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Every Dark Shadow
Orphan turned fugitive Ophelia Dannan has been safely hidden in the mortal world for four years, memories and magic locked away from herself and the siphoning Gray King of Magus. A king whose armies hunt relentlessly for one source of pure magic that vanished with Ophelia.
A scholar, a smugger and a soldier have sworn their lives to hide and guard her until the time is right to awaken her magic. To protect her, Rune, Falcon, and Hart move her often and see to it Ophelia forgets the lives she lives with them. But across worlds where the Gray King enslaves the magic born, rebellion is stirring and a dark force is rising to stake its own claim on the throne.
When shadows reach tendrils across the mortal world for Ophelia, she's pushed into a perilous quest in search of truth, her magic, and a way to break the monarchy before it breaks them all.
A scholar, a smugger and a soldier have sworn their lives to hide and guard her until the time is right to awaken her magic. To protect her, Rune, Falcon, and Hart move her often and see to it Ophelia forgets the lives she lives with them. But across worlds where the Gray King enslaves the magic born, rebellion is stirring and a dark force is rising to stake its own claim on the throne.
When shadows reach tendrils across the mortal world for Ophelia, she's pushed into a perilous quest in search of truth, her magic, and a way to break the monarchy before it breaks them all.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2023
117 people are currently reading
10380 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Zimm
3 books170 followersSarah Zimm learned at six years old she could climb the highest of the high Wisconsin maples and imagine other worlds beyond her little city. She's been lost in daydreams and telling stories ever since. Sarah Zimm lives in Wisconsin with her husband and son and quirky mutt. She has a BA in journalism and mentors young authors. By the glow of the moon, she pens YA and adult fantasy adventures dusted with parallel worlds and slow-burn romance. When she's not writing, she's ever consumed with a good book, reheating tea, watching her husband jump around on stage with his guitar, and scrutinizing the shadows that lurk in the woods.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
January 28, 2025
I just re-read this in preparation for reading an ARC of the second book, which comes out in March. I still stand by what I said that the world building was sometimes confusing. I could’ve used a glossary of terms. Even after reading it a second time, there are things I don’t fully understand, but it seems like more of it may be explained in the next book.
This has a very rich fantasy world with a complexity and attention to detail that I don’t often see in romantasy. At times the prose was a bit too flowery for me personally, but it’s not “purple” by any means. I think readers who enjoy a unique turn of phrase will enjoy this one.
It has a great balance between the fantasy plot and the romantic relationships (yes, multiple 👀). VERY interested to see where the romantic elements are gonna go from here.
Book 2 here I come!!!
Original review:
Everything about this was utterly unique for the romantasy genre! The main characters (“The Four”) Ophelia, Rune, Falcon, and Hart are all fantastic and I’m very interested to see where the story goes in future installments.
The author had quite a daunting task in communicating a vast and complex world all while juggling characters who have extensive histories both individually and with each other. I had a hard time with the world building in this, finding myself still confused at times even near the end of the book. But the prose is so excellent and the story was crafted so well, I have faith that subsequent books will continue to get better and better.
Can’t wait to see where this goes!
This has a very rich fantasy world with a complexity and attention to detail that I don’t often see in romantasy. At times the prose was a bit too flowery for me personally, but it’s not “purple” by any means. I think readers who enjoy a unique turn of phrase will enjoy this one.
It has a great balance between the fantasy plot and the romantic relationships (yes, multiple 👀). VERY interested to see where the romantic elements are gonna go from here.
Book 2 here I come!!!
Original review:
Everything about this was utterly unique for the romantasy genre! The main characters (“The Four”) Ophelia, Rune, Falcon, and Hart are all fantastic and I’m very interested to see where the story goes in future installments.
The author had quite a daunting task in communicating a vast and complex world all while juggling characters who have extensive histories both individually and with each other. I had a hard time with the world building in this, finding myself still confused at times even near the end of the book. But the prose is so excellent and the story was crafted so well, I have faith that subsequent books will continue to get better and better.
Can’t wait to see where this goes!
January 26, 2025
Apparently this can be done, so there it is, a FIVE for me.
Truly, I’m popping on to share a bit about Every Dark Shadow because I care about your mental well-being and believe everyone deserves to go into a reading experience knowing what to expect.
*Every Dark Shadow is set between 1800s NYC and a parallel, magical version of it ruled by a brutal monarch oppressing the magic-born.
*CW: The book includes elements of war, mental and physical torture, dangerous situations, blood, descriptive violence, injuries, death, and some graphic language.
*It’s being planned as a duology, in which book one asks, what does a better world look like? And book 2 follows with, what would you be willing to sacrifice to achieve it?
*This is a YA/Adult Crossover, where book 1 leans upper YA and subsequent novellas and book two will lean adult.
Update 2025: I'm thrilled to share that Every Dark Shadow has been produced for audiobook! It releases on February 1. US: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0DTKVVBC4...
Sarah
Truly, I’m popping on to share a bit about Every Dark Shadow because I care about your mental well-being and believe everyone deserves to go into a reading experience knowing what to expect.
*Every Dark Shadow is set between 1800s NYC and a parallel, magical version of it ruled by a brutal monarch oppressing the magic-born.
*CW: The book includes elements of war, mental and physical torture, dangerous situations, blood, descriptive violence, injuries, death, and some graphic language.
*It’s being planned as a duology, in which book one asks, what does a better world look like? And book 2 follows with, what would you be willing to sacrifice to achieve it?
*This is a YA/Adult Crossover, where book 1 leans upper YA and subsequent novellas and book two will lean adult.
Update 2025: I'm thrilled to share that Every Dark Shadow has been produced for audiobook! It releases on February 1. US: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0DTKVVBC4...
Sarah
September 3, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received this book as an arc read. However, these are my true opinions.
Every Dark Shadow has it all when it comes to being a fantasy book. Strong female main character with 3 male protectors, and then throw magic in the mix and your set.
Forced proximity, magic, multiple love interest, time jumping, parallel universes, and of course 3 Magic wielding MMCs.
Story: FMC Ophelia has been forced to forget the magic world for her own safety. Why? A tyrant king that is siphoning magic and imprisoning magic wielding people all with the goal of finding the source that will ensure his reign is infinite and powerful. What may that source be….of course it’s Ophelia.
With the help of a powerful spell-caster, three protectors vow to keep Ophelia safe at all cost.
How do they do this? By moving her to the mortal realm and hiding her in different time periods, resetting her memories each time. Each time with a different keeper.
Rune: The scholar. Who thinks coddling Ophelia is the way to protect her.
Falcon: The smuggler. Whom teaches her knives and daggers, pickpocketing, and how to survive in the more grimy parts of the mortal realm.
Hart: The soldier: He has all but given up his post with Ophelia due to an event that happened but still protects her from afar.
All different but all have one thing in common…Ophelia.
I gave this book 4 stars. If you do not like fantasy alone you will have a hard time getting through this book. It is a fantasy romance but this first book leans more towards the fantasy aspect. I happen to be a fantasy reader. I love high fantasy books.
All fantasy readers know that these book have a lot of world building and character building especially in the first book of the series.
The world building in this book is beautiful. I love the fact that there are parallel universe’s and different time periods. I was not confused by the time jumps or the different worlds but I know for someone who do not read fantasy they might become confused. Also, there are a lot of side characters that come in and out of the book a lot which also could be confusing for people. I would say this book becomes more interesting, during chapter 5. After chapter 5 it is much easier to get through the book and I’m not saying you have to get through the book, it’s just a lot of information to process which I understand because it’s the first book in the series and the author wants to set the world and the characters in the storyline up.
