Of Sea and Shadow

The Elder Empire: Sea, Book 1

By: Will Wight

Narrated by: Travis Baldree

The Guild of Navigators has ruled the Aion Sea for centuries, using their fleet of mystical ships to collect trade for the Aurelian Empire.

Now, the Emperor is dead.

For Calder Marten, Captain of The Testament, the Emperor’s death is not an end, but an opportunity. He and his crew seek the legendary Heart of Nakothi, an artifact that could raise a second Emperor...and earn Calder a fortune.

But they’re not the only ones who want the Heart.

The Consultant’s Guild, an ancient order of spies and assassins, will stop at nothing to keep the world in chaos. They seek to destroy the Heart, and prevent the world from uniting under a single Emperor ever again.

On the seas, a man works to restore the dying Empire.

In the shadows, a woman seeks to destroy it.

Will you explore the seas here with Calder? Or will you walk the shadows with Shera, in the parallel novel Of Shadow and Sea?

©2014 Hidden Gnome Publishing (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Feels like we jumped into the middle of the series

In both books we meet our protagonists, at the end of all their growth. the relationships between everyone have already been cemented, they both have teams that work well together and flow easily as a group. both teams have people with detailed backstories and intricate relationships. It feels and reads like we jumped into the middle of bloodline from the cradle series and are expected to figure out the relationship dynamics between everyone, understanding the basic power structure with flashbacks to unsouled instead of a deadicated book. it was an interesting read but I wont be continuing the series past the first 2 book 1s. If Cradle was written like this not many would have gotten into it.

If you like eldritch beings, mysterious guilds that use powers either from the beyond or from themselves to hold up an empire thats collapsing in on itself, then you'll likely enjoy this. you will have to get through lots of backstory on how both protagonists even matter in the first place. how they are linked to the falling empire and no matter where you start it will feel weird.

Better than the companionable

This version of the story was easier to follow then the companion.
I will be interested to see where they go from here.

Great start

I loved this book and I look forward to more. I don't know how I am going to like the characters from Of Shadow and Sea when I dislike them in this book, but it will be exciting to see the events from the other perspective.

Interesting NEW world & magics, great characters

Easily 4.45 but then, these days I only give 5's to books who get close to the level of JRR Tolkein & LOTR, or CS Lewis & Narnia, such as EW Robertson's Arawn & Galand series, and others of that quality & imagination. However, this immediately caught my attention & is a very worthwhile read for the adventure of it. I do hope that the philosophy & morality develops in future installments or it could fall to a 3.8. For now, I'm starting Of Shadow and Sea to continue the tale!

will does it once again

another deeply interesting and unique world, the magic systems are cool as well. however this novels world building is dripping with creativity and well worth your tine.
the characters are enjoyable and I cant wait to experience more with em.