dead ground. Her best friend. Even though she is being constantly told that Cass is a traitor and always will be. She pushes through those doubts and still believes in her and that is great friendship. Even after the
Tallon, Zephyrs childhood friend Oh My does he ever ooze hot bad boy. And *faints* I loved it. He also helps Zephyr control the power she is having so much trouble with controlling. And totally calls her out on bullshit brattyness.
Blue, Tallons brother. He is the soft to Tallons hard. Where Tallon is cold and calculating, Blue is warm and huggable.
Gods/Exalted.
You`ve got Hera the bitch who wants to enslave Vaettir and rule over mankind once again.
Hades, the big badass with the heart of teddy bear. Damn he must have been my favourite. Except for the douche move he made against Zephyr. Not cool bro, not cool.
Hermes the messenger who is secretly protecting Zephyr, for his own needs or for her sisters.
The whole setting and world building of this book is fucking fantastic. The way Justina Ireland built the hierarchy of the Gods/Demigods/mortals takes a new twist and it is thoroughly thought and flushed out. I am guessing she did some research. And it totally shows. The Underworld and Tartarus are beautifully described as a horrible and disgusting punishment. Even the river Styx is a black unmoving mass of rotting flesh and decay. Even the Aerie is described as a camp for the Harpy`s yet feels like a cult it has its own rule and systems. And you should not deviate from that.
Now the romance in this book is vey light no tongue tied, puppy love. AND NO INSTA LOVE!!! I cannot punctuate that more. Zephyr know she has no time for love she has too many thing to worry about than falling for someone. THANK GOD!!!
Yes this book is so fucking awesome, The world building and setting to me seem to be the highlight of this book. No mythology butchering in here. And Zephyr is a heroine you can truly relate to.
February 6, 2014
Review: 2 ½ out of 5 stars
Promise of Shadows is a book I was quite excited about reading, I have never read about Harpies before and the premise seemed quite unique but I was left underwhelmed by this one unfortunately.
At the beginning of the book we meet Zephyr Mourning who has been stripped of her wings and sent to Tartarus - the Underworld. She is now serving a life sentence for using a forbidden dark power and killing a God. Along with her closest friend Cass she is rescued by Blue and her childhood friend Tallon and taken to the mortal realm.
As the story progresses, we find out Zephyr may be the missing Nyx and prophesied to change the power balance, her sole purpose is to kill Hera to make things right. Not a lot happens for a majority of the book unfortunately and what was going on left me confused, the action was limited and the pacing was slow as I waited for things to get interesting – which they did towards the end but it was very slow to build.
The MC fell flat for me; she lacked personality and relied too much on others to get her out of tricky situations which just led to unnecessary trouble. I also couldn’t believe that someone with the abilities of a goddess constantly found herself caught in a bind despite holding an amazingly strong power.
I love mythology in books but the terminology in this one I found was lacking – I am still a tad clueless about what an AEthereal and Exalted are. The explanations that were needed I thought were missing.
The concept was wonderful but I feel this book needed more world-building and character development. The secondary characters interested me more than the MC’s, Cass was intriguing and Blue bought a bit of humour to the story, Tallon I just found to be arrogant and the romance wasn’t believable at all. There were a lot of YA clichés that weren’t realistic.
Overall, Promise of Shadows had a lot of potential but regrettably left me feeling underwhelmed.
Promise of Shadows is a book I was quite excited about reading, I have never read about Harpies before and the premise seemed quite unique but I was left underwhelmed by this one unfortunately.
At the beginning of the book we meet Zephyr Mourning who has been stripped of her wings and sent to Tartarus - the Underworld. She is now serving a life sentence for using a forbidden dark power and killing a God. Along with her closest friend Cass she is rescued by Blue and her childhood friend Tallon and taken to the mortal realm.
As the story progresses, we find out Zephyr may be the missing Nyx and prophesied to change the power balance, her sole purpose is to kill Hera to make things right. Not a lot happens for a majority of the book unfortunately and what was going on left me confused, the action was limited and the pacing was slow as I waited for things to get interesting – which they did towards the end but it was very slow to build.
The MC fell flat for me; she lacked personality and relied too much on others to get her out of tricky situations which just led to unnecessary trouble. I also couldn’t believe that someone with the abilities of a goddess constantly found herself caught in a bind despite holding an amazingly strong power.
I love mythology in books but the terminology in this one I found was lacking – I am still a tad clueless about what an AEthereal and Exalted are. The explanations that were needed I thought were missing.
The concept was wonderful but I feel this book needed more world-building and character development. The secondary characters interested me more than the MC’s, Cass was intriguing and Blue bought a bit of humour to the story, Tallon I just found to be arrogant and the romance wasn’t believable at all. There were a lot of YA clichés that weren’t realistic.
Overall, Promise of Shadows had a lot of potential but regrettably left me feeling underwhelmed.
October 24, 2014
2.5 stars. Not bad, but the book quickly lost steam and I was bored.
August 4, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.
Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?
What I Liked:
I love Greek and Roman mythology, you all. Well actually, I love most types of mythology - including Norse and Egyptian and so on. But Greek mythology is definitely my favorite. So when I read the synopsis of this book months ago, I knew I had to read it. Yes, my rating shows that I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. But I'm glad I gave this book a chance.
Zephyr was sent to Tartarus because she killed a minor Æthereal (god), which is basically impossible for the vættir (non-god, non-human race, like Zephyr, who is a Harpy). But the Æthereals - especially Hera - are suspicious, and want to know how she did it. No one knows about Zepyhr's dark powers - shadow vættir are not supposed to exist anymore. So Zephyr escapes from Tartarus with the help of some friends. Thus starts the race to defeat Hera and her army of Acolytes from stealing shades and shadow vættir.
I liked the use of mythology in this book - and Ireland's adaptation of mythology. The author definitely added her own interpretation to Greek mythology, which was cool. All of the stories and legends and mixed-up families was so like the original Greek mythological tales. I liked Ireland's spin on things.
The idea of this book was definitely a good one. I wanted to like the plot, because it sounded really interesting. I wanted to like the characters, because they sounded kick-butt. I wanted to and did like the use of Greek mythology in this book. But I found that I really did not like very much about this book, unfortunately.
What I Did Not Like:
The plot, the characters, the romance, the pacing, the mood, the execution, the inconsistencies. There were so many things that niggled at me while I was reading this book, and I should have written them down as I was reading. I did NOT finish this book in one sitting, which made me sad. It did not hold my interest at all.
