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Robin Lythgoe
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Blood and Shadow (The Mage's Gift Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Robin Lythgoe (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 308 ratings

He wanted nothing of war. Now he must face a ruthless enemy to save his family from ruin.

Sherakai dan Tameko would rather tend his horses than ride them into battle. As the fourth son of a famous soldier, he’s content to embrace his animal magic and let his siblings carry on his father’s warrior legacy. But Sherakai’s plans shatter when all his brothers go missing, and one is returned home dead.

Determined to bring the others back alive, he defies his father and follows his power down a trail of clues, only to be captured and escorted to his relative’s estate. But instead of a sanctuary, he discovers dark forces conspiring to twist his powers for their own treacherous gain.

Will Sherakai succumb to sorcery and torture, or can he awaken his inner hero and prevent his family’s doom?

Blood and Shadow is the first book in the spellbinding Mage's Gift fantasy series. If you like heroic tales, moral dilemmas, and page-turning action, then you’ll love Robin Lythgoe’s captivating novel.

Buy Blood and Shadow to join a young man’s clash with destiny today!

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Mage's Gift
  2. Print length
    594 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    December 8, 2016
  6. File size
    5.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MYXPO4G
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dauntless Realms
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 8, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 594 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ The Mage's Gift
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 308 ratings

About the author

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Robin Lythgoe

Robin Lythgoe

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Robin Lythgoe was born in Maryland, but spent several years in Oregon and did a short stint in upstate New York before moving to Utah. She married an artist, and together they have four wonderful children. Reading and writing have always been a part of her life, and she is particularly drawn to fantasy. When she was growing up her mother often led expeditions to the library, from which the entire party invariably returned laden with a stack of books guaranteed to make the arms longer. Robin read everything voraciously, and when she finished her stack, she'd start on her mother's... and then her sisters'. Today she writes tales about wizards and magic, fantastical places and extraordinary journeys.

Her novel, "As the Crow Flies," was selected as a Kindle Book Review, 2014 Kindle Book Awards Semifinalist.

Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed her works, please consider leaving a review at Amazon, even if it's only a line or two. Your review will make all the difference and is hugely appreciated.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
308 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a hidden gem with an intriguing plot and well-developed characters. The writing quality receives positive feedback for its descriptive text, and customers appreciate the pacing. The tension level and moral stance receive mixed reactions, with several customers noting a lack of building tension.

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22 customers mention "Story quality"22 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's intriguing plot and find it a hidden gem, with one customer mentioning it kept them enthralled all the way to the end.

"This story is on par in quality with the Kingkiller Chronicles. Smart, descriptive, rich, and well paced. It is darker...." Read more

"...This made for a good mini char development story arc. He also didn't know much about his magic and used it mostly instinctually...." Read more

"I have read this wonderful book twice and I think I liked it better the second time through...." Read more

"...A good start to a series I hope will continue." Read more

10 customers mention "Character development"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development in the book.

"...I liked that the kid protagonist was intelligent and not very strong. It made him struggle with physical combat which he didn't really enjoy either...." Read more

"...story, what i read of it seemed interesting and the character did have a fair amount of depth, though the protagonist was a touch irritating...." Read more

"...The true heart of this story is Sherakai. His stout heart, strength of character, and the morality that is the core that makes him who is is ,is..." Read more

"Phenomenal story. Very intriguing plot with well thought out characters. Only 4 stars because the magic used wasn't explained as clearly as I prefer...." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, noting its descriptive text and good grammar, with one customer highlighting the detailed world-building in the religion.

"...Smart, descriptive, rich, and well paced. It is darker...." Read more

"...The world building was fairly detailed in the religion and descriptions of buildings, but skipped out on any cultural details aside from tossing in..." Read more

"...I didn’t understand some of the negative reviews because the writing was superb and definitely not glib...." Read more

"...The writing was good and the dialog flowed fairly nicely, which is why I only docked two stars from the rating...." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one mentioning its stout heart and resilience.

"...The true heart of this story is Sherakai. His stout heart, strength of character, and the morality that is the core that makes him who is is ,is..." Read more

"This is a story of bravery, heartbreak, resilience, and loss. It is well worth the cost, if it makes you think...." Read more

"Hidden gem of a story, well written and strongly fleshed out..." Read more

5 customers mention "Tension level"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's tension level, with several noting a lack of building tension.

