Shadow Games

The Heart of a Shadow (Merged Worlds #1)
by Samantha Marshall

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Liria Atlannon is a shadow and is bound to the will of Princess Ione, who has travelled to Egypt to marry its pharaoh. Liria will always remain Ione's shadow...or she's supposed to. But the pharaoh's brother, Prince Raiden, sees her for what she is and what she can be. Unfortunately, anything that grows between them will have to survive the gods turning Egypt in a battleground.

This was a delightful dark fantasy novel with an Ancient Egyptian bent - I have always had a soft spot for those gods and any book that makes use of them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt like I had to fan myself even when Liria and Raiden were sharing innocuous scenes! And Ione is one of the most complex characters I've ever encountered. I kind of wished I could dive right into this book and live there, though obviously I'd prefer not to encounter someone like Set...!

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