There also is not much romance in this book. It’s more longing and hinted at. There is one romance scene. I would say this book does not receive any spice level but like I said, it’s a fantasy with a hint of romance it’s not a romance fantasy.
I don’t think I have read a book where there is parallel universe and time jumping at the same time so I thought that was interesting.
The last few chapters are very high pace, and I really loved those.
The way the author builds the relationship between the female main character and the male main characters is done, beautifully and perfectly. You start to root for one character over the other. Team Falcon❤️
Yes, this is a series. I will be reading the rest of the books in the series because I really loved the book and where the story was going. I just felt like there was so much to take into this first book. That’s why I did give it 4 stars it is definitely a four-star read for me though.
I received this book as an arc read. However, these are my true opinions.
Every Dark Shadow has it all when it comes to being a fantasy book. Strong female main character with 3 male protectors, and then throw magic in the mix and your set.
Forced proximity, magic, multiple love interest, time jumping, parallel universes, and of course 3 Magic wielding MMCs.
Story: FMC Ophelia has been forced to forget the magic world for her own safety. Why? A tyrant king that is siphoning magic and imprisoning magic wielding people all with the goal of finding the source that will ensure his reign is infinite and powerful. What may that source be….of course it’s Ophelia.
With the help of a powerful spell-caster, three protectors vow to keep Ophelia safe at all cost.
How do they do this? By moving her to the mortal realm and hiding her in different time periods, resetting her memories each time. Each time with a different keeper.
Rune: The scholar. Who thinks coddling Ophelia is the way to protect her.
Falcon: The smuggler. Whom teaches her knives and daggers, pickpocketing, and how to survive in the more grimy parts of the mortal realm.
Hart: The soldier: He has all but given up his post with Ophelia due to an event that happened but still protects her from afar.
All different but all have one thing in common…Ophelia.
I gave this book 4 stars. If you do not like fantasy alone you will have a hard time getting through this book. It is a fantasy romance but this first book leans more towards the fantasy aspect. I happen to be a fantasy reader. I love high fantasy books.
All fantasy readers know that these book have a lot of world building and character building especially in the first book of the series.
The world building in this book is beautiful. I love the fact that there are parallel universe’s and different time periods. I was not confused by the time jumps or the different worlds but I know for someone who do not read fantasy they might become confused. Also, there are a lot of side characters that come in and out of the book a lot which also could be confusing for people. I would say this book becomes more interesting, during chapter 5. After chapter 5 it is much easier to get through the book and I’m not saying you have to get through the book, it’s just a lot of information to process which I understand because it’s the first book in the series and the author wants to set the world and the characters in the storyline up.
There also is not much romance in this book. It’s more longing and hinted at. There is one romance scene. I would say this book does not receive any spice level but like I said, it’s a fantasy with a hint of romance it’s not a romance fantasy.
I don’t think I have read a book where there is parallel universe and time jumping at the same time so I thought that was interesting.
The last few chapters are very high pace, and I really loved those.
The way the author builds the relationship between the female main character and the male main characters is done, beautifully and perfectly. You start to root for one character over the other. Team Falcon❤️
Yes, this is a series. I will be reading the rest of the books in the series because I really loved the book and where the story was going. I just felt like there was so much to take into this first book. That’s why I did give it 4 stars it is definitely a four-star read for me though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2023
I received this eARC in exchange for my honest review ♥️🖤
This was my very first time receiving an ARC and it couldn’t have been a more perfect book! I fell instantly in love with the 4 main characters. I adored watching Ophelia’s growth and curiosity throughout this story. Sarah Zimm’s writing is so so beautiful and she created characters that I felt like I’ve both known forever but also want to keep learning more about! The magic was interesting, the world was fun, the writing was stunning, and the ending!!! I highly recommend picking this up when it releases!
I can’t wait for the next book to come!
This was my very first time receiving an ARC and it couldn’t have been a more perfect book! I fell instantly in love with the 4 main characters. I adored watching Ophelia’s growth and curiosity throughout this story. Sarah Zimm’s writing is so so beautiful and she created characters that I felt like I’ve both known forever but also want to keep learning more about! The magic was interesting, the world was fun, the writing was stunning, and the ending!!! I highly recommend picking this up when it releases!
I can’t wait for the next book to come!
November 15, 2023
Not normally a book I’d have picked out for myself but I won it and glad I did. I loved this read. Written very well and kept your attention wanting more. A great fantasy book. Highly recommend
December 28, 2023
'Every Dark Shadow' by Sarah Zimm is the first book in this series, to be followed by a prequel and at least one sequel from what I can see. This book tells the story of Ophelia, who has three protectors who take it in turns to remove her memories and take her to a different time period and place, to hide her from a king who wants her for her magic. It's a fantasy book predominantly, with light romance which will likely progress more as the series progresses.
I thought the story was really interesting, particularly getting glimpses of who Ophelia is in her separate periods with Rune, Falcon and Hart. I especially liked how she was ultimately the same with her memories stripped away, yet was treated differently by each person and getting to see how this changed her. I'm definitely going to read the prequel and sequel to see where the story goes. The scene has been set but there's clearly a lot more plot to come now that we know who all the key players are.
I thought that the pull towards the three male main characters was believable given the plot, and was dealt with well. I definitely felt more invested in one of the three love interests, although only time will tell how that pans out!
My main criticism of 'Every Dark Shadow' is that at some points in the story, particularly the action sequences, it gets a bit frantic and sometimes confusing. These sections could have been slowed down a bit to help give some clarity. Some sections earlier in the book seemed intentionally vague too, to hint towards plot points and villains to come without giving too much away, but I found them a bit too vague or confusing at times. This isn't going to stop me reading the further books, because the story itself is interesting and will likely have more twists and turns, but I do hope that later books take all the positives here and build on them further.
I thought the story was really interesting, particularly getting glimpses of who Ophelia is in her separate periods with Rune, Falcon and Hart. I especially liked how she was ultimately the same with her memories stripped away, yet was treated differently by each person and getting to see how this changed her. I'm definitely going to read the prequel and sequel to see where the story goes. The scene has been set but there's clearly a lot more plot to come now that we know who all the key players are.
I thought that the pull towards the three male main characters was believable given the plot, and was dealt with well. I definitely felt more invested in one of the three love interests, although only time will tell how that pans out!
My main criticism of 'Every Dark Shadow' is that at some points in the story, particularly the action sequences, it gets a bit frantic and sometimes confusing. These sections could have been slowed down a bit to help give some clarity. Some sections earlier in the book seemed intentionally vague too, to hint towards plot points and villains to come without giving too much away, but I found them a bit too vague or confusing at times. This isn't going to stop me reading the further books, because the story itself is interesting and will likely have more twists and turns, but I do hope that later books take all the positives here and build on them further.
September 24, 2023
[4.5 stars]
Fans of dark fantasy and Shadow & Bone will thoroughly enjoy Every Dark Shadow. Now, that’s not to say you won’t enjoy it if you weren’t the biggest fan of Shadow & Bone because although both share themes of shadow vs light magic, hidden powers, a school for those with magic, and a magic system based on abilities to manipulate, the similarities end there. The plot is very unique and mysterious. And in true fantasy fashion, I believe we’ve hardly scratched the surface.
The love square (potentially a pentagon? 👀) was thoroughly developed and helped to advance the plot. Hart is attractive in his sulking and brooding, but Falcon and Rune…I honestly couldn’t choose between them! I adored them both. But the character that had me most intrigued and obsessed since the moment he appeared on the page is one whose name I don’t even know yet 🤣. Let that tell you everything you need to know. If you love shadow magic and morally grey characters, add this to your TBR.
