I really enjoyed Sylvia Mercedes' "Bride of the Shadow King." I thought she did a great job in presenting Princess Faraine (reluctant bride) and Vor (the Shadow King) as two characters torn between love and duty. I also loved Lyria's (Faraine's illegitimate half-sister) character who comes across as being strong, independent and fiesty without being overbearing. I hope we get the opportunity to see more of her.

Bride of the Shadow King fits in well within that will they/won't they narrative that makes the book quite thrilling and at times difficult to put down. The only issue I had is that there isn't much racial diversity. The humans who are seen as attractive are constantly praised for their golden hair and pale skin, While I understand it is not the responsibility of every author to platform characters of colour it does seem strange that within a world where humans, trolls and fae co-exist. the humans always tend to be white. I also felt uncomfortable with the other character's reactions to facial differences. For example, some of King Vor's people are mocked by both the humans and trolls for their facial "deformities." This "deformity" manifests in rock-like skin, and for one character Hael who acts as Vor's bodyguard, the reader is informed more than once that it's such a shame half of Hael's body is affected by this condition as she would be so beautiful otherwise. Not once is the message driven home that it's what on the inside that counts not the outside, but perhaps the author wrote it like this as this sentiment pretty much mirrors real-life attitudes towards facial differences. Apart from that, it was a good read.

The author crafted a story which I found entertaining to read. Filled with drama and emotion, the story introduces two interesting characters who quickly find their way into your heart. I found myself rooting for them even though at times, I was not totally a fan of his. An enjoyable read.