So, the plot. The plot was so boring. This book was so boring. I mentioned that I did not finish this book in one sitting, that the book did not hold my interest. I literally FELL ASLEEP while reading this book - no joke. Granted, it was a Monday after my four classes, and it was the first day of classes after a four-day weekend, but STILL. This book was NOT exciting. I wasn't thoroughly invested. The plot was all about stopping Hera from stealing shades and destroying the shadow vættir.
Honestly, I still don't really understand the point. I don't really get why Hera was stealing shades and bent on destroying the shadow vættir. Actually, I think I understand the latter. But the former? Why? And why was that so catastrophic? Why didn't the gods (Æthereals) intervene directly, if it was an Æthereal behind everything, and they knew it? One Nyx is NOT stronger than one Æthereal. So that makes no sense.
I did not connect with a single character. And I didn't like any of them. They seemed flat and one-dimensional to me, and not the types to which I could relate. I can't stand flat characters, and I especially can't stand when I can't connect to characters on some level. Also, there were a ton of secondary characters, and I feel like none of them were really fleshed out.
The romance. Blah blah blah snooze. The romance was so boring. I could see the attempt at an angst-filled romance, but it was an ATTEMPT, and it so did not work. Instead, I was really hoping that either Zephyr or her love interest would die - or both. I seriously did not care at all if they did not end up together, or if one died, or whatever. So... the romance was pretty badly done.
I was not a fan of the pacing. Most of this book was sitting ducks, or whatever the phrase is. There are a ton of paragraphs and pages involving long explanations and stories and history. No thank you, let's get to some action. The action scenes were few and far apart, which was annoying, because the non-action scenes were really boring. So, the pacing wasn't the best. It was too slow.
The execution of this novel was (overall) pretty poor. The concept was really cool, and Ireland's spin on Greek mythology was fabulous, but the execution of the actual story was not so good. It's bad when your reader could care less about basically everything. And doesn't understand what's going on or why things are going on or so on.
I already mentioned a few inconsistencies (like with the gods not intervening), but the fact that I noticed more than a few at all is a red flag to me. For example, I also noticed something about Zephyr's hair. I thought at one point, when she incinerated everything, Nanda had to cut off all Zephyr's hair, really short. But then at the end of the book, Zephyr's curls were back. What? From that point of the hair-cutting to the end of the book, only a few weeks passed (like maybe three at the most). Hair does NOT grow that quickly, to that length anyway.
Anyway, those are the not-so-great things about this book (for me). Another thing - I really thought this book was a standalone. But the ending is a bit ambiguous. Well, I won't be reading future novels in this series (if it does end up being a series), so that's that.
Would I Recommend It:
Heh. Not really, no. I was so ecstatic to read a book involving Greek mythology, but it was such a disappointment. The negatives highly outweigh the positives. Heck, I had a hard time FINISHING this book, and STAYING AWAKE. Save your time and sanity and read something else!
Rating:
1.5 stars -> rounded up to 2 stars. I'm actually not sure why I'm giving this 2 stars as opposed to 1 star - probably because I really WANTED to like this book. Oh well.
Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.
Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?
What I Liked:
I love Greek and Roman mythology, you all. Well actually, I love most types of mythology - including Norse and Egyptian and so on. But Greek mythology is definitely my favorite. So when I read the synopsis of this book months ago, I knew I had to read it. Yes, my rating shows that I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. But I'm glad I gave this book a chance.
Zephyr was sent to Tartarus because she killed a minor Æthereal (god), which is basically impossible for the vættir (non-god, non-human race, like Zephyr, who is a Harpy). But the Æthereals - especially Hera - are suspicious, and want to know how she did it. No one knows about Zepyhr's dark powers - shadow vættir are not supposed to exist anymore. So Zephyr escapes from Tartarus with the help of some friends. Thus starts the race to defeat Hera and her army of Acolytes from stealing shades and shadow vættir.
I liked the use of mythology in this book - and Ireland's adaptation of mythology. The author definitely added her own interpretation to Greek mythology, which was cool. All of the stories and legends and mixed-up families was so like the original Greek mythological tales. I liked Ireland's spin on things.
The idea of this book was definitely a good one. I wanted to like the plot, because it sounded really interesting. I wanted to like the characters, because they sounded kick-butt. I wanted to and did like the use of Greek mythology in this book. But I found that I really did not like very much about this book, unfortunately.
What I Did Not Like:
The plot, the characters, the romance, the pacing, the mood, the execution, the inconsistencies. There were so many things that niggled at me while I was reading this book, and I should have written them down as I was reading. I did NOT finish this book in one sitting, which made me sad. It did not hold my interest at all.
So, the plot. The plot was so boring. This book was so boring. I mentioned that I did not finish this book in one sitting, that the book did not hold my interest. I literally FELL ASLEEP while reading this book - no joke. Granted, it was a Monday after my four classes, and it was the first day of classes after a four-day weekend, but STILL. This book was NOT exciting. I wasn't thoroughly invested. The plot was all about stopping Hera from stealing shades and destroying the shadow vættir.
Honestly, I still don't really understand the point. I don't really get why Hera was stealing shades and bent on destroying the shadow vættir. Actually, I think I understand the latter. But the former? Why? And why was that so catastrophic? Why didn't the gods (Æthereals) intervene directly, if it was an Æthereal behind everything, and they knew it? One Nyx is NOT stronger than one Æthereal. So that makes no sense.
I did not connect with a single character. And I didn't like any of them. They seemed flat and one-dimensional to me, and not the types to which I could relate. I can't stand flat characters, and I especially can't stand when I can't connect to characters on some level. Also, there were a ton of secondary characters, and I feel like none of them were really fleshed out.
The romance. Blah blah blah snooze. The romance was so boring. I could see the attempt at an angst-filled romance, but it was an ATTEMPT, and it so did not work. Instead, I was really hoping that either Zephyr or her love interest would die - or both. I seriously did not care at all if they did not end up together, or if one died, or whatever. So... the romance was pretty badly done.
I was not a fan of the pacing. Most of this book was sitting ducks, or whatever the phrase is. There are a ton of paragraphs and pages involving long explanations and stories and history. No thank you, let's get to some action. The action scenes were few and far apart, which was annoying, because the non-action scenes were really boring. So, the pacing wasn't the best. It was too slow.
The execution of this novel was (overall) pretty poor. The concept was really cool, and Ireland's spin on Greek mythology was fabulous, but the execution of the actual story was not so good. It's bad when your reader could care less about basically everything. And doesn't understand what's going on or why things are going on or so on.
I already mentioned a few inconsistencies (like with the gods not intervening), but the fact that I noticed more than a few at all is a red flag to me. For example, I also noticed something about Zephyr's hair. I thought at one point, when she incinerated everything, Nanda had to cut off all Zephyr's hair, really short. But then at the end of the book, Zephyr's curls were back. What? From that point of the hair-cutting to the end of the book, only a few weeks passed (like maybe three at the most). Hair does NOT grow that quickly, to that length anyway.
Anyway, those are the not-so-great things about this book (for me). Another thing - I really thought this book was a standalone. But the ending is a bit ambiguous. Well, I won't be reading future novels in this series (if it does end up being a series), so that's that.
Would I Recommend It:
Heh. Not really, no. I was so ecstatic to read a book involving Greek mythology, but it was such a disappointment. The negatives highly outweigh the positives. Heck, I had a hard time FINISHING this book, and STAYING AWAKE. Save your time and sanity and read something else!
Rating:
1.5 stars -> rounded up to 2 stars. I'm actually not sure why I'm giving this 2 stars as opposed to 1 star - probably because I really WANTED to like this book. Oh well.
May 15, 2017
Umm why have I never seen this book on my dash? This has to be one of the most underrated YA books? 3D flawed badass heroine whose, oh yeah A HARPY did I say GREEK MYTHOLOGY? Heck yeah I did. Banished to Tartarus with only a 2000 year old spartan girl warrior as a best friend? Tensions brewing between "light demigods" and "dark demigods" and working out the hard way (lots of angry monsters and scheming gods) that she's possibly the only one who can save the "dark demigods" from extermination? Throw in a bunch of trendy side characters and BOOM. It's epic, its dark, its witty and it's got awesome world building. What else can I say?
Also shoutout to Hera because no matter what book based on Greek mythology she's always the number 1 beef starter.
Also shoutout to Hera because no matter what book based on Greek mythology she's always the number 1 beef starter.
June 29, 2015
**4/4.5 stars**
Originally posted at: http://iliveforreading.blogspot.com/2...
I saw this one AGES ago but I never did get my hands on a copy. Until now. I’m seriously happy I got Promise of Shadows for review because I absolutely loved it. The beginning took me a while to adjust to, in terms of getting an idea of what exactly was going on, but omg–it’s been such a long time since I’d read a book focused on Greek mythology that met modern day (so... urban mythology?). The last book I read focused on this sort of stuff was Fleeced! but that’s aimed at younger readers, so all in all: a YA book that involves Greek myths? It’s practically been a lifetime since I’d read one last. Anyway, back to the main point at hand. THIS BOOK? So beautiful. So dark. And I loved it SO much.
I liked that our main character Zephyr, also known as Peep (which is the most adorable nickname ever), wasn’t the typically strong and flawless main character portrayed so often in young adult fiction. She’s definitely quite flawed and is the kind of person who would rather run than fight in most situations. However, her snappy and sarcastic attitude annoyed me sometimes. I didn’t really enjoy her bursts of anger and quick judgement upon others. Tallon’s got the same problem–both these characters are hot-headed. Otherwise, I totally love them! All the swoons for Tallon, trust me. This book had such an interesting and diverse cast of characters. Blue was a sweet character, and Cass probably had the most interesting background story EVER. I’m grateful that romance wasn’t a big part of the story and instead of spending ages reading about a girl pining for a boy every second of the day, we got a story of a girl with a clear plan in mind that didn’t revolve around said boy.
❝I am tossed and turned in a sea of pain and rage and disappointment. I reach out, attempting to wield some of my own forbidden power. For a single shining moment the darkness abates, reluctant to hurt me. But it’s pointless. The orbs quickly begins devouring me again, Hades’s intent pushing it forward. My abilities are nothing compared to his, a raindrop trying to attack the ocean.
I surrender to my punishment, going limp as the dark energy tears me apart atom by atom. My last thought before I lose consciousness is relief.
At least I finally know how I die.❞
–p. 57
This book contained several new mythological terms that were new for me. I think most of them were made up, since I searched up characters such as Ramun Sol and nothing popped up, but there were a few things that I didn’t know about previously. What I love about YA books that allude to mythology is that I always end up learning something new or end up yearning to learn more about the subject. Several things in this book–erebos, vættir, Æthereals–had me curious to know more.
Promise of Shadows was a seductive and thrilling ride with a touch of well-timed snark guaranteed to make readers laugh. Justina Ireland brilliantly weaves fiction and myth to create a truly unique story. Delightfully dark and filled with jaw-dropping twists, be sure to pick this one up as soon as you possibly can.
▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Sasha at Pansing for sending me a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪
Originally posted at: http://iliveforreading.blogspot.com/2...
I saw this one AGES ago but I never did get my hands on a copy. Until now. I’m seriously happy I got Promise of Shadows for review because I absolutely loved it. The beginning took me a while to adjust to, in terms of getting an idea of what exactly was going on, but omg–it’s been such a long time since I’d read a book focused on Greek mythology that met modern day (so... urban mythology?). The last book I read focused on this sort of stuff was Fleeced! but that’s aimed at younger readers, so all in all: a YA book that involves Greek myths? It’s practically been a lifetime since I’d read one last. Anyway, back to the main point at hand. THIS BOOK? So beautiful. So dark. And I loved it SO much.
I liked that our main character Zephyr, also known as Peep (which is the most adorable nickname ever), wasn’t the typically strong and flawless main character portrayed so often in young adult fiction. She’s definitely quite flawed and is the kind of person who would rather run than fight in most situations. However, her snappy and sarcastic attitude annoyed me sometimes. I didn’t really enjoy her bursts of anger and quick judgement upon others. Tallon’s got the same problem–both these characters are hot-headed. Otherwise, I totally love them! All the swoons for Tallon, trust me. This book had such an interesting and diverse cast of characters. Blue was a sweet character, and Cass probably had the most interesting background story EVER. I’m grateful that romance wasn’t a big part of the story and instead of spending ages reading about a girl pining for a boy every second of the day, we got a story of a girl with a clear plan in mind that didn’t revolve around said boy.
❝I am tossed and turned in a sea of pain and rage and disappointment. I reach out, attempting to wield some of my own forbidden power. For a single shining moment the darkness abates, reluctant to hurt me. But it’s pointless. The orbs quickly begins devouring me again, Hades’s intent pushing it forward. My abilities are nothing compared to his, a raindrop trying to attack the ocean.
