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carmensutra's review against another edition
1.0
I am 90% done and I JUST DON'T CARE.
I just want to be done, so I'm DNF-ing this puppy.
Sorry, life is just too short.
I just want to be done, so I'm DNF-ing this puppy.
Sorry, life is just too short.
didyousaybooks's review against another edition
2.0
Sadly I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted.
I love reading about superpowered folks. It’s kick-ass by nature to have powers.
I just really didn’t care for these characters.
The setting was interesting but way too fast exposition and underdeveloped even with +400 pages.
It’s said to be magic but it looks like the powers are operated more like mutant powers do because while there is a whole world of Odities and culture (kinda, pretty weak in the lore building) there is no magic system that I could see that you usually find in fantasy books. It was just called magic for some reason and that kinda put me off a bit, even if it’s just a detail really. It’s more on point with the Darkest Minds/X-Men wannabe with a dash of fight club in there).
Anyway, there obviously was some unnecessary romance. Can’t complain much there because it was in the book description but let me tell you, I am tired of this. This is again a case of insta love and I just don’t care.
And because the romance ended up being intertwined with the overall plot, well...I was unimpressed by the whole book.
I still give it two stars because I like the idea of the Odities system, and Vesper’s power was really cool and intense, and if you read the book description, you’re gonna get what you came for, no surprises.
Just 2 stars okay.
The author seems to be aware of certain tropes and directly have the character address them in the book (damsel in distress comes to mind) but that felt a bit weird and in the nose to me, as the book is as predictable as you can get and is full of other tropes and doubtful character choices.
If you haven’t read many similar books, you might enjoy this story, but if you already have favorites of the genre, I don’t think you’ll find any new or exciting in The Beckoning Shadow.
I love reading about superpowered folks. It’s kick-ass by nature to have powers.
I just really didn’t care for these characters.
The setting was interesting but way too fast exposition and underdeveloped even with +400 pages.
It’s said to be magic but it looks like the powers are operated more like mutant powers do because while there is a whole world of Odities and culture (kinda, pretty weak in the lore building) there is no magic system that I could see that you usually find in fantasy books. It was just called magic for some reason and that kinda put me off a bit, even if it’s just a detail really. It’s more on point with the Darkest Minds/X-Men wannabe with a dash of fight club in there).
Anyway, there obviously was some unnecessary romance. Can’t complain much there because it was in the book description but let me tell you, I am tired of this. This is again a case of insta love and I just don’t care.
And because the romance ended up being intertwined with the overall plot, well...I was unimpressed by the whole book.
I still give it two stars because I like the idea of the Odities system, and Vesper’s power was really cool and intense, and if you read the book description, you’re gonna get what you came for, no surprises.
Just 2 stars okay.
The author seems to be aware of certain tropes and directly have the character address them in the book (damsel in distress comes to mind) but that felt a bit weird and in the nose to me, as the book is as predictable as you can get and is full of other tropes and doubtful character choices.
If you haven’t read many similar books, you might enjoy this story, but if you already have favorites of the genre, I don’t think you’ll find any new or exciting in The Beckoning Shadow.
bookishharlot's review against another edition
4.0
Kindness is rarely free, especially when you're a woman
I was first drawn to this story because of the cover, and then the synopsis is what intrigued me into reading it. For some odd reason, this is year seems to be the year of pretty covers but disappointing stories. So, imagine my surprise of finding out that the inside of this particular novel holds as much merit as the outside did though with minor inconvenience. If I had to describe what The Beckoning Shadow is about in one sentence, it would be: A supernatural fight club with hormonal teens.
She smiled at blades. She kissed the rope. She danced with arrows. She sang through smoke.
The set up of the world, the system of magic, is what made me gush in excitement. It is the main aspect which I too away, and honestly you can't blame me. I am always on the lookout for new and exotic worlds and this one definitely fits in the category. There is history and even culture in the world that Blair built with the Wardens, The Queen of Poison, and The Tournament of the Unraveling.
What really irks me that made me drop my five stars to a four was the romance. It was not at all well executed. It was hesitant and awkward and forceful and just bleh. It just needed to not be there. No thanks to the romance this was still and in between teenagers with powers. I like this idea. It is so original. It's literally an out of the box idea. Like, how do you even come up with this?
Summary: An out of the box original story with deep and rich world-building that needs work in the character and romance development.