"Overall, very enjoyable read. There's a creeping sense of unease that really makes you empathise with the protagonist, especially in the latter..." Read more

"...Because of the weak tension, the middle of the book when he's on lockdown in his father's keep dragged on...." Read more

"...telling by an extremely talented author has you living and experiencing every moment. Impossible to put down...." Read more

"...knows what the villain wants but the MC has no clue and honestly it feels forced, not very enjoyable to read...." Read more

4 customers mention "Moral stance"2 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the moral stance of the book, with one customer appreciating its moral core, while another finds it disturbing.

"...You get a better sense of who Sherakai is and his motivations and moral stance, which are crucial to the later conflict in the book...." Read more

"...oh it explains the man he will become, sort of. and the story doesn't end at the end. another book is promised and it will be more of the same. gar...." Read more

"...His stout heart, strength of character, and the morality that is the core that makes him who is is ,is what enables him to endure...." Read more

"...It was a depressing and disturbing story." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jade Zahreddine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hidden gem of a story, well written and strongly fleshed out
    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This story is on par in quality with the Kingkiller Chronicles. Smart, descriptive, rich, and well paced. It is darker. If I had to describe it, I would say the writing style and story structure is similar to Kingkiller, but the mood is closer to ASOIF/Game of Thrones. It is mystery to me how these two books haven't reached more people, you don't normally find this quality of writing outside of the major leagues. If I had to guess I would say the publisher has done a terrible job with the blurb, marketing, and book covers. This is very much a first-rate story, a hidden diamond in the rough.
    One person found this helpful
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  • C. Au
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read despite a few weaknesses
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I wavered between 3 and 4 stars on this one because I liked it but I felt it had about two stars worth of issues. I rounded up because I would like to read the next book in the series when it comes out.

    This story is about a carefree, innocent boy who loses his brothers right before a wedding. He thinks he can help find them and plans a sneaky escape only to be shut down. Rehash the escape/capture sequence a few more times as he tries to flee the evil wizard hell bent on converting him into a brainwashed lackey power tool in between periods of study until the end.

    I really enjoyed the descriptive text. The author has a good, almost poetical way of describing a scene to shape the reader's mood which is my favorite type of writing. The grammar and writing style were good and I didn't notice any glaring issues.

    The world building was fairly detailed in the religion and descriptions of buildings, but skipped out on any cultural details aside from tossing in a few words from other languages. Also, the story only takes place in two keeps plus some woods so you don't see much of the world. The religion was probably the most detailed as the kid protagonist asked a couple different people about their beliefs as he was trying to come to grips about why bad things were happening around him. Unlike the one reviewer, I didn't feel it to be too preachy, just people giving the boy info on what they got out of prayer. The only other possible issue was with the long names for some things which got a bit much for me but I just abbreviated them in my head.

    I liked that the kid protagonist was intelligent and not very strong. It made him struggle with physical combat which he didn't really enjoy either. Though all his family are warriors, he doesn't want to be one and hates hurting others. This made for a good mini char development story arc. He also didn't know much about his magic and used it mostly instinctually. Never once did he turn into a superman with either his magic or his combat. The end solution he came up with was more about intelligence and quick thinking which stayed in line with his character and known abilities.

    While the rinse/repeat of the escape/capture was tedious, I felt it added realism in that a kid his age probably would have a rough time trying to outwit the older, more experienced soldiers around him.

    Most of the characters felt fairly developed except the evil mage (though I did love his creepy vibe). I liked how the characters in the evil wizard's place were more questionable as to whether they would help or hinder the kid.

    The reasons I wanted to dock this story two stars has to do with the repeated use of escape/capture and the lack of building tension. Aside from one side plot involving a storm, every other tension building event was tied to the kid escaping and being caught. It got old really fast and failed to ramp up the tension that a good book delivers. A really good story builds the tension higher and higher until the final climax whereas this one was almost like a series of stories jammed together. What we really needed was something like political upheaval or the discovery of someone at the crux of all the nefarious deeds backed by evidence that builds a case in a suspenseful way instead of giving it away early on. While this was hinted at, nothing came as a result and then the kid was gone. I was expecting more reveals during the months the kid stayed with his father. The story also needed to point out the Bad Thing that could happen if the kid didn't get away instead of this vague thing that didn't really add much tension.

