Review of The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding

Chris Wooding's The Ember Blade (2018), while vanilla in style and not the most mature epic fantasy ever written, had just enough something to push it over the line to earn interest in a sequel, a sequel which turned out to be 2023's The Shadow Casket. Does it too have enough something to get over the next line?

The Shadow Casket picks up three years after the events of The Ember Blade. Aren and his group of friends remain in hiding, the numinous blade likewise tucked secretly away. Looking for allies to start a revolution and free Ossia from the Krodans, Aren attempts to convince some of the outlying tribes of the value of aligning with him in a fight. In doing so, he likewise learns of another numinous object, the titular casket, which may be the key to their cause. Meanwhile, the Krodans are razing the land, looking for Aren and the sword. Klyssen, upset with the manner win Kroda is recklessly destroying its economic and social base, lashes out as his superior, and is punished for it. Taken from home and family, he faces exile, and in doing so accidentally crosses paths with the undercurrents of Krodan society working with the darkest of magics. Will he be able to rally Kroda against Aren and his friends?

The short review is: if you liked The Ember Blade, you will like The Shadow Casket. It's consistent. But while The Shadow Casket continues in the same vein, it changed my mind about on one thing: mode. As stated, The Ember Blade is not the most mature epic fantasy novel every written. But that is from the perspective of an adult. If I were sixteen years old, I think The Ember Blade would probably rock, and The Shadow Casket along with it. I realize now that adults are not the target audience. I would not go so far as to call the Darkwater Legacy series YA, however, the assumptions it makes of reader awareness and understanding are not ambitious. Can an adult enjoy it? Yes, but the books' mode is one geared toward less sophisticated readers.

In fact, the Darkwater Legacy novels now appear in my mind as a story Wooding is writing for teens everywhere, a story which foregoes the style of contemporary grimdark authors, authors often so eager to dash readers' hopes with nihilism and forego the timeless themes of loyalty, honor, and responsibility. In this context, The Shadow Casket is something of a breath of fresh air (ironically). It's a series a young person with a balanced outlook on life can feel affirmed by, a series a young person with personal and social challenges can feel guided by, and a series a parent can be happy their son or daughter is enjoying. Having this perspective changed my relationship with The Shadow Casket and the series.

Having that perspective also allows the reader to ignore some of the books' overt issues. For example, Wooding's straight-forward, nuts and bolts style. It can't be said the narrative has verve or edge. It's meant for a straight-forward, nuts and bolts reader. Another example is padding. Somehow The Shadow Casket is 800+ pages. Upon completion and thinking back over the major events, the reader wonders: How did that take up so much space? Compare what George R.R. Martin puts into 800 pages to Wooding's, and a difference is noticeable. The Shadow Casket is just not efficient writing. For example, there are moments, particularly toward the end, in which Wooding gets a bit muddled in his own creation. A couple storylines (e.g. Stivan's) come across as more manipulative (i.e. generating drama) than effective (i.e. evolving the story). All in all, The Shadow Casket doesn't really get going til the halfway point. The first 400 pages could have been dealt with in a backstory chapter or two, and the reader wouldn't miss much.

In the end, The Shadow Casket is more generic than its predecessor, The Ember Blade, a fact which has good and bad aspects. Readers looking for something unique, innovative, and edgy will likely not find what they are looking for. Wooding plays with the toys of epic fantasy in his own way, but not in that way. All this being said, for teens and parents of teens looking for traditional fantasy updated for the 21st century, Wooding offers something the edgelords of grimdark today do not. An affirmation of the value of friendship, knowing one's self, and behaving with honor and respect are some of the themes which are throwback in style but remain contemporary in the telling. For me personally, I don't think I'll be continuing with the series. But when my son and daughter reach their teens, I will recommend it.