And that ending!! My heart hurts. But I’m incredibly excited to follow the crumbs laid carefully in this book and unravel the rest of the plot in the sequel.
For those curious, there is romance and no spice in this one. Some kissing. Honestly, it wouldn’t have made sense anyways since there wasn’t any time with them constantly on the run for their lives.
Thanks to the author for the review copy!
Fans of dark fantasy and Shadow & Bone will thoroughly enjoy Every Dark Shadow. Now, that’s not to say you won’t enjoy it if you weren’t the biggest fan of Shadow & Bone because although both share themes of shadow vs light magic, hidden powers, a school for those with magic, and a magic system based on abilities to manipulate, the similarities end there. The plot is very unique and mysterious. And in true fantasy fashion, I believe we’ve hardly scratched the surface.
The love square (potentially a pentagon? 👀) was thoroughly developed and helped to advance the plot. Hart is attractive in his sulking and brooding, but Falcon and Rune…I honestly couldn’t choose between them! I adored them both. But the character that had me most intrigued and obsessed since the moment he appeared on the page is one whose name I don’t even know yet 🤣. Let that tell you everything you need to know. If you love shadow magic and morally grey characters, add this to your TBR.
And that ending!! My heart hurts. But I’m incredibly excited to follow the crumbs laid carefully in this book and unravel the rest of the plot in the sequel.
For those curious, there is romance and no spice in this one. Some kissing. Honestly, it wouldn’t have made sense anyways since there wasn’t any time with them constantly on the run for their lives.
Thanks to the author for the review copy!
January 27, 2024
Every Dark Shadow by Sarah Zimm is a true combination of all the great factors in reading. It has magic, romance, YA, bad ass characters, and a storyline that draws you in.
The characters, Ophelia, Rune, Hart, and Falcon, are fantastic and I am excited to see their growth continue. The set time frame of the 1800's NYC is a great decision with the story, it adds this gritty tone to it, the magical aspect is done phenominally. It doesn't take away from the story and is not hard to follow. This is a first of Zimms for me and I am eager to not only recommend this story to others but to continue it myself.
The characters, Ophelia, Rune, Hart, and Falcon, are fantastic and I am excited to see their growth continue. The set time frame of the 1800's NYC is a great decision with the story, it adds this gritty tone to it, the magical aspect is done phenominally. It doesn't take away from the story and is not hard to follow. This is a first of Zimms for me and I am eager to not only recommend this story to others but to continue it myself.
August 15, 2023
I’m going to be completely honest and say that I DNF’d this but that’s not anything to do with the writing at all, it’s written really well if you’re really into dark fantasy.
They story line it’s self is very good and thought out however, this is a bit too fantasy for my personal liking.
If you fantasy is your thing, you will really like this! I can’t comment on the end as I didn’t get there, so please take this review with a pinch of salt
They story line it’s self is very good and thought out however, this is a bit too fantasy for my personal liking.
If you fantasy is your thing, you will really like this! I can’t comment on the end as I didn’t get there, so please take this review with a pinch of salt
August 5, 2023
Every Dark Shadow left me torn. Not on whether I liked the book. No, I loved the book! What left me torn was my poor little shipper heart. There’s a reason I rarely read anything with love triangles or more than one love interest, and that’s because it hurts and I can’t handle it! Every Dark Shadow has 3 love interests! 3! Being torn between them much like poor Ophelia left me in complete understanding of her predicament.
Every Dark Shadow follows Ophelia. A girl with her memories taken from her. She lives throughout different times and different lives, with her three keepers taking turns. In the beginning, you don’t know what’s going on. Ophelia is living on a farm and dreams of a wider world out there, getting lost in Alice in Wonderland, and inevitably heading towards her own rabbit hole. As the story progresses, we learn she is in hiding from the king of another world. Her world. When things go wrong, her three keepers come together to get to her to the man who locked away her memories. So she can help Magus break free from the tyranny of the Grey King.
The book very much had a Shadow and Bone vibe to it. It’s definitely YA with no spice (kissing and cuddling is the extent and it’s rare) and a more innocent take on relationships. We have a girl with special powers she doesn’t understand. Love interests aplenty, a magical people with different orders that are persecuted, a king that needs to be taken down, the king has a special army of just magical people separate from his royal army, and a city with a seedy underbelly (literally called the belly). And then there’s a man who wields darkness who has been looking for her, because like calls to like. Plus a lot of running and hiding. The way everything is weaved together is wonderful. I loved getting to learn about each aspect of the world as Ophelia relearned everything she’d forgotten.
Her love interests also represent different aspects of her own character. We meet Hart first, and I think that is why I latched on to him the most despite him being the most reserved and when I would usually go for a guy like Falcon. Hart is a solider, and he agreed to being Ophelia’s keeper as the two are best friends. He loves Ophelia, but now feels the need to stay away from her, for her own good. He’s really Ophelia’s heart. Her ability to love and connect. He’s always been with her, and the two were extremely close before her memories were wiped. Since their separation, Hart is colder, hiding behind walls and trying to do what he thinks is best for her. Their relationship is explored the least unfortunately. We were just getting to some parts when they were off again. I’m hoping we’ll see more from the two of them.
Falcon is the wild one. He works in the belly for the different bosses there as a smuggler (or smugger) and is rumored to have no soul. He comes off like bad news at first, but it quickly becomes clear he’s much more than that, and hides behind his reputation to protect what he cares for most. He’s a survivor. He does what he has to, but he’s hopeful for a better world. He agreed to be Ophelia’s keeper so that one day, she can come back and fight to build that better world. He teaches her to fight, to survive, but inevitably feelings spring up between them.
Rune is the one with Ophelia when we meet her. Their time together is always a simpler life. One where Ophelia dreams bigger. Rune isn’t a fighter, he’s a scholar. He’s more peaceful and bookish. But he’s fallen in love with Ophelia, and is up against two others for her affection. He has the capacity to live. To find a simple life and be happy. Ophelia seems to always dream bigger though. So while he gives her hope for a life, and she returns his feelings when he is all she remembers, I can’t help feeling like she wouldn’t be happy for long in the safe life Rune wants for them. Nor would she want to without any real passion. What she feels for Rune is simple and soft, not like what she feels for Falcon.
The magic system of the world plays a big part in the story. The Magie, the magic born, are split into different orders based on their powers. There’s matterists who manipulate elements and can enchant, morphists who shift and fabricate, and witchists who cast spells or shadows or can animate things. Each of the love interests is in one of the guilds of magic users. Which plays well into the larger themes and plot. Not just as they represent each guild of magic, but once Ophelia’s power is revealed to us we realized that as each love interest represents a part of her, it works the same with the magic. Her power is special. She is special. And unlimited. The magic is really interesting all around. There’s world and time hoping, plus the different types of magic and the sub genres within them. It was very inventive the way she made them all play together. Taking familiar concepts and twisting them to this new world.
The King is a bit of an unknown villain wise. We know he’s awful and he’s cursed. That he siphons the magic of the magie and kills them. That he doesn’t want a world that is ruled by magie and that’s why he took over. But we don’t know why he needs Ophelia or what is end game is other than maintaining rule for most of the book. I liked being able to slowly put things together. Ophelia and the boys are being chased by the kings armies as they try to get Ophelia to where she needs to be, but other forces are also chasing them. Shadowcasters have been attacking, trying to take her. And they can rely on anyone, even past allies.