I surrender to my punishment, going limp as the dark energy tears me apart atom by atom. My last thought before I lose consciousness is relief.
At least I finally know how I die.❞
–p. 57
This book contained several new mythological terms that were new for me. I think most of them were made up, since I searched up characters such as Ramun Sol and nothing popped up, but there were a few things that I didn’t know about previously. What I love about YA books that allude to mythology is that I always end up learning something new or end up yearning to learn more about the subject. Several things in this book–erebos, vættir, Æthereals–had me curious to know more.
Promise of Shadows was a seductive and thrilling ride with a touch of well-timed snark guaranteed to make readers laugh. Justina Ireland brilliantly weaves fiction and myth to create a truly unique story. Delightfully dark and filled with jaw-dropping twists, be sure to pick this one up as soon as you possibly can.
▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Sasha at Pansing for sending me a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪
March 6, 2015
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
I didn't really know much about this book, going into it. I knew it had something to do with mythology and that's it. I ended up finding an enjoyable read with lots of mythical elements!
Zephyr has been stuck in Tartarus for the past year for killing a god. She has no idea how she did it, she just wanted revenge for her sister's murder. With the help of an old friend, she's able to escape into the mortal world, but she's still being hunted. It turns out, that Zephyr has a very dark ability and is the next Nyx. It doesn't help that there's a prophecy about her leading a war against the gods...
There is a lot of world-building in this book. I had a lot of issues with this at first. Instead of info-dumping, we get the opposite are are dumped right into the book, getting strange words thrown at us as if we understand them. I was able to figure them out eventually, but it wasn't very fun. Other than that, there is a lot of great, interesting world-building here!
As for Zephyr, she's a great main character and I did feel like she grew in this book. She began in the book feeling like a failure and she felt the same throughout a majority of the book, as if she might disappoint everyone. She also had to fight the darkness inside her turning her into something else. She actually grew into a surprisingly strong character.
The romance was okay. It didn't really wow me and I was fully expecting something to happen with them (I'm a pro and spotting who the love interest will be. It comes from reading so many YA books). There was nothing really wrong with the romance. It wasn't a love triangle,insta-love, or distracting. It was just an okay romance; there just wasn't any spark.
IN CONCLUSION
This was an interesting book with mythology! I had some issues with following the story and the romance just didn't connect with me, but I did end up liking this book. This is my second book from this author and I am very curious what else she has in store.
MY THOUGHTS
I didn't really know much about this book, going into it. I knew it had something to do with mythology and that's it. I ended up finding an enjoyable read with lots of mythical elements!
Zephyr has been stuck in Tartarus for the past year for killing a god. She has no idea how she did it, she just wanted revenge for her sister's murder. With the help of an old friend, she's able to escape into the mortal world, but she's still being hunted. It turns out, that Zephyr has a very dark ability and is the next Nyx. It doesn't help that there's a prophecy about her leading a war against the gods...
There is a lot of world-building in this book. I had a lot of issues with this at first. Instead of info-dumping, we get the opposite are are dumped right into the book, getting strange words thrown at us as if we understand them. I was able to figure them out eventually, but it wasn't very fun. Other than that, there is a lot of great, interesting world-building here!
As for Zephyr, she's a great main character and I did feel like she grew in this book. She began in the book feeling like a failure and she felt the same throughout a majority of the book, as if she might disappoint everyone. She also had to fight the darkness inside her turning her into something else. She actually grew into a surprisingly strong character.
The romance was okay. It didn't really wow me and I was fully expecting something to happen with them (I'm a pro and spotting who the love interest will be. It comes from reading so many YA books). There was nothing really wrong with the romance. It wasn't a love triangle,insta-love, or distracting. It was just an okay romance; there just wasn't any spark.
IN CONCLUSION
This was an interesting book with mythology! I had some issues with following the story and the romance just didn't connect with me, but I did end up liking this book. This is my second book from this author and I am very curious what else she has in store.
August 10, 2017
(Rating: 2.5)
Promise of Shadows is a fun, action-packed fantasy-mythology that also has its more tender moments.
- Greek mythology and with a diverse cast! The protagonist is a black, a Harpy, and has wicked awesome blue hair. I also loved Zephyr's inner monologues and the conflict she felt.
- It has a simple storyline (which is not a bad thing), and is full of action, magic of darkness and light, and also some heartfelt and introspective moments.
- Criticisms were that I felt like the worldbuilding and its imagery could have been further fleshed out, parts of the narrative were a wee repetitive (however endearing), and some characterizations were a little lacking.
Promise of Shadows is a fun, action-packed fantasy-mythology that also has its more tender moments.
- Greek mythology and with a diverse cast! The protagonist is a black, a Harpy, and has wicked awesome blue hair. I also loved Zephyr's inner monologues and the conflict she felt.
- It has a simple storyline (which is not a bad thing), and is full of action, magic of darkness and light, and also some heartfelt and introspective moments.
- Criticisms were that I felt like the worldbuilding and its imagery could have been further fleshed out, parts of the narrative were a wee repetitive (however endearing), and some characterizations were a little lacking.
March 1, 2022
Loved reading this book so much, I Just love her story, and this world, and it's such a great read!
*First Read July 26th, 2014*
Oh, this was a fantastic book! And it could possibly be in the same universe as Vengeance Bound, seeing as both are Greek myths and legends! And yeah, I absolutely loved this book!
*First Read July 26th, 2014*
Oh, this was a fantastic book! And it could possibly be in the same universe as Vengeance Bound, seeing as both are Greek myths and legends! And yeah, I absolutely loved this book!
July 15, 2016
No my girl, wheel and come again.
This was absolutely painful to read. For such a short book I felt like it dragged on forever.
This was absolutely painful to read. For such a short book I felt like it dragged on forever.
July 19, 2017
What I Like:
Perfect pacing
The author's take on Greek Myth. She created new godly war and incorporated the primordial deity. Also apparently it's not only greek gods available in this world, there's mention of deity from other myth too few times in the course of the story.
Zephyr before Tallon. She's fierce and determined, she's a survivor, she's an amazing friend with amazing snark. What's not to love?
Blue
What I didn't like:
The synopsis was too revealing. I’d rather guess who Zephyr is rather than being told that she’s Nyx. It takes away the fun of guessing. Not that it will be a hard guess anyway since it’s practically there, but still.
