Lady of Light and Shadows

Written by C. L. Wilson

Narrated by Abby Craden

The second book in USA Today and New York Times bestselling author C.L. Wilson’s hugely popular, stunning, epic fantasy romance series about Ellysetta, the girl who would be queen, the Tairen Soul, and their eternal battle for true love in the mystical Fading Lands.

She feared the dark visions and the magic within her. And she dreamed of the miraculous love that could save her.

Like an enchanted fairy tale prince he stepped from the sky to claim her—the Fey King, her destiny, her one and true love.

But behind the mesmerizing beauty of Rain’s violet eyes Ellysetta saw the passionate hunger of the beast . . . and a sorrow, deep and ancient, that she alone could heal. Only for him would she embrace the frightening power that dwells within her. Only with him at her side could she confront the shadows that haunt her soul. For an epic battle looms on the horizon—and only united can they hope to turn back the armies of the darkness.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Feb 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063084544

C. L. Wilson

C. L. Wilson wrote her first story at age six, many years, hundreds of false starts, and five completed novels later, she received “The Call” in October 2006, and sold her epic fantasy romance, Tairen Soul, at auction. Her debut novel spent two weeks on the USA Today bestseller list, and her subsequent novels have gone on to hit a variety of bestseller lists including New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly.

Reviews for Lady of Light and Shadows

[Aryanne Rian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a great story, but didn’t make me cry when a character died…sooo.

[jkfairchild · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The covers leave little to be desired… that said, these books are nothing less than masterful. Do not pass these over due to their lack luster covers. These books are highly underrated and deserve more notoriety amongst fans of dark fantasy and dark romance. If you love Sara J Maas and anything related… do yourself a favor and check these out. You won’t be disappointed.

[Lisa Hampton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am or should I say I was enjoying this series. I have to listen to the audio version. Beware, the next book is a different narrator and the MMC sounds like a 14 year old boy whose voice might just be entering the change and the tone sounds like a little kid. I can’t even get into it. Maybe I’ll let some time pass and try again.

If you are reading I say to you, it’s definitely a worth while read.

[Little Arcia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This series is so under-rated! Just finished the second book but I know its an awesome series! This needs more hype! Re-do the cover! People need to know what they're missing!

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, this series just keeps getting better and better. I'm devouring it, already halfway through the third book and I can't wait to see what happens next.This review is actually for the second book in the series. Rain and Ellie are somewhat impatiently waiting for all the preliminaries to finish so they can finally get married. The Eld Mages and other enemies are setting all sorts of traps, trying to keep Ellie from reaching her full magical powers. The head of the Eld Mages is one of the evilest antagonists I've ever read, and his cruelty truly knows no bounds. All the characters are flawed in some way, but that only makes them more interesting and their actions affect me more as I read further. This is a romantic fantasy and there is plenty of sensual moments scattered throughout the story, but the action is what really makes this series so great. So much happens, yet as I mentioned in my review of the first book, it's little details that make the worldbuilding so great. For example, I can't think of a fantasy that has both Fey and Elves in the same book as two different races (it's led to quite the discussion and research). Anyway, I highly recommend this series. I can't see how I could be disappointed in the next books at this point as events keep building and more is revealed.

[carol420 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ellie's troubles increase as she continues to go through the complicated pre-marriage rituals. Each day of her life seems to become more and more complex with the difficulties between her and her family (mainly her mother) echoed by the political machinations between the King of Celieria, Rain Tairen Soul and the evil Mages of the Eld. Ellie's bridegroom, Rain Tairen Soul, is a fascinating character and she learns more about him as the book progresses; however Ellie is also learning more about herself and much of what she is learning looks bad. The narrator gives us insights into what is happening in Eld and we learn more about Ellie's provenance, much of the information seeming very worrying. How can Ellie be the good person that she seems with the history that she has had, and is she merely being positioned as Rain's mate in order to destroy the Fey from within?

As a standalone book this doesn't work but read alongside 'Lord of the Fading Lands' it's one of the most exciting fantasy books to have been published in a long time.

