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dymonlikestoread's review
5.0
✨ARC Review✨
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book and if you love anime series such as Naruto, Attack On Titans, and Demon Slayer I think you would love this series. If I could compare Kilo's personality/values he reminds me a lot of Naruto Uzumaki for his determination and Tanjiro(Demon Slayer) because of his empathy for others even enemies. The first few chapters definitely gave me Attack on Titan Vibes.
This book totally took me by surprise. The outright betrayal, unexpected deaths, and senseless attacks on innocent people took me by surprise. There's a building of worlds, focus on culture and the discovery of forgotten ancient magic that made the book a page-turner. Watching Kilo and Shenrae grow while learning to find themselves was exciting. Kilo goes above and beyond the creed even giving up his title as a phantom to pursue the False Shadows and stop them from tarnishing the Shadow’s Reputation.
Finae is gracious but fierce she takes after Kilo's resilience and ability to adapt to any situation. I can't wait to see what path she chooses to take to grow her skills. Shenrae’s skills have grown quickly and following in her parent's footsteps to become a shadow. I didn't expect her to become a warrior but she's quickly become one of my favorite characters. This book is full of Adventure, staying true to one’s beliefs and learning about yourself. . In the next book, I hope we will get a reunion between Kilo, Finae, Shenrae, and Syrane. I'd love to see Kilo help train them to become shadows.
lighthalereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I believe I have found my new favorite Fantasy Saga! Having also read the novella and short story, reading this story had me emotional and was amazing. The first few chapters had me crying and the rest of the book blew be away. This story was very well written and wonderfully described the world and people in it, it made it so easy to imagine the world and their home village Vaiyene. Shadow’s Hand is definitely a book people should read if they want a good Japanese fantasy. Can’t wait for book two!
the_bookish_raven's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kilo lives by the Shadow’s Creed. While the False Shadows, a horrible and vicious group of warriors who are impersonating the Shadows, believe the Shadow’s Creed to be a weakness, Kilo finds his strength in it. After the False Shadows attack his home, he is torn: stay with his people to help rebuild and prepare to fight back, or leave to find more information that could lead his people to victory? Meanwhile, Shenrae is trying to figure out what path she should take. After the death of both of her parents, she and her brother try to become Shadows in order to keep each other safe. However, Shenrae isn’t sure that she is skilled enough to fight, but she knows she wants to be able to protect others.
I really, really loved this book! When I first starting reading it, I had no idea that I was going to grow so attached to the characters or be so fascinated by the story! I particularly loved the Shadows/Phantoms as they were reminiscent of the samurai in feudal Japan. The concept of warriors who live their lives based on a moral standpoint is so intriguing! I also appreciated the more magical elements that appear in this book. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that I’m curious to learn more about them in book two and that if the author ever wrote a prequel for what happened in the past, I would definitely read it!
I also loved Kilo and Shenrae who both have POVs in this novel. I’ll admit that I was reluctant to leave Kilo’s POV at first, but I came to love Shenrae and her POV just as much! The side characters are also spectacular so I hope that I’ll see them more in the next book! Kilo’s dedication to put a stop to the False Shadows and their terror and Shenrae’s desire to protect her loved ones and find her place were probably my favorite things about this book. I loved watching the characters grow as the story progressed.
Ultimately, the only thing I dislike about this book is that I now have to wait for the next one! The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’ll be very impatiently waiting for book 2! I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes samurai, feudal Japan, or shounen anime! Plus, it somewhat reminds me of Moonscript by H.S.J. Williams so I’d recommend it to those fans as well!
Kilo lives by the Shadow’s Creed. While the False Shadows, a horrible and vicious group of warriors who are impersonating the Shadows, believe the Shadow’s Creed to be a weakness, Kilo finds his strength in it. After the False Shadows attack his home, he is torn: stay with his people to help rebuild and prepare to fight back, or leave to find more information that could lead his people to victory? Meanwhile, Shenrae is trying to figure out what path she should take. After the death of both of her parents, she and her brother try to become Shadows in order to keep each other safe. However, Shenrae isn’t sure that she is skilled enough to fight, but she knows she wants to be able to protect others.
I really, really loved this book! When I first starting reading it, I had no idea that I was going to grow so attached to the characters or be so fascinated by the story! I particularly loved the Shadows/Phantoms as they were reminiscent of the samurai in feudal Japan. The concept of warriors who live their lives based on a moral standpoint is so intriguing! I also appreciated the more magical elements that appear in this book. Without spoiling anything, I will just say that I’m curious to learn more about them in book two and that if the author ever wrote a prequel for what happened in the past, I would definitely read it!
I also loved Kilo and Shenrae who both have POVs in this novel. I’ll admit that I was reluctant to leave Kilo’s POV at first, but I came to love Shenrae and her POV just as much! The side characters are also spectacular so I hope that I’ll see them more in the next book! Kilo’s dedication to put a stop to the False Shadows and their terror and Shenrae’s desire to protect her loved ones and find her place were probably my favorite things about this book. I loved watching the characters grow as the story progressed.
Ultimately, the only thing I dislike about this book is that I now have to wait for the next one! The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’ll be very impatiently waiting for book 2! I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes samurai, feudal Japan, or shounen anime! Plus, it somewhat reminds me of Moonscript by H.S.J. Williams so I’d recommend it to those fans as well!
branpender12's review against another edition
5.0
Perfection!!! ;)
Cratexpectation was honored to host this lovely lady!