Though, they do meet some friends along the way that are great, like Trix. Who is a spell caster with an affinity for nature. She helps Ophelia realize her own power and independence. She is so reliant on the boys without her memories, and Trix helps her unearth a bit of her true self again. Then there’s Willow, a sister of a solider Hart served with. She helps them when one of them is injured. However, I couldn’t help wanting her gone as she and Hart had too much chemistry for my liking when I love him and Ophelia! It seems like Falcon is on top of the love interest pile at the moment, but I have to have some hope! (This is why I never read stories with more than 1 love interest haha)
At the end, we come across the man controlling the Shadowcasters. The Darkwielder. He is Ophelia’s opposite and yet the two are connected. He wants her on his side as he makes his play against the king. I liked that he had personal reasons for this. It wasn’t just some upstart wanting the throne. I definitely want to know more about him and I’m insanely curious how this will play against the 3 current love interests. The way he was talking and Ophelia’s instant draw to him, plus the similarity to Shadow and Bone, makes me wonder if things will go this way. Conversely, what I hated about Shadow and Bone actually makes me hopeful here. There, the FMC ends up with her childhood best friend. But I’m still worried Falcon is so clearly ahead at the moment! Hart needs to come up from behind, dammit! I really don’t want him thrown at a side character just to get him out of the running.
There is much more story to tell. I need to know what happens next. With the war, with Magus, with the love interests, and how the Darkwielder will play into that. I can’t wait to find out more! Despite my heart torn between them, I can’t help rooting for several of them! Hart and Falcon really, but Hart most of all. I liked Rune but just didn’t vibe with him like the others. Still, I feel badly for him! I’m invested now and have to know where this will go!
I received an ARC of this book.
Every Dark Shadow follows Ophelia. A girl with her memories taken from her. She lives throughout different times and different lives, with her three keepers taking turns. In the beginning, you don’t know what’s going on. Ophelia is living on a farm and dreams of a wider world out there, getting lost in Alice in Wonderland, and inevitably heading towards her own rabbit hole. As the story progresses, we learn she is in hiding from the king of another world. Her world. When things go wrong, her three keepers come together to get to her to the man who locked away her memories. So she can help Magus break free from the tyranny of the Grey King.
The book very much had a Shadow and Bone vibe to it. It’s definitely YA with no spice (kissing and cuddling is the extent and it’s rare) and a more innocent take on relationships. We have a girl with special powers she doesn’t understand. Love interests aplenty, a magical people with different orders that are persecuted, a king that needs to be taken down, the king has a special army of just magical people separate from his royal army, and a city with a seedy underbelly (literally called the belly). And then there’s a man who wields darkness who has been looking for her, because like calls to like. Plus a lot of running and hiding. The way everything is weaved together is wonderful. I loved getting to learn about each aspect of the world as Ophelia relearned everything she’d forgotten.
Her love interests also represent different aspects of her own character. We meet Hart first, and I think that is why I latched on to him the most despite him being the most reserved and when I would usually go for a guy like Falcon. Hart is a solider, and he agreed to being Ophelia’s keeper as the two are best friends. He loves Ophelia, but now feels the need to stay away from her, for her own good. He’s really Ophelia’s heart. Her ability to love and connect. He’s always been with her, and the two were extremely close before her memories were wiped. Since their separation, Hart is colder, hiding behind walls and trying to do what he thinks is best for her. Their relationship is explored the least unfortunately. We were just getting to some parts when they were off again. I’m hoping we’ll see more from the two of them.
Falcon is the wild one. He works in the belly for the different bosses there as a smuggler (or smugger) and is rumored to have no soul. He comes off like bad news at first, but it quickly becomes clear he’s much more than that, and hides behind his reputation to protect what he cares for most. He’s a survivor. He does what he has to, but he’s hopeful for a better world. He agreed to be Ophelia’s keeper so that one day, she can come back and fight to build that better world. He teaches her to fight, to survive, but inevitably feelings spring up between them.
Rune is the one with Ophelia when we meet her. Their time together is always a simpler life. One where Ophelia dreams bigger. Rune isn’t a fighter, he’s a scholar. He’s more peaceful and bookish. But he’s fallen in love with Ophelia, and is up against two others for her affection. He has the capacity to live. To find a simple life and be happy. Ophelia seems to always dream bigger though. So while he gives her hope for a life, and she returns his feelings when he is all she remembers, I can’t help feeling like she wouldn’t be happy for long in the safe life Rune wants for them. Nor would she want to without any real passion. What she feels for Rune is simple and soft, not like what she feels for Falcon.
The magic system of the world plays a big part in the story. The Magie, the magic born, are split into different orders based on their powers. There’s matterists who manipulate elements and can enchant, morphists who shift and fabricate, and witchists who cast spells or shadows or can animate things. Each of the love interests is in one of the guilds of magic users. Which plays well into the larger themes and plot. Not just as they represent each guild of magic, but once Ophelia’s power is revealed to us we realized that as each love interest represents a part of her, it works the same with the magic. Her power is special. She is special. And unlimited. The magic is really interesting all around. There’s world and time hoping, plus the different types of magic and the sub genres within them. It was very inventive the way she made them all play together. Taking familiar concepts and twisting them to this new world.
The King is a bit of an unknown villain wise. We know he’s awful and he’s cursed. That he siphons the magic of the magie and kills them. That he doesn’t want a world that is ruled by magie and that’s why he took over. But we don’t know why he needs Ophelia or what is end game is other than maintaining rule for most of the book. I liked being able to slowly put things together. Ophelia and the boys are being chased by the kings armies as they try to get Ophelia to where she needs to be, but other forces are also chasing them. Shadowcasters have been attacking, trying to take her. And they can rely on anyone, even past allies.
Though, they do meet some friends along the way that are great, like Trix. Who is a spell caster with an affinity for nature. She helps Ophelia realize her own power and independence. She is so reliant on the boys without her memories, and Trix helps her unearth a bit of her true self again. Then there’s Willow, a sister of a solider Hart served with. She helps them when one of them is injured. However, I couldn’t help wanting her gone as she and Hart had too much chemistry for my liking when I love him and Ophelia! It seems like Falcon is on top of the love interest pile at the moment, but I have to have some hope! (This is why I never read stories with more than 1 love interest haha)
At the end, we come across the man controlling the Shadowcasters. The Darkwielder. He is Ophelia’s opposite and yet the two are connected. He wants her on his side as he makes his play against the king. I liked that he had personal reasons for this. It wasn’t just some upstart wanting the throne. I definitely want to know more about him and I’m insanely curious how this will play against the 3 current love interests. The way he was talking and Ophelia’s instant draw to him, plus the similarity to Shadow and Bone, makes me wonder if things will go this way. Conversely, what I hated about Shadow and Bone actually makes me hopeful here. There, the FMC ends up with her childhood best friend. But I’m still worried Falcon is so clearly ahead at the moment! Hart needs to come up from behind, dammit! I really don’t want him thrown at a side character just to get him out of the running.
There is much more story to tell. I need to know what happens next. With the war, with Magus, with the love interests, and how the Darkwielder will play into that. I can’t wait to find out more! Despite my heart torn between them, I can’t help rooting for several of them! Hart and Falcon really, but Hart most of all. I liked Rune but just didn’t vibe with him like the others. Still, I feel badly for him! I’m invested now and have to know where this will go!
I received an ARC of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2025
This book, as described by the author as well, can be classified as Shadow and Bone magic meets ACOTAR found-family. Definitely gives Six of Crows vibes in my opinion.
Every Dark Shadow is so intricate and wonderfully written for a debut novel. The magic system is incredibly flushed out, the settings are perfectly described, and the bonds between the characters are beautiful.
As previously stated, the magic definitely gives Shadow and Bone/Grishaverse vibes with the different classifications. There are people who alter matter, people who control different elements, and even the light vs. dark aspect. The way that the magic is used is also similar, without being a copy and paste. It's clear to see where the inspiration came from, while still remaining original.
