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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I loved To Kill A Shadow so much, and this one was just as good, if not better than the first one! It picks up right where the last book ended, and it kept me on my toes the entire time. This book is packed with so much action, quests, and danger that you can’t stop reading it once you start. We got more worldbuilding and understanding of the gods, goddesses, and prophecies, and it deepened my connection to the story. Kiara is an excellent heroine. She’s a strong and skilled fighter, and I love that she was the one wielding the shadows. Just like in the first book, the character development of the main characters and side characters is wonderful. We get to experience their self discovery and acceptance, budding friendships, choice of family, and sweet romances. Speaking of romance, Kiara and Jude have the best slow burn romance that is filled with angst, tension, and yearning. I adored every second of it. Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend it if you’re looking for a YA romantasy with adventure, magic, betrayals, and a swoony romance.
adventurous
hopeful
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mood: 🌘🥰🔪👹🌞
Jude had to leave Kiara in the woods, knowing that she would use the Godslayer on herself to unite the pieces of Reina’s powers within him. Rather than let her sacrifice herself for his sake, Jude goes to his mother for help, hoping Reina’s own daughter knows how to release the remaining pieces without killing Kiara. Unfortunately, his mother refuses to see him, and Jude gets captured by the Red Guard. Kiara is furious that Jude abandoned her, though she understands his reasoning. She and Jake follow his tracks into the city, just in time to see Jude get taken away. Kiara, too, turns to his mother, Emelia, and the woman finally agrees to help, plotting a course to the Moon God’s temple to search for an artifact that would restore the Sun Goddess’s powers and bring back the sun. But first, they need to rescue Jude.
I really liked the equal dynamic that Jude and Kiara have in their relationship. Even though Jude is technically Kiara’s commander, them both being deserters makes that a non-issue. Jude loves how violent and vicious Kiara is, and when she starts to lose control with her darkness, he’s right there to help calm her down and refocus her. Meanwhile, Kiara gets to do the “Who hurt you?” rage bit, and I absolutely loved watching a powerful woman go beserk because someone hurt her man. Liam’s arrival and inclusion in the group was very welcomed; his and Jack’s relationship is played down, but it’s still very cute, since they’re both protect of and love (platonically) Kiara. The loose ends that were left in book 1 were tidily resolved, though I would have preferred a more clear ending to Harlow’s character. The imagery in the Moon God’s temple was absolutely beautiful; one of my favorite scenes was of Jude and Kiara together on the sky-sea beach. The ending was very fun, and I was quite happy with the conclusion of the story.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes