Contemporary Authors

• Game of Shadows Tor (New York, NY), 2017

• Erika Lewis - http://www.erikalewis.com/about

  Erika Lewis graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Math. And what do you do with a degree in Math? You become a writer of course… eventually…
  She moved to the west coast following her dream to work in television. And after fifteen glorious years developing and producing for truly awesome places, like Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fireworks Television, 20th Television, that’s a division of Fox if you didn’t know that, and then at G4, where she could finally be free to be the nerd she had always been. She had more collectible toys in her office than even the famed executive producers of ATTACK OF THE SHOW and XPLAY. At least that’s the way she remembers it.
  So how did this circle back to the beginning of this bio? A Math major becoming a writer? Because she’d actually always been a writer, she just never told anyone. She would write and write, edit and edit, then realize that it wasn’t good enough and go back in for yet another pass. And when she finally had several projects she really loved, that’s when she knew it was time to unleash them to the world.
  Her first project, a graphic novel, THE 49TH KEY, is currently being featured in Heavy Metal Magazine, and will be released in trade in summer, 2017. Along with her amazing partner, Jessica Chobot, she’s currently working with LINE Webtoon and Legendary Comics on FIREBRAND, an ongoing comic series. Her first novel, GAME OF SHADOWS hits the bookstore shelves February 28th, 2017 from TOR/Forge Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.
  There are several other really exciting projects that you will be hearing much more about soon, but if she leaked them now, she’d get in big, big, big trouble. She resides in the sunshine state of California. When she’s not chained to her laptop, she’s usually playing with her big fluffy Golden Retriever, or running, or at one of the bookstores or comic shops by her house. And always drinking coffee.

• Nerdist - http://nerdist.com/erika-lewis-new-novel-game-of-shadows/

  ERIKA LEWIS UNVEILS NEW NOVEL GAME OF SHADOWS (EXCLUSIVE)
  POSTED BY KYLE ANDERSON ON JULY 7, 2016 SHARE: TWITTER FACEBOOK GOOGLE+ REDDIT EMAIL
  BOOKS
  Last month, we told you all about our own Jessica Chobot‘s new comic book series Firebrand that she’s writing with Erika Lewis with art by Claudia Aguirre coming later this fall. (You can watch a Nerdist Special Report about it below!) You might think with a comic book series on the way that a writer might not have time to pen a novel as well. Au contraire! Lewis’s new novel, Game of Shadows, is being released Friday, July 7, and we have THE first look at the awesome and evocative cover art right here.

  Game of Shadows cover

  Looks pretty cool, huh? Hot teen, horse, sword, and green, floating skeleton mist–what’s not to like?! And if Stan “The Man” Lee likes it, it’s probably pretty cool. The synopsis has us even more jazzed.

  It all starts thousands of years ago in Ireland, an ancient race fought a battle and lost, leaving Celtic gods and goddesses to flee and magical races and Druids to set sail for a new land, called Tara. In modern day Los Angeles, Ethan Makkai lives with his overprotective mother and hides the fact that he has a special power–to see ghosts! One day he returns home after being attacked by birds to find it trashed and his mother missing.

  This begins Ethan’s journey into the magical realm of Tara with the help of a captain from Tara who’s been watching the Makkais for a very long time and others such as Christian, the cousin he never knew he had, and Lily, a sword-wielding healer. He’ll have to go up against a ruthless sorcerer who wants nothing more than to rule Tara and the world, and accept help from ghosts whom he’s been afraid of all his life. It’ll test the LA teen’s resolve and his ability to not be terrified.

  The book is out on Friday from TOR Forge and it’s described as a magical, mystical Ender’s Game–a YA/grown up novel crossover. You’ll have to let us know what you think in the comments below!

  And if you’re coming to Comic-Con in San Diego this year, swing over to Camp Conival to see all sorts of panels and interviews, including a panel by Erika Lewis and Jessica Chobot. They’ll also be doing a signing as well. Get ready for it! And check back here on Nerdist.com for more info once we have it.

• Qwillery - http://qwillery.blogspot.com/2017/02/interview-with-erika-lewis-author-of.html

  Tuesday, February 28, 2017
  Interview with Erika Lewis, author of Game of Shadows

  Please welcome Erika Lewis to The Qwillery as part of the 2017 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Game of Shadows is published on February 28th by Tor Books.

  Please join The Qwillery in wishing Erika a Happy Publication Day!

  TQ: When did you start writing and why?