The settings are also very well done. It was so cool to see the "time travel" aspect of the book in the mortal realm, and the magie (magic) realm is so beautiful. All of the descriptions from the magic dust floating and dancing through the air, all the way to the trees, were all so full of life and magic, it was incredible. And the author did an amazing job with making you feel as if you were standing there as well, witnessing all this magic right in front of you.
Now for the characters. Every Dark Shadow follows our four main characters, with a large cast of side characters, mentors, and villains, and every one of them stands out.
Ophelia is our FMC, the supposed savior of this world, who has had her memories burried and her true identity is being hidden from her in the start of the novel while she hides out in the mortal world. Throughout the book, Ophelia comes into her own as she starts to discover the truth about herself and learn more about her powers.
Beside her throughout the novel are her three "keepers", Falcon, Rune, and Hart. Each of these boys holds a special, seperate space in Ophelia's heart, for different reasons. They each have their own motivations for agree to be her keepers and protect her while her memories remain burried, until the time comes for her to embrace her destiny.
Each of these four MCs are so unique, even the three boys who easily could've begun to blend together if the author wasn't careful. It was so easy to differentiate the boys, their speaking, their actions, motives, all of it was so different from one another, but at the same time it's easy to see why Ophelia loves and cares about all of them; it's hard not to! Even when one or more of them is being stubborn, overprotective to a fault, or simply having one of those dumb man moments.
In addition to our four MCs, there is a whoel cast of side characters that all stand out and make an impression in their own way. Even characters that we may only see a handful of times throughout the book make a lasting impression and it's hard not to become emotionally invested in them.
Every Dark Shadow is so intricate and wonderfully written for a debut novel. The magic system is incredibly flushed out, the settings are perfectly described, and the bonds between the characters are beautiful.
As previously stated, the magic definitely gives Shadow and Bone/Grishaverse vibes with the different classifications. There are people who alter matter, people who control different elements, and even the light vs. dark aspect. The way that the magic is used is also similar, without being a copy and paste. It's clear to see where the inspiration came from, while still remaining original.
The settings are also very well done. It was so cool to see the "time travel" aspect of the book in the mortal realm, and the magie (magic) realm is so beautiful. All of the descriptions from the magic dust floating and dancing through the air, all the way to the trees, were all so full of life and magic, it was incredible. And the author did an amazing job with making you feel as if you were standing there as well, witnessing all this magic right in front of you.
Now for the characters. Every Dark Shadow follows our four main characters, with a large cast of side characters, mentors, and villains, and every one of them stands out.
Ophelia is our FMC, the supposed savior of this world, who has had her memories burried and her true identity is being hidden from her in the start of the novel while she hides out in the mortal world. Throughout the book, Ophelia comes into her own as she starts to discover the truth about herself and learn more about her powers.
Beside her throughout the novel are her three "keepers", Falcon, Rune, and Hart. Each of these boys holds a special, seperate space in Ophelia's heart, for different reasons. They each have their own motivations for agree to be her keepers and protect her while her memories remain burried, until the time comes for her to embrace her destiny.
Each of these four MCs are so unique, even the three boys who easily could've begun to blend together if the author wasn't careful. It was so easy to differentiate the boys, their speaking, their actions, motives, all of it was so different from one another, but at the same time it's easy to see why Ophelia loves and cares about all of them; it's hard not to! Even when one or more of them is being stubborn, overprotective to a fault, or simply having one of those dumb man moments.
In addition to our four MCs, there is a whoel cast of side characters that all stand out and make an impression in their own way. Even characters that we may only see a handful of times throughout the book make a lasting impression and it's hard not to become emotionally invested in them.
March 18, 2025
Every Dark Shadow is just as the title suggests—cloaked in darkness and shadows. This is a dark fantasy filled with intrigue, hidden secrets, hidden powers, and hidden agendas. It brings elements of an intricate magic system, the works of the underground and mafia lords, a corrupted king and his kingdom divided and cursed, set on a deadly path of destruction and annihilation.
Still, with every dark shadow comes a ray of light. This ray of light takes the form of one orphaned girl and her three protectors, each with their own traumas, struggles, and inner demons. Ophelia, Rune, Hart, and Falcon are a tight-knit group bound by common goals, but they are also four individuals trying to leave their mark. They all bring something crucial to the plot.
Every Dark Shadow started as more of a YA dark fantasy, but as the story progressed, it became clear it would break free from the YA confines and turn into something deeper, darker, and more ominous.
I loved reading and experiencing multiple POVs, seeing the characters grow, and the plot thickening. And after that cliffhanger, I wanted nothing more than to dive straight into the sequel, as I did. I am excited to see where the story will take us next, and I am so happy I got to be on Sarah's ARC team for this journey.
Still, with every dark shadow comes a ray of light. This ray of light takes the form of one orphaned girl and her three protectors, each with their own traumas, struggles, and inner demons. Ophelia, Rune, Hart, and Falcon are a tight-knit group bound by common goals, but they are also four individuals trying to leave their mark. They all bring something crucial to the plot.
Every Dark Shadow started as more of a YA dark fantasy, but as the story progressed, it became clear it would break free from the YA confines and turn into something deeper, darker, and more ominous.
I loved reading and experiencing multiple POVs, seeing the characters grow, and the plot thickening. And after that cliffhanger, I wanted nothing more than to dive straight into the sequel, as I did. I am excited to see where the story will take us next, and I am so happy I got to be on Sarah's ARC team for this journey.
October 9, 2023
The plot. The writing. The tensions. The grip this book had me in. The f**king cliffhanger it left me on. I LOVE this book.
And characters, I love all of them, and each character is special on it's own way in this story. They are all broken in some way, but then again, just like puzzle they, I'm not good with words, but it's like they complete each other (in some way). I don't want to say much, because I don't want to spoil anything.
This is how I see them; we have three keepers, Hart he is a grump, Falcon is a bad boy and Rune is cinnamon roll. Each of them brings something else out of Ophelia who is girl without memories, well not exactly, you gotta read to find out.
I really don't have anything bad to say abut this book, it's great start of the series. Am I little mad about what happend at the end? Yes, yes I am but then again it's what makes this book a GOOD one. I just hope that no one dies (except for the ones that need to), author I'm talking to YOU.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
And characters, I love all of them, and each character is special on it's own way in this story. They are all broken in some way, but then again, just like puzzle they, I'm not good with words, but it's like they complete each other (in some way). I don't want to say much, because I don't want to spoil anything.
This is how I see them; we have three keepers, Hart he is a grump, Falcon is a bad boy and Rune is cinnamon roll. Each of them brings something else out of Ophelia who is girl without memories, well not exactly, you gotta read to find out.
I really don't have anything bad to say abut this book, it's great start of the series. Am I little mad about what happend at the end? Yes, yes I am but then again it's what makes this book a GOOD one. I just hope that no one dies (except for the ones that need to), author I'm talking to YOU.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 16, 2023
"Rune wants to protect her. Falcon wants her to fight. Hart wants her scared. But the Gray King wants what's inside her."
Every Dark Shadow sucked me in from the first chapter.The world, it's characters and its magic are all so beautifully woven.
The story is told from multiple perspectives, but each character brings something unique to the story. They all have such vibrant personalities. I felt for Ophelia as her world was turned upside down. I loved Runes clever and gentle nature. Falcon is the perfect rogue, and Hart, oh man, I did not expect Hart to make me cry so many times, but he did.
The book is dark, gritty, romantic, and sweet all at the same time. It does leave you on a heart-wrenching cliffhanger, so beware, but it's well worth the pain.