    Because of the weak tension, the middle of the book when he's on lockdown in his father's keep dragged on. It didn't help that he was a whiney brat during most of this time. I wasn't sure who was annoyed more - me or the kid. Fortunately, it's just that section and he goes back to being more interesting.

    I also found that knowing the wizard's name from the prologue removes all manner of suspense as to the bad guy in the story. Even if his name was changed or not given in the prologue, he acted too creepy such that even the boy could tell he was 'off' even if he was a relative. I would have preferred to have an entire creepy mystery with the evil mage guy planting the blame on others so you can see the turmoil building but not at the right villain. And he acts normal and nice until SURPRISE! he's the bad guy and he flips to creepy when the boy repeatedly defies him.

    Finally, I would have liked an epilogue of some kind to wrap things up. The way it ended wasn't a cliffhanger, so no worries there, but I wanted a little closure of some kind.

    In summary, despite the issues, I do want to read the next story and find out what happens. Hopefully we won't see any more escape/capture and maybe find out just what was going on with the evil mage's 'wife' since his motivation was never explained and as it stands it never made sense to me. There are other things the villain does that don't make sense because we never get his POV but maybe they are explained later.

    I recommend this story if you are into youth coming of age type stories in the fantasy genre.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • yupikwolf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Natures of magic
    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I have read this wonderful book twice and I think I liked it better the second time through. Robin tells a well thought out story and doesn’t shortcut the plot. I didn’t understand some of the negative reviews because the writing was superb and definitely not glib. If you are looking for lighthearted fare this isn’t it. If you want some new looks at magic well told then I recommend that you check this out.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Damascus_ari
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Overall, very enjoyable read. There's a creeping sense of unease that really makes you empathise with the protagonist, especially in the latter parts.

    The middle part drags on a little bit, but when returning to it, it makes more sense. You get a better sense of who Sherakai is and his motivations and moral stance, which are crucial to the later conflict in the book.

    A bit vague on the world building, and a bit preachy- though my hope is all the religious bits get eventually subverted, instead of played straight. There are lines and potential hints that make me hope that the god of this world is not nearly so benign.

    The main antagonist is delightfully creepy and unapolegetically sociopathic. It makes you wonder if he was always like that, or if something happened to cause it (the prologue is unclear). It's somewhat too obvious at the start who the antagonist is.

    A good start to a series I hope will continue.
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars however the overt religious preaching finally got too annoying for me to finish it
    Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The story as a whole is interesting, however the overt religious preaching finally got too annoying for me to finish it.

    I generally don't have a problem with authors conveying a religious messages in their writing on the proviso that the reader is clearly informed in the description that such a message is contained in the book before purchase, this is especially true for books aimed at children and young adults.

    Regardless of the above the story, what i read of it seemed interesting and the character did have a fair amount of depth, though the protagonist was a touch irritating. The writing was good and the dialog flowed fairly nicely, which is why I only docked two stars from the rating.

    If you are a religious parent/gift giver then this book is a suitable book to give your child so that he/she can experience a fantasy novel while pushing a christian, or at least pseudo christian ethos. If you are a non religious parent or a person who fears covert religious indoctrination then I would either proceed with caution or pass on it entirely.
    8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    If the rest of the series is as good as this then we are in for a rare treat. This is the first book of this authors that I have read but far from the last.
    One person found this helpful
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  • arrowboy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastische Charakterzeichnungen, spannende Geschichte
    Reviewed in Germany on April 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Gleich einmal vorab: Dies ist der erste Teil einer Reihe von keiner Ahnung wie vielen Büchern, aber er endet nicht mit einem Cliffhanger sondern mit einem vorrübergehenden Abschluss, auch wenn klar ist, dass man nur die Ruhe vor dem Sturm erreicht hat.

