Gold Shadow

Bronze Rebellion Book 1

Fiction - Dystopia
418 Pages
Reviewed on 12/31/2017
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

L.C. Perry is a young indie author and avid reader of Young Adult, Romance, Dystopia, Paranormal, Suspense and Action novels.
Her love for reading started with Candy Apple books and blossomed with the book Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi. In the seventh grade, she discovered her passion for writing and started her first novel. Throughout middle school and high school, her main hobby was surrounded by books.
When she isn’t reading or writing, she is listening to music, watching anime, eating sweets, hanging out with family/friends and daydreaming. She is now currently attending Emory University.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Two young women, from opposite ends of the spectrum, are set to collide in L.C. Perry's dystopian fiction Gold Shadow (Bronze Rebellion Book 1). Eighteen-year-old Ebony, born a slave, has only ever known the horrors and struggle for survival underground as a slave in the root city. She yearns for one thing only - to end it all and to take some of the accursed overseers with her. Princess Irene is surrounded by luxury and treated with deference by everyone. Her only focus in life is her coming-of-age celebrations and to meet the man of her dreams and marry him, so he can rule and she can live the pampered life she is so used to as queen. Princess Irene has no clue of the way in which her country is structured; that it is slaves who allow the wealthy to live the life of luxury they do. She blithely believes her mother and father rule with a gentle and loving hand. This is a dystopian America some time in the future, and two very different young women will determine its direction.

L.C. Perry, in Gold Shadow (Bronze Rebellion Book 1), has given us a fascinating vision of what a dystopian America could look like if democracy was swept away by a form of monarchical feudalism. The author's ability to contrast the two vastly different lifestyles and makeups of these two women gives the reader a hint of how clever and skilled a writer she is. On the one hand, we have Ebony whose entire life has been dedicated to following orders, to never answering back, to never making connections with others and, most of all, to hiding her beauty from the cruel and merciless masters. Contrast that with Irene, who is the archetypal spoilt little princess, whose every thought is self-centred and vapid. Perry does a marvellous job of serving up both sides of this coin. The book is easy to read and will definitely appeal to a young adult audience, but is equally suitable for all adults. I think the biggest compliment I can pay any author writing the first book in a series is that I want to read book two and find out what happens to these characters I have invested in. I can say this about Gold Shadow. As the beginning of a series, this book has hit the mark - bull's eye. Great job by L.C. Perry.

Jessica Jesinghaus

Settle in and prepare yourself for a wonderful entry to the Bronze Rebellion Series. Gold Shadow, by L.C. Perry , introduces us to an alternate, dystopian world in which an elite ruling monarchy presides over the various continents and the ‘lesser communities’ outside their grand palaces. This is a world in which slavery is commonplace, with the majority of slaves toiling underground and unseen in deplorable conditions while under the thumbs of merciless guards and officers. It is from these two disparate worlds that author L.C. Perry gives us two very different main characters: Ebony (the slave) and Irene (the princess).

If I had to choose a favorite character it would be, far and away, Ebony. But I’m certain that was by the author’s design. Princess Irene (Ivory in my mind, given her stark contrast to Ebony) is a spoiled little girl on the cusp of womanhood, with no idea of what the world outside her palace is like. Her parents have kept the ugly truth hidden from her and it is for this reason that I can forgive Irene her callousness and her insensitivity. She really has no clue. The way she bows to her parents’ demands and manipulations was actually a warped mirror of Ebony’s life as a slave and one that was deftly utilized. Ebony, although downtrodden her entire life, is the strong one and, when fate gives her a chance to escape her life as a slave and join the Rebellion, we really see her shine. Ebony is a broken young woman, but with each break she seems to have healed stronger. Her torture and torment were visceral and not for the faint of heart.

While Gold Shadow, by nature of being the first book in a series, has a lot of exposition and world building to accomplish, L.C. Perry doesn’t waste too much time on explanations. She lets it develop and unfold organically as the story progresses. There are, at times, a plethora of characters to keep track of, but Ms. Perry does a remarkable job of instilling unique personalities and features to them all, making our job as readers that much easier. The dialogue is crisp and true to life. Although I’ve said it already in this review, it is the stark contrast between the lives of the slave Ebony and the princess Irene where L.C. Perry’s writing truly shines. Each character supports and contrasts the other, even though their paths don’t intersect until quite late in the story. I’m excited for the next installment and can’t wait to see where the journey takes us.

Mamta Madhavan

Gold Shadow: Bronze Rebellion Book 1 by L.C. Perry revolves around the evils of a slavery system. “You are no one. No one at all. And for that reason, you exist only to serve those in power. Never for yourself.” These are the words that remained ingrained inside Ebony’s head. The slaves were always targeted and rejected and she wondered if it was a curse of a lifetime. Between the bruised knuckles and splintered feet, sleep was the only luxury and the only safe haven the slaves had. The slaves were always made to work in bad conditions. As the story progresses, Ebony escapes - along with a few other slaves - with the help of rebels.They realize the outside world is entirely different from theirs. That is the beginning of a rebellion to put an end to slavery.

Running parallel to this is the story of Princess Irene, which has been knitted in beautifully. The plot is intriguing, complex, and has many layers to it, thereby making it a compelling read. Though the story revolves around Ebony, Princess Irene’s character is also well portrayed and memorable. Ebony’s character is cold, but she will grow on readers as the story moves forward. Though the subject handled is sensitive, the book has its moments of laughter, anger, intrigue, drama, thrills, and action in the right doses. The author also manages to depict pain and sadness through the characters and their situations. The book ends on a positive note and has an open ending which will make readers eagerly anticipate Book 2. It is a great book to read and own.