  Erika: When I was about 8 years old my best friend and I would pass journals back and forth. We didn’t go to the same school, so during the week we’d write in composition notebooks, journaling notes to each other. Sometimes stories, sometimes diary entries, it changed depending on the week. Then we’d trade on the weekend. I was going through a tough time. So was she. Lots of changes on the home front. Writing stories was an escape.

  Over the years, during and after college, through my first job as an intern at CNN during the first Gulf War, then after moving to Los Angeles and started working for studios and networks in production, I just kept writing. Now, after getting my shot to do what I love, I still just keep writing. It’s addictive!

  TQ: Are you a plotter, pantser or hybrid?

  Erika: I would call myself a disenfranchised plotter. LOL! I write an outline, sometimes extremely detailed then about half way through writing the story, the characters throw me for a loop and want to go in a totally different direction. That means having to do more research many times if I’m working with a particular mythology, like in Game of Shadows, but the characters always know best! So, I tend to listen.

  TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

  Erika: I tend to prefer to write in first person or close third. A recent challenged for me has been the protagonist’s point of view, meaning which character would be the most interesting to tell the story. In a new project I’m working on, I originally wrote it from one character’s perspective only to realize I was missing out on a much more interesting point of view. A character who at first seems like she should be the antagonist, someone I wanted to hate. But as I kept writing, I realized that she wasn’t the person I thought she was, and as it turns out, she is the voice that I personally think will make everyone else listen. Okay, all that was rather cryptic, I know. Sorry. But the point is that I then had to start over. Through the painful process comes something that is vastly more satisfying for me, and hopefully will be for the reader as well.

  TQ: What has influenced/influences your writing? How does your prior work in TV influence (or not) your novel writing?

  Erika: Life experiences tend to influence my writing the most. I would think that’s a common thing. I lived in the U.K and spent a great deal of time in Ireland. I fell in love with the landscape, the warmth of the people, and the rich history. But by the time I started to play around with the idea of writing a story about where those mythical Celtic races and magical druids disappeared to, I was living in Los Angeles. So I wanted to find a way to bring the two things together, so Ethan Makkai is living in Los Angeles when we first meet him in Game of Shadows.

  Television has, for good or bad, influenced the pacing of my novels. I love a plot to move. It needs to stand still just long enough to suck me in emotionally, connect me to each and every character, but then keep the train moving. Not that quiet moments can’t keep up a solid pace too! They lull you into a false sense of security, as if nothing bad could happen at least for a few more pages, then bam!

  TQ: Describe Game of Shadows in 140 characters or less.

  Erika: Haunted and desperate for independence, Ethan Makkai has no idea his gift makes him the most wanted guy on the planet. #RadharcRules

  TQ: Tell us something about Game of Shadows that’s not is not found in the book description.

  Erika: The story is told from multiple POVs, not just Ethan’s. Tor Books has been an amazing partner, understanding that, to me, in order for this book to truly show off the distress in Tara, other voices needed to be heard. Ethan races through the different realms in Tara, trying to get to his mother before they kill her. But his story happens simultaneously with Tara itself going on red alert that this villain is back and preparing for onslaught. Not to mention a few chapters from the pathological villain himself.

  When I think of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I found it so satisfying that the story wasn’t just following Frodo, and finding out what happened after he throws the ring into the running lava in Mount Doom. It was truly epic for all of middle-earth!

  TQ: What inspired you to write Game of Shadows? What appeals to you about writing fantasy and specifically Celtic Mythology?

  Erika: My time in Ireland inspired Game of Shadows, and a love for young adult stories lead me to Ethan being the entry point into the hidden lands of Tara. Many years after returning home from living abroad, I started researching the different cycles of history in Ireland, and focused in on the Mythological Cycle. I wondered what happened to the ancient races and magical Druids after the gods and goddesses lost the war to humans and vacated? Known as the Tuatha Dé Danann, followers of the mother goddess Danu, they left through the fairy mounds, but there was no mention of what happened to the on the Ravens, Faoladhs, Fomorians, and the others in Game of Shadows. I had a thought…maybe they’re still here…

  TQ: What sort of research did you do for Game of Shadows?

  Erika: Oh boy…so much research. Books, online, but also I worked with an incredible Celtic Lecturer at Berkeley. She would read my chapters, and generally laugh at what I’d done with the different legendary races, and help me linguistically with ancient Irish. But I altered the language a bit with the idea that through time all languages change.

  TQ: Please tells us about the Game of Shadows’ cover art.

