Review Detail

With the verbal brush-strokes of a Renaissance artist, T.D. Shields crafts a vivid picture of a world two centuries in the future. Thousands of books are given such a setting, but it takes a skilled author to immerse us in that world without weighing the story down in descriptions.

Set in heart of the former United States after decades of global war and economic change, Into Shadow pulls you in immediately as we are introduced to nineteen-year-old Poppy Walker, the First Lady and daughter of the President, whose life takes a turn for the tragic after a violent coup leaves her without a home and running for her life.

But Poppy is no soft, spoiled aristocrat. Possessing a toughness and a resilience that belies her diminutive height, Poppy not only escapes to but is able to survive on her own in the shattered remnants of the city of Denver, a land beset by nasty animals, lethal vegetation and vicious street gangs.

I love stories with strong female characters, and Poppy is such a character. She's tough, fiercely loyal, and takes crap from NO ONE. But she also displays a shy awkwardness and vulnerability that teenage girls will easily identify with and root for.

I would highly recommend Into Shadow to anyone who loves YA fantasy. The second half of Poppy's story, Into Light, cannot come fast enough for me.