Name: Shadowhouse Fall (The Shadowshaper Cypher, Book 2)
ISBN: 9780545952835

Daniel Jos? Older

The extraordinary sequel to the New York Times bestselling Shadowshaper is daring, dazzling, defiant . . . In the words of Leigh Bardugo: "A magical revolution on the page."

Shadowhouse Fall (The Shadowshaper Cypher, Book 2)

Daniel Jos Older

SHADOWHOUSE RISING Sierra and her friends love their new lives as shadowshapers, making art and creating change with the spirits of Brooklyn. Then Sierra receives a strange card depicting a white beast called the Hound of Light -- an image from the enigmatic, influential Deck of Worlds. The Deck tracks the players and powers of all the magical houses in the city, and when the real Hound begins to stalk Sierra through the streets, the shadowshapers know their next battle has arrived. WORLDS IN REVOLUTION Sierra and Shadowhouse have been thrust into an ancient struggle with enemies old and new -- a struggle they didn't want, but are determined to win. Revolution is brewing in the real world as well, as the shadowshapers join the fight against systems that oppress and incarcerate their community. To protect her family and friends in every sphere, Sierra must take down the Hound and master the Deck of Worlds ... or else she could lose everything that matters most.

Shadowhouse Fall

Sarah Sammis

** spoiler alert **
           The Deck of Worlds is an interesting idea and its execution brings to mind the trump cards in the Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny. Here though the magic is rendered through the lens of being a Black teen in Brooklyn.

Unfortunately for me it had been too long, I think, since I read the first book. I'd lost the momentum and struggled with this volume's pacing.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...

Didi Chanoch

Daniel José Older's fantasy writing has always been political, sharp, and pointed. Which is why it is doubly impressive that Shadowhouse Fall is, by far, his most political, sharpest, most pointed work. There were moments in the book where I wondered how he managed to write so much of it this year, while knowing it was probably done last year. Injustice being what it is, it was around then as well.

The Sorrows, ancillary villains in the first Shadowshaper book, take center stage here, as Older's inversion of the typical "light" versus "darkness" is thrown into sharper relief. Our heroes shape shadows and work with the spirits of the dead, our villains are creatures of light and ancient power and tradition. 

And so, this book is both an answer to much of 20-21st century fantasy, as well as a commentary and rebuke of the present time. And it does all of that while being an exciting story of adventure and magic and struggle. 

I listened to the audio version of it, delightfully released a few days early over at downpour.com, and Anika Noni Rose's reading is terrific. Having bought film and TV rights for both this series and Older's Bone Street Rumba series, Rose is clearly a fan of the work, and it shows in her lively performance.

Shadowhouse Fall (The Shadowshaper Cypher, Book 2)

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