Shadow Beasts

Shelving Magic #1

by Nellie H. Steele

If Paige isn’t careful, her new job could land her in an early grave. Paige Turner’s zero-balance bank account demands she take on a new job, but she never expected it would be as Shadow Harbor’s newest librarian. Now the unlucky orphan is learning it’s not books she’ll be shelving…but magic. Dark, dangerous, deadly magic. Her new position requires she keep the supernatural subworld at bay while retrieving and archiving magical artifacts from around the globe. If she fails, the world may just be doomed…but even trying could get her killed. Teaming up with a snarktastic teacup dragon doesn’t seem to be helping, either. Paige still struggles to master magic and shelve supernatural secrets. And when her first assignment involves massive multiplication of a group of wayward werewolves, she fears the world may not survive her tenure as librarian. Fans of The Librarians and Warehouse 13 will love this enchanting new cozy contemporary fantasy series. Buy Shadow Beasts now to start shelving magic today!

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Audiobook, Dragons, Mystery

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2023

About the author

Nellie H. Steele lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with her family and her many fur-babies. When she isn't writing, she enjoys teaching Statistics at a local university or watching her dogs and cats play in the yard.

Nellie is the author of the Cate Kensie Mystery Series, a cozy mystery series following the adventures of Dr. Catherine Kensie, a history professor turned Scottish Countess, and her beloved dog, Riley, as they navigate their new lives in their quirky Scottish highlands castle, solving mysteries along the way! She is the creator of the Shadow Slayers series, a suspenseful series with a supernatural twist! Follow the Shadow Slayers through time as they fight to banish darkness from the world. Nellie also writes an adventure series, Maggie Edwards Adventures. Follow Maggie Edwards as she travels the world solving mysteries and finding unique treasures!

Check out all Nellie offers at www.anovelideapublishing.com/novels, sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news about book releases or like us on facebook (facebook.com/anovelideapublishing) to keep up with us!

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann]

Shadow Beasts
By Nellie H. Steele
What a fun ride this is. A librarian of a different sort! A pint-sized dragon as a partner. Werewolves after her and the dragon. All on her first assignment! Loved everything about it!

[Heather Socie]

I had high hopes for this - who doesn't love magical libraries? But really. Paige gets hired because of a charm bracelet? She breaks into her job the first day? She's given zero training before being sent to stop a plot that could destroy the world? And she and Dewey are incredibly irritating together. I admit to being curious about the new neighbor, but there is absolutely no way I'm going to force my way through another book to find out.

[Lola]

I received a free copy from the author through Booksprout and I voluntarily reviewed it.

The cover of this book caught my attention and I was sold when I saw the Librarians mention in the blurb. I requested a copy and was excited to start reading this one. I think this book has a lot potential and while I struggled with some parts I also really enjoyed other parts. I feel hopeful I will enjoy the later books in the series even more.

Shadow Beasts is the first book in the Shelving Magic series and I felt especially the earlier half of the book really suffered from it being the first book. This book started off so slow and there is just so much descriptions of everything. I thought there was way too much details and descriptions of things that didn't seem relevant from the plot and those slowed down the plot a lot. The pace slowly increased the further I got in the book and the focus became more on the plot and less on the mundane things Paige did.

I was excited when Paige first enters the library and really understands what she is up against, but I kept having my doubts about this book as then there would be a scene again that I struggled through. This kept up till the later part of the book, only after they board the plane I felt like the book really hit it's stride. I felt like I flew through the last part of the book which was packed with action and adventure. I really felt like this was the meat of the story and think it would've worked better if the start was shorter. I am hopeful the next two books will be even better now that the introduction is over. I think this book would make for a great movie or series as some scenes really had a movie vibe somehow.

I thought Paige felt very real in the opening scene where she is struggling to get a stain out of her clothes and worrying about her upcoming interview. The rest of her characterization after that seemed to mostly focus on illustrating how immensely klutzy she is and after a few examples of this, it quickly became too much. I think it was supposed to be funny, but it felt a bit overdone. I would've liked to get to know her more and what her personality was besides being a klutz. I also didn't like how she acted sometimes, like not thinking things through or making weird decisions. And then in other scenes I really liked her, like how she bonded and stood up for Dewey. I also like how she isn't instantly capable at her job, she does her best, but not everything goes flawlessly. She feels real in how she shows emotions and feels fear and makes mistakes.