  Erika: My editor Elayne Becker at Tor had this idea for the cover, and I just love it. It’s more than meets the eye. Ghosts plague Ethan, yes. He hates it. They make him look insane all the time because he’s not allowed to talk about his gift, or them.

  His power called radharc, gives him the ability to see ghosts, but it’s so much more than that. Not to spoil anything but the ghost chasing after Ethan represents more than just a ghost. It’s his nemesis…and his destiny.

  TQ: In Game of Shadows, who was the easiest character to write, and who was the hardest?

  Erika: Easiest was Lily Niles. I love her. I knew her from the moment she attacked Ethan. She’s a strong female character with a take-no-prisoners attitude. My husband calls me five-feet of fury, a nickname I’ve earned, mainly when I think someone is being wronged. I can’t help myself. If a bully is on the attack, no one should stand by and watch, and typically, I don’t. Lily’s fierce with a sword (wish I was,) but also knows what she wants and goes after it. That includes Ethan.

  The hardest character was King Fearghus in Gransmore. He rules the Fomorians. His daughter was murdered, and he blames himself for what happened. Ethan realizes how much his powers are a gift when he’s able to give Fearghus a little relief. I don’t want to spoil too much, but Fearghus is a character that you just want to hug every time he appears, though you won’t feel that way at first!

  TQ: Why have you chosen to include or not chosen to include social issues in Game of Shadows?

  Erika: In my humble opinion, social issues are in everything writers’ write, whether we realize it or not. We take inspiration from our lives, cultures, and the times we live in. When I started Game of Shadows, violence in America was and still is a huge issue. Ethan, in seeing ghosts and communicating with the dead, feels the permanent great divide between those who have passed on, and those left behind in the living world. For that reason, he is not someone who easily wields a weapon.

  Having grown up in Los Angeles, in what he thought was a fairly safe environment, Ethan never experienced true life or death situations until the day his mother is kidnapped. He’s had jerks at school giving him grief, but never felt like his life was in danger. Much later in the book, in the last act, Ethan trains with someone he looks up to above all others (no spoilers.) A great warrior, a person who has battled for most of his life, he tells Ethan, “No one can beat down an enemy with compassion.” But compassion is a part of who Ethan is at his core. Circumstances do change of course, but it’s up to Ethan in the end how he will react when things turn deadly. As Bran says in the opening prophecy, “For in darkness there is always light, and in the face of death a reason to fight.”

  TQ: What question about Game of Shadows do you wish someone would ask?

  Erika: About the incredible artwork inside: I was so lucky to have two very talented comic artists make the Celtic marks of Tara, and the map. Megan Hutchison (http://www.blackem-art.com) created the shield that incorporates the realms individual marks. These are an integral part of the story. When a Tarisian leaves Tara, they must take the shadowwalker’s oath, a promise of secrecy. The pledge’s remnant is a permanent tattoo of the Tarisian’s realm’s mark on the underside of the wrist. Ethan’s family is from Landover, and their mark is the triple spiral. His mother has it as if branded into her flesh on the underside of her wrist. But Ethan wasn’t born in Tara, so does Ethan have it? Well, no spoilers here, right? Here’s a look at the shield of Tara.

  Megan took inspiration from ancient Ireland in creating the marks. Fun fact: The triple spiral, Landover’s symbol, is found chiseled into the stones at Newgrange (http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm), a more than 5,200 year-old mound in the Boyne Valley in Ireland.

  The map of Tara was as important for me as a writer as it is for the reader. I drew a fairly pathetic sketch that Eric Gravel (https://erigrav.carbonmade.com) then turned into what you see in the book. Here’s the colored version!

  In writing the long journey for Ethan, Lily and Christian through Tara, I used this map frequently. Being a visual person, I needed to literally see where they were going, and now everyone who reads the book can too!

  TQ: Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from Game of Shadows.

  Erika: Non-spoilery, huh? There’s a fair bit about Ethan in the summary of the book, so how about a little introduction to Lily. This quote comes from chapter 5 when they meet for the first time.

  “Ethan’s knees strained, gripping the saddle, trying to stay on. Devlin pivoted right, trying to avoid a white horse that suddenly appeared in front of him. Ethan slipped down in the saddle. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on. Panicked, he looked for help from the rider on the white horse a second before she catapulted onto him, sending him crashing to the ground.”

  And one more from Lily’s own mouth.

