Rhenn the Traveler: Legacy of Shadows by Todd Fahnestock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great story in the Eldros Legacy series! This book is the third in Todd Fahnestock's "Legacy of Shadows" arc, and the books absolutely need to be read in order. So I'm going to assume that if you're looking at this review, you've already read books 1 and 2. If not, go read them.

This book picks up shortly after Rhenn was abducted at the end of book 1, Khyven the Unkillable, and possibly overlaps the events of book 2, Lorelle of the Dark. Rhenn has been living as a "guest" in a foreign land. She's not exactly a prisoner, but neither is she free. Even as she makes a life for herself as best she can, she never wavers in her desire to go home. So when an opportunity arises that might let her do just that, she jumps at the chance despite it being a truly terrible idea. She pays the price for her choice, as do those around her, but that's what makes the story feel real.

I loved the character arc in this book, although I did get irritated with Rhenn quite a lot at the beginning. The story introduces a few new characters, mostly in the role of antagonists. The most intriguing development came in the form of Fahnestock's vampires. They aren't called vampires in the book, but you get the idea. The author did a great job of illustrating the creation, abilities, and limitations of these new-yet-familiar creatures.

Since this book takes place on a different continent than the first two, I expected a bit more world building. In that regard I was a little disappointed. Fahnestock mentions that this continent is bursting with life, but I didn't really see that reflected on the page. Mostly it just seemed like a jungle - wetter and hotter than Rhenn was used to, but not all that surprising. She fights some water goblins, but compared to the multitude of species introduced in the first two books, I didn't get the feeling that this new land was teeming with life.

Spoiler alert: Rhenn does see her friends again near the end of the book. I won't give away any of what happens, but I will say that my favorite part of all of these stories is when the protagonist characters are together. I liked Rhenn on her own, but Rhenn with her friends is so much better. And that, of course, is the point.

If you love fast-paced epic fantasy, pick up these books. You won't be disappointed.

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