Zephyr after Tallon. She got distracted by Tallon every time he appears, reminding us how good looking he is, how black his hair is and how kissable his lips is. She got jealous of every girl who came in contact with Tallon and trash-talks them in her mind. She holds on to petty grudges with her childhood cousin. And what’s worse, she threw a tantrum all the time. She doesn’t listen what others are telling her about using her powers and stories about the old myth, she can’t defend herself but got pissed when others tried to help her.
Tallon
Perfect pacing
The author's take on Greek Myth. She created new godly war and incorporated the primordial deity. Also apparently it's not only greek gods available in this world, there's mention of deity from other myth too few times in the course of the story.
Zephyr before Tallon. She's fierce and determined, she's a survivor, she's an amazing friend with amazing snark. What's not to love?
Blue
What I didn't like:
The synopsis was too revealing. I’d rather guess who Zephyr is rather than being told that she’s Nyx. It takes away the fun of guessing. Not that it will be a hard guess anyway since it’s practically there, but still.
Zephyr after Tallon. She got distracted by Tallon every time he appears, reminding us how good looking he is, how black his hair is and how kissable his lips is. She got jealous of every girl who came in contact with Tallon and trash-talks them in her mind. She holds on to petty grudges with her childhood cousin. And what’s worse, she threw a tantrum all the time. She doesn’t listen what others are telling her about using her powers and stories about the old myth, she can’t defend herself but got pissed when others tried to help her.
Tallon
Read
February 17, 2020DNF'ed at pg 155.
I wasn't feeling it. At the beginning it was interesting and I loved this idea of a Harpie sent to the Underworld for killing a God that should have been unkillabke, but I just couldn't feel the story or the characters, specially when Tallon appears and bam! Instalove
I love "Dread Nation" and "Deathless Divide", and in this one she has evolved a lot from "Vengeance Bound", but at page 155 I just couldn't force myself to keep reading.
I wasn't feeling it. At the beginning it was interesting and I loved this idea of a Harpie sent to the Underworld for killing a God that should have been unkillabke, but I just couldn't feel the story or the characters, specially when Tallon appears and bam! Instalove
I love "Dread Nation" and "Deathless Divide", and in this one she has evolved a lot from "Vengeance Bound", but at page 155 I just couldn't force myself to keep reading.
August 12, 2015
There are books whose publishing date you’ve highlighted on your calendar with a red dot and you (not so) patiently wait for their arrival. And then, there are other books whom you’ve never heard of but you so happen to stumble on. In Promise of Shadows’ case, it was the later.
Now the question is, was it a good surprise or not? Yes it was!
The world Ireland created is Percy Jackson lite. In the sense, that the magic and the magical creature are based on Greek mythology. There’s Aphrodite, Hera, Hades and co. And then there are the Vaetir, the being born from the dalliance between an human and a Greek god. There are many different types of Vaetir. You’ve got Cyclopes, dragons, water spirit, harpies, centaurs…etc.
When we meet Zeiphyr, the main character in this story, the 17-year-old is toiling away in Tartatus because she murdered the lesser god that killed her big sister Whisper. Here’s the thing, Vaetir aren’t supposed to be able to kill gods. So, the Gods are wondering how Zeiphyr managed to do this feat. So far, she had never revealed them anything. The problem is that if she admitted the truth the harsh life in Tartarus would seems like a holyday compared to what the Gods would do to her.
Anyway, let’s talk a bit about who Zeiphyr is. Ireland’s heroine is a Harpy. Harpies are supposed to be fierce, always eager to battle, tough, basically, they’re the ultimate soldier. Zeiphyr is…well, she tries to do her best, really she does, unfortunately, she’s far from being a model Harpy. For one, she gets scared, like if she has to fight a three headed dogs she’ll do her utmost to tear it apart, but she’ll piss in her pants a little bit before that. Secondly, when something terrible happen to someone she loves, she’ll cry even though Harpies are supposed to be borderline emotionless in any situation. Third, and this is kind of spoilery, she falls in love. Harpies don’t care about love and romance. They live for wars, literally.
As I was reading the book, Zeyphir became one of my favourite heroine without me even noticing. I loved how despite her fears, doubts and weakness, she never ran away from her foes or from her responsibilities. Also, she was just an all around relatable character. It was easy to identify with her. What completely sold me is the fact that Zeiphyr is black. Yep you heard right, she’s a black girl. Most Harpies in this book are black with wholly (afro) hair. It’s so rare to have black heroines in fantasy, so I was over excited to have found Zeiphyr.
Ireland showed with Promise of Shadows, that this scarcity is senseless and really strange. Some people would explain the lack of POC in fantasy books by saying that writers can only write what they know or by that POC don’t sell. All I can answer to this type of thinking is that on top of being extremely prejudiced, it’s also very lazy.
If someone is able to make up a whole magical system or the mythology behind a society composed of elves, how hard can it be for him or her to write about a character that isn’t white? Seriously, how hard can it be? I’ll write a more detailed post about this issue. For now let’s focus on the book at hand.
The other characters in the book are as interesting as Zeyphir. They all have their own distinct personality. I especially had a soft spot for Blue. He’s so funny. And he’s a dragon! We rarely see him in his beast form through. Unfortunately.
I really enjoyed Promise of Shadows, but I think it lacked that little je-ne-sais-quoi to make it truly outstanding. By that I mean that nothing particularly surprised or intrigued me. Promise of Shadows featured the same tropes you see in 99.9% of YA book. Nonetheless, Ireland was able to weave an entertaining story while using them. This is why, I would recommend her book to everybody.
Now the question is, was it a good surprise or not? Yes it was!
The world Ireland created is Percy Jackson lite. In the sense, that the magic and the magical creature are based on Greek mythology. There’s Aphrodite, Hera, Hades and co. And then there are the Vaetir, the being born from the dalliance between an human and a Greek god. There are many different types of Vaetir. You’ve got Cyclopes, dragons, water spirit, harpies, centaurs…etc.
When we meet Zeiphyr, the main character in this story, the 17-year-old is toiling away in Tartatus because she murdered the lesser god that killed her big sister Whisper. Here’s the thing, Vaetir aren’t supposed to be able to kill gods. So, the Gods are wondering how Zeiphyr managed to do this feat. So far, she had never revealed them anything. The problem is that if she admitted the truth the harsh life in Tartarus would seems like a holyday compared to what the Gods would do to her.