  “You know, your father said he’d confine you to your house for two weeks if he caught you out again.”
  Lily glanced sideways at him. “No. He said if he found me on the castle grounds. These are not the castle grounds.”
  “You like to live dangerously, don’t you?”
  “Always.” She kicked her horse.

  And perhaps a little from Ethan’s and Tara’s enemy, Sawney Bean. In this chapter he’s talking to a ghost inside his prison cave. Twisted, she continuously prattles on, pining for her lover, Torin, who betrayed her. Is Bean evil? Oh yes, but with a touch of sarcasm that leaves me wondering what it would be like to hang out with him for a night:

  “Have you ever noticed that both ‘love’ and ‘hate are four letter words? On opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, and yet connected at their very core. In order to fully understand hate, one must have felt love. And if love is a noble cause, isn’t hate then just as noble? Harnessing hatred for those who tossed you out and considered you worthless? Is there any more noble cause? And thus by default, isn’t revenge the proper course of action, rather than reconciliation?” He paused his scribbling and turned to face her. “Revenge on Torin should be what you seek, Kiara, and yet, you, even in death, continue to seek love.”

  TQ: What’s next?

  Erika: The sequel to Game of Shadows. I’m so excited to dive in. I spent time this summer in Ireland doing a ton of research, and writing the outline. The story grows so much, and Ethan and Lily’s lives move in directions neither they nor I ever saw coming.

  On the what’s coming out, this summer my graphic novel, The 49th Key will be released! Also, Jessica Chobot’s (https://twitter.com/JessicaChobot) and my comic series Firebrand will continue to publish chapters on LINE Webtoon (http://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/firebrand/list?title_no=877.)

  There’s a few other things too in the comic world, but can’t talk about them yet ☺.

  TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery!

7/2/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
Game of Shadows
Publishers Weekly.
263.44 (Oct. 31, 2016): p57.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Game of Shadows
Erika Lewis. Tor, $25.99 (400p) ISBN 978-07653-8138-5
Lewis's contemporary fantasy debut has plenty of grounding in myth but a number of flaws in the story. Teenager
Ethan Makkai's mom won't let him walk to school by himself, and she never gives him a reason why. In fact, she never
lets him do anything by himself. On his 14th birthday he decides he isn't going to take the babying any more. Ethan
thinks that his mom's trying to protect him from people who would be distressed that he can see ghosts--he isn't about
to tell anyone anyway, because kids will think he's a freak--but he resents not being allowed to go for a stroll alone in
his hometown of Venice, Calif. What Ethan doesn't know is that he and his mother are fugitives from a hidden world
called Tara where magic is possible and unbelievable creatures live. While he's taking a solo walk, his mother is
kidnapped, and he has to rescue her from Tara. Though Lewis has clearly studied Celtic legends thoroughly, the
narrative she builds atop them is simplistic and lacking in depth; there's plenty of exciting action throughout, but the
main characters get mysterious help each time they're threatened. Agent: Sally Wofford-Girand, Union Literary. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"Game of Shadows." Publishers Weekly, 31 Oct. 2016, p. 57. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA470462525&it=r&asid=98b541393f424e7c0f19525d09953af5.
Accessed 2 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A470462525
7/2/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Game of Shadows
Becky Spratford
Booklist.
113.7 (Dec. 1, 2016): p38.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Game of Shadows. By Erika Lewis. Feb. 2017.400p. Tor, $25.99 (9780765381385); e-book (9781466881525).
Ethan's mom is overprotective. She won't let him go anywhere without her, even walk to school. He thinks she is
trying to help him keep his gift (he can talk to ghosts) a secret. But when Ethan goes out alone on his fifteenth
birthday, he discovers that his secret is not the only one she is keeping. Before he knows it, his mother has been
kidnapped by supernatural forces, and he has been whisked away to mythic Tara, home to the ancient Celtic deities.
Not only is his mom not just an undocumented housekeeper, she is actually a runaway princess. Ethan's grandfather,
the king, has been murdered--and Ethan's gift marks him out as the next ruler. Now he must find a way to save his
mother from evil sorcerers and rival kingdoms and find his place in this new life. Featuring breakneck adventure,
humor, and abundant characters to enjoy, this will appeal to fans of Rick Riordan and Celtic-mythology buffs alike.
Readers will want to flip to the end matter for a pronunciation and translation guide.--Diana Platt
YA: This book is positioned as a YA-crossover title, and it could easily be at home in the YA collection. RV.
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Spratford, Becky. "Game of Shadows." Booklist, 1 Dec. 2016, p. 38. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA474719504&it=r&asid=a5f1ba1f91f31796f01a435a9ec0cc88.
Accessed 2 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A474719504

