Of Shadows and Magic (The Shadows of Elsteron Book 1)

A forbidden power. A dangerous choice. A destiny rewritten.

In the Kingdom of Elsteron, magic is forbidden—feared, hunted, and destroyed. But when seventeen-year-old Eryn discovers she’s not only a witch, but potentially the most powerful one Elsteron has ever known, everything changes. Forced into a deadly pact with the infamous Dark Witch, Eryn must navigate a treacherous path to save those she loves, even as she’s pursued by the relentless Knights of the Laoch.

Journeying through the haunted depths of the Magia Woods, Eryn finds an unlikely ally in Ronan, a disgraced former Knight. As trust grows and feelings deepen, she’s torn between her dangerous magic and the person she hopes to be. With the next full moon fast approaching, Eryn must confront the truth: power always has a price—and some choices can’t be undone.

Of Shadows and Magic is the thrilling first book in the Shadows of Elsteron series by Kate Campbell—a gripping tale of loyalty, fear, and the battle between light and darkness.

Start the journey—discover Of Shadows and Magic today.

Excerpt from the book

18 years later

Nestled on the fringes of the Magia Woods stood a small wooden house, within which lived a young woman named Eryn and her parents. The three of them had lived there for most of Eryn’s life, cut away from the busy and highly populated Kingdom of Elsteron. They lived a simple life, perfectly content with their own company and in absolute harmony with the magical and mystical beings that surrounded them. On occasion, Eryn and her parents would visit the nearby villages, but only if they were in need of supplies or if her mother’s well-known and well-regarded healing abilities were required. Otherwise, they kept themselves to themselves.

When she’d been young, Eryn hadn’t been able to comprehend why more people didn’t live as they did, amidst the beauty of the Magia Woods. As she’d grown older, however, she had gradually begun to understand. Within her lifetime, the kingdom had become increasingly paranoid about the alleged threat of magical beings. The cause of this fear was the infamous Dark Witch who lurked deep within the depths of the Magia Woods.

At first, people had merely believed her to be a myth—a misconstrued shadow in the darkness, but as time went by, she made her presence increasingly known. Over the years, she’d ventured further and further into the kingdom's land, causing havoc and desolation wherever she went. It was rumoured that before she had become truly powerful and unleashed her evil influence across the Magia Woods, the magical beings had been gentle and kind creatures who lived in peace alongside mankind.

Then, as the Dark Witch’s cruel shadow had spread, a new wave of inhabitants began to appear who were as cruel and savage as their apparent creator. Even some that had always dwelt there became altered as if they too were now corrupted. The few creatures and beings that hadn’t been affected were either driven to extinction or forced into hiding, unable to compete with the aggressive and primal monsters that had usurped them.

Those who had witnessed this shift were now long passed, so as time went by, most people presumed tales of friendly magic creatures to merely be fanciful legends. They were more inclined to believe that all that resided within the Magia Woods, was and always had been evil.

Tales of the Dark Witch were known throughout the realm. It was said that around a hundred years ago, the Dark Witch had simply been a young girl who had lived close to the castle, leading a perfectly normal life. Then, as she came of age, something within her changed, and she discovered that she had powers. As her magic had developed, it had corrupted her, and so she became increasingly savage and power-hungry, torturing and killing anyone who got in her way, deeming those without magic to be so significantly beneath her, that they were unworthy of life.

There had, of course, been tales of witches before her. She wasn’t the first. Yet none of them had the same reputation for cruelty and ambition. That’s why the Kingdom of Elsteron had never truly seen them as a real threat, at least until she had arrived. Of all the things that lurked in the Magia Woods, she was the most dangerous.