Tropes include:
Hidden Identities
Hidden Powers
An amazingly done love triangle
Chosen one
Good vs. Evil
Slow burn
He falls first
Every Dark Shadow sucked me in from the first chapter.The world, it's characters and its magic are all so beautifully woven.
The story is told from multiple perspectives, but each character brings something unique to the story. They all have such vibrant personalities. I felt for Ophelia as her world was turned upside down. I loved Runes clever and gentle nature. Falcon is the perfect rogue, and Hart, oh man, I did not expect Hart to make me cry so many times, but he did.
The book is dark, gritty, romantic, and sweet all at the same time. It does leave you on a heart-wrenching cliffhanger, so beware, but it's well worth the pain.
Tropes include:
Hidden Identities
Hidden Powers
An amazingly done love triangle
Chosen one
Good vs. Evil
Slow burn
He falls first
March 22, 2025
Sarah Zimm - Every Dark Shaow
Sarah was a wonderful discovery. I was intrigued by book2 as an ARC, but needed to read book 1 first. Sarah was kind enough to send me an ARC copy of the first book which minutes ago I finished. It took a couple of minutes to regain control of my mind and brush away the tears.
I had to write this immediately or I would head to the next in the series and not leave any review till I have exhausted Every Thread of Light.
Now, this is a very slow burn story. There is a lot to learn and understand before Sarah hits the gas pedal and we start to fly. Once moving the story grabs you and will not let you go till you run out of words.
This is a wonderful tale of a main world and parallel worlds/universes. They are described so well that you can easily build the locations in your head. The timeline of the story as we move between locations does not follow the 1800's date flow. It is a lovely touch and adds intrigue as I read.
As for the characters, the FMC Ophelia, and three MMC's Falcon - a smuggler, Hart - a soldier and Rune - a scholar, collectively known as The Keepers. The description of each, their worlds, their past and present together with their likes and needs, and their connections are superbly described. I really felt for each of them, and at different times cried out for them and what they, as individuals and a group encountered.
There is a potential romance between two of the keepers and Ophelia, and a huge mystery surrounding the third. The past for Ophelia is so important for the present and future of all, but she cannot remember, her memories locked away, then odd flashes of memories and understandings of what she is, together with her role in this journey come to her as we head towards the last few chapters and the white-knuckle ride.
This story has darkness and light, magic, and other 'skills' and mundane. There is a treacherous King whose very life and death are locked to the world, to Ophelia and her keepers, cat and mouse action between all the groups involved, and so so much more.
There is great tension built up, many cliffhangers and the story behind certain characters that twists and turns and keeps you on your toes.
The book ends setting the reader up so well for the next stage.
From a romance POV, Every Dark Shadow is more build up and suggestions, but I believe this all changes from Every Thread of Light onwards. The level of romance in this book in no way detracts from the storyline. This book, I think, is more a preparation for where we go from here.
It is excellently put together and I am so grateful to have found this and Sarah Zimm. Much more to come from her, I hope.
Sarah was a wonderful discovery. I was intrigued by book2 as an ARC, but needed to read book 1 first. Sarah was kind enough to send me an ARC copy of the first book which minutes ago I finished. It took a couple of minutes to regain control of my mind and brush away the tears.
I had to write this immediately or I would head to the next in the series and not leave any review till I have exhausted Every Thread of Light.
Now, this is a very slow burn story. There is a lot to learn and understand before Sarah hits the gas pedal and we start to fly. Once moving the story grabs you and will not let you go till you run out of words.
This is a wonderful tale of a main world and parallel worlds/universes. They are described so well that you can easily build the locations in your head. The timeline of the story as we move between locations does not follow the 1800's date flow. It is a lovely touch and adds intrigue as I read.
As for the characters, the FMC Ophelia, and three MMC's Falcon - a smuggler, Hart - a soldier and Rune - a scholar, collectively known as The Keepers. The description of each, their worlds, their past and present together with their likes and needs, and their connections are superbly described. I really felt for each of them, and at different times cried out for them and what they, as individuals and a group encountered.
There is a potential romance between two of the keepers and Ophelia, and a huge mystery surrounding the third. The past for Ophelia is so important for the present and future of all, but she cannot remember, her memories locked away, then odd flashes of memories and understandings of what she is, together with her role in this journey come to her as we head towards the last few chapters and the white-knuckle ride.
This story has darkness and light, magic, and other 'skills' and mundane. There is a treacherous King whose very life and death are locked to the world, to Ophelia and her keepers, cat and mouse action between all the groups involved, and so so much more.
There is great tension built up, many cliffhangers and the story behind certain characters that twists and turns and keeps you on your toes.
The book ends setting the reader up so well for the next stage.
From a romance POV, Every Dark Shadow is more build up and suggestions, but I believe this all changes from Every Thread of Light onwards. The level of romance in this book in no way detracts from the storyline. This book, I think, is more a preparation for where we go from here.
It is excellently put together and I am so grateful to have found this and Sarah Zimm. Much more to come from her, I hope.
August 26, 2023
✨ARC Review✨
“Every dark shadow must have its light.”
The world-building took me a little bit of time to get through at the beginning with the back and forth between different time zones but once I got through that. I could not put the book down!🔥🔥
For four years, Ophelia has been hiding between times sharing moments with her three keepers.
Rune: “She’s his weakness.”
Rune is the scholar. They have a shared love for books. She can always come to him when she needs to feel supported and safe.
Falcon: “The teacup saved me.”
Falcon is the smuggler. He pushes her past her belief in what she can do and handle. He teaches her how to survive, fight, and use weapons.
Hart: “Nothing good happens when Ophelia Dannan worries about Hart Aurum.”
Hart is the soldier. They grew up together and he is willing to give up everything for her survival.
This story was very action-packed and fast-paced! All the different obstacles they all go through, the sacrifices they make is mind blowing. I was definitely surprised towards the ending with what happened. I have so many questions still but I’m sure those will be answered in book 2.
Talk about slow burn! 77% and we finally get a kiss but it was so good!🔥🔥 I wanted more. I can’t wait to see how everything turns out in the rest of the series. If you love fantasy books, you don’t want to miss out on this!
Thank you so much Sarah Zimm for allowing me to be part of your ARC team. As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.
“Every dark shadow must have its light.”
The world-building took me a little bit of time to get through at the beginning with the back and forth between different time zones but once I got through that. I could not put the book down!🔥🔥
For four years, Ophelia has been hiding between times sharing moments with her three keepers.
Rune: “She’s his weakness.”
Rune is the scholar. They have a shared love for books. She can always come to him when she needs to feel supported and safe.
Falcon: “The teacup saved me.”
Falcon is the smuggler. He pushes her past her belief in what she can do and handle. He teaches her how to survive, fight, and use weapons.
Hart: “Nothing good happens when Ophelia Dannan worries about Hart Aurum.”
Hart is the soldier. They grew up together and he is willing to give up everything for her survival.
This story was very action-packed and fast-paced! All the different obstacles they all go through, the sacrifices they make is mind blowing. I was definitely surprised towards the ending with what happened. I have so many questions still but I’m sure those will be answered in book 2.
Talk about slow burn! 77% and we finally get a kiss but it was so good!🔥🔥 I wanted more. I can’t wait to see how everything turns out in the rest of the series. If you love fantasy books, you don’t want to miss out on this!
Thank you so much Sarah Zimm for allowing me to be part of your ARC team. As always, my review is my opinion and thoughts.
May 29, 2024
First and foremost, the detail and effort put into these characters is industrial strength-superglue solid. There is no sparring in their individual depth and mannerisms, and no wavering in their plots and arcs just to move the story along.