• Tor.com
  http://www.tor.com/2017/03/03/book-reviews-game-of-shadows-by-erika-lewis/
  Word count: 954

  BOOK REVIEWS
  “[T]hey Sliced and Diced the Undead with Ease”: Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis

  Liz Bourke
  Fri Mar 3, 2017 2:00pm 7 comments Favorite This

  I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest Irish people—at least, ones with a modicum of knowledge of and investment in Irish mythology—are not going to be this novel’s most receptive audience. I know I’m not, and I wonder if I can even perform the feat of empathy necessary to imagine myself in the shoes of people who might receive Game of Shadows with eager appreciation…

  It might be something of a stretch.

  Let’s start with the basics. Game of Shadows is the debut novel of one Erika Lewis. Lewis has had a career in the television industry spanning two decades, and it shows: In its approach to narrative, characterisation plot, and tension, Game of Shadows reminds me of nothing so much as The Shannara Chronicles television show. Stylistically, it reminds me of Terry Brooks—if Terry Brooks were to swallow a dictionary of Irish mythology and thereafter suffer a small amount of indigestion.

  Fourteen-year-old Ethan Makkai has spent his entire life in Los Angeles, under the over-protective eyes of his mother, Caitríona. She’s always insisted he keep his ability to see ghosts hidden. But when she disappears—kidnapped, leaving behind traces of blood—and Ethan is saved from assault by angry ravens by a man who introduces himself as Captain Cornelius Bartlett, Ethan finds himself dragged out from his ordinary workaday life into the land of Tara.* There, he discovers his ability to see ghosts makes him the heir to the throne of Landover, one of Tara’s six kingdoms—and that he’s inherited a family feud with the kings of the neighbouring kingdom of Primland. In particular, an evil sorcerer by the name of Sawney Bean, now imprisoned in a well-guarded cave, has been hatching a plot for both power and revenge for years. Ethan’s mother is central to his plans.

  Ethan is determined to rescue his mother. With his older cousin Christian, son of the former king of Landover, and Lily, a young woman skilled at healing and with a sword, he sets out to thwart the plots of Sawney Bean and the shape-shifting Ravens (women who can transform into giant birds)—and, incidentally, find his father, Runyun Cooper, the only man in Landover who knows where Sawney Bean** is imprisoned. The father his mother told Ethan had died.

  A series of incidents follow, of which the general ratio seems one part quest to one part soap opera. It’s a wonder that Ethan’s headlong irresponsibility doesn’t get him, or anyone else, killed. Lewis gets peculiar with mythological mixing—draugar and Fomorians, Cat Sidhe and ghost-goddesses—and with descriptions of battle scenes.

  Game of Shadows doesn’t know whether it wants to be a modern young adult novel or a mash-up between David Eddings and Piers Anthony. Surely Lewis is being intentionally hilarious in choice of names—Christian Makkai, Cornelius Bartlett, Julius Niles, Sawney Bean—and in the decision to have everyone in the nation of Landover on this “hidden continent” of Tara speak English with an “Irish” accent. I hope, at least, that this is meant to be funny—although it is difficult to tell from the text whether or not the humour is intended.

  In most respects, this is a conservative fantasy. Ethan is by virtue of his birth a species of chosen one. Apart from his mother (who needs rescue), the authority figures he encounters are nearly all male. There is no indication that queer relationships exist in the text, and there’s a solid undercurrent of chivalrous sexism in Ethan’s insistence that “you don’t hit girls”—especially when directed at a girl who’s a lot better at the hitting skills than he is.

  All things considered, while Game of Shadows is basically competent within the limits of what it sets out to do, it does so very many things that irritate me that I cannot bring myself to feel any positive sentiment towards it. I would rather recommend Foz Meadows’ An Accident of Stars or Seanan McGuire’s Toby Daye series, which occupy similar spaces on the Venn diagram of fantasy stories to Lewis’s Game of Shadows while being altogether less irritating.

  I suspect, though, that fans of The Shannara Chronicles television series will find much to enjoy here.

  *From the cover copy: “Thousands of years ago in Ireland, an ancient race fought a world-changing battle—and lost. Their land overrun, the Celtic gods and goddesses fled, while the mythical races and magical druids sailed to an uncharted continent, cloaked so that mankind could never find it. This new homeland was named Tara.”

