Amanda Sowards does a wonderful job of drawing you in to her story and keeping you there. From start to finish, I didn't want to put it down. The characters are interesting, likeable and believable. The story line keeps you guessing. All in all -- it's a book worth reading and maybe (I seldom reread books anymore) reading again.

#OfSwordAndShadow #NetGalley

I didn't want this book to end. A girl with no name, only known as Girl or Mouse. As a thief and a slave, she has been belittled and told she was worth nothing, what she earns is given to her owner Thomas. Thomas is all she knows, as he raised her since she was very young. This story is set in Thebes, during the middle ages. A story that is dark and full of betrayals. I haven't read much about this time period, this book held me captive and I had to keep reading. A word of warning, there is descriptive violence and slavery in this book.

This book was absolutely captivating. It was full of adventure, romance, and action. The plot was intriguing and had plenty of twists and turns. I highly recommend this enthralling book. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

i have come to know that people must follow their hearts, regardless of wether it is logical -Archbishop


If you need a quick read i highly reccomend this book. It is fast Pages and as the story goes on, you want to know more about the characrers. I loved this book. It was so dark. But it comes with a little trigger warning if you sont want to read about beating, slave selling and nudity.
There is also a little bit of a romance. And what the archbishop said, is not technocally a spoiler, But my favorite quote of the book, cus it gave me such father brown vibes of what he could have said.

Of Sword and Shadow by A. L. Sowards, 251 pages. Covenant Communications, 2021. $17.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
She doesn’t know what name her parents gave her or even how old she really is. What she does know is that those things don’t matter because she’s a slave; all she has to do is please her master, Thomas, by assisting him in the shady jobs he’s hired for. But then she encounters a man unlike any she has known because he is kind -- even to her -- and makes her feel that she has worth beyond her skills. Can it be true?
Sowards took a real historical event and wove her imagined characters through the known pieces to create an engaging story of subterfuge, sacrifice, and self-discovery. I loved following the main character as she did what she knew -- and was successful at -- while struggling internally, when she was free to decide for herself, if what she was good at was what she wanted. While not on the same scale, we all need to self-evaluate and make that choice for ourselves: do I stay as I am or can I work for something greater? Whether readers want an exciting book of action or some food for thought, this book will deliver. The mature content rating is for innuendo, nudity, and groping.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This 14th century thriller/romance takes place before and at the battle for Thebes from the Catalans. Eudocia is a slave girl who works for Thomas. She has no name but Mouse or Girl to her owner of 15 years, but when she plays the part of a fancy noblewoman named Eudocia, she meets Gillen, who is working for an opposing force. When they decide to join forces in paving the way for the overthrow of the Catalans from Thebes, so much more will be at stake than just their hearts.

This was a fantastic story, full of action, adventure, intrigue, surprising plot twists, evil villains, and romance. It kept me turning the pages super quick, wanting to know how they would get out of each predicament, and wondering if they would escape with their lives or not. It is intense and thrilling, also heartbreaking and inspiring. The themes of freedom and self-worth are explored, and it is a very fulfilling story as the characters grow, learn, make mistakes, and keep hoping for second chances. This story touches on a piece of history I knew absolutely nothing about, so that made it even more interesting to read about, and try to get a small glimpse into the past to learn lessons to use in the present to be better. I highly recommend this one.

"Of Sword and Shadow" is a romance and adventure set in 1379 in Greece. The characters were well-developed, complex, interesting, and I cared about what happened to them. Gillen's a Christian and a soldier who has sworn a vow to God to help the innocent, so he's doing what he can to remove bad rulers from power. Eudocia had never been valued let alone loved, but she began to see her worth and see herself as more than just a slave because Gillen treated her that way. She had to obey her master who warned her away from Gillen, but she was still hired to help with this political scheme and increasingly became a vital part of it. The adventure involved many suspenseful scenes of them using very creative ways to barely manage to get out of serious trouble. The historical details about the political takeover were woven into the story with many unknown details added by the author. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting, enjoyable novel.

A medieval tale of unbelievable courage. Girl, or Mouse, has been a slave most of her life. Her master, Thomas, has taught her to steal, lie, listen, and fight, but nothing about her family or even her name.
She meets a Basque named Gillen when they both aim to acquire a set of documents. He shows her friendship and trust, things she dared never dream of. He calls her Eudocia.
The ancient Greek city is in turmoil, and Gil fights for the side that hopes to conquer Thebes. She gains her freedom and loses it again. Capture and torture. And the worst kind of betrayal?
Eudocia led a grim life. A tool in the hand of an unscrupulous man. She had no joy as Thomas’ slave, but not a bad life for a slave. When freedom and love beckoned, she courageously fought for them at tremendous cost to herself. This is an intense story, but hang in there. She has to find happiness.

DANG! That was a journey! I'm always curious how authors who know nothing about how a slave or a 1800's to 1600 century woman feels, writes a story about them, telling it all threw their eyes. I wouldn't know how to do it and I wouldn't do it justice. This author did a really good job with the main character who is a slave and has been for most of her life. How would she think, feel and act daily? WHat would happen if someone finally saw her as more than a slave? This was a heavier book then I was expecting. This is an adult story with so much action! A sweet romance and lots of violence. Sadly the violence was tough for me, this poor girl is beat and tortured and humiliated. I would say PG 13 because it has detail but not enough, just enough to help you understand but not detailed descriptions just for shock or wow factor. This author really wanted to get in this girls head and tell her story and it was a very good one. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Thank you Netgally

What an original story! I read a lot of historical romance, but Thebes in the 14th century is a completely different setting.

The young woman who becomes Eudocia is a slave and has been all her life. She's a strong character and longs to be free, but she's strangely loyal to her owner, who's taught her all she knows.

She meets Gillen, who is a Basque, and he treats her with respect, not like she's a slave. I wasn't too sure of his motives at first but it soon becomes clear that he's a good man, working with others for a better purpose.

There's action and intrigue, there's enough romance to satisfy, and I found the whole history behind the story super interesting. I read it in one go.

I highly recommend this one for readers who are looking for something different.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I thought that this book had a great story, engaging characters, and was full of redemption, which is nice during trying times. There was maybe a bit too much obscure Greek history that took away from the story at times, but I still enjoyed it.

I read this in about a day and a half. The setting is unique--I haven't read many books set in Thebes during the middle ages. I sincerely enjoyed the interaction between Eudocia and Gillen. There were twists and turns that I didn't expect (and a few that I did!), which kept things interesting. Eudocia is plucky, strong, courageous, and exquisitely vulnerable. Gillen is my favorite kind of hero: kind, understanding, and a protector at heart. The story also had historical themes without dragging us all through the weeds. Well done!

Rated PG-13 for violence and some torture
--no language
--some violence
--no overt sexual content, but some innuendo (intense situations related to her slavery)
--some torture (little gore)

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.