The Shadow Within by Karen Hancock

Back Cover: Abramm Kalladorne has returned to Kiriath to claim the crown he thought he would never wear and to prepare his people for the inevitable attack of the Armies of the Black Moon. Though fiercely opposed by his own kin and reluctant to thrust his country into civil war at the worst possible time, he nevertheless believes this course of action is Kiriath’s only hope of salvation.

In the midst of this turmoil, a headstrong princess from a neighboring realm endeavors to uncover Abramm’s secrets—including his heroic exploits as the White Pretender and the fact that he wears a golden shield upon his chest—and her interference threatens to destroy any chance he has of maintaining his rightful place as king. 

Against a backdrop of somber council meetings and back-alley sword fights, of magnificent ballrooms and windswept mountain fortresses, plots and counterplots unfold as old alliances dissolve and new ones form. If he is to succeed, Abramm must come to terms with his own limitation—and the sufficiency of the one who controls his destiny.

Editor’s Review:  Simply one of the best fantasy novels out there.  I definitely recommend reading the first book in the series before this one, but it is still a great read even without it.  The Shadow Within picks up the story where The Light of Eidon left off.  As with the first book, I found the story-world deep and engrossing.  The characters felt real and were easy to identify with, because Hancock’s storytelling keeps you in the point-of-view character’s head.  Overall, her writing style is very good.

If I had to force a complaint it would be that at times the detail was a bit much for me, but some people will like that, so I’m not sure this is a true negative.