The plot of Shadow Slave centers around the mysterious phenomenon that emerged on earth decades ago. It infects people by causing extreme lethargy and driving them into a deep slumber. In its earliest stage, it wasn’t yet defined as an illness, because since when does sleeping become lethal and dangerous? Because it didn’t impose too much of a threat, the government was less than worried.
Not until subsequent death followed the occurrence, resulting in a devastating loss of population and catastrophe in all countries. To make things worse, in Shadow Slave, the bodies of those who met their unfortunate fates turned into terrifying creatures that soon claimed thousands of lives and caused panic all over the world.
No one was able to discern what was its source. The government soon called the illness the Nightmare Spell-sounds basic yet symbolistic-, and the creatures birthed by the deaths were named Nightmare Creatures-again, the name, simplicity at its finest. (It’s one thing that fascinates me in this illustrative novel.
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- Part 1: Main Story of Shadow Slave
- Part 2: Main Characters of Shadow Slave
- Part 3: The Author of Shadow Slave
- Part 4: Evaluate Shadow Slave
Part 1: Main Story of Shadow Slave
The author of Shadow Slave did an exquisite job in creating the terms. It wasn’t complicated, wasn’t hard to pronounce, and has a direct connection to the story. Most of all, so easy to remember.
When hope seemed to have perished, extraordinary individuals came to the rescue called the Awakened. They are-as what the name implies-the people who successfully woke up from the Nightmare Spell, miraculously alive and geared with newfound abilities. They restored peace and order, and finally ended the first-ever rampant surge of Nightmare Spell.
Unbeknownst to them, Nightmare Creatures weren’t the only terrors that the Spell could summon. To defeat and identify its underlying harms, the Awakeneds must enter the Dream Realm-a ruined world inhabited by Nightmare Creatures-wherein nail-biting trials and obstacle awaits.
One of their prime mission is to close the gateways before the creatures could invade the human world, and destroy life.
Basically, the Awakeneds are the first line of defense against the Nightmare Spell. Because of their unrelenting strength, and exceptional faculty to explore the Dream Realm, they’ve earned a stellar reputation as the hero and only the capable ones to fight against the creatures.
Here’s the interesting part of the storyline of Shadow Slave: while the world is seemingly healing, economical crisis aroused, and inequality embellished the sufferings of the citizens more. The Nightmare Spell didn’t become the sole problem anymore, and the structure of human society abruptly changed.
And Sunless exemplified the dark and neglected side of their world. It is why when he was infected, he welcomed his fate impassively. He didn’t even shed a tear. Because he saw enough in his life that could be considered much worse than death.
He was prepared to meet whatever was waiting for him. His objectives only altered when he entered his First Nightmare and survived luckily.
Now he must proceed with what he started and follow the steps to be officially Awakened.
How is he going to survive? Would he finally come out of his shell, and improved his way of treating others? How will his journey in the Dream Realm benefit him in the real world? And above all, how is he going to find love in such a distressing world?
Questions such as these would pop into your mind once you started reading Shadow Slave. And I regret that I didn’t discover such a wonderful story. Every aspect of the story didn’t follow any cliche themes, and it’s the one that would stay in your mind for years. The third-dimensional characters were also brilliantly written.
Their developments and how they react were on point and would make you gasp, over and over again. And the dialogues? They’re majestic, on-point, and sensible, Shadow Slave is like listening to a real person speaking. Shadow Slave is a must-read.
It deserved the spot on anyone’s reading list. Otherwise, you’ll miss such a splendid tale that you’ll come across once in your life.
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Part 2: Main Characters of Shadow Slave
Sunless (Sunny)
Aspect Abilities: Shadow Control
Age: 16 (turning seventeen)
In Shadow Slave, out of the main protagonist that I’ve come across, Sunny is by far, the most memorable and unpredictable because of his anti-hero attitude. He’s not the usual male lead in an adventure that’s oozing utter kindness. His personality isn’t rooted in optimism, it’s the other way around.
He’s cynical, dispirited, and partially impertinent, thus, the name ‘Sunless’. It’s understandable, though, because he lived under the marginalized line where desolation and misery were a sight he normally sees every day. He sees life as a survival game. But this doesn’t mean he’s unlikeable.
You’d be surprised at how he’s extremely entertaining, despite his dissatisfied outlook in life. Trust my word that you’ll like him. His humor is addicting, at most. I couldn’t count how many times I laughed because of his naivety, and awkwardness around people. Not to mention that he’s fairly attractive, brave, and most importantly, not a painfully dense guy.
Fun Fact: He was named Sunless because the day he was born, a solar eclipse was also happening.
Caster
When the world seemed to have eradicated chivalry, Caster proved that he could still be considered one. He’s the opposite version of Sunless. While Sunless is a savage guy, Caster is a ball of gentleness.
Nobility and honor were always practiced in his actions. Being the far descendant of a prominent Awakened clan, Caster possessed the reputation of being exceptional in all aspects. He’s strong and gifted, the practical embodiment of a real-life prince.
Nephis
The silver-haired badass female character constantly amazed everyone with her caliber. At the same time, terrified because she was the last member of a legendary clan whose name resonated with superiority and significance.
Her mysterious and compelling character would make it hard for you to not fall in love with her because she’s not the typical Mary Sue that always in need of rescue. She might be a daredevil on the surface, but the author of Shadow Slave didn’t forget to include a weakness in her, one thing that would be rare to find in any other novel.
Cassia
Cassia is a real definition of the phrase, don’t judge Shadow Slave by its cover.
She may be blind and appear weak but her intellectual prowess couldn’t be missed and disregarded. She could hear thoughts and detect if someone is lying. She’s also resourceful and cunning, the irony bouncing back at her doll-like appearance. But don’t let that fool you, because there’s more than meets the eye in this young woman.
Part 3: The Author of Shadow Slave
Situated in Russia, Guiltythree, 33, is the author of Shadow Slave. He has been writing for over a year and has already accumulated 537 followers on his account. Shadow Slave is the second web novel he posted. He only started it at the beginning of this year and yet its reads were already millions and counting.
It’s not a wonder why he’s loved by so many readers. His limitless and creative mind was only the second reason. His writing style is precise and consistent, and he has a broad way of expounding terms and phrases, making his stories impossible to forget and deserving of recognition.
Fun fact about his pen name: Guiltyone and Guiltytwo were already taken as a username, and he also couldn’t spell ‘guillotine’ at that time. So he went for Guiltythree.
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Part 4: Evaluate Shadow Slave
Absolutely 10/10.
The world of Shadow Slave building was magnificent. It wasn’t confusing or complicated. Many readers loved it because of its diversity, unique plot, and cliffhangers that always leave them wanting to read more. It didn’t romanticize the characters for being too strong, and being too able to defeat the trials.
Shadow Slave showed how flaws could also be an asset sometimes, and it’s not wrong and only natural to have them. It undoubtedly excelled all the good qualities in a story and possessed substance that could bring readers utter satisfaction. It’s not a mere book anymore, but a ticket towards a whole new fantastical world of quests and love.