I liked the concept of the world and the set up with the series. The premise is very similar to The Librarians, but as I enjoyed that series I was happy to find a book series with a similar premise. The world building mostly sticks to the basics of how the library works and then the magical objects, artifacts and creatures they directly come in contact with. There are also enough hints and mentions to give the feel of a much larger world with lots of magical creatures and items. There isn't a whole lot of focus on explaining everything, but the relevant details at least are explained.

To summarize: I think this series has a lot of promise and I liked the set up and premise of this book. I feel it suffers a bit from being the first book in the series and having a lot of introducing to do. I also felt the book and especially the earlier half or so of the book really suffered from having too much details and descriptions, it slowed down the pace a lot and the book felt so slow. In contradiction once they board a plane the pace picks up a lot, the story stays on track and it's filled with action and adventure. I am hopeful the next books are even better. Paige felt like a realistic main character, until her clumsiness takes over. It felt overdone as for a while almost everything she did would get wrong, luckily it got toned down later in the book. There were scenes where Paige annoyed me, but then in others I really liked her. I liked how she bonded with the dragon Dewey and how they become a real team and grow to care for each other. I felt like this book would make for a great movie or tv series and some scenes just felt like they would've worked better on the screen than in a book somehow. I look forward to the next book!

[Dew]

Red hair.
Glasses.
Falls down constantly.
Dirty.
Disheveled.
Talks aloud constantly, to herself, to her cat. It doesn’t really matter because she has no filter to go with no friends or family.
Gets hired for a new job that pays a quarter million dollars because she has a super special charm bracelet and decides to break into her new place of employment in the middle of the night on the same day she gets the job.
Oh, yes, and meets a guy while she’s rolling around on the ground who is also her new neighbour and instead of asking him to be more quiet, asks him if she can help him move in.

What was the author thinking?

[carol.]

I think this will be a dnf with mild prejudice. The writing was just... awful. Over-the-top characterization of an inept main character (yes, we get it; she's arriving at an interview looking disheveled) was annoying but could possibly be overcome. However, each adjective was looking to turn into a death of a thousand cuts. The deathblow came from the appearance of a devastatingly handsome man with whom she immediately shared the details of an embarrassing morning. Just, no.

[EmG ReadsDaily]

A fun story featuring a magical library, a down-on-her-luck librarian, and a cute miniature dragon sidekick.

[Kate]

This story has a cute, snarky dragon, need I say more?

Paige is a clumsy darling and is constantly falling or tripping or causing problems of one kind or another! She and her snarky dragon friend are a lot of fun. Paige figures out how she can take the teacup dragon on adventures with her, and they have LOTS of adventures. Paige and Dewey have the worse luck, but their escapades and conversations made me laugh and laugh. Sometimes, in the beginning of the book, it is not always clear who is speaking, but overall this is a very creative world and adventurous story! Paige’s neighbor, Devon LeBlanc, always seems to be around her. Who is he, friend or foe, and how did Paige get the mark on her back? It appears more fun is to come!

[Janice Clark]

Wow! What a wild ride. Move over Indiana Jones. These two are off on a crazy adventure as they ricochet from one life-threatening event to another. Magic, castles and Mayan temples with hidden passages, werewolves bent on mayhem, murder, and world domination...

When wannabe librarian Paige Turner interviews for a research position, she has no idea it will involve custody and retrieval of magical objects. Nor does she expect to be partnered with Dewey Decimael, a "teacup" (very small) dragon. An additional surprise is the reason she was hired over apparently more qualified candidates. Her charm bracelet, which was with her when she was abandoned as an infant, actually belonged to her previously unknown mother, Reed Moore, a librarian who disappeared in the line of duty shortly after Paige's birth.

Yes, the writer seems fond of puns. She also writes such a fast-paced story that any questions that might arise disappear into the rear view mirror as the two race on to the next challenge. Although Paige's and Dewey's first quest is nicely resolved, there are enough issues left hanging that I bought the sequel. A fun read, highly recommended.

