Reviews

The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest

itsryder_'s review against another edition

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5.0

Clever and ever-changing, The Black Witch Chronicles has been my go-to the last three years to get some heavy worldbuilding escapism fixes. Forest is a QUEEN when it comes to tying creatures and lesser discussed races into a world where they cannot (or can?) coexist.
While Elloren is struggling internally throughout the series thus far, I've been blown away by Forest's capacity to liken real-world prejudices to non-human entities. Creating a world full of strife and bleak outlooks in such an unconventional way, I personally am impressed with Laurie's ability to draw you in and down into the shadows. Not only is she a MASTER of Ring Theory, Laurie is a cruel, delicious little thing for easter eggs that you HAVE to go back and read, and reread, to catch things that were in your face the whole time! I cannot say it enough, Forest is the Avenging Goddess the YA Fantasy Lit community has needed for such a long time, and I for one am so relieved to see that she's used these stories and ever-changing plot twists to respectfully demonstrate the minorities in our own world (POC and LGBTQIA+).
By the looks of things, I have an a plethora of unpopular opinions, especially when I say I LOVED the pacing, length of the story, and constant changes in the POVS. Forest delivers in creating DYNAMIC characters that arguably have some of the most relatable internal struggles, not just Elloren.

Maas and Jo Rowling were great for their time, but now I think it's time we make some room for the new Queen in the Fantasy World, not just Erthia, Laurie Forest. #dontcomeforme

astitchnastory's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

joyfullyjordi's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.25

asprack's review against another edition

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4.0

It was a bit longer than it needed to be

endofthestory's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

thegoodtwin's review against another edition

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literally so sad i can’t get through this but we are DRAGGING things along and the multiple perspectives, as much as I’m happy about the side plots, are not helping 

sarahhes's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5

tori_fink's review against another edition

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4.0

I love this series! I can’t believe I have to wait until September for the next book!!

jessica_sis23's review against another edition

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5.0

I love this series, it has quickly became one of my favorites. I love Laurie Forest world building ability, can't wait for the next book!

_daisy87's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional lighthearted 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

4.75