3.75 AVERAGE

adventurous slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

So convoluted
With deliberate confusing writing

Jane washington for president

Jane washington is a genius. Everything she writes is an instant 5

i dont remember how much i read, I just recall being a bit confused. may try it again later.

The book is confusing but intriguing. I admit I don't understand much of the story and I often like that in a book. In this though...I am unsure where it is going? Reading it makes me feel dumb and clueless, which is not something I always go looking for in a book. There is a lot of world building.

4.5

Jane has done it again...another reason she's top of my auto-buy list

Obviously Jane can do no wrong. I was warned some of the men in these books are irredeemable but ya know what? Gimme all of them. You read “she’s in so much pain she’s can’t possibly stand and I walk.” I read “aww she’s crawling to him without him even commanding it”
adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

 A Tempest of Shadows by Jane Washington  

I really liked the plot of this book, but I have some pretty big reservations about recommending it.  

The premise is interesting, somewhere between Greek mythology and colliding worlds. It’s a strong foundation for a fantasy story with heavier themes. While I usually love that, there are some creative choices that didn’t sit well.  

This review contains minor spoilers to explain why parts of the book didn’t work for me. No detail, but if you want to go in blind, this is your warning.  

My biggest issue is that the FMC is 17. Since the entire first book takes place over three weeks, she never actually reaches adulthood. That’s questionable for a story setting itself up to be a harem. But it gets worse. There’s on-page assault, implied desire for intimacy, and at least one scene where things start happening before pulling back. The whole thing felt icky and uncomfortable. . A 17-year-old has no place being the centerpiece of a harem.  

The timeline is another problem. The entire book takes place in three weeks, which just doesn’t allow for organic character development or believable relationship dynamics. A lot of the FMC’s choices and emotions don’t fully track with how little time has passed. She should have never been 17 to begin with, but using the count down to becoming legal as a plot pacing guideline was especially weird. If she had at least turned 18 quickly, it wouldn’t have fixed everything, but it would have helped.  

Lastly, the fantasy naming conventions were a lot. I love unique names, but between pronunciation struggles and how often they were used, it started to feel excessive and clunky.  

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the story, themes, and world-building. But I can’t decide if I want to continue the series because I liked those elements or if I should drop it because some of the author’s choices really didn’t sit right with me. 
adventurous medium-paced