Shadow Mage: Blacklight Chronicles

John Forrester will hook readers once again with Shadow Mage. While Talis and his companions dive deeper into the magical world, they continue to encounter endless obstacles along their journey. The plot thickens, many new characters and plenty of action to be enjoyed. I felt that I was really in Talis's world and just when I thought Talis's journey was over, Forrester ends the novel with a heart-stopping twist to leave readers wanting more. The best of the series yet!

Dark Magic. Jiserians. Naru torn apart, destroyed by a powerful figure. Shadow Mage is John Forrester's third installment in the enrapturing Blacklight Chronicles. Talis, Mara, and Nikulo return, with Talis learning Rune Magic first just to increase his knowledge, but then as an effort to save order, normalcy, his beloved city, his family, himself. Talis' adventures land him in a variety of different settings, learning a magnitude of magic previously untouched by many. A lot of unexpected events happen, with life as Talis knows it shattered through a series of events. The evil Aurellia returns and has a complex relationship with an intriguing, new character, Palarian. Shadow Mage mixes adventure, danger, romance, and deception, with a tantalizing blend and battle between light and darkness.

I like Forrester's style, the author's ability to create in-depth scenes and build suspenseful moments is superb. I was engrossed in the novel, devouring it and eagerly reading to see what happened next. I enjoyed the many twists and turns and how Talis, Mara, and Nikulo are maturing, not only in age and experience, but thought and character.

I admire Talis' growth as a wizard and adult, though was a bit frustrated at points, as he consistently made short-sighted decisions which had huge implications. Once again, Nikulo was presented as a slovenly, unsightly character, almost akin to an animal with his need for food. While one or two parts were humorous and Forrester did show the need for the character, with Nikulo's superb poison skills, I was still left uncomfortable with how Nikulo was continuously seen as lacking self-control. I felt like the pacing was a little too fast, jumping from scene to scene in the latter chapters of the novel. I also wondered what age group this is specifically targeted for, as while it was not inappropriate, some of the language and actions were questionable. Nevertheless, Forrester created an interesting book that leaves me awaiting the next book in the series.