November 29, 2023
The Knight Shade
J. Roman
Aviva Publishing (2023)
ISBN: 978-1-63618-233-9 (hardcover)
Character Overcomes Self-Doubt to Defeat Apocalypse in New Fantasy Novel
J. Roman’s debut fantasy novel The Knight Shade opens on the brink of apocalypse. A young woman, Morgan, is touring a historical home as her last act of connecting with the way life once was before a mysterious horde will attack. The horde has already been devastating other parts of the planet, and it is now about to descend on Morgan’s town. A local scientist has invented some pills so his neighbors can euthanize themselves before the horde wreaks havoc on their community. Everyone in Morgan’s family has already taken the pills, and now she is the last one alive, trying to savor her final moments of life before ending it all.
But things do not go as Morgan plans. As the horde attacks the house, a phantom suddenly appears to protect her and prevent her from taking her own life. Before she knows it, Morgan finds she has been whisked away by the phantom to an underground cavern. J. Roman does a wonderful job of depicting the thoughts that run through Morgan’s mind throughout the book, especially in these early scenes as Morgan learns why she was saved.
“Chewing on her cheek, Morgan pondered her circumstances. This whole thing was insane. Until a few weeks ago, no one had imagined creatures like the horde even existed, and now she was sitting in a cave, having a conversation with the bogeyman, after what she figured was practically the apocalypse.”
The “bogeyman,” or shade as he prefers to call himself, is named Nicodemus, and he reveals to Morgan that he needs her to help him defeat the horde. Morgan is skeptical about everything, including her ability to be of any service, but she realizes she has nothing left to lose. Nicodemus then takes her to meet more shades. Imagine Morgan’s surprise when they tell her she is the Apothicane, a type of chosen one needed to defeat the horde. Morgan finds this incredible to believe because she’s never been heroic by the greatest stretch of the term.
“With a gloomy sigh, she couldn’t stop her brain from conjuring up self-doubt. She had never really been good at anything. She was clumsy, an awful student, prone to daydreams, overly opinionated, insecure, and not very pretty. She also knew she was not the easiest person to get along with.”
Morgan tries to resist her new role, but Nicodemus and the other shades won’t let her. They even have a king who wishes to enlist her service in helping to defeat the horde, and before she knows it, Morgan finds herself agreeing to acquire the seven artifacts needed for her to gain the power needed to overcome the enemy.
And as can be expected, those artifacts are not easy to collect. Each one is an unexpected item and belongs to someone now dead, but the dead person’s spirit still lingers with the artifact. Morgan discovers she must make contact with these spirits—in fact, she is informed she is a medium—and she can communicate with them through her thoughts. The spirits turn out to be an interesting cross-section of former humans ranging from a small boy with a teddy bear to a pirate.
Before Morgan’s quest to acquire all the artifacts is complete, she is stunned to discover not all of the shades have been honest with her. Morgan has to find the inner power to stand up to them before she can finish preparing to defeat the horde. In the end, if she is to succeed, Morgan will find herself having to make what may be the ultimate sacrifice.
In The Knight Shade, Roman has created a fascinating tale that draws the reader in and propels them forward to the satisfying end. Everything a lover of fantasy wants is here, from mysterious creatures to a heroic quest and plenty of action. However, what stayed with me the most was how we watch Morgan slowly evolve into a heroic character. I really enjoyed her scenes of self-doubt and how she uses sarcasm to hide behind her doubt and fear. For example, she refers to Nicodemus as “the Grim Reaper” and makes other disparaging comments about her would-be protector and herself. Ultimately, though, she finds the strength to fulfill her quest. I also enjoyed the ending and the vision Roman creates for a post-apocalyptic world.
Readers of fantasy will be excited to discover a new author who is so good at character development and plotting a compelling tale. Perhaps best of all, Roman promises many more stories will come from her pen, ranging from tales of vampires and elves to action-filled epics and romance.
For more information about J. Roman and The Knight Shade, visit www.JRomanEpics.com.
— Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD and award-winning author of Arthur’s Legacy and Melusine’s Gift