[Amy McIntosh]

Great Premise, Terrible Execution, and Somehow It Gets Worse

Full disclosure: I only listened to this series because it was available for free on Audible for a while, and I wanted some cozy fantasy/cozy mystery fluff between more intellectually challenging reads. Had I paid for these books, I would have been even more disappointed. I would not recommend spending money on this series.

I am giving each book one star. Had the series gradually improved, I probably would have landed somewhere around 1.5–2 stars overall. Unfortunately, the things that annoyed me in Book 1 did not disappear or improve. In many cases, they became more pronounced and more irritating.

For readers who love the immersive world-building and character development of authors such as Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Matt Dinniman, Leigh Bardugo, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Neil Gaiman, and She Who Is a TERF and Shall Not Be Named, this series may be especially painful to get through.

I do not recommend these books. I am posting the same review on each installment because my criticism applies to the series as a whole. And yes, I listened to all 8.5 books, fueled almost entirely by sheer, unadulterated hope that the next book, or eventually the series as a whole, would somehow get better.

It did not.

So Much Potential, So Little Done With It

The premise had the potential to be fantastic. A magical library filled with dangerous artifacts? A tiny dragon sidekick? Supernatural mysteries and adventures? Sign me up.

Unfortunately, that promising idea is buried beneath stagnant plots, underdeveloped characters, lackluster world-building, simplistic and repetitive writing, and an increasingly formulaic storyline.

Instead of becoming more immersive as the series progresses, the books recycle the same handful of conflicts, jokes, character traits, and plot devices over and over again.

Eight and a Half Books With Very Little Growth

This entire 8.5-book series could probably have been condensed into three well-written, immersive books with stronger character development, tighter plotting, better world-building, and significantly less filler.

The writing is simplistic and painfully repetitive. The same descriptions, adjectives, mannerisms, jokes, phrases, reactions, and conflicts are recycled so often that they become distracting. Why expand the vocabulary or find a new way to describe something when the same one or two descriptors can apparently carry you through eight books?

The library puns also wear out their welcome quickly. I like a good pun. I do not need eight books of them.

But the repetition goes far beyond the prose. The biggest problem with this series is that nothing meaningfully changes.

I can forgive a flawed protagonist. I can forgive an inexperienced protagonist. I can forgive characters making terrible decisions.

What I cannot forgive across an eight-book series is characters who repeatedly make the same mistakes without ever meaningfully learning from them.

Paige begins immature, reckless, argumentative, clumsy, and inexperienced. Eight books later, she is still immature, reckless, argumentative, and clumsy, and somehow behaves as though most of her previous experiences never happened.

Dewey begins sarcastic and irritating. Eight books later, he is sarcastic and more irritating.

The plot begins formulaic. It stays formulaic.

The world begins shallow. Throwing more creatures, magical objects, portals, curses, and supernatural problems into it does not make it deeper.

That's not character development. That's hitting the reset button at the beginning of every book.

And that's what makes the series so frustrating: there really was a good story buried in here somewhere. A magical library protecting dangerous artifacts is a genuinely fun premise. With tighter writing, stronger world-building, actual character growth, less repetitive banter, and about five fewer books, this could have been an entertaining and immersive cozy fantasy adventure.

Instead, I finished all 8.5 books because I had already come this far and kept thinking, Surely this gets better.

It did not.

Paige Is a 34-Year-Old Woman Who Acts About 13

Paige is supposedly a competent, intelligent, 34-year-old professional woman who becomes a super-special magical librarian.

Unfortunately, she has the emotional maturity of a spoiled middle-schooler.

She throws fits. She pouts. She whines. She cries. She stomps her feet. She bickers with literally everyone. Her reactions are so wildly disproportionate that there were times she seemed less like a woman in her mid-30s and more like an overtired toddler who had just been told she couldn't have a cookie.

I have three daughters. None of them were ever as whiny, immature, or ridiculous as Paige.

And this isn't simply an early character flaw designed to give her room to grow.

That's the problem.

She doesn't grow.

The same behavior continues book after book after book.

