Shadowspeak
Shadowspeak - 2/23/21
New Adult - Dark Fantasy
SOFTCOVER @ $16.95
HARDCOVER @ $25.95
A Note to Readers
This book is intended for mature adult (18+) readers and does contain explicit content. Reader discretion is advised.
For a full list of content warnings, please visit www.foxpointepublishing.com/Shadowspeak.
Content warning for the following: sexual, physical, verbal, and psychological abuse (of children and adults); incest; animal cruelty/death; drug use & withdrawal; violence; kidnapping/abduction; murder/suicide; blood; self-harm; and PTSD.
Neither the author nor the publisher condones abuse, violence, self-harm, or drug use of any kind.
The main character’s PTSD symptoms are acute and disabling at times. If you or someone you know suffers from similar mental health issues, please seek help. No one should have to deal with their struggles alone.
Once there was a girl who spoke to shadows...
Rune's mother is uncaring and her brother is too young to protect her, so when Rune's father sells her to the depraved city of Wraith at the young age of ten, no one stops him. His last words to her are of a debt he cannot pay. The shadows who’ve kept Rune company as long as she can remember, seem to know what he speaks of, and yet they keep their silence.
And so Rune grows up living in servitude to Wraith’s brothel and its manipulative mistress, Agata, all while having only the faintest recollections of her forgotten childhood. Years later when she finally escapes Wraith, a wild place wrapped up in hedonism and old-world ritual, she vows to never return...
When a child prince is kidnapped by a masked killer in a neighboring kingdom, however, Rune no longer has a choice. Joined by Weylin, her old love and a fellow Wraith runaway, she returns to the accursed city and the shadows of her past.
Not all is as it seems as threads of memory begin to unravel, revealing old lies and dark secrets.
The debt of her past may be too high to pay.
The shadows are speaking.
Death is waiting.
REVIEWS
“Shadowspeak is an odyssey into the main character's psyche and the story of how she triumphs over her trauma and fears. If the reader goes into this book expecting the 'same old, same old', the reader will be overwhelmed by the emotional intensity of the book's darkness; the complexity of the plot.
The author does a good job of portraying trauma and the physiological responses to that trauma; sensory, emotions, etc. Rune (M.C.) is at the mercy of her trauma and her abilities. Nine times out of ten, Rune is experiencing memories against her will. She doesn't know what she's going to see and when she's going to see it. The painful memories, in high-definition, re-traumatize her every single time. The key to reading this book is to understand the italics are memories and those memories could be from anyone. The author gives the main character a lot to overcome but she does do it. Rune does get a happy ending but it's not a Disney-ending, it's a realistic ending.
For the reader familiar with trauma and PTSD, Shadowspeak is cathartic and eye-opening. For the reader unfamiliar with trauma and PTSD, this book is a visceral experience.
In short, Shadowspeak is for the sophisticated reader... and someone who has an appreciation for the toll trauma can take in and on life.”
Mary T. - White Plains, NY
I'm at a loss for what to say about Shadowspeak. Rather than classifying it as dark fantasy, I'd probably go to the point of calling it psychological fantasy. There is something cathartic about this story, but it's hard to put my finger on what. It's deep and should make you feel if you listen. I liked Rune and sympathized with her and her journey. However, I was not expecting this to take me on the ride it did.
The story is good and complex, and the characters are well imagined. When you sit down with this book, prepare yourself to give the story the appropriate time and attention. If you do not sink into the voice and read carefully, readers, you will not enjoy this read. It doesn't fit with so many of today's fantasy reads where you can just sail through it and get the high points. In order to understand this book, you need to be able to absorb and think before you judge. The words on the page within one scene are easy enough to read, but overall, this book is hard to read for other reasons.
First, the subject matter is trauma. Everyone experiences trauma in their own way. I've never had PTSD, so it was initially hard for me to align myself with the randomness of Rune's narrative. I can respect it, but I cannot empathize. As a reader, it was difficult to put the snippets of memory together cohesively. I think a second read would do the trick.
Second, the perspective is so close to the main character that I felt inside her head for the entire book. At times, I felt like I couldn't breathe I was so close to Rune. Given the darkness and the subject matter, that's not an easy spot to be.
The author did an excellent job of immersion. I recommend to those who enjoy delving into the human psyche and trying to figure out what's going on with that person.
Susan S. - Minneapolis, MN
"Shadowspeak kept me at the edge of my seat. It had me yelling, "Run!" right along with the characters. This is one I would keep in my collection to read again."
Tamra S. - Cottage Grove, MN
“As a reader who likes engaging books, this was definitely engaging. I was constantly wondering how everything fit together in the story. It is complex and multi-faceted, just like any person’s life experience is. Things that may not make sense when you are 7 or 8 years old ultimately are leading to something you do as an adult. I have never personally experienced trauma or symptoms of PTSD, but from what I have learned through my education, the snippets of the past coming up through, seemingly, minor triggers (i.e. a song, a word, a person), are accurate to their experience. I think perhaps things could have come together in such a way to keep readers wondering while still feeling a sense of understanding while reading the story from the beginning, but I was satisfied with how it came together at the end since I read through the entire book, and also read through it quickly enough to remember the confusing elements from early chapters that made more sense as Rune gained knowledge of her story."
Emma E. - Rochester, MN
Post Credit:
@susanstradiotto, Instagram