Series ✦ Penny’s Take
The Shape of Power
Dan F. Swinnen · 2025
68/100
👎 Skip It
Dan Swinnen's debut has genuine appeal — the Michael J. Sullivan comparisons are a meaningful signal for epic fantasy readers, and the emotional stakes around family and rebellion give it more than just action. But critical coverage is thin, specific content warnings are undocumented, and as a series opener it leaves threads unresolved by design. Worth a look for patient epic fantasy fans willing to take a chance on an indie debut, but hard to call a confident recommendation.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety72
Substance / usefulness65
Craft & writing66
Originality68
Evidence & accuracy62
Hype vs delivers68
Age-fit70
👁 Human-eye gut-check65
Penny’s verdict68
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