Sword and Shadow (The Wolves of Elantra, #2)

by Michelle Sagara

Beyond the Emperor's law

In exchange for information about his past, Severn Handred joins a Barrani lord on a mission to the West March—an enclave well outside the boundaries of the Empire. Granted a leave of absence from the Wolves, Severn is in danger the moment he steps outside the reach of Imperial law. But the instincts that led him to the Wolves and the sense of duty that keeps him there can’t be discarded as easily as the tabard he wears.

In the heart of the West March, enmeshed in a tangled web of secrets that have been kept for centuries, Severn's belief in justice is going to be tested. There are murders to solve, people to protect, and truths to uncover. It's one mortal man and his single Barrani friend against a community of immortals who will die and kill to keep their secrets. But they’re up against the Wolves now.

• ISBN10: 0778311775
• ISBN13: 9780778311775
• Publish Date: 22 February 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Mira Books
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Ahhh! I can't believe the second novel in Wolves of Elantra is finally here! For those of you that don't know, Wolves of Elantra is a spinoff series from the Chronicles of Elantra by Michelle Sagara. The series just so happens to follow my favorite character of the series, Severn Handred, and thus it is a treasure to me. And so here we are, with me hugging Sword and Shadow, the latest release.

Severn Handred is a relatively new recruit for the Emperor's Wolves, yet he is making a name for himself. So much so that he's been assigned a mission to follow a Barrani lord into the West March. Well, assignment might be a strong word. One of the Barrani lords wants him to come and promises to hand off information on Severn's parents if he follows along.

And so Severn marches into the heart of the West March, knowing full well all the dangers that lie in the way for him. Yet the risk is worth it, for he has no memory of his parents, something he would like to change.

For a long time now, I have been wondering about the origins of Severn Handred. Obviously, those that have read the Chronicles of Elantra know some of his story – where he is now and some of his childhood. But there was this massive gap of time that needed to be accounted for.

This is why the Wolves of Elantra series is so exciting because it is actually telling us of Severn's time between then and now. However – what shocked me about Sword and Shadow is that it also answered questions I hadn't dared ask. Questions such as who his parents are and how he came to be alone in the first place, among MANY other questions.

All of these are answered in Sword and Shadow, and I am so happy. Honestly, I do not know if there will be another book in this spinoff series. I hope so. There's still some time before the two series merge. But at the same time, I could see how this book would make for a proper ending. I guess we'll see?

Sword and Shadow is a love song for those who adore Severn. He's the favorite of many (I can only assume because he is fantastic), and it is about time that we got to see more of him. And boy, do we see a lot of him in Sword and Shadow. He's not the sole perspective of the book (or series), but his story takes up much of the space. In other words, he isn't fading into the background. I love it.

I'm struggling to find the words for how this book made me feel – at least while avoiding spoilers. I suspected some of his backstory...but not this. A lot of thought went into this explanation, and it will take me some time to process it all.

This whole story makes me eager to get back to the main plot, which would be the following Chronicles of Elantra book. Frankly, I'm constantly impressed by how quickly Michelle Sagara can crank out these massive books.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks