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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Tropes: Multi pov, Grumpyxsunshine, Insta love-ish , Found family
Follows Two characters povs, a commander Jude and a new recruit Kiara. They have been tasked to go into a mysterious mist filled with horror and find a cure for the mist plaguing their lands to end the 50 year curse. To Kill a Shadow follows the normal romantasy template. Badass fmc, grumpy mmc, scars, assassins, gods, shadow powers. Started off good and ended amazing somewhere in the middle it dragged a little. But over really good.
Follows Two characters povs, a commander Jude and a new recruit Kiara. They have been tasked to go into a mysterious mist filled with horror and find a cure for the mist plaguing their lands to end the 50 year curse. To Kill a Shadow follows the normal romantasy template. Badass fmc, grumpy mmc, scars, assassins, gods, shadow powers. Started off good and ended amazing somewhere in the middle it dragged a little. But over really good.
medium-paced
There were sections of the book that caught my attention and were enjoyable. But overall I felt like the world building and relationships were underdeveloped. There were too many things that were excessively convenient.
Overall, I thought the concept was interesting. I just wish the world building and characters were more fleshed out and developed. 2.5 stars.
Overall, I thought the concept was interesting. I just wish the world building and characters were more fleshed out and developed. 2.5 stars.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To Kill a Shadow was almost an impulse purchase because of the pretty sprayed edges on the hardback first print run. I want all the pretty books these days.
But then I decided to check out the audiobook on Libby as it was available now through my library.
Rating System
C- 7
A- 8
W- 7
P- 7
I- 7
L- 6
E- 6
Total- 6.9 = 3 ⭐️
I don’t know if it was the narrator or the story itself, but I could not get a grasp on what the heck was going on. I had restarted it on audio after a couple chapters because I had no clue what was going on. Then, after getting three chapters in again, I stopped and placed a hold on the ebook version. Instead of waiting 4 weeks for it, I waited a day. That was a nice surprise. So I started over from the beginning a third time.
It was a little easier to understand and go along with the plot on the ebook. The whole premise is one of the factors that drew me to this book (ahem, the other being the cover. What can I say, I like the pretty ones, ha). The dark and brooding Knight commander, and the girl who has been a treated like an outcast in her village for the past decade; having to join forces to work against a mysterious dark force. Sounds intriguing, yeah? And the whole atmosphere… barracks and training ground to spooky woods. Honestly, the mist reminded me of the mists in From Blood and Ash series combined with the poisonous fog in Hunger Games. Has total potential.
But then we get to the actual characters. Their behaviors belie their ages. I was shocked and then irrationally annoyed when I found out Jude was 19 - yes, 19! He is definitely portrayed as a 30 year old, at minimum! Unless I somehow managed to miss a description on how young he is, his whole demeanor screams 30s, not teenager. Not just Jude. It was very easy to forget that all the recruits are also teens.
Too many characters hold secrets. It was honestly a little confusing to try and keep up with all the nuances of the plot sometimes, especially with the letter snippets in the chapter headers. The book entertained me enough to keep reading, but there were a few times that I checked the percentage read, and thinking “I’m not halfway through yet?” or “still not close to finishing??” After reading an 800 page book with no issues or feeling as if that was too long, I definitely had that feeling with this book and it’s half the length. That unfortunately did lower my enjoyment for this book.
While finding out who some of these unknown characters are mentioned in the chapter header letters (or maybe it’s just one character all along, mentioned in the epilogue?), I’m not exactly jumping at the bit for the next book at the moment. I’ll put book two on my release calendar and go from there, I think.
But then I decided to check out the audiobook on Libby as it was available now through my library.
Rating System
C- 7
A- 8
W- 7
P- 7
I- 7
L- 6
E- 6
Total- 6.9 = 3 ⭐️
I don’t know if it was the narrator or the story itself, but I could not get a grasp on what the heck was going on. I had restarted it on audio after a couple chapters because I had no clue what was going on. Then, after getting three chapters in again, I stopped and placed a hold on the ebook version. Instead of waiting 4 weeks for it, I waited a day. That was a nice surprise. So I started over from the beginning a third time.
It was a little easier to understand and go along with the plot on the ebook. The whole premise is one of the factors that drew me to this book (ahem, the other being the cover. What can I say, I like the pretty ones, ha). The dark and brooding Knight commander, and the girl who has been a treated like an outcast in her village for the past decade; having to join forces to work against a mysterious dark force. Sounds intriguing, yeah? And the whole atmosphere… barracks and training ground to spooky woods. Honestly, the mist reminded me of the mists in From Blood and Ash series combined with the poisonous fog in Hunger Games. Has total potential.
But then we get to the actual characters. Their behaviors belie their ages. I was shocked and then irrationally annoyed when I found out Jude was 19 - yes, 19! He is definitely portrayed as a 30 year old, at minimum! Unless I somehow managed to miss a description on how young he is, his whole demeanor screams 30s, not teenager. Not just Jude. It was very easy to forget that all the recruits are also teens.
Too many characters hold secrets. It was honestly a little confusing to try and keep up with all the nuances of the plot sometimes, especially with the letter snippets in the chapter headers. The book entertained me enough to keep reading, but there were a few times that I checked the percentage read, and thinking “I’m not halfway through yet?” or “still not close to finishing??” After reading an 800 page book with no issues or feeling as if that was too long, I definitely had that feeling with this book and it’s half the length. That unfortunately did lower my enjoyment for this book.
While finding out who some of these unknown characters are mentioned in the chapter header letters (or maybe it’s just one character all along, mentioned in the epilogue?), I’m not exactly jumping at the bit for the next book at the moment. I’ll put book two on my release calendar and go from there, I think.
**Warning this review may contain spoilers**
Thank you Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and Katherine Quinn for this eARC!
Spice Level: 1
Tropes: Found Family, Star-Crossed Lovers
Wow. Just wow. If I could give this 10,000 stars I would. I was skeptical to start this book because it is classified as horror, but to my surprise, To Kill a Shadow has become one of my top reads for 2023. More suspense than horror, To Kill a Shadow focuses on Kiara and Jude form a dual POV narration. Not only do we get the joy of reading from both of their perspectives, we also get to watch as their stories unfold on their time, not on someone else’s. This seemingly pair of star-crossed lovers will leave you on the edge of your seat, gasping at every twist and turn.
The writing on this one is fantastic, everytime you think you have the pieces fitting together, there is another twist, another mystery and another turn just waiting on the next page. The writing is well paced, and the characters are endearing without being soppy. It is really difficult to find a book that pulls elements of mythology without appropriating it, however, Katherine Quinn has been able to do so while still creating her own elements within the world. Set in a world cast into Night with no daylight in sight, our main characters fight to not only save the world, but save themselves. Quinn has been able to tactfully give us a romance tale, without crating the damsel needs saving narrative. Additionally, Quinn is able to tell a story that contains all elements of life, including LGBTQ and POC characters, in a way that does not make them “token” the way we often see in fantasy.
Overall the plot was well developed, with the elements of the world thoroughly thought out, revealing bits and pieces as you go. Now, onto the characters. I felt as if I was there. Like actually there. Kiara, the strong, brave independent outcast who is fiercely protective of those she loves and Jude, the brooding outcast commander who judges his every action as though he is the true villain. Then you have Patrick, sigh, (you will have to read about him), Jake and Nic, who swifty become the friends Kiara so longs for. You get to see each character shine through in their own way as the story goes, and each one contributes a bit of themselves in their own way to the story. It has been a long time since I have connected with characters in such a way, and it was so nice to be able to do so.
Overall, if you are in doubt, read this. I do not say it often, but I would give my soul to be able to experience this book again for the first time. I am so ready for the second book, I cannot wait to see what the series brings!
Thank you Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and Katherine Quinn for this eARC!
