Let’s start this review with a matter of fact: most fantasy readers believe romantasy to be much more a son of the romance genre than of the fantasy genre. I dislike prejudices, so I decided to analyze a phenomenon that has been quite successful on the Italian scene to draw my own conclusions. The Hidden Society project by Il Castoro OFF, four authors and four standalone stories set in one Italian based fantasy romance world. Among the four books, I chose “Ali e Ombre” by Lou Archer since I had already read one of the author’s other publications with great appreciation of their work.
La musica sveglia i morti. Li riporta indietro. Ma tu devi essere abbastanza attenta da saper ascoltare. Solo così troverai ciò che stai cercando.
The story follows Velia who finds herself in Bologna with her sister Alba after escaping a toxic relationship. When she meets Ravel during a band rehearsal, all her attention turns towards him and the uncovering of his mysteries: why is he never seen during the day? What secrets lie hidden in his silences? And how deeply is he involved in the horrific murders that are plaguing the city? Velia may already know the answers, but accepting a reality that cannot be rationally explained is harder than she could ever imagine… especially when her heart finally starts to beat again.
E poi la colpa, costante, che avvertivo per ogni cosa, per tutto, quel debito eterno nei suoi confronti, perché lui mi amava di più e più forte di chiunque altro.
The novel’s protagonist has a complex history, marked by trauma and depression following the accident she survived at the expense of her mother. At the beginning of the story, it’s as if she, too, were dead, having lost everything—even her passion for music. Her encounter with Ravel reignites a spark of life within her, but it’s hard to bring herself to take a chance again after so much suffering. There’s a lot of talk these days about green and red flags in love, but real life is often complex to interpret while you are going through it: Velia has a powerful introspective voice that is here used to address issues of violence and toxic love, free will and control, with great sensitivity and concrete examples that could inspire readers to navigate their formative years with greater awareness and self-respect. Her ability to break an intergenerational cycle of submission, with the help and love of trusted people, fills the heart with hope for a positive change.
I mostri non sono solo aberrazioni. Sono specchi. Riflettono ciò che temiamo, ma anche ciò che desideriamo. Sono un modo per dare forma a ciò che non sappiamo ammettere o chiedere.
The fantasy world-building hidden behind the urban setting, featuring a truly evocative wintertime Bologna, reveals some weaknesses to the trained eye of a genre reader. Although the concept of the monstrous is explored in an intriguing way, we still encounter the familiar tropes of rivalry, revenge and violence which seem to clash with the protagonist’s transformation arc above described. This mismatch was highlighted, in my opinion, by a pacing issue that weighs on the last third of the novel, where the plot slips on to some infodumps and drags on risking the loss of the more critical reader’s attention. All in all, I am inclined to believe that further research on fantasy literature and careful planning would have allowed the plot to develop in a more original way, thus conveying the strongest message of the entire story.
In conclusion, “Ali e Ombre” is a compelling romance project, resulting in an emotional read for those who carry emotional scars and are now set on a personal healing journey. The book is meticulously crafted and refined in its presentation, both in the hardback and paperback version, one that deserves a spot on your bookshelf if you’re looking above all else for a strong love story, with just a touch of mystery and magic added to the potion.
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Title: Ali e Ombre
Author: Lou Archer
ISBN code: 9791255335399
Publisher: Il Castoro OFF
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What you will find in this book:
Toxic love vs intimacy
A fascinating urban setting
Lots of music
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