A Cast of Shadows (Araneae Nation, #2.5)

by Hailey Edwards

I adore this series. I originally picked up the first book, A Hint of Frost back in 2013 when it was free on Amazon. At the time the books were being published by Samhain which had put out a number of winners and had started to become my go to for must buy books. It had a cool cover, the blurb sounded interesting and it was free - it was an all round winner. 

And then I read it. And I was very impressed. It was brilliant. The world building in incredible, the romance is adorable and the action is intense. There's an over-arcing mystery throughout the entire series which is riveting and comes to a fantastic conclusion. Each book focuses on a different couple but builds upon the mystery with characters and places slotting altogether. 

My favourite book of the series would have to be A Feast of Souls - because I LOVE Vaughn! - but all the books are amazing. Hailey Edwards is a very talented writer who knows how to deliver great fantasy. 


A Cast of Shadows

The second novella in the series follows Brynmor! Vaughn's father who is kinda dead but also kinda alive due to a pact he made with the local Canis pack leader (Errol) to give himself a physical form. I loved Brynmor in A Feast of Souls. He was a prick but he did really love Isolde and for all she had a soulmate - he does have a point - she broke her vows, regardless of being in love with another. Anyway Brynmor is still near Cathis (the Mimetidae clan home) but remains outside the gates, staying with Errol and his pack. Unfortunately poachers have been hunting the pack and when one of their wolves is found dead at a campsite the pack intends to kill the woman camping there.

The woman in question is Daraja, a Deinopidae clan female. Daraja is the youngest, only daughter, of nine children and is determined to follow in her brother's footsteps. In the Deinopidae clan they believe in the importance of the river and as a rite of passage the men follow the river searching for riches and brides while the females stay home and wait for the river to send them a male to wed. Daraja is a strong sassy female who is determined to challenge gender norms and go follow the river on her own to find her own husband and riches. I really liked Daraja, she was cheeky and honest and blunt.

Who was to say I would desire the male who flowed to me? I would rather catch my own.

Edwards, Hailey. Araneae Nation: The Complete Collection . Kindle Edition.

The romance between Daraja and Brynmor was sweet. Both were upfront and blunt about their desires and their wishes and I liked there was no real failure to communicate. (Seems like there's been a lot of that in books I read lately). There isn't too much about the Yellow Plague plot in this one, it's more a peripheral idea. But it was a nice little interlude and provides some closure for Brynmor which was nice. 4 stars.