Review: House of Shadows by Rachel Neumeier

Title: House of Shadows 

Author: Rachel Neumeier

Rating: 4 Stars 

Where has Rachel Neumeier been all my life? Seriously, this woman’s novels are written just the way I like love them to be written and needless to say, after reading just one novel of hers, I’m a self-proclaimed fan. House of Shadows is, beyond anything else, a fantasy. In fact, it’s one of the few good fantasies out there to be released this year. While this past year has seen a resurgence in fantasy novels, any ardent fantasy lover like myself will tell you that only a rare few of them have been remarkable; House of Shadows is one of them. I wouldn’t strictly classify House of Shadows as being Young Adult, but it isn’t necessarily Adult either – nor is it New Adult mind you. Its cast is varied and with three main characters, it is sure to appeal to both teens and adults of all ages.

Yet, perhaps best of all, House of Shadows is a political novel. It all starts out when eight sisters are left orphaned by the sudden death of their father and, forced to survive, two of these sisters must be sold. Karah, known for her gentle nature and striking beauty, is quickly sold away to the Cloisonné  House, a respectable institution where women are trained in many arts and talents, all garnered towards earning them rich husbands. Nemienne, the youngest sister who is a little queer, is taken to be the apprentice of Mage Ankennes.

Meanwhile, a bardic sorcerer, Taudde, is being exploited to assassinate the Prince of Lirionne. Taudde hails from Kalches, a neighboring country who has kept a tense peace of fifteen years with Lirionne after years of battle. Now, with the end of the peace treaty looming ahead, Taudde is thrown into an assassination plot he never intended to be a part of in the first place. Our third protagonist, Leilis, is a woman working the Cloisonné House, not quite servant and not quite keionse like the girls there either. A curse has set her apart from others, but she battles to give Karah a fair chance against other, more envious, keiso in the Cloisonné House.

House of Shadows is told from the perspective of three main characters whose story lines slowly converge and begin to come together as the novel progresses. As a fantasy, one of its greatest strengths lies in its complex world-building which truly blew me away with its imagination, creativity, and depth. Its characters too continued to surprise me as the novel progressed. Each and every one of them had more and more layers to peel back and through the different perspectives of our three protagonists we are able to see what each of them think of the cast of secondary characters who grace this tale and as such, are able to make our own opinions about them from the mixed perspectives we are given. It’s all rather remarkable really, now that I think about how Neumeier must have crafted this story.

Out of the large span of characters in this novel, Karah is, perhaps, the most flat for her personality is too kind to give much way to more complexity. Yet, Neumeier fails to make her a protagonist and we see her life from the perspective of Leilis and Nemienne which goes a long way to make every aspect of this novel intriguing. From the three perspectives that dominated this story, I must admit that Taudde’s was probably my favorite. Not only was he a bardic sorcerer, not in his own homeland, yearning for his nation, yet fascinated by the seas of Lonne, the capitol of Lirionne, but his battling emotions over the assassination he was meant to commit and his observation of the Prince of Lirionne’s peaceful nature were touching to behold.

Nemienne, with her lessons, quick wit, and pure heart was also a delight to read about and I found myself rooting for her, even from page one. Leilis, on the other hand, is a different type of protagonist from one I’ve read before, but she too charmed me at once. Although she carries a curse which prevents her from going far in life, she makes the best of her situation with a strength that is admirable and her sharp tongue is one I love.

House of Shadows is most definitely a political fantasy novel – and its plot is impeccably crafted – but its strength lies in its characters, world, and ability to suck you in. It is far deeper than most may give it credit for and it leaves you feeling almost imperceptibly wiser. It does contain a touch of romance, but it is subtle and of the purest kind, leaving little room for the true track of the novel to veer off course. It took me rather by surprise and although I love the fact that it is a stand-alone, I wouldn’t hesitate to visit this world again. Neumeier is, clearly, an author I simply need more of. Much like Juliet Marillier, a taste of her works only leaves me hungry for more. 

A huge thank you to Heidi from Bunbury in the Stacks for recommending this one to me! It was her review that convinced me to read this, so I'd urge you all to check it out!