A dark fantasy full of nighttime terrors
Born to aristocracy, Ada will marry and never want for anything, except freedom. An unearthly visitor and a series of seemingly supernatural events unexpectedly deliver her from the mundane. But no one could have predicted the darkness that comes with it. Taken in and raised by a secret society, Ada is groomed as an assassin. As she comes of age, she must become a predator, targeting members of the very nobility to which she was born... or try to escape. But if she leaves, she risks the lives of the two she loves most... her adopted sister... and her captor.
Our review of Shadow Runner
Shadow Runner by KJ Fieler, categorized as a Gaslamp fantasy, is a very well written story. First off, the quality of the prose is excellent. The author's use of metaphorical speech helps to create a lucid experience for the reader, bridging it from reality to fantasy, back and forth, rather seamlessly. What really stands out is the character development - and on that count it deserves 5 stars.
Ada, the main character, a young, coming-of age woman, raised in an Aristocratic household, facing a dull future where women of her stance are expected to marry a reputable man and start up the baby factory, has a different ideas about her future - but breaking away from the grip of a possessive and controlling family is a problem - that is, until one day when Ada is kidnapped. When she awakens, her kidnapper, who refers to herself as a Shadow, a secret league of sorts, of assassins, informs Ada that she has just saved her from a terrible future and will now personally train her to be a Shadow. Ada resists, but it is futile and the story that unfolds follows her development, the physical rigors, the discipline, the pain, the missions she engages. This remains the anchor of this story - the telling of a how a young, rather lost woman, finds her footing in the most unusual and unexpected of professions, and the hardships and challenges to her own principles which she must contend with along the way. Shadow Runner is a good read and certainly sets the pace for the next book. - International Writers Inspiring Change
About K.J. Fieler
iWIC Interview:
iWIC: What inspired you to write?
I write because it allows me to live in the worlds and meet the characters in my head. Writing also allows me to have conversations with people I have never, and possibly will never meet, some of whom have not yet been born.
iWIC: Who or what most inspired you in life?
It's tough to pick a single person, but at the top of that list is my husband. He doesn't believe in no-win situations. His philosophy can be summed up as "If you haven't found "yes" then you haven't imagined all the possibilities.
iWIC: What do you hope to inspire in your readers?
I hope readers find themselves in Ada: in her tenacity, her refusal to embrace the darkness even when that would have been the easier choice.
iWIC: Is there a story behind this new book series?
Ada’s life mirrors my own, except that her circumstances are placeholders for less glamorous—and slightly less traumatic—real-life events. I was never abducted by criminals, but I have faced situations that challenged my moral fiber. She's braver and smarter than I could ever hope to be. She's the "me" I wish to be
Author Bio
K.J. Fieler is an author and bibliophile. She earned her first bylines as a stringer/humor columnist in newspapers and magazines in North Florida and Rockwall, Texas. Those connections led to an unintended career as a publicist to authors. Her short story, Loyalty, is headed for the moon via the Lunar Codex project. Technically a Florida resident, Fieler spends most of the year traveling the country with her husband, Ric, and blogging from their Airstream at various national parks.
Author website
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