Anyway, let’s talk a bit about who Zeiphyr is. Ireland’s heroine is a Harpy. Harpies are supposed to be fierce, always eager to battle, tough, basically, they’re the ultimate soldier. Zeiphyr is…well, she tries to do her best, really she does, unfortunately, she’s far from being a model Harpy. For one, she gets scared, like if she has to fight a three headed dogs she’ll do her utmost to tear it apart, but she’ll piss in her pants a little bit before that. Secondly, when something terrible happen to someone she loves, she’ll cry even though Harpies are supposed to be borderline emotionless in any situation. Third, and this is kind of spoilery, she falls in love. Harpies don’t care about love and romance. They live for wars, literally.
As I was reading the book, Zeyphir became one of my favourite heroine without me even noticing. I loved how despite her fears, doubts and weakness, she never ran away from her foes or from her responsibilities. Also, she was just an all around relatable character. It was easy to identify with her. What completely sold me is the fact that Zeiphyr is black. Yep you heard right, she’s a black girl. Most Harpies in this book are black with wholly (afro) hair. It’s so rare to have black heroines in fantasy, so I was over excited to have found Zeiphyr.
Ireland showed with Promise of Shadows, that this scarcity is senseless and really strange. Some people would explain the lack of POC in fantasy books by saying that writers can only write what they know or by that POC don’t sell. All I can answer to this type of thinking is that on top of being extremely prejudiced, it’s also very lazy.
If someone is able to make up a whole magical system or the mythology behind a society composed of elves, how hard can it be for him or her to write about a character that isn’t white? Seriously, how hard can it be? I’ll write a more detailed post about this issue. For now let’s focus on the book at hand.
The other characters in the book are as interesting as Zeyphir. They all have their own distinct personality. I especially had a soft spot for Blue. He’s so funny. And he’s a dragon! We rarely see him in his beast form through. Unfortunately.
I really enjoyed Promise of Shadows, but I think it lacked that little je-ne-sais-quoi to make it truly outstanding. By that I mean that nothing particularly surprised or intrigued me. Promise of Shadows featured the same tropes you see in 99.9% of YA book. Nonetheless, Ireland was able to weave an entertaining story while using them. This is why, I would recommend her book to everybody.
November 8, 2014
Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland
This book did a lot of things right. That’s the main point I want to start with. The lovely Ms. Ireland wrote a book that enthralled me despite my initial discrepancies about it.
I thought it was going to be one of those books. You know, the A-typical story plots that haunt the young adult shelves now-a-days. The synopsis included a story that revolves around Zephyr Mourning saving everyone , a power that she didn’t ask for, and of course a boy she shouldn’t be in love with.
I didn’t think much of it at first.
But then, but then, I started reading.
First off, I love Zephyr. She is a character. And that is a lot more than most YA books can preach about. She has a lot of flaws but has a lot of quirks as well.
From the very beginning, you, the reader, are told about her beloved sister, Whisper, and why she ended up in Tartarus. What happened to her sister is the driving idea behind the entire plot. Her sister is dead and Zephyr is mourning throughout the entire book. Zephyr has lost a lot and Ireland doesn’t try to just let her suddenly move on. Zephyr’s words and thoughts are raw and emotional just as they should be.
"Agony arcs through my chest, and I look away so he won’t see the pain of my loss in my gaze. Whisper. I can’t think of my sister without remembering the last time I saw her…"
There is also the constant idea of whether Whisper was a good sister. At times, Zephyr doubts the intentions of her sister and the pain she feels can touch you through the pages.
Not to mention, Zephyr is kind of snarky, kind of a wreck with emotions, and is kind of in love with soap operas. What can I say, she’s well rounded.
Besides all that inner awesome-ness that Ireland created, there’s also the outer awesome-ness. Like how Ireland ACTUALLY CREATED A MAIN CHARACTER OF COLOR. LIKE IN REAL LIFE. AND HER SKIN TONE WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PLOT. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS?
Zephyr, Whisper, Tallon, Blue, Nanda, every single character looked like somebody. They weren’t all white or pretty or tall or something special. Her characters weren’t all beautiful, but they were all interesting.
There’s also romance in this book but the fabulous Ms. Ireland didn’t screw that up either. It’s sprinkled on top with just enough to make you feel giddy at parts. But the romance didn’t fuel the plot. It wasn’t the thing that fixed all the rights or held too much power over the other person. Zephyr didn’t always have time to deal with boys and she made that clear.
"I just don’t need the distraction. I need to focus on not failing. That’s going to be hard enough for me to do without getting all twitterpated about a boy."
If it isn’t obvious enough, the characters were my favorite part. The plot was just there. It wasn’t a bad plot but it wasn’t one to take your breath away. It was a bit slow in the middle. And the rising action either took a really long time or it didn’t really exist at all. I’m not quite sure.
Ireland did, however, handle fantasy well. Her world had a bases and a strong and relatively easy to understand caste. It was set up well.
Another story about the Greek Gods had me worried. I’ve read enough failures of those to be leary. But again, Ireland pulled through. The Gods slid well into the storyline and kept in character. And who doesn’t love a bit of Hades and Hermes? (They’re little shits. I mean that in the best way possible).
This book exceeded what I would have ever expected. It’s beautifully written with characters that you usually don’t get to read about in stories. Thank you, Ms. Ireland, for giving me this book and giving the YA genre another chance to thrive. Authors like you are going to save the genre. Keep it up.
This book did a lot of things right. That’s the main point I want to start with. The lovely Ms. Ireland wrote a book that enthralled me despite my initial discrepancies about it.
I thought it was going to be one of those books. You know, the A-typical story plots that haunt the young adult shelves now-a-days. The synopsis included a story that revolves around Zephyr Mourning saving everyone , a power that she didn’t ask for, and of course a boy she shouldn’t be in love with.
I didn’t think much of it at first.
But then, but then, I started reading.
First off, I love Zephyr. She is a character. And that is a lot more than most YA books can preach about. She has a lot of flaws but has a lot of quirks as well.
From the very beginning, you, the reader, are told about her beloved sister, Whisper, and why she ended up in Tartarus. What happened to her sister is the driving idea behind the entire plot. Her sister is dead and Zephyr is mourning throughout the entire book. Zephyr has lost a lot and Ireland doesn’t try to just let her suddenly move on. Zephyr’s words and thoughts are raw and emotional just as they should be.
"Agony arcs through my chest, and I look away so he won’t see the pain of my loss in my gaze. Whisper. I can’t think of my sister without remembering the last time I saw her…"
There is also the constant idea of whether Whisper was a good sister. At times, Zephyr doubts the intentions of her sister and the pain she feels can touch you through the pages.
Not to mention, Zephyr is kind of snarky, kind of a wreck with emotions, and is kind of in love with soap operas. What can I say, she’s well rounded.
