Helena Sorensen

Seeker is the second book in the series but can be read without reading the first one just fine. If you live dragons, mystical adventure, determination of the underdog then you will like this. A land where the idea of the sun once shined is a myth and a brave few want to find it but many find that this is a ravings of a mad man. A girl in is love with a man that doesn't love her but has the guts to do what no one will do. A place that never sees the light of the sun, a woman that is considered mad due to her visions and a woman that loves her husband but doesn't believe in him. A small village tormented by dragons and large man eating wolves. Surprises, twists, girls kidnapped by dragons, shape shifters, and so much more. Well developed plot and characters. I loved the first story, Shiloh, so I had to read the second one. It was just as good. Can't want to see what the third book brings.… (mais)

Helena Sorensen spins a beautiful and haunting tale that grabbed me from the very beginning and I could not escape the pull of the story. The characters that Sorensen fashioned together walked their way deep into my heart and their struggles resonated deep within my soul. We all fear the Shadow that lurks in all the corners of this world and we all long for a home where the shadow will be banished forever.
And as the Shadow encroached toward Amos; my heart ached. And I cheered as Phebe and Simeon fought with all they had against the hopelessness that threatened to take hold of their hearts.

Thank you Mrs. Sorensen for a wonderful tale that resounds true.… (mais)

Shiloh is the story of a boy living in the darkness, famous throughout his world for doing something at the age of seven that most fully grown men would not be able to do - killing a Shadow Wolf. Amos kills the Shadow Wolf after it attacks his parents flock and his younger sister, Phebe and from then on his life is never the same. Growing up with his heroic deed constantly hanging over his head, he is now known as Wielder of Fire and when Amos rescues one of the village boys, Simeon, from the bullies he befriends him. Simeon is different too, he's a gentle boy, son of the village magistrate but perhaps most importantly he's a Dreamer, a rare talent in Shiloh which only leads to ostracise him further.

The world of Shiloh is permanently shrouded in darkness, candles and lanterns are always lit even in the middle of the day. The people have always lived this way, for as long as they can remember and this adds to the dark atmosphere of Shiloh, it lends almost a permanent layer of despair and foreboding to the story. When Amos is told that he will fall to shadow he fears the worst and assumes he will be killed by a shadow wolf. What he couldn't predict is the tragedy about to strike his family, unable to see his way through the grief Amos starts to drift from his path and falls to the darkness. Years pass, Simeon becomes the strong character - in love with Phebe despite her scars, and in a way becomes the true hero of the story. Things are never quite as they seem in Shiloh and what you expect from a character is mostly not what you get. Ultimately it's about making the right choices, admitting that you maybe were wrong and facing up to the consequences. I can honestly say that I loved most of the characters that Helena has created, the only one I didn't was Mordecai - for obvious reasons! I got completely drawn into Shiloh, everything was so vivid which considering everything about it screams darkness was amazing. The writing was solid, the world created so detailed and believable. I had a hard time putting this book down and I can only hope that we get to read more about Shiloh, maybe in the form of prequels, as I would love to know more about the Immortals involved and the Night Weavers, the Nelya and a host of other things I still have questions about. If you like detailed, complex fantasy then Shiloh is the book for you and enjoyable whether you're a YA fan or not.… (mais)