
The Shadow of What Was Lost
Book One of the Licanius Trilogy
James Islington(Author)
Orbit (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 20. October 2026
Book
Hardback
512 pages
978-0-356-53185-4 (ISBN)
Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Will of the Many, James Islington, The Shadow of What Was Lost is the start of his phenomenal debut trilogy where a young man with forbidden magic finds himself drawn into an ancient war against a dangerous enemy.
This striking deluxe edition features stencilled sprayed edges, a foil stamped case and custom endpapers.
'Reminiscent of Robert Jordan or Brandon Sanderson, Islington's writing is refreshingly fast paced, with a light and clever touch' Booklist
As destiny calls, a journey begins.
It has been twenty years since the godlike Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them - the Gifted - are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers.
As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he and his friends Wirr and Asha set into motion a chain of events that will change everything.
To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is. . .
And in the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir.
The Licanius Trilogy is a series readers will have a hard time putting down - a relentless coming-of-age epic from the very first page.
'Storytelling assurance rare for a debut . . . Fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire' Guardian
The Licanius Trilogy
The Shadow of What Was Lost
An Echo of Things to Come
The Light of All that Falls
This striking deluxe edition features stencilled sprayed edges, a foil stamped case and custom endpapers.
'Reminiscent of Robert Jordan or Brandon Sanderson, Islington's writing is refreshingly fast paced, with a light and clever touch' Booklist
As destiny calls, a journey begins.
It has been twenty years since the godlike Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them - the Gifted - are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers.
As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he and his friends Wirr and Asha set into motion a chain of events that will change everything.
To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is. . .
And in the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir.
The Licanius Trilogy is a series readers will have a hard time putting down - a relentless coming-of-age epic from the very first page.
'Storytelling assurance rare for a debut . . . Fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire' Guardian
The Licanius Trilogy
The Shadow of What Was Lost
An Echo of Things to Come
The Light of All that Falls
Reviews / Votes
Storytelling assurance rare for a debut . . . Fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire So exciting . . . Will appeal not only to The Wheel of Time readers, but to anybody looking for a coming-of-age fantasy tale with likeable characters and strong worldbuilding A traditional coming-of-age, saving-the-world epic fantasy in the vein of Tad Williams, Raymond E. Feist (and yes, Robert Jordan). But it also has the flavour of something new . . . You'll be left wanting more Action aplenty and an ample spattering of violence . . . This is a whole new world with a fresh fantasy streak A relentless juggernaut of a book . . . Astoundingly intricate worldbuilding Wonderful worldbuilding and terrific characters Incessant plot twists and a relentless pace Love the Wheel of Time? This is about to become your new favourite series Complex magic, terrifying threats out of legend, political intrigue, and a large cast of characters . . . Fans of doorstop epic fantasy will not be disappointed Magic, monsters, prophecies, betrayals and revenge . . . The first novel by James Islington has it all Definitely a series to watch out for. It has everything you wish in Epic fantasy and a lot more An action-packed nailbiter Relentless pace and exciting plot . . . absorbing and impressiveMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-356-53185-4 (9780356531854)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
James Islington was born and raised in southern Victoria, Australia. An avid fantasy reader for many years, it was only when he read Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series that he was finally inspired to write something of his own. He now lives with his wife and daughter on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.