Paige Is Also DUMB

And I mean capital D.U.M.B.

This is especially frustrating because the story repeatedly tells us Paige is intelligent, capable, increasingly experienced, and uniquely qualified for her magical role.

Her actions tell us something entirely different.

Nearly every book follows some variation of the same pattern:

Paige receives information or a warning. Paige ignores it. Paige makes an obviously terrible decision. Paige ends up in a dangerous or life-threatening situation because of that decision. Paige escapes through some combination of dumb luck, someone rescuing her, or an incredibly convenient solution.

Then she does it again.

And again.

And again.

Repeat seven or eight times, end the book, and start the exact same cycle in the next one.

Her recurring incompetence never turns into mastery. Despite supposedly gaining experience, she continues ignoring explanations, walking into obvious traps, failing to communicate critical information, and behaving recklessly in situations where she absolutely should know better by now.

Eventually, it becomes difficult to believe this woman should be trusted with a library card, much less magical artifacts capable of destroying the world.

And then there's the clumsiness.

Good grief, the clumsiness.

We get it. Paige is awkward.

But seriously, how many times can one person's glasses fly off their face and leave them practically blind because they tripped over something?

What starts as a quirky character trait becomes another joke beaten so thoroughly into the ground that I wanted to bury it there permanently.

Dewey Somehow Gets More Annoying, Too

Paige's "partner," Dewey, is a teacup-sized dragon whose character arc appears to have been built around the challenge of making him progressively meaner and more insulting toward Paige.

The two of them bicker constantly.

And I mean constantly.

Their exchanges can go on for pages. Paige says something. Dewey makes a sarcastic comment. Paige gets offended. Dewey doubles down. Paige tells him to stop. Dewey says something else. Paige snaps back.

Repeat indefinitely.

Archie Bunker would eventually tell these two to knock it off.

The sarcasm stops being funny very early because the "snark" keeps circling the same handful of arguments. Instead of witty banter between characters who genuinely care about one another, they frequently sound like two people who simply cannot stand each other.

Most stories use a sidekick or secondary character to complement the protagonist, offer another perspective, contribute a useful skill, or help drive the story forward.

Dewey mostly exists to screw up magical concoctions, insult Paige, make sarcastic comments, and behave as though he's intellectually superior to everyone around him.

After eight books, I still couldn't tell you why these two supposedly enjoy spending time together.

Every Fantasy Creature Ever Invented Apparently Lives Here

The world-building is another enormous missed opportunity.

Rather than choosing a smaller number of supernatural creatures, magical systems, cultures, or threats and developing them into something interesting, it feels like the author looked up "List of Fantasy Creatures" and started checking boxes.

Dragons? Sure.

Vampires? Throw them in.

Witches? Obviously.

Ghosts? Why not?

Time travel? Absolutely.

Portals? Yep.

Some other supernatural creature we haven't used yet? Toss that in too.

Instead of making the world feel expansive, it makes it feel random.

There is an enormous difference between building a rich fantasy world and simply filling one with fantasy things.

[Leila777]

I thought this book was adventurous and interesting. The characters were quirky and fun. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure. All of Nellie H. Steel’s books are very enjoyable and entertaining!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle]

Paige Turner is a klutzy, likable orphan in desperate need of a new job. She is thrilled to be hired as Shadow Harbor's newest librarian. She quickly learns that she will not be shelving books, but rather retrieving magical and dangerous artifacts. Her coworker is a delightful, if sometimes a bit snarky, tea cup dragon. The banter and comradery between Paige and Dewey is amusing and fun during their adventures in pursuing various magical artifacts. I love the character development as well as the descriptive writing that makes one feel as if they are part of the story. I love this new series and I think it fits in well with all the other series by Nellie H. Steele!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Anastasia ｼ]

I just received a copy!

Thank you, Nellie H. Steele!!

