In Evarance (Rise of the Shadows) by Bonnie M. Clark, 12-year-old Rachel finds a mysterious bracelet that belonged to her missing aunt, a little fire charm that shimmers in the sunlight, as if it is burning. Little does she know that it would change her world, particularly her dream world, which is initially a beautiful place filled with mysterious, wonderful creatures. However, it’s soon engulfed by darkness known as Shadai, which is rapidly expanding and traps her in dreams that turn into nightmares.

The intricate world-building of Calim and its storyline, with ethereal beings both good and bad, is richly developed so that even with the closing of the last chapter, it lives on in readers’ minds. Rachel meets the friendly and protective fire foxes, building a strong bond between them. As her older brother Chris and sister Evalyn appear in Calim as well, they meet more fascinating, yet also dangerous beings such as the dragons, the wolf-like kobolds, and the shadow wolves. There are even ‘dreamers’ known as the Echoes.

The interesting concept has solid ingenuity and the prose is clear cut and flawless. The ending is nicely wrapped with a hint that will keep readers intrigued about what will happen next. This is an engaging fantasy read from start to finish and is an unexpected gem. It does make me think more about my dreams and their meanings. Any YA readers who love a substantial plot will be satisfied with Evarance and will want to follow this series as Rachel’s adventures in Calim continue.

Evarance: Rise of the Shadows is a young adult fantasy novel by Bonnie M. Clark and the first book in the Evarance series. Time is running out for Rachel. She has only two weeks to return to Earth or the elementals will have no choice but to kill her. Through dreaming, she used to travel to Calim via something known as the Evarance. She used to return to Earth every time she woke up. Unfortunately, she’s not waking up anymore. She’s trapped in Calim and every moment she stays there the darkness threatens to engulf all of Calim. To Rachel’s surprise, she isn’t the only one who knows about Calim – her brother and sister have been there as well. They are Rachel’s only hope of returning to her own world. That is if they can find her in time.

Meeting the fire foxes along with Rachel was fun. Of course, meeting the shadow wolves was a different story. Fire foxes and shadow wolves aren’t the only creatures readers will get to meet. Calim is a world full of elementals which include aquamares, horses made purely out of water, and Luminaries, creatures born out of the element of light. Calim is home to dragons as well, which was an added bonus. The story revolves primarily around Rachel, but her siblings, Chris and Evalyn, get enough room in the novel to grow as characters in their quest to find Rachel. In a book where different characters and species set about achieving their own goals, the reader will be impressed and mystified by the author’s shining talent for connecting the dots in just the right places.

We've all been there: those strange places that our dreams take us to, as we close our eyes and let the "real" world slip away. So it is with Rachel, a young girl who finds herself in that awkward in-between stage of passing from childhood to adulthood, as she moves through her very ordinary, utterly unexciting suburbanite life. The great thing about dreams is that they let us escape for a bit. We get to have adventures, and we're never really in any danger no matter what happens, because we always wake up. Everybody knows that. Rachel knows that. But, what if we didn't wake up? What if all the magical creatures and places that we traveled to in the safety of our dreams were no longer so safe or magical because our dreams were no longer just dreams? And, what if we weren't the only ones suddenly living between two worlds? What if the world of our dreams became blurred with the real world, and not just for us, but also for the ones we love? What if?

Come along with Rachel and find out as you read "Evarance," a well-written and fluid first novel from a very gifted writer. Whether you're a young adult or an adult who is young at heart, this is a great book. I think that, like me, you'll look forward to following Rachel, her family and her new and decidedly interesting friends, as this series progresses.

This is a highly enjoyable young adult novel. The characters are well done and love the fleshed out world of Calim. The author did a great job in crafting the origins of Calim and giving that world a history that feels authentic. She did a fantastic job crafting a unique transport between the two worlds of the novel. It felt organic and it is often a stumbling block of the genre that was deftly navigated. I eagerly await the sequel.