By: Stephanie Wyatt
Xio and Camila woke up in a shack 10 years ago with a bow, a quiver of arrows, a pair of daggers, and the memory that they were sisters. They had no memories of their past. They spent the next decade training with their weapons and surviving together. They planned a heist of a large amount of gold from the lord of their village–a cruel man, who had Camilla publicly beaten for refusing to bow at his feet when they crossed paths in the village marketplace. Fleeing from the lord’s guards with their weapons and a few essential items, they end up running through a “cursed forest.” They discover the forest actually has beautiful plants and a flowing river. They decide to set up camp and figure out their next steps. Xio did not have time to pack her arrows, so it would be a while before she could hunt for food to survive. They come across a campsite with a basket of fruits and nuts on the ground. The campsite is empty so they decide to steal enough food for them to survive. They are caught by two fae: Holt, the future King of the Storm Palace, and his adopted brother, Cree. The princes take Xio and Camila as their prisoners. Xio and Camila must travel with them to The Storm Palace to figure out how two humans were able to get into Maya, The Land of The Fae. The four of them are in for a journey they never expected.
I love the fact that this is a book about fae with an all POC cast. Most of the fae books I’ve read over the years have had a few sprinkles of a diverse cast, but it’s not really evident or acknowledged. This book doesn’t have that problem. Elements from non-European cultures are weaved into the world building beautifully.
The pacing is good. There aren’t any lulls. The book immediately opens with action and keeps the reader on their toes. The book has plenty of humor mixed in with the more serious moments.
Readers learn everything along with the characters. The book is split between the four protagonists: Xio, Holt, Camila, and Cree.
I liked that we had each protagonist’s experience when we needed it. Characters are my favorite part of books, and I love the way the quick to anger, snarky, sarcastic attitudes of Cree and Camila are balanced out by the calm, optimistic personalities of Xio and Holt.
Camila and Cree are my favorite because their fights are hilarious.
Some tropes you will see are found family, prophecies, enemies to lovers, fated mates, and the search for one’s identity. These may seem predictable, but I enjoyed the journey.
Overall, this book is a 4.5/ 5 for me. It was an excellent read. I’m excited to see what happens next. However, I didn’t want to immediately reread because I was obsessed. I know books are five stars if I can’t move on without a reread because I can’t let the story go, it emotionally wrecked me. I love when both happen.
The Sun, The Storm & The Shadows by Mikayla D.Hornedo is available here on Amazon. It’s also available with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Happy reading!
Functionally Fictional 
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