For a fantasy newbie like me, the world building was easy to follow and picture. Like the characters, it’s had a huge amount of thought into its construction, painting a life like vision. The same can be said for the magic system, and for someone not normally in this realm, it’s clearly described and mesmerising to follow.
It grips you from the brutal and mysterious opening, and will flow between each chapter and the four main characters with ease.
I’ve read many books that came from the heart, and this has Sarah’s passion written all over it.
October 7, 2023
I’m obsessed with the MMCs in this book! The world building is incredible. The story pulled me right in. The writing style is unique. All of that would be enough to make me love this book. But the MMCs take this book to the next level. They were all so different and so well-developed. I didn’t know which one to root for at times, because I love all of them. But I think in Falcon stole my heart most often ;)
March 13, 2025
Ahhhh, another 5 star. This is the first book that I have read of this author and man am I hooked. I love the magical systems and the world building that happened in this book. The tension between characters, the pacing, the detail, the drama, I don't even know how to voice how much I loved every minute. This book is completely un-put-down-able, and trauma and cliffhanger aside, I would welcome anything with Ophelia, Rune, Hart, and Falcon in 🥰 Can't wait to see what's next!!!
March 23, 2025
This was a gorgeous book! I loved the writing style! Sarah Zimm has a way of writing characters that make them feel real and like they have lived through the hardships their backgrounds say they have lived through. That being said, I wish there had been more world building because I found it hard to really picture New York City, especially since I had never been there before myself. Otherwise, this was a spectacular read!
June 30, 2025
This was such a great book!!!!! I was in a huge book slump, picked this one up and say bye bye book slump!!!!!! I was so lost in this story, the world and the characters. So many twists and turns I didn't see coming, unique magic, and a bad ass FMC who is discovering what she is truly capable of, plus 3 men to begin to swoon over. I can't wait to dive into the next book to see what is going to happen next!
May 28, 2025
I liked this book but not as much as I thought I would. I think that is largely to the fact that I picked this up and put it down so many times out of business that the story probably wasn’t cohesive in my mind which isn’t the books fault. But I did really like the world and magic and want to continue the series.
March 16, 2025
This whole world felt so unique to me! The world building is heavy in this book, but I’m really excited to see where everything goes from here. I can’t wait to get into number two and learn more about Ophelia 😍
February 3, 2025
I didn’t know what to expect when I started this, and it was really confusing in the beginning. The narrator did a good job, though—it was the story itself that felt a little lacking. Even after getting 15% in, I still felt lost most of the time.
I should’ve realized that the FMC being spelled to forget basically meant the amnesia trope, which I don’t generally enjoy. Personally, I wasn’t really connecting with the book, and it’s not because of the lack of romance—I know others have DNF’d it for that reason, but that wasn’t the issue for me.
I’d still recommend this to dark fantasy readers, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
I should’ve realized that the FMC being spelled to forget basically meant the amnesia trope, which I don’t generally enjoy. Personally, I wasn’t really connecting with the book, and it’s not because of the lack of romance—I know others have DNF’d it for that reason, but that wasn’t the issue for me.
I’d still recommend this to dark fantasy readers, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.
July 30, 2023
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
And let me say...it honestly was WORTH every moment. Right away you're already sucked into the world. The characters feel so real and so developed and you just met them. I got attached really quickly.
The three keepers were all very interesting characters and I loved their banter. I also loved Ophelia and how much she wanted to learn. She kept fighting to help rather than be helpless, and it just showed how badass she is.
This book was so much fun to read, and I absolutely can't wait for book 2. I'm so glad I've pre-ordered it. I knew I'd love it from the start.
And let me say...it honestly was WORTH every moment. Right away you're already sucked into the world. The characters feel so real and so developed and you just met them. I got attached really quickly.
The three keepers were all very interesting characters and I loved their banter. I also loved Ophelia and how much she wanted to learn. She kept fighting to help rather than be helpless, and it just showed how badass she is.
This book was so much fun to read, and I absolutely can't wait for book 2. I'm so glad I've pre-ordered it. I knew I'd love it from the start.
May 18, 2024
I just could not get into this fully. Maybe I will give it another try on a later date
November 8, 2023
Did I read this book twice this year? Yes, yes I did.
In a saturated market of Fae fantasy,
Every Dark Shadow is a breath of fresh air.
It has shapeshifters, magicians, and memorable characters that will whisk you away and not bring you back.
✨The Heroes:
Ophelia is an interesting character because not only is she thrown into a world she she doesn’t remember, but she must also navigate her feelings about herself and her Keepers. If Ophelia wasn’t complex enough we also get the POV from Rune, Falcon, and Hart. Each of the men have one goal in common: keep Ophelia safe, while also being so different in personalities and strengths. Zimm choosing to write the book from five different perspectives enriches and deepens the readers understanding and love of each characters journey. The romance only adds to the stakes of the twisted war for power and peace.
🗡️🩸The Villains: The Grey King is a villain dreams are made of, reminiscent of a vampire, he siphons the magic from his victims. But even he is fearful of the mysterious Darkwielder and his second in command Jasper Salt. And the best part The Darkwielder might be a potential love interest!
I cannot wait for the next book!
In a saturated market of Fae fantasy,
Every Dark Shadow is a breath of fresh air.
It has shapeshifters, magicians, and memorable characters that will whisk you away and not bring you back.
✨The Heroes:
Ophelia is an interesting character because not only is she thrown into a world she she doesn’t remember, but she must also navigate her feelings about herself and her Keepers. If Ophelia wasn’t complex enough we also get the POV from Rune, Falcon, and Hart. Each of the men have one goal in common: keep Ophelia safe, while also being so different in personalities and strengths. Zimm choosing to write the book from five different perspectives enriches and deepens the readers understanding and love of each characters journey. The romance only adds to the stakes of the twisted war for power and peace.
🗡️🩸The Villains: The Grey King is a villain dreams are made of, reminiscent of a vampire, he siphons the magic from his victims. But even he is fearful of the mysterious Darkwielder and his second in command Jasper Salt. And the best part The Darkwielder might be a potential love interest!
I cannot wait for the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2023
3.5 Stars
I quite enjoyed this book and it's twists and turns. I especially enjoyed the characters of Rune, Falcon and Hart, and how seriously they took their oath to protect Ophelia. I enjoyed the tension between the 3 keepers and their different points of view on matters. It was fairly fast paced and quite well written, however, I did find there was a lot of repetition, especially when it came to Ophelia's point of view. I would also have liked to have seen more depth in the backstory of the Gray King and his motivations, and maybe some more info about the darkwielder and his backstory, but there was enough to carry the story along. The magic system in this story is fascinating, but I would have liked a bit more worldbuilding to happen. I got the general gist, but I struggled to picture some of it in my mind. Overall, an enjoyable read with a fun twist at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to other fantasy readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I quite enjoyed this book and it's twists and turns. I especially enjoyed the characters of Rune, Falcon and Hart, and how seriously they took their oath to protect Ophelia. I enjoyed the tension between the 3 keepers and their different points of view on matters. It was fairly fast paced and quite well written, however, I did find there was a lot of repetition, especially when it came to Ophelia's point of view. I would also have liked to have seen more depth in the backstory of the Gray King and his motivations, and maybe some more info about the darkwielder and his backstory, but there was enough to carry the story along. The magic system in this story is fascinating, but I would have liked a bit more worldbuilding to happen. I got the general gist, but I struggled to picture some of it in my mind. Overall, an enjoyable read with a fun twist at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to other fantasy readers.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
October 27, 2024
There are some things this book does incredibly well that I loved, but some other things fell short for me. The world building was super interesting, and the plot was engaging. I’m not a huge fan of amnesia as a plot point because it takes away a character’s agency but I felt it was done well in the story. It has a very young adult feel with the whole “chosen one” style plot so if you love those type of stories you would like this one.
Where it fell short for me was the characters. I found that I cared very little for any of them mostly because we didn’t get enough time to know them. Ophelia felt more like a 16 year old than a 19 year old (again could be part of the amnesia bit) and she had not a lot of character to work with. All of the keepers felt like caricatures of generic love interests from why choose romances. Overall this book fell flat for me, but that’s just based on my personal preference, im sure it would be a perfect whimsical adventure for the right person.
Where it fell short for me was the characters. I found that I cared very little for any of them mostly because we didn’t get enough time to know them. Ophelia felt more like a 16 year old than a 19 year old (again could be part of the amnesia bit) and she had not a lot of character to work with. All of the keepers felt like caricatures of generic love interests from why choose romances. Overall this book fell flat for me, but that’s just based on my personal preference, im sure it would be a perfect whimsical adventure for the right person.
February 13, 2025
I READ THE AUDIO BOOK
**DETAILED REVIEW OF BOTH**
Audio Book 1* Book 4.25*
Every Dark Shadow is set between 1800s NYC and a parallel, magical version of it ruled by a brutal monarch oppressing the magic-born.
*CW: The book includes elements of war, mental and physical torture, dangerous situations, blood, descriptive violence, injuries, death, and some graphic language.
Audio review:
I'm not a fan of the narrator on the audio book at all! Far too bland and dull and slow! especially in the foreshadowing or urgent parts! Her voice barely changes. I kept getting confused in the story and muddled up because i wasn't alerted to the important bits by her tone of voice - do you know what i mean? So when im plodding along listening i need to know which bits are important to remember or hold on to and this narrator just couldnt do that, i kept having to rewind and repeat which i have never had to do before as an avid audio reader.(however, she does have a lovely voice, but perhaps better suited to contemporary romance and fluffy things, and just leave the high fantasy to the pro's who can bring it to life! My god I can imagine Laura Horowitz turning this into a movie in your mind!
I would have dnf this by chapter 6 if the book itself wasn't worth fighting for.
BOOK REVIEW:
This has a very rich fantasy world with complexity and attention to detail that I don’t often see. dark atmosphere aside, the content itself was very mild. More to a YA extent. but, as the author has said that the rest of the series is going to be more adult so ill hold judgement for now.
The world building in this book is done so very well. I love the fact that there are parallel universe’s and different time periods running at the same time- this was the first time I've read this type of world building and I thought that it was really interesting and extremely well executed! I was not confused by the time jumps or the different worlds and found this really added to the story.
The characters were AMAZING, the plot was creative, and the setting was beautifully dark and gothic. Sarah Zimm executed a perfect rotating POV, the variety of POVs gave a highly effective story telling experiance.
there are a lot of side characters that come along, which wasn't confusing at the time, but when they were mentioned again later on, I had forgotten who they were and why they're now important. (However this could very well have been because of the narrator not drawing my attention properly)
I would have liked to have seen more depth in the backstory of the Gray King and his motivations, and maybe some more info about the darkwielder and his backstory, because we new we didn't like them but not entirely sure why which didn't really have me hating them as much as I probably should have. But I now realise there is a seperate novella digging into this.
The start of the book is a typical high fantasy beginning with a lot of information laying the groundwork. It's not something you need to get through though as it is well written, but it’s just a lot of information to process and the author needs to set the world and get the characters settling in your heart ready for you to back them or hate them. (Again the narrator was so bland and slow/dull speaking- even sped up to 1.35 that I lost a bit of the set up)
The last few chapters are very high pace.
The way the author builds the relationships between the female main character and the male main characters is done beautifully and very detailed, you really feel your heart pulling for one character or another!
There is not much romance in this book at all. There is flirting, longing and hints of romance but i can see how this will go from the sub plot in this book to the main plot in the next- with 3 guardians and a shadow daddy to choose from who knows how this will go. I would class this as a high fantasy, not a romance fantasy.
Final thoughts:
I would have preffered some romance in my romantasy so I was gutted about that and I'm hoping she chooses all 3 and they share but as the author has been so frigid with this book my guess is it will be just one of them and finally i did read the audio book which was just awful- dont do it to yourself! The book deserves to be picked up and read! - for those reasons, it lost a star for me. But - great story, great characters, incredible magic system - well done Sarah, what an author!
**DETAILED REVIEW OF BOTH**
Audio Book 1* Book 4.25*
Every Dark Shadow is set between 1800s NYC and a parallel, magical version of it ruled by a brutal monarch oppressing the magic-born.
*CW: The book includes elements of war, mental and physical torture, dangerous situations, blood, descriptive violence, injuries, death, and some graphic language.
Audio review:
I'm not a fan of the narrator on the audio book at all! Far too bland and dull and slow! especially in the foreshadowing or urgent parts! Her voice barely changes. I kept getting confused in the story and muddled up because i wasn't alerted to the important bits by her tone of voice - do you know what i mean? So when im plodding along listening i need to know which bits are important to remember or hold on to and this narrator just couldnt do that, i kept having to rewind and repeat which i have never had to do before as an avid audio reader.(however, she does have a lovely voice, but perhaps better suited to contemporary romance and fluffy things, and just leave the high fantasy to the pro's who can bring it to life! My god I can imagine Laura Horowitz turning this into a movie in your mind!
I would have dnf this by chapter 6 if the book itself wasn't worth fighting for.
BOOK REVIEW:
This has a very rich fantasy world with complexity and attention to detail that I don’t often see. dark atmosphere aside, the content itself was very mild. More to a YA extent. but, as the author has said that the rest of the series is going to be more adult so ill hold judgement for now.
The world building in this book is done so very well. I love the fact that there are parallel universe’s and different time periods running at the same time- this was the first time I've read this type of world building and I thought that it was really interesting and extremely well executed! I was not confused by the time jumps or the different worlds and found this really added to the story.
The characters were AMAZING, the plot was creative, and the setting was beautifully dark and gothic. Sarah Zimm executed a perfect rotating POV, the variety of POVs gave a highly effective story telling experiance.
there are a lot of side characters that come along, which wasn't confusing at the time, but when they were mentioned again later on, I had forgotten who they were and why they're now important. (However this could very well have been because of the narrator not drawing my attention properly)
I would have liked to have seen more depth in the backstory of the Gray King and his motivations, and maybe some more info about the darkwielder and his backstory, because we new we didn't like them but not entirely sure why which didn't really have me hating them as much as I probably should have. But I now realise there is a seperate novella digging into this.
The start of the book is a typical high fantasy beginning with a lot of information laying the groundwork. It's not something you need to get through though as it is well written, but it’s just a lot of information to process and the author needs to set the world and get the characters settling in your heart ready for you to back them or hate them. (Again the narrator was so bland and slow/dull speaking- even sped up to 1.35 that I lost a bit of the set up)
The last few chapters are very high pace.
The way the author builds the relationships between the female main character and the male main characters is done beautifully and very detailed, you really feel your heart pulling for one character or another!
There is not much romance in this book at all. There is flirting, longing and hints of romance but i can see how this will go from the sub plot in this book to the main plot in the next- with 3 guardians and a shadow daddy to choose from who knows how this will go. I would class this as a high fantasy, not a romance fantasy.
Final thoughts:
I would have preffered some romance in my romantasy so I was gutted about that and I'm hoping she chooses all 3 and they share but as the author has been so frigid with this book my guess is it will be just one of them and finally i did read the audio book which was just awful- dont do it to yourself! The book deserves to be picked up and read! - for those reasons, it lost a star for me. But - great story, great characters, incredible magic system - well done Sarah, what an author!
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