Welcome to one of the May 20th stops on the blog tour for The Shadow Watch by S.A. Klopfenstein, organized by Storytellers on Tour. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts & interviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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About the Book
The Shadow Watch
The Shadow Watch Bok One
by S.A. Klopfenstein
Print/eBook
Published 15 May 2018
Page Count: 400
Audiobook
Published 22 January 2020
Narrator: Stacey Krejci
Length: 12 hours and 25 minutes
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
A fierce sorceress on the run. A charismatic rebel with dangerous ambitions. Will their revolution save the realm or bring it to ruin?
Ripped from her homeland and sold for a handful of coins, seventeen year old Tori Burodai grew up a slave in a foreign empire. All her life, surrounded by injustice and cruelty, she has ached for the chance to fight back.
When her only friend’s life is threatened, a buried power awakens, catapulting Tori into a harrowing new reality. For the first time in centuries, magic has returned to the world, and Tori may finally have the opportunity to change her fate.
Desperate for answers, Tori joins forces with a charismatic rebel bent on righting the scales. Soon, she is thrust into the heart of a magic revolution. But magic is not the only power that has returned from the depths of the world. And some secrets should never be uncovered.
War is coming. But does Tori have what it takes to defy an empire?
Filled with complex characters, slow-burn romance, wild plot twists, and epic battles, the Shadow Watch series is perfect for fans of Throne of Glass and the Grishaverse.
Welcome to the breathtaking world of the Shadow Watch, where sorcerers are hunted, monsters rise out of myth, and the fate of all hangs on love and betrayal. Start the Four Book series now!
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Audible
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My Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads.
I was granted complimentary access to The Shadow Watch on Audible as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Storytellers on Tour. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
The Shadow Watch, book one in the series by the same title, is truly an epic fantasy! It’s long (the audiobook is 12.5!) but you won’t regret a single minute of it. In 400 pages or 12.5 hours, there isn’t a single dull moment or accidentally confusing passage. Klopfenstein’s world-building is immaculate and fascinating, and Tori is the fierce heroine we all needed.
I’ve seen some reviews that critique the world for being too basic or Tori for being too “any girl,” and I think those reviewers have missed the magic. Perhaps this isn’t their genre (or sub-genre) or perhaps they didn’t pay it the attention it deserves, but there’s nothing about this book’s world that makes me think I could transplant another writer’s characters into it and tell their story without any changes, nor do I feel like I’ve read Tori before, thus I do believe these are much more unique and interesting than some have given them credit for. The magic system, in particular, strikes me as particularly unique, and I love how politicized the right to use such magic is.
One critique point I’ve seen others bring up that I do agree with, however, is the distraction posed by borrowing real-world words with very specific meanings. Calling a person with certain abilities a morph? Sure, works for me. Using the surname Medici in the book and not even trying to play off the real-world famous historical family? Distracting.
If you like long books and the Epic Fantasy subgenre, check this one out!
About the Author
S.A. Klopfenstein grew up on a steady dose of Tolkien and Star Wars. As a child, he wrote his first story about a sleepwalking killer who was executed by lethal injection. He lives in the American West with his wife and their dog, Iorek Byrnison. He can be found exploring the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, or daring the halls of the high school where he teaches English and mythology.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads
Prize: The Shadow Watch by S.A. Klopfenstein
GRAND PRIZE: A Signed paperback (US Only)
RUNNERS-UP: Choice of ebook or audiobook (International – 2 winners)
Starts: May 16th, 2021 at 12:00am EST
Ends: May 23rd, 2021 at 11:59pm EST
| May 16 | Whispers & Wonder |
| May 17 | Geeky Galaxy |
| May 17 | @all.you.read.is.love |
| May 18 | Beneath A Thousand Skies |
| May 19 | A Bookworm’s Paradise |
| May 20 | Westveil Publishing |
| May 20 | The Caffeinated Rareder |
| May 21 | Al-Alhambra |
| May 21 | @theenchantedshelf |
| May 22 | Queen’s Book Asylum |
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