Shadow Runner


Fiction - Womens
277 Pages
Reviewed on 05/31/2023
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

KJ Fieler is known for her exceptional storytelling and captivating narratives. She's won multiple awards, including:
* Literary Titan Gold
* Firebird Award for Women's Issues and Weird Genre
* 2023 Historical Fiction Company, 5-star Reader's Choice and Silver Award for Fantasy
* The 20th Annual "Best Book" Awards, Finalist
* Reader's Favorite, 5-star Reader's Choice and Finalist

    Book Review

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler is a coming-of-age adventure story about Ada, a young girl taken from her affluent life and turned into an assassin. Ada is just ten years old when she is snatched away from her dysfunctional yet rich family by Nadine, a mistress with big aspirations for Ada. She teaches Ada how to steal and fight without getting caught, and Ada keeps these lessons close to her heart. Blood, hunger, and fighting become a regular part of Ada’s life. As a pawn in a dark and twisted organization for which she is just another fighting body, Ada learns to adapt. However, the real trouble begins when she comes of age and wants more for her life. Instead of the blood and the predatory behavior that is ingrained in her young mind, Ada wants something else. She can escape at the cost of the two people who mean the world to her. Will Ada be able to leave the shadows behind?

Gripping and gritty, Shadow Runner had my attention from the get-go. Set in 19th-century society but with a twist, the story opens with plenty of drama that made me sympathize with Ada. Losing her mother unsettled the family dynamic. Her father isn’t very attentive, and Ada wants that desperately. Even though Nadine mysteriously kidnaps her, she gets the attention and the purpose she desires. It is surprising, but she thrives in the dark and dingy atmosphere where she has to fight for everything so readily available to her before she was kidnapped. The story is sometimes dark and gruesome, but it is perfect nonetheless. K. J. Fieler ensures we are immersed in the action and drama from the very beginning. I enjoyed the intensity of the pace and how well it is crafted around Ada. Her growth directly impacts the story and made it better!

K.C. Finn

Shadow Runner is a work of fiction in the adventure, action, and suspense subgenres. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience as it contains references to violence and assassination. Penned by K.J. Fieler, this gripping work takes all the eerie charm of a psychological thriller and combines it with a seemingly supernatural, speculative adventure novel. Here, we meet our protagonist Ada as she lives a life of luxury. But a luxurious cage is still a cage, and as Ada longs for freedom, fate hands her a new career as an assassin, trained by a deadly secret society.

K.J. Fieler has crafted a very engrossing and action-packed tale that never relaxes its air of tension and mystery. I enjoyed Ada as the central figure, and it was clear that the author put a lot of work into her emotional and psychological development. Fieler lets us see the different influences that enable her to be so ruthless at times but then also experience vulnerability, heartache, and torment when faced with her actions versus her attachment to the people she loves. I also really enjoyed the concept and worldbuilding of the chilling dark vision that the author created for the world Ada lives in, juxtaposing the glamour of a noble life with the secrets and shadows of the assassin’s world. Shadow Runner is a work that fans of fast-paced drama, dark storytelling, and deep character development are sure to adore, and I can’t wait to discover more by this author in the future.

Emma Megan

Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler follows the journey of a young woman whose dull and predictable existence is disrupted by a series of supernatural events. Ada comes from a wealthy family. She is the first to be born. Ada wants freedom and adventure but knows that her only choice in life will be to surrender to the role of wife and mother. Fortunately, her mother is about to give birth to a son, the heir her parents have always wanted. However, a tragic event changes the course of her life. Now that Ada is on her own, she starts to see the most dreadful things. Perhaps her mind plays tricks on her or the stories she heard about the shadows are indeed real. From now on, Ada will have to lie, steal for a living, and earn her place among the most feared monsters.

Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler is a gripping story, full of peril and intrigue that transports us to a world where supernatural events change the lives of orphans. It's told with skill, originality, and lots of heart. Even though few of the challenges the protagonist will face are meant to be relatable, this story guarantees to inspire, shock, and capture your heart until the very end. Fieler delivers a unique voice, an escalating plot, and a compelling story with rich world-building filled with unforgettable, imperfect characters and captivating action scenes. She also delivers a finale that is suspenseful and ultimately satisfying. Shadow Runner is expertly written and suitable for every fan of Victorian England and supernatural stories.

Miche Arendse

Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler follows the story of Ada, a young girl born into a happy and well-off family. Everything in life seems perfect until the arrival of her baby brother turns into a tragedy that causes Ada’s life to fall apart. Worst of all, it seems monsters are lurking in the shadows of her once-happy home. When Ada tries to find out what precisely these apparitions are, she finds herself whisked away by one of them.

Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler is a compelling story from start to finish. The first few chapters pulled at my heartstrings because, at such a young age, Ada is made to endure so much tragedy in such a small space of time. This, however, is one of the reasons that I began to love her character. Ada might have grown up a spoilt young girl, but she is always spunky and feisty, which becomes even more apparent as she gets older. The character growth for Ada is wonderful to see, along with the new relationships she forges on her journey as a shadow. Fieler does an amazing job with the characters and especially the world-building. The scenes are described with enough detail that I could see them come to life. The story's pacing is also well done; at no point was I ever lost or confused. Overall, I enjoyed it and hope to see more from Fieler.

Essien Asian

Ada is oblivious to the turmoil her family is experiencing until the moment her mother dies from complications during childbirth. Before she can come to terms with the loss, she is kidnapped from her home by a shady individual who introduces her to a world of treachery and death where shadows steal and kill on instruction without a second thought. Ada longs to escape this hell and return to the safety of her father's arms but realizes that sacrifices must be made on her part for this to happen. Will she be reunited with her loved ones, or will she become the next victim of the blue door in K.J. Fieler's Shadow Runner?

Emotions complicate the ruthless working relationship between an assassin and her understudy in K.J. Fieler's fast-paced action offering. The storyline feels like a version of Oliver Twist set in a dystopian alternative reality, while the honor and loyalty subplots are gripping from the start to the finish of this interesting tale. As Ada develops a relationship with Dieb, it is fairly obvious from their discussions that both players are holding their cards close to their chests in anticipation of an explosive reckoning. All the while, Gilda's interest in Nadine's activities makes you wonder if her intentions are not part of a bigger scheme. The combination of action and drama, brought to life with the aid of impressive storytelling from Fieler, creates the aura of a high-stakes chess match rapidly winding its way to checkmate. Fieler's Shadow Runner is in a class of its own.