Besides all that inner awesome-ness that Ireland created, there’s also the outer awesome-ness. Like how Ireland ACTUALLY CREATED A MAIN CHARACTER OF COLOR. LIKE IN REAL LIFE. AND HER SKIN TONE WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PLOT. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS?
Zephyr, Whisper, Tallon, Blue, Nanda, every single character looked like somebody. They weren’t all white or pretty or tall or something special. Her characters weren’t all beautiful, but they were all interesting.
There’s also romance in this book but the fabulous Ms. Ireland didn’t screw that up either. It’s sprinkled on top with just enough to make you feel giddy at parts. But the romance didn’t fuel the plot. It wasn’t the thing that fixed all the rights or held too much power over the other person. Zephyr didn’t always have time to deal with boys and she made that clear.
"I just don’t need the distraction. I need to focus on not failing. That’s going to be hard enough for me to do without getting all twitterpated about a boy."
If it isn’t obvious enough, the characters were my favorite part. The plot was just there. It wasn’t a bad plot but it wasn’t one to take your breath away. It was a bit slow in the middle. And the rising action either took a really long time or it didn’t really exist at all. I’m not quite sure.
Ireland did, however, handle fantasy well. Her world had a bases and a strong and relatively easy to understand caste. It was set up well.
Another story about the Greek Gods had me worried. I’ve read enough failures of those to be leary. But again, Ireland pulled through. The Gods slid well into the storyline and kept in character. And who doesn’t love a bit of Hades and Hermes? (They’re little shits. I mean that in the best way possible).
This book exceeded what I would have ever expected. It’s beautifully written with characters that you usually don’t get to read about in stories. Thank you, Ms. Ireland, for giving me this book and giving the YA genre another chance to thrive. Authors like you are going to save the genre. Keep it up.
August 3, 2016
I loved this book so much!!! I’ve always been a fan of Greek mythology, and Ireland goes beyond the goddesses of love and beauty, to the delightful and wicked: the furies and the harpies. For those of you who’ve read my review of Ireland’s debut, VENGEANCE BOUND, you know how highly I thought of that book, so it’s safe to say my expectations were fairly high, and PROMISE OF SHADOWS did not disappoint.
If anything, it exceeded my expectations.
Zephyr Mourning was such a fabulous character (and I love that name!) Unlike the MC in Ireland’s first book, whose life hadn’t afforded her much chance for vulnerability, Zephyr was less sure of herself. She had doubt. All her life, she’d been expected to be a certain way, by her family and by herself, and she didn’t quite measure up.
Of course, all that could be because she had a greater destiny…
The mythology in PROMISE OF SHADOWS was spectacular. The story opens up in hell—well, one of the hells in the Greek underworld—and in this way we literally get to see Zephyr go through hell and back. We also get to visit several familiar characters from Greek mythology, each wonderfully re-imagined and given new flair. I loved seeing Persephone, Hades, Hermes… But of course, the real treat was meeting the characters I hadn't seen before: wonderful Zephyr, mysterious Tallon, and hilarious Blue, to name a few. I loved watching these characters navigate their dangerous journey, and their complex relationships. I felt like I knew them, and came to care about them deeply. Such a fantastic story!
Now I want to mention my two absolute favorite scenes in the book (without getting too spoilery, okay? Don’t worry). All throughout the book, Zephyr struggles with issues of identity and feels like she doesn’t measure up to what people expect of her. But at two moments in the book, I felt like she finally stopped worrying about who she was supposed to be, and allowed herself to be who she truly was, and feel how she wanted to feel. To desire. To act. And it was glorious.
The first scene is a battle scene, and I don’t want to give too much away, so I will just mention a couple of my favorite lines, even though I loved THE WHOLE THING:
“The darkness finds it like a hungry dog digging for a buried bone. There’s a second of triumph when the erebos reaches the aether and a moment of hesitation as it waits for permission.
Good doggy, I think. Then I let it off the leash.”
My other favorite scene takes place in a hotel room, and again, without saying too much, I want to share my favorite lines:
“I think back to the night I found Whisper with her boy from town. No wonder she was so mad. I can’t imagine what I would do if someone came between me and Tallon. This thing between us, this hunger, it makes me feel murderous. I want him to be mine.”
Oh my, that scene. It was so perfect and powerful and relatable. If you haven’t read it yet, know that these glimpses aren’t doing it justice, but if you have read it, you will understand what I mean.
These were the moments when Zephyr let go of her vulnerability, let go of her doubt, and gave in to her true self: someone who was strong, powerful, passionate. And funny. (Oh, I loved when she was funny!)
All in all, this book was a wonderful experience, alternately sweet and dark, profound and hilarious, and entirely enjoyable the whole way through. LOVED it.
If anything, it exceeded my expectations.
Zephyr Mourning was such a fabulous character (and I love that name!) Unlike the MC in Ireland’s first book, whose life hadn’t afforded her much chance for vulnerability, Zephyr was less sure of herself. She had doubt. All her life, she’d been expected to be a certain way, by her family and by herself, and she didn’t quite measure up.
Of course, all that could be because she had a greater destiny…
The mythology in PROMISE OF SHADOWS was spectacular. The story opens up in hell—well, one of the hells in the Greek underworld—and in this way we literally get to see Zephyr go through hell and back. We also get to visit several familiar characters from Greek mythology, each wonderfully re-imagined and given new flair. I loved seeing Persephone, Hades, Hermes… But of course, the real treat was meeting the characters I hadn't seen before: wonderful Zephyr, mysterious Tallon, and hilarious Blue, to name a few. I loved watching these characters navigate their dangerous journey, and their complex relationships. I felt like I knew them, and came to care about them deeply. Such a fantastic story!
Now I want to mention my two absolute favorite scenes in the book (without getting too spoilery, okay? Don’t worry). All throughout the book, Zephyr struggles with issues of identity and feels like she doesn’t measure up to what people expect of her. But at two moments in the book, I felt like she finally stopped worrying about who she was supposed to be, and allowed herself to be who she truly was, and feel how she wanted to feel. To desire. To act. And it was glorious.
The first scene is a battle scene, and I don’t want to give too much away, so I will just mention a couple of my favorite lines, even though I loved THE WHOLE THING:
“The darkness finds it like a hungry dog digging for a buried bone. There’s a second of triumph when the erebos reaches the aether and a moment of hesitation as it waits for permission.
Good doggy, I think. Then I let it off the leash.”
