Stephanie Johnson

Eveningshade Review:

 

The realm of the Five Lands is on the verge of war.  The evil Queen Aeola, ruler of the Land of Men, seeks to conquer the world with her legions of orcs and human soldiers.  The other kingdoms, ruled by various demi-human species, remain comfortably unaware of the Queen’s ambitions until the armies are marching toward their doorsteps.

 

Three sisters hold the key to stopping Queen Aeola’s machinations from coming to fruition.  Each orphaned at birth, with no knowledge of their human heritage or their magic potential, the three have been raised in different kingdoms by different races.  Morgana, raised by goblins, is guided toward her destiny by the Elfin Shade of her dear friend, Lothian.  Francesca, raised by a Fairy Queen, learns powerful magic from the High Unicorns, while the third of the women, Iceis has been raised in a land of magic, and becomes exiled from her adopted realm thanks to the underhanded schemes of Queen Aeola.

 

Joining together, the sisters discover a magic talisman which holds the power to defeat the evil Queen.  As armies of orcs and men lay siege to the world, the sisters with a ragtag band of heroes must travel into the heart of the Land of Men to put an end to Queen Aeola’s darkness once and for all.

 

Reading Eveningshade, the overall feel I got from it was “Lord of the Rings, with a feminine flair.”  It is a traditional fantasy fairytale, with an underlying theme of good versus evil.  The standard fantasy races take part in the story, and they are generally seen in their typical light, with the exception of the Goblins, who were portrayed as intelligent and kind, rather than brutish thugs.

 

Eveningshade is suitable for teens and adults alike.  It is pretty clean, except for a few brief scenes of suggested sensuality, and there’s not a foul word to be found.  The writing style is fairly smooth and comfortable, and you don’t get bogged down with semantics.  The storyline is imaginative, and the characters are well-written with understandable motivation.  Eveningshade is worthy of a read from any fantasy buff.

 

Eveningshade is a book written by someone who knows how to convey the pain and loneliness of an outsider, and in turn the bliss of one who has finally found a place to belong with the people he or she loves.  Each of the three main characters, divided at birth, grows up in a kingdom of a different race, but still manages to develop life-long friendships and romances which are enhanced, rather than impeded, by their differences.  The adventure taken by all of the characters is not only a thrilling and heartbreaking story, but a lesson for life about the importance of family and friendship. 

There is always a delicate balance between action, emotion, and philosophical thought that must be present for me to be truly entertained by a book/movie/story, and this novella nailed that balance.  It is a quick, visual read that kept me thoroughly entertained.  I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystical stories, epic battles, or complex relationships, because those are all themes of this book that come together in a heart-warming culmination.


Nat

By	Melissa Darby (California)

The best book i have read in a long time!, July 31, 2007 Stephanie Johnson is a fantastic author. I was reading this book and could not put it down. The characters and the five lands. I even cried at the end of it. My favorite character was Lothian and the struggles that he had to face. I hope that she writes more books, I' am a fan. I would have to say this is the best book I have read this year. I' am recommending this book to everyone!

Eveningshade, A Review

 

Author: Stephanie Johnson

Genre: Fantasy

Length: approx. 240 pages

 

Eveningshade, by emerging author Stephanie Johnson, is a classic fantasy tale between good and evil.  Three human women – one raised a fairy princess, the other a goblin orphan, and the third a sorceress ruler – find themselves embroiled in an epic quest to stop an evil queen from the Territory of Men from destroying the Five Lands they call home.  Johnson immediately sets the pace with this novel, wasting no time sweeping away the reader in the desperation of the situation as she unleashes Queen Aeola’s sinister army of men and orcs on the unsuspecting Five Lands.  Her heroines – Morganna, Francesca, and Iceis – learn of a shared heritage from their guide and mentor, a unicorn named Meadowstar, and their possible involvement in the destruction of the evil queen and her forces.

 

Johnson shows talent for being able to draw her readers into both the militaristic aspects of this story and also relating the personal stories of the characters involved without catapulting from one extreme to another every time she switches track in the story line.  Well-paced and well-thought out, Johnson has left a mark with her debut novel that is certain to have readers looking to see what this new author will come up with next. 

 

I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good old-fashioned fantasy story.  This is a 4 ˝ **** book.

 

Review by: B.B. Walter

Date: 6-6-2008