Review: Of Shadow and Light

'' ''Even for the immortal, life is always uncertain. You should always say goodbye; you should always tell those that matter you love them.'' ''

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

From Goodreads:
She will be the one to take his coldness,
She will unveil the Unseelie darkness and show them light.
She will unite what should never have broken.
The daughter of the moon will teach him love and the radiance of the sun.
Her inner light will purify the tainted ones,
And she will guide the fey by wisp-light.

'Prophecy of the Dark Prince'

Messina Doe was just looking for a warm place to spend the night. What she discovers is a place the human race had long ago buried and forgotten.

The dark Fey haven't forgotten humans. The throne room of the Unseelie court is the hottest underground nightclub around, but if you step through the wrong door, there is no going back.

No one ever escapes. Never.

Once, someone did.

Messina doesn't know what she's getting herself into when she accepts the offer to go to an underground party. The party for her only begins when it ends for the others. And it isn't something anyone would willingly participate in. 

I struggled to get past the first third of the book due to all the abuse presented. But to understand the reasons behind for it I decided to push through. The middle part of the book was bearable and explained a little more. The focus shifts from the explicit scenes to actually driving the plot forward. Then the last third is actually something I could say that I liked reading. 

Of Shadow and Ligh is dark, explicit, full of violence and abuse. The abuse is detailed and a norm to the Unseelie, they thrive from it. And not just physical, but also emotional, mind games, and control. Nothing is off-limits, so the reader should be prepared for it. 

The synopsis gives a little different image of the book than what it really is. You don't have to read much to realise that, and if it's not your cup of tea, you don't end up losing anything. To be honest, this book made me realise that this genre is not for me. I can read it, but it's not something I'll be adding to my TBR to enjoy it on a weekend.

The writing is good, like in most Ebony Olson's books I've read so far. Actually, the writing saved a lot of the book, despite a few obvious typos along the way. There isn't much character development. The book focuses more on the journey to discover Messina's hidden memories and the real purpose of her life on earth. There's enough to chew on those developments alone without adding more to the mix.

Twisted and dark are the feelings Of Shadow and Light left me with.  I have just one advice to those starting to read this book: Do not read it in public with the possibility of someone reading over your shoulder. Or maybe do, they'll stay away for sure. It's not for the light-hearted.