Book Review: “Shadows of Otherside” series, by Whitney Hill

Are you a fan of fantasy? Of werewolves, elves, and magic? Of gods and goddesses, vampires, and djinn? Then run, don’t walk, to your nearest Amazon site and buy book one of Whitney Hill’s awesome Shadows of Otherside series, Elemental.

I am not the huge fantasy fan that many younger folks are. But I can appreciate a well-written, spellbinding book as much as anyone. Many fantasy series have captured my attention, Eragon is one of my favorites. And now the story of Arden Finch, elemental extraordinare, has stoked my fantasy fire.

In a world full of non-human creatures, known to its residents as Otherside, Arden Finch is an anomaly. The child of an elf and a djinni, she is also a sylph, a being known as an “elemental” and able to control the element of air. But what makes Arden even more unique is that, in time, she learns to control the other three elements (earth, fire, and water). Twenty-five years old, she lives in Durham, North Carolina and works as a Private Investigator. As do most of the othersiders, Arden passes for a human, what the Othersiders call “mundanes.”

Hard-boiled adventure and snappy worldbuilding in the shadowy margins of the everyday.

~KIRKUS REVIEWS

As an elemental, the elves have put a bounty on Arden. Raised secretly by Callista, a supernatural overlord, and two djinn, Duke and Grimm, she must keep her powers hidden to avoid death at the hands of the elven community. In Elemental her goal is to escape Callista’s harsh control and live her own life, on her own terms.

As the series continues, Arden’s role changes. She reluctantly accepts that she cannot live a simple life on her own, in fact she becomes an integral part of a movement to unify the discrete factions of Otherside with the goal of revealing themselves to the mundanes. But she is also strong-willed, and determined to stay in control of her own destiny.

I am currently reading Book 4 of the series, Ebon Rebellion. The story line and the characters remain sharp and engaging and I look forward to books 5 and 6, the latter coming out in February of next year.

A final thought: Indie authors, those who self-publish their work, have been much maligned, the theory being that when one’s work isn’t good enough for traditional publishing, one must self-publish. The Shadows of Otherside series proves the opposite: the books are exciting, engaging, and have won awards.

You can have a rewarding and profitable career as an indie author, and Whitney Hill is proof.

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