Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for Shadow Rose by Elsie Quail!
Stolen goddess, twisted fates, a quest for the gods, a sapphic romance, and an intrepid group of friends whose lives are about to change — Shadow Rose delivers a fascinating fantasy full of beautiful aesthetics and an intriguign plot. It’s about a stolen prophecy shoved into the hands of Maeva of Elecara who must set off on a dangerous journey to return a child goddess to her rightful place in the Afterworld. Maeve of course does not get the option to go on this journey alone, and is joined by Princess Ophelia, her best friend Kiel, and her amazing shapeshifting eagle Orion. I always like a big friend group with great dynamics, and loved how this crew meshed together. I also loved that it was queer and Maeve has been pining for the princess since forever.
“I want all of you, promise me, promise me after this you will stay with me.”
Add this to your TBRs if you’re a fan of new adult fantasy romances and magical adventures!
Also I have an epic Q&A with the author below as well as a moodboard and giveaway!
Title: Shadow Rose (Daughters of Moon and Sun #1)
Author: Elsie Quail
Publication Date: May 31st, 2022
Genres: New Adult Fantasy
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Blackwell’s
Add on Goodreads
There is one who will restore the balance. Reunite the Shadow and Flame.
On one fateful night an insistent knock drags Maeva of Elecara out of a deep sleep. She rushes to her best friend’s side, Ophelia, only to have a stolen prophecy shoved into her hands. They must return a child goddess to her rightful place in the Afterworld.
With their other best friend Kiel, the three set off on an adventure through the kingdom that will not only risk all their lives, but Mae will find out what loyalty truly means, how far the bonds of her chosen family will go, and what it means to let the ice protecting her heart finally thaw.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the palace, in a room of stone, a prisoner is shackled and hidden. What are her choices? Try to free herself and meet the king’s wrath or wait for a savior. Blinded and broken, the prisoner bides her time. If the Gods are willing she will see her family again.
Shadow Rose is the first book in the Daughters of Moon and Sun duology. Shadow Rose is intended for audiences 18+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hailing from small town Ontario Elsie has always dreamed big. Writing from a young age and creating her own lands and characters to occupy her time. She now lives with her husband and two wildlings, Shadow Rose is her debut novel. Goodreads | Instagram
Hi Elsie! So excited to chat with you today about your debut, Shadow Rose! 🌙 Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing!
Hi, I’m Elsie! I’m from a small rural area in the middle of nowhere Canada. There’s not much to me, I’m a hairstylist/photographer by day and a write by night. I’ve always liked writing- in fact I made my dad a comic book about a sentient mushroom when I was a kid. I never thought it would go anywhere… but here we are!
A sentient mushroom!! I love it 😂😭 How long did it take Shadow Rose to go from the first spark of an idea to the finished novel?
From beginning to end Shadow Rose took about a year. The first draft took me five weeks to finish- I wrote ALL THE TIME. From there the rest of the 11 months were spent editing, beta reading, editing, editing… editing… and more editing. I was so proud when it was all over.
That is such an impressive timeframe to work under too! What inspired you to write Shadow Rose?
This is a two parter. I had a dream about a moon goddess and that was where the original idea came to be. I wanted to write from her POV exclusively at first but she wasn’t ready to talk to me that much. So Shadow Rose became a dual POV between her and the protagonist Mae.
Part two: Shadow Rose was an escape for me. I dealt with some trauma in early 2021 and was afraid to leave my house. Shadow Rose and the kingdom of Elecara became a place for me to be “around people” without being… well around people.
Favourite character to write?
Kiel – hands down. This man just hung out in my head all day cracking jokes.
Kiel was such a delight!! Now, if you could spend the day anywhere inside your book, where would you go?
Nyneve’s Cove, it’s serene, beautiful and bright. I’d love to just sit and read there.
That would be the perfect day for sure, 10/10. If you could take any souvenir from Shadow Rose’s world to our own world, what would you take?
Mae’s daggers. They’re beautiful.
It was lovely chatting with you, Elsie ✨ Thanks so much for this interview and all the fun answers!!
Enter the Rafflecopter below where one reader will win a physical copy of Shadow Rose sent via Amazon or Book Depository and another winner will receive a digital copy of Shadow Rose. Ends on June 22nd, 2022. Winners will be announced on @mtmctours’ Instagram account.
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This looks and sounds like the beginning of a great series.
I’m glad you think so!