Robin McKinley’s dystopian fantasy novel “Shadows” blends together just the right amount of folk and fairy lore with modern science-fiction to create an engaging and fascinating read.
Magic is outlawed in Newworld. No matter what kind. Science is king here. Maggie’s mother has married again and he comes from overseas, Oldworld specifically, where magic is used to keep the world together. The man is odd and comes with a writhing mass of shadows that does not obey the laws of physics. It’s weird and wrong and is going to get all of them in trouble someday. Then there is Casmir. A gorgeous boy from Oldworld who seems to know something about this new husband. But does Maggie really want to know the answers to her questions? And what does her best friend Takahiro have to do with anything?
Reading Level: Young Adult
Spiciness:🔥
Relationships: 💗💗💗💗💗
Language: 🚫
Plot: 📖📖📖📖📖
Character Development:🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
Spoilers!
Many young adult, coming of age stories can feel stale and overly complicated or even overly simplistic. Often the main protagonist does not grow or change and instead learns that they had what it took all along. The opposite is true for “Shadows.” McKinley’s characters are flawed, human and oh so relatable.
Her protagonist, Maggie, is a normal high school girl just trying to live her life. Or rather, she desperately wants to be normal. She does not want to see shadows move on their own or seal a spacetime rift with origami. She just wants to blend in and live her life. This desperate need to blend in is contrasted by an almost rabid desire to protect and care for her family and loved ones.
The cast of supporting characters is also very well done. The characters are well rounded and complex, each with their own back story and adds color to the story. Namely Val, the step-father, and Takahiro and Jill, her two best friends.
Val brings all of the lore and magic from Oldworld with him, though allegedly it was disabled when he crossed the border. While both Takahiro and Jill bring their own elements of magic and problems with them.
In terms of romance it is the kind that grows naturally. It is the “I fell in love with my best friend” trope. The focus of the novel is the plot and the Main characters relationship with the world and those in her inner circle. The romance makes appearances where it makes sense and is not shoved in readers faces.
Unsurprisingly the book is pretty clean. Almost no crass language, and the only things of a spicy nature is some appreciation of natural assets and a bit of momentary nudity due to werewolf shifting issues.
The plot follows Maggie as she becomes more aware of what is being done to suppress magic and just how much it affecting her life and the lives of those she loves. As she slowly begins to accept and care for Val she becomes more aware of the world and how it works. In the end when he is taken, Maggie and her friends mount a daring rescue with the help of Val’s army of shadows.
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is one of my favorite books. I stumbled across it in my library one summer and have since re-read it multiple times. I love the mix of fantasy with science-fiction and the characters almost seem to leap off the page. However, I believe it was the intricate worldbuilding that drew me in. The way magic is approached and the way the fantastical in general is treated pull the reader in and makes them curious.
I was deeply disappointed that there are no further books set in this world, and have since read several of her other books. McKinley is a phenomenal author and a true artist.
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