Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan, Ben Hibon

Thorn was trying to find his father when he's caught by slavers.  They thought his father was the one who poached the deer but it was Thorn.  He was hunting for food for his family but no one cares.  Poachers get punished by the loss of fingers and eventually their lives.  Since his father was at the third and final stage, he runs.  And now Thorn has been gathered in by slavers and he's on sale at the market...

Disney-Hyperion and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published April 12th.

Right before he's going to be beaten again, the man who looked at him with the dead eyes offers to buy him.  He's relieved until he finds out the man he's riding with is an executioner in another kingdom.  Who knows what he will make him do...

This is the type of book that I just love to read.  There's magic, strong young people who work hard at staying alive and doing things right, and plenty of action with not very good odds.  How can you not like a story where Thorn eventually gets to ride a huge bat like you would a dragon?

The princess' parents and brother have been killed.  She's next up as heiress.  She's also supposed to be married off to another kingdom to help create peace.  The prince is good looking but he's rude and ill-mannered.  Then someone tries to poison Lily and her dog dies instead.  Who in the castle would do such a thing?

The plot is complex, there is more than one murder, and I found myself sitting on the edge of the chair as I was reading.  As much as you know, there's a lot more hidden.  Oh, I forgot to mention that Lily can't practice magic because she's female.  They'll kill her if they find out.  However, if you're fighting magic, you have to have some magic, too.

It's long and tangled path that Thorn and Lily walk but it all gets resolved by the end.  The princess sheds tears of frustration and tears of joy, but she's smiling when it ends.  I highly recommend this read if you like fantasy and magic.