[thepageparamour · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jan 2018 = 4 stars
Jun 2016 = 5 stars

[theyodamom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

mazing, I never had a moment of rest while reading this story. It came alive in my hands and whirled me through the frenzied world of the Train Soul and his mate. Their relationship is moving at a natural rate. It has all the bumps and road blocks that would be found in such a couple, unheard of in most books today. The self doubts, the lack of trust, the impressions of family members, all part of new relationships. For Ellie, going from a woodcarvers daughter to a queen, she has difficult adjustments to make. For Rain, he has a thousand years of demons haunting his heart. It is a beautiful thing to read.
Ellie, is faced with her magic and her parentage. Rain may not be able to live with the truth. Her family may not be able to accept her. Shadows are haunting her dreams becoming stronger. She must learn the truth, only then can she move on. Magic is in her.
Rain is trying to help his young Queen deal with the rude and hateful comments the nobles are throwing at her. He surrounds her with love and tries not to leave her side. But a terrible future might await the city if he does not stop the Eld from crossing the borders. He must convince them to believe, he must gain their trust. Ellie and her unknown magic places the talks into chaos. War may come.
I did not think it would be possible to be better than the first book but this one was. I was so lost in the story, I read for hours and did not even realize it. I am off to read book 3

[rosetyper9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was also a re-read for me, like the first book. I enjoyed this one also the second time around just as much as first read and the first book. I love this book for all the same reasons as I mentioned in the review of the first book with a few additions.

In this book you get to see glimpses of Ellie's parents and you also get to see even more evil from the Mages of Eld. They are truly some horrible villains, they are pretty bad, not even the redeemable kind. This book also has much more excitement, both in awesome plot twists and fight and in romantic steam. I think this book is pretty damn hot, and pretty damn exciting. Always something going on and something to watch out for.

I don't really have much to add besides those few points but this book continues to add to the drama and relationship between Ellysetta and Rain and I loved every single second of it.

[sharrow_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great sequel and I cannot wait to read the next one. This is as far as I made in the series when I initially read it a few years ago. Kinda got sidetracked reading other stuff. It does suffer from dragging in parts, but great battles and characters. A few ensign smiths!!

Re read July 2013.

[navelos · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was eagerly looking forward to this book due to the very high ratings it received and having enjoyed the first book in the series, but I couldn't get into this one.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 This is the second of 5 books in a series. I thought this one was a bit slow at first, but by the end, I was completely wrong. Wow! What action happens in the end! If you like fantasy, I definitely recommend this series. Look for the author at DragonCon!

[ahappybooker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this second book much more than the first. There is a lot more plot development and action especially in the second half. Much more exciting. This second in the Tairen Soul series begins immediately where the first leaves off. Rain is still trying to convince the king and his council of the dangers the Eld present, as well as trying to further the bond with Ellie and teach her more about her magic. Ellie is confused and frightened by her recurring nightmares and although relying more on Rain, at the same time, she is becoming more confident in trying out her own magic, and making a few missteps along the way. When the secrets surrounding Ellie's birth comes to light, brought by an unexpected source, both Ellie and Rain find their new bond tested. The Eld mages try to find ways to get to Ellie, using their dark magic to compel those closest to Ellie to betray her. The high mage has searched for so long for Ellie and will try anything to bring her to him. Rain and the fey protecting Ellie are just as determined that she come to no harm. Wilson does a great job in making a reader feel the tension building between the Eld, the Fey, and the political factions of Celieria. The second half of this book is action packed and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to see what follows in the next one.

[jkcollins_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book two of the Tairen Soul series left me wanting more, more, more! I'm anxiously awaiting book three this fall and book four early next year.

[mendoza_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a very plesant surprise! This author's writing far outreaches what anyone would expect to find in a 'Leisure Paranormal Romance'. I would expect to find this Fantasy more in the Tor line. Not that I am complaining as I still came across this book (thank you Amazon Recommendations). But I think that many Fantasy readers are going to miss the boat on this fine series with what I think is mislabeling (ie - the whole paranormal romance line and then what I think is the incorrect publisher)This is the second installment in what appears to be a four book series. The first, Lord of the Fading Lands, introduced us to this world in which Rain Tairen Soul, King of the Fey, sees a prophesy of him finding his soulmate who will save the Fey and their 'cousins' the Tairen (a cat like being that flies) that some Fey (Rain included) have achieved a closer relationship with. Rain travels to the human city that divides the Fey's Fading Lands from the evil Mages Eld lands.There, he find his soulmate in a local Celierian girl. In the first book Ellysetta is a naive woman who, while being entranced all herlife with all things Fey is seemingly still a very human woman. As the novel goes on and then follows into this current - Lady of Light and Shadows - rain and a large contingent of Fey have stayed in this human city as Rain follows local courting customs to please Ellie's parents.During this time there is much court intrigue and the mages are working hard to subvert the Fey's alliance with the humans in an effort to gain access (and then control) of the lands that separate the Mages from the Fey.We also see a secondary storyline of two Fey prisoners of the High Mage that tie in with Elly and we (along with the Fey) dome to realize that Elly is much more than she seems.I found this book and the one before it to be so much more than a casual read and enjoy the complexicty of the world and it's history to be very engrossing.

