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A review by didyousaybooks
The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair
2.0
Sadly I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted.
I love reading about superpowered folks. It’s kick-ass by nature to have powers.
I just really didn’t care for these characters.
The setting was interesting but way too fast exposition and underdeveloped even with +400 pages.
It’s said to be magic but it looks like the powers are operated more like mutant powers do because while there is a whole world of Odities and culture (kinda, pretty weak in the lore building) there is no magic system that I could see that you usually find in fantasy books. It was just called magic for some reason and that kinda put me off a bit, even if it’s just a detail really. It’s more on point with the Darkest Minds/X-Men wannabe with a dash of fight club in there).
Anyway, there obviously was some unnecessary romance. Can’t complain much there because it was in the book description but let me tell you, I am tired of this. This is again a case of insta love and I just don’t care.
And because the romance ended up being intertwined with the overall plot, well...I was unimpressed by the whole book.
I still give it two stars because I like the idea of the Odities system, and Vesper’s power was really cool and intense, and if you read the book description, you’re gonna get what you came for, no surprises.
Just 2 stars okay.
The author seems to be aware of certain tropes and directly have the character address them in the book (damsel in distress comes to mind) but that felt a bit weird and in the nose to me, as the book is as predictable as you can get and is full of other tropes and doubtful character choices.
If you haven’t read many similar books, you might enjoy this story, but if you already have favorites of the genre, I don’t think you’ll find any new or exciting in The Beckoning Shadow.
I love reading about superpowered folks. It’s kick-ass by nature to have powers.
I just really didn’t care for these characters.
The setting was interesting but way too fast exposition and underdeveloped even with +400 pages.
It’s said to be magic but it looks like the powers are operated more like mutant powers do because while there is a whole world of Odities and culture (kinda, pretty weak in the lore building) there is no magic system that I could see that you usually find in fantasy books. It was just called magic for some reason and that kinda put me off a bit, even if it’s just a detail really. It’s more on point with the Darkest Minds/X-Men wannabe with a dash of fight club in there).
Anyway, there obviously was some unnecessary romance. Can’t complain much there because it was in the book description but let me tell you, I am tired of this. This is again a case of insta love and I just don’t care.
And because the romance ended up being intertwined with the overall plot, well...I was unimpressed by the whole book.
I still give it two stars because I like the idea of the Odities system, and Vesper’s power was really cool and intense, and if you read the book description, you’re gonna get what you came for, no surprises.
Just 2 stars okay.
The author seems to be aware of certain tropes and directly have the character address them in the book (damsel in distress comes to mind) but that felt a bit weird and in the nose to me, as the book is as predictable as you can get and is full of other tropes and doubtful character choices.
If you haven’t read many similar books, you might enjoy this story, but if you already have favorites of the genre, I don’t think you’ll find any new or exciting in The Beckoning Shadow.