  **Sawney Bean. Every time I type this name, I just… look, “Sawney” used to be a vulgar, rather racist epithet for Scots people, used by the English, and “Sawney Bean” is the name of a cannibal Scotsman, most likely invented wholesale, whose story appears in The Newgate Calendar.

  I have great difficulties not making faces.

  Game of Shadows is available now from Tor Books.
  Read an excerpt on Tor.com.

  Liz Bourke is a cranky queer person who reads books. She holds a Ph.D in Classics from Trinity College, Dublin. Find her at her blog. Or her Twitter. She supports the work of the Irish Refugee Council and the Abortion Rights Campaign.

• Fantasy Literature
  http://www.fantasyliterature.com/reviews/game-of-shadows/
  Word count: 1430

  Game of Shadows: An action-packed YA adventure
  Readers’ average rating:
  Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis YA fantasy book reviewsGame of Shadows by Erika Lewis YA fantasy book reviewsGame of Shadows by Erika Lewis
  High school is hard enough on its own — there’s homework, bullies, unrequited crushes, and overprotective parents, just to name a few hurdles on the way to freedom and adulthood. But that’s nothing compared to the challenges presented in Erika Lewis’ Game of Shadows (2017); our intrepid hero must also learn sword fighting, diplomacy, and an entirely new language and culture if he is to save his mother from an evil sorcerer’s machinations. By comparison, Advanced Geometry seems a lot more appealing!
  Ethan Makkai, newly fourteen, wants only one thing for his birthday: to walk to school without his overbearing mother, Caitríona, at his side. Sure, Los Angeles isn’t the safest city in the world, but what’s the worst that could happen? Unfortunately, after Ethan sneaks out of their apartment and gets into a fight with a bully, he returns home to discover their belongings torn to shreds and his mother abducted. A strange man calling himself Captain Bartlett informs Ethan that Caitríona has been taken back to her homeland, a mysterious magic-shrouded island called Tara, and she’d fled to Los Angeles to protect her unborn son from the very enemies who captured her. Ethan has inherited a special ability to see and speak with ghosts, and this gift/curse means that he has a very important part to play in the political upheaval currently plaguing Tara.
  Once in Tara, and specifically in the kingdom of Landover, Ethan meets family members he never knew existed, including an older cousin who is expected to ascend the Landover throne. Luckily, his cousin Christian is happy to throw his support behind Ethan and assist with the search for Caitríona, and with the addition of an extremely beautiful healer named Lily, the trio sets off on horseback to travel through the other kingdoms of Tara. Along the way, they learn more about the circumstances which caused Caitríona to flee Tara, the identity of Ethan’s father, and what caused the people of Tara to separate themselves from the known world a few centuries prior. And, of course, they get into all kinds of scrapes with the local residents, and are repeatedly threatened by the evil sorcerer’s minions.
  Tara itself is well-described, with interesting landmarks or unique features marking each kingdom. It’s also populated with a wide breadth of people and creatures, from Brownies to shape-shifting Cat Sidhe to Faoladhs, fearsome wolf-men, and much more, all influenced by aspects or themes in Celtic mythology. Each culture or kingdom is marked by certain symbols and brands, and each has access to different kinds of magical abilities or disciplines which add depth and complexity to Game of Shadows. Though Ethan is surprisingly underwhelmed by the notion of traveling to a mysterious hidden island, he tends to react appropriately to encounters with strange beings, whether a situation calls for politeness or outrage.
  As in many YA novels, the younger characters are filled with a desperate need to prove themselves as independent nearly-adults, while the adults have their own ideas about how the world should work. Most of the adult characters have the types of names you might expect from a Celtic-influenced and –descended society: Fearghus, Runyun, Morgan, Clothilde. Younger characters have a bit more of a grab-bag feel to them: Adam, Mysty, Seamus, Alastair, and as mentioned, Lily and Christian. Some characters have detailed knowledge of the outside world, while others seem completely ignorant of its existence. It’ll be interesting to see how Lewis approaches the divide between Tara and our own world, and how she allows for travel between worlds, in future installments.
  The action in Game of Shadows is non-stop, to the point where it felt almost frenzied. Nearly every chapter contains a dramatic argument, a dangerous situation, or a physical altercation which threatens someone’s life and impedes the progress of Ethan’s quest. It’s difficult to get a sense of urgency or dire consequences for any particular battle when Ethan spends so much time either on his heels or trading blows with some fiend or another. Additionally, I was shocked when a character remarked that only a few days passed between Ethan’s arrival and his battle with the Big Bad; his emotional development and proficiency with weapons suggests otherwise.
  Lewis does a good job of incorporating established elements of Celtic mythology into her world-building, and modifies them in such a way as to allow for cultural and linguistic shifts over the centuries that Tara was cut off from its neighbors. I thought this was a smart touch, and showed a level of consideration that I wasn’t expecting. Celtic symbols and motifs abound, particularly with regard to ravens and the implementation of Celtic-derived terms for magical spells.
  Game of Shadows would be perfect for YA readers, especially those near Ethan’s age, who enjoy high fantasy and plenty of drama. The action scenes are detailed without going into too much gore and romance scenes are realistic for the age group without becoming explicit. The epilogue hints at even more adventure to come, so readers who enjoy Game of Shadows will have much to look forward to as the series continues.
  Publication date: February 28, 2017. A young man plagued by the ability to see ghosts races to save the mythological land of Tara from a terrible fate in Erika Lewis’s stunning debut, Game of Shadows. Thousands of years ago in Ireland, an ancient race fought a world-changing battle―and lost. Their land overrun, the Celtic gods and goddesses fled, while the mythical races and magical druids sailed to an uncharted continent, cloaked so mankind could never find it. This new homeland was named Tara. In modern day Los Angeles, Ethan Makkai struggles with an overprotective mother who never lets him out of her sight, and a terrifying secret: he can see ghosts. Desperate for a taste of freedom, he leaves his apartment by himself for the first time―only to find his life changed forever. After being attacked by dive-bombing birds, he races home to find the place trashed and his mother gone. With the help of a captain from Tara who has been secretly watching the Makkais for a long time, Ethan sets out to save his mother; a journey that leads him to the hidden lands, and straight into the arms of a vicious sorcerer who will stop at nothing until he controls Tara.With new-found allies including Christian, the cousin he never knew he had, and Lily, the sword-slinging healer who’d rather fight than mend bones, Ethan travels an arduous road―dodging imprisonment, battling beasts he thought only existed in nightmares, and accepting help from the beings he’s always sought to avoid: ghosts. This L.A. teen must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother, the fearless girl he’s fallen for, and all the people of Tara.