My other favorite scene takes place in a hotel room, and again, without saying too much, I want to share my favorite lines:
“I think back to the night I found Whisper with her boy from town. No wonder she was so mad. I can’t imagine what I would do if someone came between me and Tallon. This thing between us, this hunger, it makes me feel murderous. I want him to be mine.”
Oh my, that scene. It was so perfect and powerful and relatable. If you haven’t read it yet, know that these glimpses aren’t doing it justice, but if you have read it, you will understand what I mean.
These were the moments when Zephyr let go of her vulnerability, let go of her doubt, and gave in to her true self: someone who was strong, powerful, passionate. And funny. (Oh, I loved when she was funny!)
All in all, this book was a wonderful experience, alternately sweet and dark, profound and hilarious, and entirely enjoyable the whole way through. LOVED it.
October 18, 2015
Promise of Shadows was jam packed with interesting mythology! Zephyr is a harpy, but not a very good one. She can't hide her emotions, she gets scared, and now she's lost her wings because she's been sentenced to Tartarus for killing a god. If the other gods knew how she killed him, they'd put her to death. Instead of being able to use aether, Zephyr's magic is fueled by the shadows, erebos. No one can find out, or she's dead. She might wind up dead anyway, because of a Prophecy that names her as the savior of her kind.
I really liked the way the mythology worked in Promise of Shadows. There's a lot of it! The gods and their offspring are divided into two main groups: those who use aether and those who use erebos. Light and darkness have nothing to do with good or evil, but of course we know how those Greek gods loved to cause chaos and murder people. There's also dragons, Oracles, Fates, sirens, fae, drakans, cerebrus, and I don't even remember what else! They all had their own place in this world. Of course, Zephyr isn't just a harpy who can wield shadows. She's something much more, and I did find her father's identity to be super predictable.
Promise of Shadows also has an exciting plot. There's an escape from hell in the first few pages. Then Zephyr has to kick some ass on a few occasions. Then there's the big show down at the end where anything could happen! There is a giant info-dump in the middle though, which did slow things down quite a bit. It was interesting stuff, but it was literally just the characters sitting down and talking about world-building stuff. Not my favorite way to learn about what's going on.
In the end, I liked Promise of Shadows quite a bit. Other than that middle portion, it was fast paced and fun. I thought the romance was really cute and not over dramatic. Zephyr and Tallon had been friends as kids, and now that they've been reunited there's something more there. The ending is an open one. Zephyr is left with a choice, and I'd like to imagine that she stayed. Which is probably not what the majority will think, but I like those kind of unexpected endings.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
I really liked the way the mythology worked in Promise of Shadows. There's a lot of it! The gods and their offspring are divided into two main groups: those who use aether and those who use erebos. Light and darkness have nothing to do with good or evil, but of course we know how those Greek gods loved to cause chaos and murder people. There's also dragons, Oracles, Fates, sirens, fae, drakans, cerebrus, and I don't even remember what else! They all had their own place in this world. Of course, Zephyr isn't just a harpy who can wield shadows. She's something much more, and I did find her father's identity to be super predictable.
Promise of Shadows also has an exciting plot. There's an escape from hell in the first few pages. Then Zephyr has to kick some ass on a few occasions. Then there's the big show down at the end where anything could happen! There is a giant info-dump in the middle though, which did slow things down quite a bit. It was interesting stuff, but it was literally just the characters sitting down and talking about world-building stuff. Not my favorite way to learn about what's going on.
In the end, I liked Promise of Shadows quite a bit. Other than that middle portion, it was fast paced and fun. I thought the romance was really cute and not over dramatic. Zephyr and Tallon had been friends as kids, and now that they've been reunited there's something more there. The ending is an open one. Zephyr is left with a choice, and I'd like to imagine that she stayed. Which is probably not what the majority will think, but I like those kind of unexpected endings.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
January 3, 2014
Promise of Shadows is a five star read. Everything about it is wonderful! How do I love thee?? Let me count the ways…
1. The cover: Stunning.
2. The characters: Fascinating. (I had so much fun visualizing the leading lady and watching her character as she came into her own.)
3. The storyline: Well-developed and intriguing. (It kept me guessing to the last sentence.)
4. The relationships: Twisted. (After all, mythology is just one long quirky story of a great big dysfunctional family. I love it.)
5. The writing: Excellent. (In fact, the author threw down some SAT-worthy vocabulary in this book.)
I will definitely recommend this to mythology fanatics and fantasy aficionados. This is one for adult readers of teen fiction. This one is for the smart and savvy teen readers looking for an equally smart and savvy book.
I can’t wait to fondle the beautiful cover, but I also hope to score an e-book version for my library because a built in dictionary would be helpful for my ambitious teen readers.
Thanks for the e-proof Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
1. The cover: Stunning.
2. The characters: Fascinating. (I had so much fun visualizing the leading lady and watching her character as she came into her own.)
3. The storyline: Well-developed and intriguing. (It kept me guessing to the last sentence.)
4. The relationships: Twisted. (After all, mythology is just one long quirky story of a great big dysfunctional family. I love it.)
5. The writing: Excellent. (In fact, the author threw down some SAT-worthy vocabulary in this book.)
I will definitely recommend this to mythology fanatics and fantasy aficionados. This is one for adult readers of teen fiction. This one is for the smart and savvy teen readers looking for an equally smart and savvy book.
I can’t wait to fondle the beautiful cover, but I also hope to score an e-book version for my library because a built in dictionary would be helpful for my ambitious teen readers.
Thanks for the e-proof Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
May 10, 2014
Oh great, another Greek mythology book. I used to love them, but then it got old. But honestly, this is one of the better ones out there. NOT ONE TO SKIP OVER. Just keep at it, and don't stop while reading this book. There were parts where it was slooooow, but it picks up and you wont be disappointed. Seriously. THE PLOT TWISTS THOUGH. I doubt ill ever write a review for this, but if you ever consider reading Promise of Shadows, please do. It's worth it. The writing, plot and characters were just great. :'D
July 31, 2014
This book. UGH, THIS BOOK. I was so frustrated with this because it well had to potential to be AMAZING. Like blow-your-mind-away kinda amazing. So while I still really really like it (as evidenced by the four stars), it just fell short of the five stars. But mind you, in terms of YA mythology, this book may as well have been a six.
PS. Sequel please?
PS. Sequel please?
May 31, 2014
The darkness agrees with me. It asks me to release it, as loud as a roar and as quiet as a whisper. I remember what my sister said long ago:
You must control the darkness. You can’t ever give in to it.
But the shadows want to make me happy, and I deserve a little happiness
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