Indie Book Review: Child of Shivay by JR Cathers -

Book Review: Child of Shivay by JR Cathers

Genre: Romantasy/ romantic fantasy

Length: 511 pages

Book 1 of planned series named The Veils of Terr.

Currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

This book is currently independently published. While paperbacks and ebooks can be purchased on amazon, beautiful specials editions with sprayed edges, character artwork, and author signature can be found on JR Cather’s website here.

What is it?

Child of Shivay is the debut novel of indie author JR Cathers. It is the first book of the romantic fantasy series entitled the Veils of Terr.

There is currently only one book available, but the author is hard at work writing book 2.

*** This is a fantasy romance book intended for adults. It may not be suitable for all readers. Be sure to check the trigger warnings provided by the author to determine if the book is a good fit for you.

Indie Author

Jr Cathers is an indie author. What does this mean? It means that she does not work with a publishing company (as of yet). She is responsible for publishing and marketing her own book.

Today it is very common for authors to start by self-publishing their work on platforms like Kindle Unlimited and later become picked up by traditional publishers? Why does this happen? It is often hard for new authors to get the attention of publishing companies. We have all heard the stories of now very famous authors who were turned down dozens of times for the books that became their biggest successes. After a book has gained some traction with readers (often because of social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok) these independently published books are often republished by large publishing companies. However, many authors prefer to be independently published because of the control that they can maintain over their own work.

Why does this matter? Indie authors working hard to have their dream career without the support and finances that come along with traditional publishing deals. They cannot be successful without readers who have recognized and love their work. Because they are self-published you are, in a sense, supporting a small business.

What is romantic fantasy?

Romantasy and romantic fantasy are often used as interchangeable terms. However, the key difference between the two genres is how prominent the romance is in the story. While both have a strong focus on the romance in the story, a romantasy story is centered around the romance. A romantic fantasy has a strong romance, but focuses on the fantasy elements and plot of the book.

Child of Shivay is a perfect example of a romantic fantasy. While the story could not exist without the romance, it focuses more on the world and the adventure of the main character than the romance itself.

Official Blurb

Two hundred years ago, when mortals hunted the Fae toward extinction, the Ancients sundered the veils of Terr, fracturing their world into five realms. Many fled beyond the veil of war, but not all who remained did so with benevolent intentions.
Shivaria is an elite assassin of the crown, forged through brutal training for a single purpose: end the life of the Feyn King. When she finds herself upon foreign shores, seeking the fulfillment of her mission, she discovers a realm steeped in ancient power, forgotten truths, and whispered legends that defy everything she was taught.
When she finds herself bound to the king’s general, sought by the Fae in the northern woods, and unearthing the hidden truths of her world, Shivaria is thrust into a choice that will define her fate: follow the path she has always known, or endure a breaking that will set her on a course destined by the fates.

What I did/did not like?

This book instantly became a new favorite of mine. I originally became interested in this book because I was seeing it all over my social media feed. When I asked my Instagram page to look at the books I was having a hard time deciding between, Child of Shivay was the clear winner, beating Mistborn, Red Rising, and Gild. Because people were telling me to read it before these other books that already had huge fan bases, I knew I had to try it.

This book broke me emotionally and mentally. It was nothing that I expected from a debut book. The writing was amazing and the story was so clearly well-planned. It is one of those books that you can easily go back through and look for easter eggs over and over again. And people have! There are entire podcasts dedicated to trying to discover the hidden meaning and agendas in this book. Child of Shivay is one of those books that you finish and immediately want to read again to try to piece more things together.

There is a fierce, determined, assassin FMC (female main character) and an absolutely obsessed MMC (male main character). There is tons of mystery. There are so many lies that you are trying to decipher with the main character and nothing really makes sense as you go on this journey with Shivaria (our FMC). She is trying to make sense of her entire life while she has no idea what the truth of her entire existence is.

Honestly, this book almost feels like two different stories. The first 20% of the book is almost like a novella where you get to know the main character before she goes into the main story. I loved this aspect. I found myself wanting to know as much as I could about Shivaria and her past. However, if you find this isn’t for you, try to getting to the 20% mark before you write of this story.

Child of Shivay has everything you would expect from a romantic fantasy book while being completely its own.

There are two bonus chapters available for this book from the author. It is very important that you read these after you have finished the main story. However, if you do not like an cliffhanger, I suggest holding off on the bonus chapters until the next book is available. I actually lost sleep over this chapter.

Is it spicy?

Yes. This book has several spicy chapters, however, it is usually obvious that they are about to happen and can easily be skipped if that is your prefernce.