A review by margin_magic
Of Shadow and Argent: Echoes of Darkness Book I by Marianne Grey

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

π‘»π’‰π’Šπ’” π’Šπ’” π’Žπ’š π’π’†π’˜ π’“π’π’Žπ’‚π’ π’†π’Žπ’‘π’Šπ’“π’†. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 π’˜π’‚π’Šπ’• 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆!

Marianne’s world-building is akin to the greatsβ€”it’s textured, and as riddled with gut punch moments as my heart is punctured from the depths of the lore. You'll feel devestation to depths of despair & be elevated higher than the stars in other moments, almost transported, with the quickness M can work a scene. 
Marianne has a way of capturing your heart, tearing it asunder, then remaking it anew. 

π‘»π’‰π’Šπ’” π’ƒπ’π’π’Œ π’Žπ’‚π’…π’† π’Žπ’† π’“π’†π’‚π’π’Šπ’›π’† π‘°β€™π’Ž 𝒂 π’ˆπ’π’–π’•π’•π’π’ 𝒇𝒐𝒓 π’†π’Žπ’π’•π’Šπ’π’π’‚π’ π’…π’‚π’Žπ’‚π’ˆπ’†. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 π’˜π’† π’˜π’Šπ’π’ 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 π’ƒπ’†π’ˆπ’ˆπ’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’ˆπ’‚π’•π’†π’” 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 π’–π’π’Šπ’—π’†π’“π’”e 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 π’ƒπ’†π’”π’•π’π’˜ π’•π’‰π’Šπ’” 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 π’–π’”β€”π’π’‡π’‡π’†π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒖𝒓 π’ˆπ’“π’‚π’•π’Šπ’•π’–π’…π’† 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’“π’Šπ’—π’Šπ’π’†π’ˆπ’†. 

I annotated this book to pieces, cover to cover, I think barely a page was left unmarred. Like my soul. 

Nyx
Nyx is a complete BADASS. A wonderfully violent protagonist with a charm that makes you want to know her, to root for her. She swears like a sailor, and i love that the narrative follows her perspective sometimes steady, sometimes chaotic, depending on her experiences. 

Nyx’s journey
Is nothing short of gruelling, and as readers, we’re right there with her, constantly thrown off balance.

To be clear, Marianne doesn’t just deliver twistsβ€”she weaponizes them, and just when you start to feel safe, she’ll knock you right off your footing. You think you know what’s coming? No, you don’t. You think you'll see it?  You won't. 
Every time I thought I had things figured out, Marianne hit with a twists I NEVER saw coming. After the first hit, I was on guard the whole way through after that, questioning any and all things, hesititant to trust again. 

The cast is diverse and full, and i feel you get decent time with most characters, so get truly embroiled with the feelings, and their lives. I truly loved so many of them!  Like angst and art, were among my favourites. Heavy worldbuilding! Fans of All the Stars Are Dying, i believe would EAT THIS UP.