[thebooksmugglers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Holy.Guacamole! Lady of Light and Shadows is teh awesome. I think it is even better than Lord of the Fading Lands, amazing as it sounds, given how much I raved about book 1!Book 2 of Tairen Soul series, it starts in the morning after Lord of the Fading Lands’ final chapter. To be honest , I thought the book started quite wobbly on its feet as it appeared that the author wanted to catch us up on what happened before - so all characters were talking to each other, explaining the happenings over the past few days in Celieria and my patience was running thin as I had literally finished book 1 ten minutes before. But that went on only for a few pages and then BOOM BOOM BOOM, a rollercoaster of emotions and events until the very last page.In this book, Rain and Ellie must carry on with their courtship whilst the intrigues and machinations of the Mage still threaten them and the Fey. But now we also add to the equation , the Council of Celieria who must come to a decision about opening its borders or not to the Eld, a Dark Lord that is bent on destroying Ellie (he has his reasons, ok?) plus a lot of emotional showdowns between not only Ellie and Rain, but Ellie and her mother that lead to a climax that is worthy of a Hollywood production.I cannot even begin to describe how much this book is gripping and how I could not keep myself from turning the pages compulsively until I was done with it. I refuse to tell you more about the plot or how things turn out , not because I am mean but because believe me, you want to follow the same exciting path I did.But I will be good and give you some teasers of what you can expect (with the accompanying emotion):We learn about Ellie’s origins (whoa!) , more about Fey magic and History (cool!) , a warrior finds his soul (*teary*), another finds a truemate (yuppie) but she is married (oh noes), there are lots of political chit chat (quite interesting), a major showdown between Mage and Fey (holy crap, that was beyond exhilarating), we learn about the “pets” kept by the High Mage (heartbreaking. Literally, I cried my eyes out here ). Plus, there is a wedding and a few funerals.And it ends with Rain coming to an important realisation which I guess I HAVE to spoil because it was so amazing. Fellow romance lovers, rejoice:(…)’I only just realised something I should have known all along.’ He carried her hands to his chest, then cupped her face with one hand while wrapping the other around her waist. He held her close, skin to skin, so that with her shei’dalin senses she would feel for herself the wonder that bloomed within him.“From this day forward, no matter what happens between us – even if we never complete our bond, even if we cannot save the tairen or the Fey – I want you to know this one thing, Ellysetta Baristini” He smiled into her eyes and gave her the words.“My heart has followed where my soul has led. Ke vo san, Ellysetta. I love you”.There are less romantic scenes in this sequel (as the story centres in the tensions between the peoples and the inner battles of every character) but they are all deep and significant like the one above.And everything I said before about Wilson’s writing and characterisation still stand of course. The woman is seriously very talented and creative.If only I could weave some magic and show you how much these books are good, I am sure you would be going to the book shop pronto. If only.One last word: the last time I was this excited about a series, I was reading His Dark Materials trilogy, about three years ago. And when this comes to an end I am prepared to shed copious tears, just like the ones I shed when I closed the last Harry Potter on July 22nd , 10:17pm.

[amf0001 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know why, but this series hasn't grabbed me as much as I would like. It took a long time for me to get into the first book, and then by the end I was there, and wanted to read the second book, but by the time I got it, it seemed to take me even longer to get into it this time. I think the plot and world building are good, but I just don't believe in it like I should. I went from it to Liaden wolrd series, which is a frequent reread, and they are just so much better. I think it was the writing, it just wasn't sharp enough for me. So a good try, but disappointing. Not a keeper and I don't know whether I will get the next two when they come out later in the year, certainly I won't be rushing too...