IN THE SHADOW OF THE THRONE

A teen boy escapes to the dangerous and fantastic land of Lymeria.

A trip to New York City with his family should have been fun, but Jordan is sick of being responsible for his active younger twin brothers. When he wanders through an odd museum exhibit and into a mysterious wilderness, Jordan encounters Prince Astel being attacked by wolves. After saving him, Jordan is drawn into a fantastic adventure with monsters, knights, and royalty. Ruled by Queen Emereth, Lymeria is a land where magic is banned, but as strange and dangerous occurrences surface, Prince Astel and Jordan seek answers. Compelling themes of trust, secrets, friendship, and power are weakened by the rapid pacing that leads to shallow characterization. Likewise, the discussions of family ties and responsibility are intriguing but weakly developed. Despite Jordan’s reinventing himself in Lymeria, inverting typical genre tropes as he claims to be an orphan and is a brown-skinned foreign savior in a largely light-skinned fantasy world, the purpose of this interlude and its impact on Jordan as a person are ambiguous. Experienced readers will find the mystery predictable, with easily anticipated villains, and the awkwardly choreographed fight scenes weaken the drama and tension. The queer romance offers a sweet, slow burn that relies on blushes, introspective conversations, and adorable moments. The artwork is attractive and atmospheric, with clean, uncluttered lines. Jordan and his family are cued as Filipino.

Despite a sweet romance, misses an opportunity to fully develop its themes and characters.