    Inhalt: Der 4. Sohn eines Landesherrn ist sehr zufrieden damit, dass er die kriegerische Verantwortung seines Hauses seinem Vater und den drei älteren Brüdern überlassen kann. Er ist nicht am Kämpfen interessiert, nicht an Macht, sondern an Pferden. Er und seine Familie haben magische Fähigkeiten, aber seine sind noch nicht ausgebildet und er verwendet sie eher instinktiv.
    Seine sorglose Kindheit endet abrupt als seine drei älteren Brüder am Tag einer Familienhochzeit verschwinden. Er muss nicht nur Verantwortung übernehmen, die er nie haben wollte, sondern endet als Gefangener eines machthungrigen Zauberers.

    Handlungsmäßig passiert vergleichsweise wenig: Der Junge versucht mehrfach aus verschiedenen "Einsperrungen" (sei es bei sich zu Hause, sei es beim Zauberer) zu fliehen und wird wieder gefasst. Er lernt zu kämpfen, obwohl er das nicht will, und seine Magie etwas zu beherrschen. Da man bereits aus dem Vorwort weiß, wer ein Bösewicht ist, kommt hier nur wenig Spannung auf.

    Doch Lythgoe setzt nicht auf handlungsorientierte Spannung. Was dieses Buch spannend macht ist vielmehr der psychische, mentale Kampf zwischen dem mächtigen, schönen, charismatischen Zauberer und dem naiven, menschenfreundlichen, ehren-, aber nicht-heldenhaften Jungen. In diesem Rahmen werden auch religiöse, philosophische und moralische Fragen gestellt, ohne dass es einfache Lösungen für den jungen Helden gibt. Am Ende ist dessen Naivität zerstört, die Ehre angeknackst und der Held läuft in Gefahr, entgegen seinem Willen zum Überlaufen zur "dunkeln Seite der Macht" gezwungen zu werden. Der junge Mann am Ende des Buches ist eine stärkere, aber auch verkrüppelte Version des sorglosen Jünglings des Anfangs.

    Stil: Die Charaktere sind sorgfältig angelegt und man sieht die Entwicklung des Jungen gut. Der Bösewicht ist großartig in seiner Kombination von Rücksichtslosigkeit, Bosheit, Grausamkeit, Manipulation, Schönheit, Intelligenz und, in einigen Momenten, egoistischer Zärtlichkeit (alleine diese Verknüpfung lohnt das Buch zu lesen). Auch die Nebencharaktere sind erfreulich dreidimensional gezeichnet. Die Geschichte fließt, ohne oberflächlich oder platt zu werden. Lythgoe schafft es eindrucksvoll, die Verzweiflung und Trauer darzustellen, ohne in Kitsch zu verfallen. Und der Humor ist erfreulich trocken.

    Warum dann also keine 5 Sterne? Weil ich von Lythgoes "As the Crow Flies" verwöhnt bin und weiß, dass diese Autorin es noch einen Tick besser kann. Wobei es zugegebenermaßen unfair ist, den Jungen Sherakai mit dem gestandenen Mann Crow zu vergleichen. Ich zähle auf alle Fälle die Tage, bis der nächste Band erscheint und ich lesen kann, wie sich Sherakai weiterentwickelt.
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  • Laurelea Steensma
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read
    Reviewed in Australia on January 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Full of action, real emotions and drama. So well written. Incredible plot with fabulous, believable characters A truly awesome read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sabine
    4.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing Read
    Reviewed in Australia on July 26, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Cleverly constructed plot with plenty of action,intrigue and fully developed characters. Give this well written fantasy a go! Looking forward to Sherekai's next adventure.
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  • Mrs. Bruce
    4.0 out of 5 stars A recommended magic book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Sherakai is the youngest son of a noble family and has a gift of magic. He is still
    untrained, but can use his talent to make animals, especially horses, love and obey him.
    An evil mage wants to use Sherakai's gift to make himself even more powerful and will go
    to any length to subdue the boy's natural feelings of goodness and honour.

    The mage was creepy and the magic he used on Sherakai and the control he had over him was
    disturbing. The boy was also forced to have combat training which went against his inclinations and
    his physical abilities.

    I enjoyed the book, but the combat training and the meals and lessons with the mage did become a
    little repetitive. The book was long (518 pages) and I felt it wouldn't have suffered if some of these scenes
    were edited out. The book could be read as a stand alone, but not everything was resolved so these threads
    will obviously be continued in the next books. Overall, a recommended magic read with no sex, romance or swearing.
    Report

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