Veil of Shadows

The Realmwalker Fantasy Series, Book 1

By: Paul Yoder

Narrated by: Nathaniel Priestley

Dante never believed in fate—until it ripped him from Earth and cast him into Miraden, a world where thought shapes reality and ancient forces vie for control.

Stranded in an untamed jungle kingdom ruled by a theocratic order, he is hunted as an outsider and burdened with a past that refuses to let him go. To return home, Dante must strike a deal with the enigmatic rebel priest, Marek, who promises him a way back—but only if he helps steal an artifact of unfathomable power: The Veil of Dhar.

The task pits him against Na’zirah, the cunning high priestess whose illusions have enslaved a nation, and Kordaan, her cold-hearted enforcer. With the fierce warrior Kara at his side—a woman bound to him by duty—Dante is thrust into a battle far greater than his own survival.

As his past demons manifest in terrifying ways, he must decide: is he merely a lost traveler seeking escape, or does Miraden hold a destiny he can no longer ignore?

A journey through faith, remorse, and the fragile line between reality and perception, Veil of Shadows is perfect for fans of rich worldbuilding, deep character struggles, and high-stakes adventure.

©2025 Paul Yoder (P)2025 Paul Yoder

Engaging story.

Im looking forward to a continuation of the story. I loved listening to it and enjoyed the audio performance. The characters are interesting and I became immersed in the story very quickly.

A wild fantasy journey

Recieved as an audio review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review.

Beautifully narrated by Nathaniel Priestley, Veil of Shadows plunges an unwilling man named Dante into a truly foreign world; forcing the poor man to battle the natural elements and beastly creatures to survive. Something else as stalking Dante that even when he finds aid and shelter from a man called Faza... the dangerous shadows does everything within its abilities to shatter Dante's moments of serenity. All Dante wants is to get back, not to be pulled into an unfolding battleground of different factions competiting to be the governing authority of this world. Yet, Dante cannot clearly abandon these people as his dark stalker lurks about; forcing Dante to side with fierce warriors to challenge to bring a better future to people wilting under oppression; finding a different path for himself than just getting home.


Highly recommended.

Veil of Shadows

I am finding it difficult to pin down a rating on this one. I think the isekai type intro into Miraden is interesting, and I love the idea of the magic system with belief shaping reality. The problem I find myself in is the rest of the story. I loved Faza and would've listened to much more about him happily. It was crushing to lose him so soon. The problem is that the narrative never truly lands after Faza is gone. Dante isn't a particularly loveable character. He is very static and never strays from his dark thoughts even after being told that thoughts have power in this world. He is thrown into the politics of Darr, but the tale is too fast paced for the reader to care about whether he or the civilization lives or dies. There are a few moments that are particularly interesting, but the story isn't character driven enough to let the political intrigue the writer wants to portrat mean anything. The fighting scenes are forgettable, and overall, I really feel like I'm just left wanting... More, but without a drive to continue the tale. Would have really loved to see this one developed a bit more. It has good structure and bones, but I feel like the narrative needed a little more room to breathe.

Could have been better, but not bad

The story spent a lot of time in one area and we barely learned anything about the world. The people the main character meets just aren’t that interesting. This could have been better but it wasn’t the worst I’ve listened to.