Cratexpectation was honored to host this lovely lady!
tohfuhfah's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The pacing of the book was rather slow at the beginning, which deterred me from picking it up to continue from time to time. However, it began to be very engaging with explosive combat scenes and how the plot slowly unfolds, which then captured my attention to read the book to the very end.
There were some awkward transitions from in between dialogues and scenes which made them seem disjointed; however, it wasn't that bothersome but the writing style could use some improvements. The interaction between characters and how their relationships progresses, as well as, their personal growth and history and lore of the region were great additions to the story, which got me immersed in the world of Kiriku. Would not re-read it, but looking forward to the second installment of the series.
The pacing of the book was rather slow at the beginning, which deterred me from picking it up to continue from time to time. However, it began to be very engaging with explosive combat scenes and how the plot slowly unfolds, which then captured my attention to read the book to the very end.
There were some awkward transitions from in between dialogues and scenes which made them seem disjointed; however, it wasn't that bothersome but the writing style could use some improvements. The interaction between characters and how their relationships progresses, as well as, their personal growth and history and lore of the region were great additions to the story, which got me immersed in the world of Kiriku. Would not re-read it, but looking forward to the second installment of the series.
shaegeeksout's review against another edition
4.0
**Thanks to the author Noelle Nichols for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and not swayed by the fact that the book was sent to me.**
Shadow's Hand is an Asian samurai inspired story in which we are brought into a well thought out world, full of samurai codes and everything you could expect from this kind of a story. I found the scenes with the battle aspects to be particularly enjoyable, as it was entirely engaging.
Our characters were intriguing, and kept my attention along the way. We see the ups and downs that they go through, and you truly want them to win.
In concept, this book is fantastic. For me, I do wish it had gone through another copy edit before publish, as I did find some errors. It pulled me out of the story a little bit, but I am a stickler for those kinds of details.
All in all, it was an enjoyable reading experience. I would recommend giving this one a try if you like asian inspired fantasy, or samurai type stories.
Shadow's Hand is an Asian samurai inspired story in which we are brought into a well thought out world, full of samurai codes and everything you could expect from this kind of a story. I found the scenes with the battle aspects to be particularly enjoyable, as it was entirely engaging.
Our characters were intriguing, and kept my attention along the way. We see the ups and downs that they go through, and you truly want them to win.
In concept, this book is fantastic. For me, I do wish it had gone through another copy edit before publish, as I did find some errors. It pulled me out of the story a little bit, but I am a stickler for those kinds of details.
All in all, it was an enjoyable reading experience. I would recommend giving this one a try if you like asian inspired fantasy, or samurai type stories.
shainakrevat's review
4.0
Shadow’s Hand creates a very compelling world where a fantasy equivalent of ninjas called Shadows protect the land. The main character is Kilo, an experienced Shadow who is learning that his black and white views of the world may not be accurate. The supporting cast includes his younger sister Finae, who is wonderful and probably my favorite character, and another point of view (POV) character, Shenrae, who is just beginning to learn the Shadow’s teachings.
The greatest strengths of this novel are the world and the antagonist's scheme, both of which are slowly revealed to the reader. While in the beginning I was frustrated with not understanding the machinations of the villain in this narrative, by the end, I’m quite excited for the next book in the Shadow’s Creed Saga to see what happens next!
As another commenter mentioned, this book’s pacing starts off a bit wonky. The novel is broken into five parts - each part trades off the POV character and the fifth part is more of an epilogue. The first part and third parts are both Kilo’s POV and feel as if they could each be a full novel in their own right. Things happen quite quickly in the first part, so much so that, as a reader, I almost felt out of breath. The rest of the novel calms down, and I do believe it is worth the journey.
One of my favorite parts of the novel were the variety of characters we, the reader, get to encounter. From a town’s protector on the side of ‘good’ with gray morality to a deliveryman who aides our heroes, none of the characters are forgettable. Additionally, Nichols has a gift when it comes to writing her character’s emotions. The first time we meet Finae, we’re seeing her through her brother Kilo’s POV, and I could almost feel his love and protectiveness of her. When Kilo encounters an injured friend of his, my own breath caught in my throat, and Kilo’s concern was palpable. It’s excellent writing.
Overall, if you want a new world to dive into with characters you’ll want to follow, Shadow’s Hand is for you.
The greatest strengths of this novel are the world and the antagonist's scheme, both of which are slowly revealed to the reader. While in the beginning I was frustrated with not understanding the machinations of the villain in this narrative, by the end, I’m quite excited for the next book in the Shadow’s Creed Saga to see what happens next!
As another commenter mentioned, this book’s pacing starts off a bit wonky. The novel is broken into five parts - each part trades off the POV character and the fifth part is more of an epilogue. The first part and third parts are both Kilo’s POV and feel as if they could each be a full novel in their own right. Things happen quite quickly in the first part, so much so that, as a reader, I almost felt out of breath. The rest of the novel calms down, and I do believe it is worth the journey.
One of my favorite parts of the novel were the variety of characters we, the reader, get to encounter. From a town’s protector on the side of ‘good’ with gray morality to a deliveryman who aides our heroes, none of the characters are forgettable. Additionally, Nichols has a gift when it comes to writing her character’s emotions. The first time we meet Finae, we’re seeing her through her brother Kilo’s POV, and I could almost feel his love and protectiveness of her. When Kilo encounters an injured friend of his, my own breath caught in my throat, and Kilo’s concern was palpable. It’s excellent writing.
Overall, if you want a new world to dive into with characters you’ll want to follow, Shadow’s Hand is for you.
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