REVIEW Alex Lidell TRACING SHADOWS

Author: Alex Lidell

Narrator: Hayden Daviau

Length: 6 hours and 21 minutes

Serie: Scout Series, Book 1

Publisher: Danger Bearing Press

Released: May 21, 2018

Genre: YA Fantasy

To protect the throne, 17-year-old spy Kali must play a male guardsman trainee by day and royal lady by night. Orphaned and trained on a spymaster’s remote estate, Kali is a scout who works alone in the shadows. But when a terror group threatens the Dansil throne, the king forces Kali to accept a mission at the palace or forfeit her sister’s life. Suddenly thrust into the light, Kali must infiltrate high society as the royal Lady Lianna while penetrating the servant ranks as Kal, a male guardsman trainee. It doesn’t help that Trace, the harsh and enigmatic captain of the king’s guard, is soon assigned as both Lady Lianna’s palace escort and Kal’s commanding officer. As Kali edges closer to the truth behind the violent group’s identity, she uncovers dangerous secrets that could bring her mission to a brutal end. A scout’s job is to observe and report, never to engage...but if it means saving her sister and kingdom, Kali may have no choice. Tracing Shadows, by Amazon best-selling author Alex Lidell, is the first novel in the Scout series. Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, Leigh Bardugo, and Sarah J. Maas.

Alex Lidell is the author of Amazon best sellers AIR AND ASH and WAR AND WIND (Danger Bearing Press, 2017) and an Amazon Breakout Novel Awards finalist author of THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013). She is an avid horseback rider, a (bad) hockey player, and an ice-cream addict. Born in Russia, Alex learned English in elementary school, where a thoughtful librarian placed a copy of Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA in Alex’s hands. In addition to becoming the first English book Alex read for fun, ALANNA started Alex’s life long love for YA fantasy books.

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  I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Alex Lidell. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Review
[Flora]

The story will appeal to both boys and girls  who like adventure stories with suspense. The story has a theme of good versus evil and so much more.  The thorn is threatened and it is up to a young girl who is a trained spy to save it and her sister.  Kali is used to being in the shadows but with a terrorist group of zealot cult members threatening Dansil and the people who can tune crystals aka her sister, she is forced play a dual role of lady at the royal court and a guards in training.  The handsome guardsman, Trace, must deal with both of her roles and she must deal with him.  As she starts to get closer to the truth she seems to be flung into danger she could never imagine.    It does end on a cliffhanger, but there is a second book which I will be reading to find out what will happen to the kingdom of Dansil.  The narrator, Hayden Daviau, spoke clearly and read the story at a great pace.  With a wonderful infliction to her voice, I could feel the suspense build and the emotional moments better than if I read it.  The story was read as one great storyteller might read a fairytale.  It is nice to listen to a story geared to older children.  I would recommend it to middle school age plus.  Looking forward to book two. 

Amazon/GoodReads Rating: 4/5
In Patti's Imagination Rating: 7/10



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