The Shadowed Land continues the story from The Lost Queen and The Forgotten Kingdom. While I enjoyed the novel, it was significantly shorter than the previous two and felt like multiple storylines were wrapped up too quickly. By the end, I was left wanting more details and a deeper exploration of certain plot points. That said, Pike’s dedication to research shines through, and I thoroughly enjoy her notes, where she shares her historical research and what was changed for the sake of the story.

Our favorites, and then some, are back again in The Shadowed Land! I have been a big fan of the Lost Queen series since its first installment in 2018. I went back and re-read the first two books as audiobooks to help set the tone for this one. I’m so glad I did because it helped the third book flow even more. In the Shadowed Land, we get even more perspective than we do the prior novels. In many ways I enjoyed this, and in some ways I didn’t. I have come to love Angharad and Artúr, but I often missed the depth we had from Lailoken and Languoreth from the prior novels. Overall, I was very happy with this. Signe does a wonderful job of weaving history into a captivating story. 

Seeped in history, The Shadowed Land is the perfect installment for anyone interested in Celtic culture, early medieval history, and a vivid world of mysticism. I can’t wait to see where Signe is going to take us next.