Siege of Shadows by Sarah Raughley

Author: Sarah Raughley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: November 21, 2017

Pages: 464

Format: ARC

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Purchase Links: [Chapters/Indigo] [Amazon]

Goodreads Synopsis:

There’s nowhere to hide. Not when you’re an Effigy. No matter where they go, Maia and the other Effigies can’t escape the eyes of the press—especially not after failing to capture Saul, whose power to control the monstrous Phantoms has left the world in a state of panic. It’s been two months since Saul’s disappearance, and there’s still no sign of him, leaving the public to wonder whether the Sect—and the Effigies—are capable of protecting anyone. When Saul suddenly surfaces in the middle of the Sahara desert, the Sect sends Maia and her friends out after him. But instead of Saul, they discover a dying soldier engineered with Effigy-like abilities. Even worse, there may be more soldiers like him out there, and it looks like the Effigies are their prime targets. Yet the looming danger of Saul and this mysterious new army doesn’t overshadow Maia’s fear of the Sect, who ordered the death of the previous Fire Effigy, Natalya. With enemies on all sides and the world turning against them, the Effigies have to put their trust in each other—easier said than done when secrets threaten to tear them apart.

My Review:

Action-packed, emotional (maybe a little bit too emotional?) and THAT ENDING... HOLLY HELL! This is the second book in Raughley's Effigies series. It takes place two months after Fate of Flames. As you may or may not recall, we ended the first book with the girls - Maia, Belle, Chae Rin and Lake - banning together. Their goal is by becoming a team that would be able to work together to uncover Saul's secrets and stop him and his attacks. They train, fight, study and talk to each other, slowly getting to know one another a little bit better, and slowly becoming a team. The girls collectively ban and begin to think about combining each of their strengths and weaknesses to better each other. But there is still secrets around them that are slowly closing in. Don't forget the Effigies are just teenagers. I forgot most of the time. How these girls have been forced into saving the world without a say in it is terrifying. The responsibility and stress that is put on them is too much for teenagers. Not only do they have to find and stop a terrorist, they need to worry about their public image. Double the stress! Sometimes throughout the book I would start to feel that the plot was slowly descending into what I like to call the 'The Second Book Fail', where the second book literally ruins the trilogy. Honestly, there was too much excess, it felt like a university student trying to make up the word count on a failing essay. The world building was wonderfully done, I will give that to Raughley. So many places they went I could imagaine my self there. Especially when the girls went to the awards ceremony. Had me remembering the times I would watch artists go on stage and perform and collect their trophies. The character development was more emotional in this book, whereas in the first one if focused more on their physical development. The mystery surrounding Natalia’s death put a huge strain on Maia, and forced her to face realities too dark for herself. Natalia was Bella’s mentor. She would look up to her just like how Maia looks up to Bella. Hoping she can be good and strong like her. We learn a lot about Natalia and how she died and the reasons behind it all. I was kind of overwhelmed with the last couple chapters. So much went down that by the end I was still trying to process everything. I have so many questions and I need answers right now. BUT THAT ENDING! YOU CAN'T AND WILL NOT BE PREPARED FOR WHAT'S ABOUT TO COME!

Author Guest Post -

Why do you think mentors are important?

How do we learn? Who do we learn from? We can learn from our parents and family members, our friends and our own experiences—or own mistakes. But sometimes, it’s helpful to have someone who can guide you before you make those mistakes, someone who can impart the wisdom they learned from the mistakes they’ve made in life. For some, parents can fulfill that role, but a mentor can offer a different perspective, a different world view – and let’s face it, sometimes you need perspectives from outside of your family, most especially outside of your comfort zone.

There are so many things I’m learning now that I wish someone had told me growing up, points of view that weren’t readily accessible to me. Finding someone that you can trust to share things with can be so crucial for young people especially, but remember that choosing the right mentor is sometimes more important than just finding one. To choose the right one, you need to know what they’re about. You need to have no illusions as to what their strengths and weaknesses are, and you have to remember that even though they’re your mentors, they’re not perfect either. In Fate of Flames, for example, Maia idolizes both Natalya and Belle, both Effigies before her. It takes her a bit of a rude awakening to realize that neither is the perfect hero she thought they were. So while finding a mentor matters, understanding and acknowledging their humanity has to be part of the equation.

If anything else, having a mentor is crucial for some people who need the reminder that they’re not alone. That’s a lesson we all need from time to time!

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