Spice Level: 1
Tropes: Found Family, Star-Crossed Lovers
Wow. Just wow. If I could give this 10,000 stars I would. I was skeptical to start this book because it is classified as horror, but to my surprise, To Kill a Shadow has become one of my top reads for 2023. More suspense than horror, To Kill a Shadow focuses on Kiara and Jude form a dual POV narration. Not only do we get the joy of reading from both of their perspectives, we also get to watch as their stories unfold on their time, not on someone else’s. This seemingly pair of star-crossed lovers will leave you on the edge of your seat, gasping at every twist and turn.
The writing on this one is fantastic, everytime you think you have the pieces fitting together, there is another twist, another mystery and another turn just waiting on the next page. The writing is well paced, and the characters are endearing without being soppy. It is really difficult to find a book that pulls elements of mythology without appropriating it, however, Katherine Quinn has been able to do so while still creating her own elements within the world. Set in a world cast into Night with no daylight in sight, our main characters fight to not only save the world, but save themselves. Quinn has been able to tactfully give us a romance tale, without crating the damsel needs saving narrative. Additionally, Quinn is able to tell a story that contains all elements of life, including LGBTQ and POC characters, in a way that does not make them “token” the way we often see in fantasy.
Overall the plot was well developed, with the elements of the world thoroughly thought out, revealing bits and pieces as you go. Now, onto the characters. I felt as if I was there. Like actually there. Kiara, the strong, brave independent outcast who is fiercely protective of those she loves and Jude, the brooding outcast commander who judges his every action as though he is the true villain. Then you have Patrick, sigh, (you will have to read about him), Jake and Nic, who swifty become the friends Kiara so longs for. You get to see each character shine through in their own way as the story goes, and each one contributes a bit of themselves in their own way to the story. It has been a long time since I have connected with characters in such a way, and it was so nice to be able to do so.
Overall, if you are in doubt, read this. I do not say it often, but I would give my soul to be able to experience this book again for the first time. I am so ready for the second book, I cannot wait to see what the series brings!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kiara and Jude were great characters, the plot and world building were well done, I just found my mind wandering frequently while reading.
This is a tough one to rate. The first 75% of this book was a solid 3 star read for me, just very much fine. The pacing was a little off, I couldn’t get myself to care about Kiara or Jude who just felt like stereotypical fantasy leads, their relationship was too insta-love-y for me and the side characters were basically cardboard cutouts of people.
But the last 100 pages was 5 stars, had me glued to the couch and flipping through the pages as fast as I could, all because of the action and pacing finally clicking.
I still don’t know how I feel about Kiara and Jude, both as individuals and collectively, but their banter was cute. It just seemed fast and convenient at the beginning.
I think 3.5/5 stars is where this will land for me.
But the last 100 pages was 5 stars, had me glued to the couch and flipping through the pages as fast as I could, all because of the action and pacing finally clicking.
I still don’t know how I feel about Kiara and Jude, both as individuals and collectively, but their banter was cute. It just seemed fast and convenient at the beginning.
I think 3.5/5 stars is where this will land for me.
Thank you too NetGalley, Entangled Teen and Katherine Quinn for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.
This book is really really good! I read it every chance I got to see what was going to happen next. I believe the characters are like 18 & 19 years old. So it almost can be classified as New Adult. It has tons of twists and keeps you on your toes with a mixture of romance and suspense/action but I definitely wouldn’t call it a horror. I never found it scary. I would say it’s ranked close to Hunger Games for “horror” lol. Definitely worth it though! I can’t wait to get my personal copy!
When the sequel comes out I will be one of the first to grab it an devour it to see what happens next.
For those who only read clean books there is a few f bombs and like a little spice.
This book is really really good! I read it every chance I got to see what was going to happen next. I believe the characters are like 18 & 19 years old. So it almost can be classified as New Adult. It has tons of twists and keeps you on your toes with a mixture of romance and suspense/action but I definitely wouldn’t call it a horror. I never found it scary. I would say it’s ranked close to Hunger Games for “horror” lol. Definitely worth it though! I can’t wait to get my personal copy!
When the sequel comes out I will be one of the first to grab it an devour it to see what happens next.
For those who only read clean books there is a few f bombs and like a little spice.