Ash is falling from the sky. I am the scariest thing. I am the nightmare.
The characters were difficult to love but when the story began to really pick up is when I started to feel something for some of them.
Vesper: She has the power to literally pull people's fear of their hearts and bring them into reality. Though clever than most YA characters she still exhibits the personality of a foolish heroine with some of the things she says and thinks.
Sam: he is a heartbroken guy looking for a way to piece his heart back together with the help of Vesper. I don't have much to say about him except he is a reasonable and intelligent character, and unlike some other love interests, he had a beating heart and was not just some cardboard box cutout.
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becca_akins's review against another edition
1.0
This was super generic and it didn't pull me into the story.
wayfaringbibliomaniac's review against another edition
5.0
Before I tell you how I found The Beckoning Shadow, let me first say that I did NOT realise this was not a standalone… It is only a duology, but I wanted to let you all know before you pick it up. Especially because book 2 probably isn’t out until at least next year. I definitely thought it was worth the read!
I’m going to be really honest here… I only chose this because I loved the cover. I mean, a badass girl fighter (plus, the colour scheme) says great things about what’s inside the pages, right? Well, I was pretty spot on! I mean, Supernatural Fight Club, amirite? I received this awhile ago and when I picked it up I had mostly forgotten the synopsis. So, I decided to jump straight in since publication was coming up and I was not disappointed. I devoured it in 2 days, and the only reason it took me that long was because I had to work full days! In a word, unputdownable!
I really enjoyed the action and world building in this novel. It was a story set in San Francisco, which made me nostalgic for my college years.. By turns, seedy and classy, we see a multi-faceted city with depth and heart. it flows so well, and we can clearly see Katharyn Blair is a master wordsmith in the way her descriptions tug at heartstrings along the way. We get so much backstory without it being information overload, so that we are able to see a fuller picture of how Vesper arrives at the beginning to this novel. The characters nearly jumped off the page they were so full of life. Vesper (a very distinctive name) has her flaws, but still wants to forge relationships with the people she meets, even when she actively tries to push them away. Sam surprised me in a lot of ways, which I can’t explain without spoilers!! So, enjoy him. And the other Oddities – Sapphira, Aldrick, and the others they meet along the way – are so interesting! I loved this found family! I appreciated the sheer amount of abilities involved in the story. I’m not going to regurgitate the plot here, but suffice it to say I loved it! It was well constructed and unique, if not entirely original. Ultimately, I was hugely satisfied with this story, and would have been happy with the ending had it been a standalone. So, no, there’s no major cliffhangers here, but I imagine we’ll all want to stick around for the resolution!
I’m going to be really honest here… I only chose this because I loved the cover. I mean, a badass girl fighter (plus, the colour scheme) says great things about what’s inside the pages, right? Well, I was pretty spot on! I mean, Supernatural Fight Club, amirite? I received this awhile ago and when I picked it up I had mostly forgotten the synopsis. So, I decided to jump straight in since publication was coming up and I was not disappointed. I devoured it in 2 days, and the only reason it took me that long was because I had to work full days! In a word, unputdownable!
I really enjoyed the action and world building in this novel. It was a story set in San Francisco, which made me nostalgic for my college years.. By turns, seedy and classy, we see a multi-faceted city with depth and heart. it flows so well, and we can clearly see Katharyn Blair is a master wordsmith in the way her descriptions tug at heartstrings along the way. We get so much backstory without it being information overload, so that we are able to see a fuller picture of how Vesper arrives at the beginning to this novel. The characters nearly jumped off the page they were so full of life. Vesper (a very distinctive name) has her flaws, but still wants to forge relationships with the people she meets, even when she actively tries to push them away. Sam surprised me in a lot of ways, which I can’t explain without spoilers!! So, enjoy him. And the other Oddities – Sapphira, Aldrick, and the others they meet along the way – are so interesting! I loved this found family! I appreciated the sheer amount of abilities involved in the story. I’m not going to regurgitate the plot here, but suffice it to say I loved it! It was well constructed and unique, if not entirely original. Ultimately, I was hugely satisfied with this story, and would have been happy with the ending had it been a standalone. So, no, there’s no major cliffhangers here, but I imagine we’ll all want to stick around for the resolution!
umairah's review against another edition
4.0
The Beckoning Shadow was a novel about the importance of accepting your past instead of running away from it and it was basically what would happen if the X-men were younger and liked cage fighting for fun.
