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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Intense story, took a while to get used to the flow as hopped around a lot particularly the start but read it quickly which is a sign i was committed. Would be interested to read more of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Shift in Shadows is ultimately a fairly standard paranormal book. You have the classic monsters with shifters, vampires, and witches etc, and they more or less inhabit the basic designs with no really noticeable effort to innovate on the standard.
The plot itself is heavily action reliant and inclined more towards the hollow drama of characters disliking each other, or existing in conflict over events that occurred outside the bounds of the immediate story. The result is that much of the drama has the feel of family bickering and exists only in the moments where it comes to a head, all the story, tension, buildup and so much of the conflict is lost.
The book's weakest element is probably its main character: Nemain is supposedly a four-hundred year old warrior, traveler of many realms, holder of secrets magic, survivor of countless battles, and most recently nearly a year of constant torture. In practice, she spends most of the book with the impulse control (I believe there are three separate scenes where she gets blatantly bated into terrible decisions) and emotional regulation of a teenager. Even aspects of her character that might otherwise have worked, such as her being violent and vengeful, are otherwise diminished by have immature she behaves. Other, more potentially rewarding, elements of her character such as her trauma from years of grief and the year of torture are mentioned in passing and occasionally affect the narrative, but are mostly sidelined in favor of simple action sequences. Furthermore, most of her relationships are already formed and settled, leaving almost nothing for the story to explore, and even the romance of the story starts well past the point of intimacy. Even her relationship with the primary antagonist is settled, having transpired before the events of the story.
The plot itself is fine (again, fairly action reliant) but doesn't make interesting use of its more dynamic elements: Nemain's hidden magic appears throughout the narrative, and is revealed to several characters, but there's no fallout, drama, or conflict from the reveals: she transforms into her were-beast maybe three times throughout, and almost no effort is made to use her age to cool or narrative effect.
The prose is likewise fine, and the secondary characters feel like varying degrees of role fillers.
A Shift in Shadows is an ultimately fine story, but nothing more.
The plot itself is heavily action reliant and inclined more towards the hollow drama of characters disliking each other, or existing in conflict over events that occurred outside the bounds of the immediate story. The result is that much of the drama has the feel of family bickering and exists only in the moments where it comes to a head, all the story, tension, buildup and so much of the conflict is lost.
The book's weakest element is probably its main character: Nemain is supposedly a four-hundred year old warrior, traveler of many realms, holder of secrets magic, survivor of countless battles, and most recently nearly a year of constant torture. In practice, she spends most of the book with the impulse control (I believe there are three separate scenes where she gets blatantly bated into terrible decisions) and emotional regulation of a teenager. Even aspects of her character that might otherwise have worked, such as her being violent and vengeful, are otherwise diminished by have immature she behaves. Other, more potentially rewarding, elements of her character such as her trauma from years of grief and the year of torture are mentioned in passing and occasionally affect the narrative, but are mostly sidelined in favor of simple action sequences. Furthermore, most of her relationships are already formed and settled, leaving almost nothing for the story to explore, and even the romance of the story starts well past the point of intimacy. Even her relationship with the primary antagonist is settled, having transpired before the events of the story.
The plot itself is fine (again, fairly action reliant) but doesn't make interesting use of its more dynamic elements: Nemain's hidden magic appears throughout the narrative, and is revealed to several characters, but there's no fallout, drama, or conflict from the reveals: she transforms into her were-beast maybe three times throughout, and almost no effort is made to use her age to cool or narrative effect.
The prose is likewise fine, and the secondary characters feel like varying degrees of role fillers.
A Shift in Shadows is an ultimately fine story, but nothing more.
adventurous
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
I was willing to read about werewolves, vampires and shifters but bringing mythology into this was one step too far.
The concept was everything I should've liked but it was a sludge to get through.
The concept was everything I should've liked but it was a sludge to get through.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just couldn’t connect to the characters, so I could bring myself to care what happened and kept losing focus 🫠
