Best of Family & Relationships
Best of Family & Relationships
"So Many Books, So Little Time!"
Helligdom: The Heir to the Aftermath
(Book #1)
by
Kelly Shade
Genre/s
Fiction, Fiction , Fantasy, Mystery, Teen and Young Adult
Publish Date
January 27, 2026
Short Description
An island raised by mages. A boy raised in lies. Welcome to Helligdom, where every secret turns on you.
What if the answers you’re desperate for could cost you the only people who finally feel like home?
$3.99
or FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Book's Awards
Description
Seventeen-year-old Jake Moonlux is tired of living like a secret. Hiding his magic on the Blank side, surviving a controlling father, and being told “rules” are what matter most.
The problem is… Jake has never been good at rules. If someone draws a line, he’s already deciding how to cross it.
So when a chance opens to reach Helligdom, Jake grabs it. After all, this is what he wanted his whole life. Helligdom was his dream, the place he knew he belonged.
Helligdom is breathtaking… and brutal. It’s a place where power has politics, trust has a price, and danger doesn’t always announce itself until it’s too late.
But Jake doesn’t face it alone. Sam Wotcher becomes his first real friend. Sam and Sam’s family show Jake what “home” can feel like, in a way he didn’t realize he’d been craving his whole life.
And Amelia Ashbourne is something else entirely: sharp, guarded, and impossible to fool. She has the kind of stare that makes lies feel like a hobby you should quit. She challenges Jake at every turn… and still ends up standing beside him when it matters most.
Whispers of a forbidden ritual, old “accidents,” missing people, and a Council that’s far too practiced at pretending nothing is wrong slip into Jake’s new life, souring his happiness and making him ask the questions he was never meant to ask.
And somewhere in the shadows, magic has slipped into the wrong hands, born from a mistake that should have stayed buried. Someone is collecting power, testing the island’s defenses, and dreaming bigger than any mage in Helligdom would ever dare.
As danger closes in, Jake’s rebellion stops being a personality trait and starts becoming a liability… for everyone he’s finally begun to care about, and for the island itself. And the closer Jake gets to the answers, the more it feels like the terror did not follow him in. It was waiting for him.
Jake came to Helligdom for the truth, but when his own magic turns against him, who will he become to protect the people he can’t afford to lose?
Book Trailer
Reviews Of The Book On BooksShelf
The stakes climb steadily, and the book doesn’t waste time. Every chapter either reveals something, escalates a relationship, or pushes Jake closer to a point of no return. I loved that sense of forward motion.
I went in expecting a magical adventure and got a surprisingly sharp character story too. Jake’s relationship with power, attention, and control is handled in a believable way. The magic training scenes were a fun bonus.
The family conflict feels personal, not generic. You can tell everyone is holding something back, and the silence between them says as much as the dialogue. I really enjoyed how the book builds suspense through secrets.
I didn’t expect to care this much about the sibling relationship, but Jake and Zoe felt layered and complicated in the best way. The banter is fun, and then it hits you with real emotional weight. The story has momentum from page one.
The opening chapters grabbed me fast, and the tone stayed consistent throughout. Jake’s sarcasm and attitude made me laugh, but the stakes never felt like a joke. It’s a great blend of character voice and plot urgency.
I love when fantasy gives you a new place to obsess over, and Helligdom did that for me. The lore feels like it has history, culture, and politics behind it. The mystery of what the adults aren’t saying kept me turning pages.
This has that addictive “one more chapter” energy. The writing is clear and cinematic, and the scenes at the HQ and around the portal reveal are so tense. Jake’s determination is impossible not to follow.
This book nails that feeling of being trapped in a life you didn’t choose and wanting to burn a hole through the door. The worldbuilding is vivid, especially the history of Helligdom and the idea of the island as a sanctuary. I finished it already wanting the next one.
Jake is such a strong narrator. He’s messy, bold, and surprisingly vulnerable, and the way he reacts to his dad had my stomach tight more than once. The pacing moves fast without feeling rushed.
I flew through this. Jake’s voice feels real, funny, stubborn, and bruised in a way that makes you root for him even when he’s being a menace. The moment Helligdom enters the picture, the story turns into a full-on “I need answers now” ride.