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  February 20th, 2017. Jana Nyman´s rating: 3.5 | Erika Lewis | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |

  JANA NYMAN, with us since January 2015, is a freelance copy-editor who has lived all over the United States, but recently settled in Colorado with her dog and a Wookiee. Jana was exposed to science fiction and fantasy at an early age, watching Star Wars and Star Trek movie marathons with her family and reading works by Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury WAY before she was old enough to understand them; thus began a lifelong fascination with what it means to be human. Jana enjoys reading all kinds of books, but her particular favorites are fairy- and folktales (old and new), fantasy involving dragons or other mythological beasties, contemporary science fiction, and superhero fiction. Some of her favorite authors are Bradbury, James Tiptree, Jr., Madeleine L'Engle, and Philip Pullman.

• RT Book Reviews
  https://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/game-shadows
  Word count: 358

  Science Fiction / Fantasy

  RT Rating:

  Genre:
  Science Fiction, Fantasy
  Published:
  February 28 2017
  Publisher:
  Tor Books
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  5 GOLD: Phenomenal. In a class by itself.
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  GAME OF SHADOWS
  Author(s): Erika Lewis
  Myth and celtic fantasy meet in a novel that opens strong but never quite finds its footing. Some elements show great creativity, such as the shipboard map and the Ravens. However, the characters, the storyline and the worldbuilding all need more development. They waver on the cusp of “intriguing” but ultimately remain shallow. The setup for a sequel does seem solid, as long as these weaknesses are shored up.
  Ethan Makkai sees dead people. He also has an ultra-protective mother who rarely lets him out of her sight. The one time he manages to slip away all manner of disaster erupts. Chased down by swarms of angry birds, Ethan escapes with the help of a strange man. When he reaches his apartment, he discovers that it’s been trashed, his mother apparently abducted. The stranger who rescued Ethan tells him they must leave at once for Tara, a hidden continent where Ethan finds out that most of what he has believed about himself is a lie. (TOR, Feb., 400 pp., $25.99)

  Reviewed by:
  Carrie Townsend

• Nerdophiles
  http://www.nerdophiles.com/2017/03/03/celtic-magic-comes-to-life-in-erika-lewiss-debut-novel-game-of-shadows/
  Word count: 1004