3.5 stars
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Oddities were humans with special powers and Baselines, without. Wardens were Oddities tasked with eradicating others that were deemed to be threats. Oddities were bedtime stories told to keep children in check, they lurked underground and in the shadows but they didn't want to hide from the world anymore. They wanted to live in it without fear. Here are some examples of the different types of Oddities and their powers:
Vesper was a Harbinger and after a tragic accident involving her powers, she went on the run- leaving her family without a word. She was afraid of her powers that she couldn't control, she thought she was a monster and everyone was safer if she stayed away. After a while on the run, she found out about the Tournament of the Unraveling and she decided to enter and try to win the prize: one Unraveling and a million dollars. She thought it was her chance to rewrite her past, fix her family, herself and her life. And so, with the help of an MMA fighter called Sam, she trained and competed in the competition of a lifetime. She became a cage fighter, battling with other Oddities for victory.
Vesper was an interesting character. She was afraid of her powers and blinded by her own fear. It took her a while to realise that the solution wasn't running away or hiding but finding out how to control her powers so that they would cause no harm. She didn't need an Unraveling to 'fix' her life, she needed to own her actions, learn from them and communicate with those around her.
The reason why I have deducted stars is that I felt very bored at times whilst reading it. The novel was extremely repetitive as Vesper was constantly thinking and saying what felt like the same things about the guilt she carried over her past actions. While I can understand that she was distressed about it, her repetition became annoying after a while.
The Beckoning Shadow was a story about dealing with grief, loss and pain and worth a try if you're looking for something a bit different to read.
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
BLOGTWITTER
3.5 stars
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Oddities were humans with special powers and Baselines, without. Wardens were Oddities tasked with eradicating others that were deemed to be threats. Oddities were bedtime stories told to keep children in check, they lurked underground and in the shadows but they didn't want to hide from the world anymore. They wanted to live in it without fear. Here are some examples of the different types of Oddities and their powers:
- Harbinger: Makes a person's deepest fears come true.
- Demo: Everything their fingertips touch turns to dust.
- Unraveler: Can undo past events.
- Ledger: Bind people to unbreakable contracts.
- Ripper: Can strip an Oddity of their powers.
- Stoneskin: Can turn their skin as hard as stone.
- Metalurg: Manipulates metal.
- Scribe: Can write in 'umbra ink' which makes writing invisible unless an Oddity breathes on it.
Vesper was a Harbinger and after a tragic accident involving her powers, she went on the run- leaving her family without a word. She was afraid of her powers that she couldn't control, she thought she was a monster and everyone was safer if she stayed away. After a while on the run, she found out about the Tournament of the Unraveling and she decided to enter and try to win the prize: one Unraveling and a million dollars. She thought it was her chance to rewrite her past, fix her family, herself and her life. And so, with the help of an MMA fighter called Sam, she trained and competed in the competition of a lifetime. She became a cage fighter, battling with other Oddities for victory.
"I've spent so much time... trying to find some way to repair what I am and what I've done I didn't see the damage I was doing."
Vesper was an interesting character. She was afraid of her powers and blinded by her own fear. It took her a while to realise that the solution wasn't running away or hiding but finding out how to control her powers so that they would cause no harm. She didn't need an Unraveling to 'fix' her life, she needed to own her actions, learn from them and communicate with those around her.
The reason why I have deducted stars is that I felt very bored at times whilst reading it. The novel was extremely repetitive as Vesper was constantly thinking and saying what felt like the same things about the guilt she carried over her past actions. While I can understand that she was distressed about it, her repetition became annoying after a while.
The Beckoning Shadow was a story about dealing with grief, loss and pain and worth a try if you're looking for something a bit different to read.
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
BLOGTWITTER
duchess's review against another edition
3.0
This is like an X-Men origin story but with MMA instead of an academy. Liked the fight and training scenes! Felt too long to get to the meat of the plot, but it was juicy once it finally delivered. I can see where the author tried to write in a ~tantalizing teaser to broadcast a second book, but it could've been better imo. I'll consider picking up the sequel when it's out only because I really liked Abigail, Saphira & Aldrick (making the guy who can turn to stone be from Samoa - I guess that's one way to reference to The Rock haha). Sam is unbelievably meh for a love interest, I was not feeling it.
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