Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Enjoyable fantasy sequel about teens settling ancient feuds.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When SHADOWS OF PERL begins, Quell, a 17-year-old girl, has run away from her grandmother's home and gone into hiding after binding herself to dark magic. She is on a quest to find her mother. Jordan, her love interest, is placed in charge of a magical campaign that may require him to kill Quell. Yargin, Jordan's brother, secretly takes Quell's side in helping her hide. Nore, another magical heiress, schemes to preserve a rival magical house.
At the start of SHADOWS OF PEARL, 17-year-old Quell has gone into hiding after binding herself to dark magic. During her search for her mother, she finds herself hunted by Jordan, her love interest who's been tasked with leading a magical campaign that might require him to kill her. Meanwhile, Jordan's brother Yargin secretly helps Quell hide, and Nore, a rival magical heiress, schemes to preserve her own house's power. They're all pursuing different goals, but it soon becomes clear that the race isn't just towards war, but towards saving magic altogether.
Is It Any Good?
This book is a truly satisfying sequel to its predecessor, with an intriguing setup for the final book of the trilogy. In Shadows of Perl by J. Elle, the main characters and their relationships grow in relatable ways. This book could be read stand on it's own—where backstory appears from the previous book, it's concise and helpful— but readers of House of Marionne will better appreciate the romantic arc that spans both books. The three alternating points of view can occasionally be hard to follow, but the character's perspectives do weave together and bring readers to the suspenseful cliffhanger ending.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss how characters in Shadows of Pearl struggle with competing expectations and desires. How do you maintain integrity when facing conflicting commitments? What helps you persevere when others question your integrity?
The author uses three points of view to tell this story. Why do you think they chose to do that? Why were these particular characters chosen?
Does Shadows of Perl ever tell us what it means for magic to be "good" or "bad"? Can you think of real-world examples of using strengths for bad purposes? How does self-control help a person use their powers for good purposes?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Integrity , Perseverance , Self-control
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Razorbill
- Publication date : September 3, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 411
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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