  CELTIC MAGIC COMES TO LIFE IN ERIKA LEWIS’S DEBUT NOVEL, ‘GAME OF SHADOWS’
  March 3, 2017 · by Sam Wildman · in Book, Review, Sam Wildman
  A REVIEW COPY OF GAME OF SHADOWS WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW. NERDOPHILES WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS REVIEW. OUR OPINIONS ARE OURS AND OURS ALONE.

  divider

  Author: Erika Lewis
  Release Date: February 28, 2017
  Publisher: Tor Books
  Review Spoilers: Moderate
  GoodReads | Amazon

  Rating:
  Some books are just so captivating you can’t stand to put them down. The story engages you and the thought of putting it down even to sleep is disappointing because it means you have to wait to see what comes next. Game of Shadows was one of those books for me. I read through the entire thing in about twenty-four hours time because it was just that entertaining.
  If you’re looking for a fun, action-packed read that will keep you hooked from start to finished then let me introduce you to Erika Lewis’s Game of Shadows. Because it fits the bill! (As long as you’re a fan of young adult fantasy.)

  The book follows a kid named Ethan Makkai, who has grown up under the shadow of his overprotective mother. However, on his birthday, he learns that nothing in his life has every been what it seemed. He is not just a ordinary teenager from a low income family in Los Angeles with an inexplicable secret ability to see ghosts. Instead, he is descended from a royal family leading one of the kingdoms on the long lost island of Tara.

  After his mother is kidnapped, Ethan finds himself being taken to Tara by a guardian he’s never met before but who has protected him his whole life. Ethan quickly goes from obscure high school student to heir apparent after he learns that his uncle was recently murdered. It turns out that Ethan’s family passes on the claim to the throne through his very distinct supernatural power to commune with the dead and he his the only Makkai left with this gift.

  Tara is a strange, wild place where magic is real, creatures from Celtic mythology are real, and it takes Ethan a while to really understand what’s going on. He meets family members he never knew about including a father he had been told was dead which is understandably jarring.

  With the help of his cousin, Christian, and a girl named Lily whose family is loyal to the Makkai family, he starts to search for his mother in hopes of rescuing her and defeating the evil sorcerer he learns kidnapped her. Along the way he becomes acquainted with the people and beings of the island of Tara, develops strong relationships with various characters, and learns what it feels like to be betrayed even by those closest to you.

  Ethan’s journey is incredibly fast-paced and he shows a lot of personal growth throughout. He goes from helpless American teenager to future monarch quickly but not necessarily unrealistically. One of the benefits to Ethan being the focus of this story is that he’s relatable. I could see some people thinking he’s a bit of a stereotypical hero-type but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And he does make mistakes as he goes along – he just learns from them. He relies on the people around him and he acknowledges his own limitations while still challenging himself to rise above them.

  The story does a really great job of tying Ethan’s personal journey of growth and revenge into it’s world building. He, his cousin, and Lily travel across Tara introducing us to a wide variety of beings, creatures, and magic. We get to learn the political structures of the various regions in Tara, their relationships, and how the islands history has shaped everything. It’s actually really cool how much effort was put into developing the geopolitical factors of Tara. (I’m a nerd who really enjoys stuff like that.)

  There were only a few things about the book that really bothered me. One of them was the ultimate revelation of betrayal I talked about earlier. It was just a little too stereotypical for me. When we first met the character in the book I immediately thought, “I really hope he doesn’t end up being evil.” And lo’ and behold: he was evil.

  My other concern was the ending. I’m not talking about the actual ending which is actually pretty great. And while I don’t really want to spoil too much for any of you who may want to read the book I will say that there is an ‘epilogue’ at the very end that’s set well over a year later. In my opinion, it just didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the book. It feels almost gimmicky – and all it really does is set the stage for a sequel with a scene that could have just been the start of that second book.

  Otherwise, I really enjoyed Game of Shadows.

  I’m a sucker for fast paced, action packed stories and this is one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a while. As I said earlier, I was hooked from the beginning. The writing is engaging, the story is fun, and the focus on Celtic mythology is a nice change of pace from the more Greek and Roman mythology-focused books I’ve been reading as of late. If nothing else, this is one heck of a debut novel – and I can’t wait to see what Erika Lewis does next. If you’re looking for a quick, easy read that satisfies from start to finish (the epilogue notwithstanding), then give Game of Shadows a try!