Book Review: Love of Shadows by Zoe Brooks

Love of Shadows

by Zoe Brooks

• Print Length: 234 pages
• Publisher: White Fox Books (October 10, 2012)
• Purchase Link: Amazon
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Book Description

"I had always felt most alive, when I was healing. Without healing I was a tin top spinning out of kilter soon to catch the ground. It took all my energy to hold myself from skidding into chaos."

But in the city of Pharsis traditional women healers are banned from practising and the penalty for breaking the law is death by hanging. After being arrested and interrogated twice Judith is careful to avoid suspicion, but then scarlet fever breaks over the city like a poisonous wave, leaving in its wake the small corpses of children. What will the young healer do?

Love of Shadows is the second novel in The Healer's Shadow trilogy, which began with Girl in the Glass, and follows the lives of Judith and her Shadow, Sarah. It is a study in grief, love and defiance.

My Review

Love of Shadows is the second novel in The Healer’s Shadow Trilogy. I was eager to follow Judith (formerly Anya) and Sarah as they carried on with their lives. In this novel, Judith’s natural ability as a healer becomes a more prominent focus of their story. While she is a great help to the people of her town, she is also in grave danger because practicing the traditional healing is illegal and punishment is death by hanging.

Again, author Zoe Brooks, has presented Judith with several obstacles to overcome. Judith shows how much she has grown by the way she reacts to events that occur, such as the passing of her mentor, Elma. It was beautiful to see Judith blossom.

This novel contained much suspense, and I was on the edge waiting to see whether Judith would be captured for her healing work or if she would be able to continue to aid the underground medical group that treats the injured Shadows who were being abused.

I feel like Brooks has almost brought Judith’s life full circle. We met her as young Anya who was escaping her family dysfunction. Now, we see Judith as a strong healer who is carrying on her mentor’s business and attempting her hand at marriage despite her lack of commitment in the past. I can’t wait for the third book and all that Zoe Brooks will introduce to us and reveal as well.