[Lisa Hunt]

Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. Mystery abounds as Paige applies for a job at a local library. What is revealed is that this is not your ordinary library. Extreme security once passed reveals an ever expanding room full of ancient magical artifacts collected from past librarians before they can be used. Danger is everywhere, strange happenings and people lurk in the shadows. Some are pursuing Paige. This gripping, suspenseful, fast paced story will keep your attention from the first page to the last. Also very entertaining as mishaps and blunders unexpectedly occur which will have you laughing. Highly recommended!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle]

Paige applies for a position as an archivist in her town’s local library. She’s in desperate need of the position but is turned away until the interviewer sees her bracelet. Job secured but it’s not exactly the musty books and old manuscripts that Paige will be dealing with. Instead she’s thrown into a world of magic and mystery with her job being a mix of Indiana Jones and Myka and Pete from Warehouse 13. Let the adventures begin!
First in series so this particular adventure wraps up but it’s just the beginning of Paige’s story. She’s is absolutely adorkable! This is a wonderful, magical, fast paced urban fantasy. I was caught up in this world from the start and I eagerly await the next book!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hannah]

I enjoyed this book a lot, it was cute and so clean which was appreciated. The book started a little slow for me but once the action started it really picked up and I enjoyed it. I died at the characters names. Looking forward the the other books in the series.

[Robin Logan]

I liked the idea and the 2 main characters were likable. The premise is unique and interesting. The problems for me lie with the execution. This book was very bogged down with way too many mundane details. It made it really slow to get through and didn’t add anything to the story. Then the parts that were the meat of the story were cut short and disjointed. It was kind of chaotic and the transitions didn’t flow at all. Where there were going and why didn’t make much sense to me. The banter between the two main characters came across as kind of annoying instead of cute and funny. The main character also needs more character development. She has no back story and no friends or family at all. Like she just started existing at the start of this book. You have no real reason to like or root for her. Also she met a guy that I thought would have something to do with the story and you never heard about him again. Why set him up as a character and do nothing with him? Or explain why he loves upstairs from her or what all the noise was. Like a story was being set up and then was left forgotten. Overall not sure if it was interesting enough to continue with the series as it comes out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gail Cook]

I received a copy of this book from the author in the hope of an honest review. What can I say? I would have given it 7 or 8 stars if I could.

Set at the beginning in a library, this was a magical ride full of ups and downs for the two main characters, Paige Turner and Dewey Decimael. What a wonderful sense of humour this author has. I love it.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you want a magical, feel good story to read.

This is book one of the Shelving Magic series and I am so looking forward to book two, Shadow Charms.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya]

I think it’s supposed to be funny, but it’s not. She’s so klutzy and dumb. I can’t handle it. It’s overdone and annoying. I really wanted to like this as I think the idea is excellent. Too many details, it’s hard to keep track of everything. Nellie seems to be a pretty good writer, just really bogged down the book with unneeded details and too many actions without any “Real” action. For instance, a trip to pick up pizza took a ridiculous number of pages and way too many klutzy happenings, coupled with the main character’s cluelessness about any danger. It’s just too much. This series is not for me.

[Lori Peterson]

Received as a review copy from Story Origin, this is and honest review. Shadow Beasts is a fun, vibrant, quirky ride of a story as Paige Turner is in desperate need of a better job and hopes to land the opening at the Shadow Harbor library. While absolutely ecstatic of working at the library, Paige finds her job goes for behind books but plunged into a world where powerful objects needed to protected from devious hands. A dose of danger face Paige and her partner at every turn: a cute teacup dragon that this creature is feisty for being so tiny and just don't piss it off. Highly recommended.

[Delphia Von Heeder]

Shadow Beast is Book 1 in the Shelving Magic Series by Nellie H Steele. This fantasy is outstanding. Paige is a such a clumsy character, but perfect for the heroin. Her side kick is a teapot dragon named Dewey. There is action, magic, a magic mirror, and Paige and Dewey must save humanity. Shadow Charms is Book 2 and I can't wait to read this sequel. Shadow Beast is a fabulous book. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Livvy]

Shadow Beasts is an interesting read that captivated me from start to finish. I really liked Paige and how an ordinary woman went on this adventure. I will definitely be reading the second book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cath]

This is book one of the Shelving Magic series and the main characters is Paige Turner, who is trying to get her dream job as a librarian at the Shadow Harbor Library. Since doing her Master’s degree in library services, she has only managed to get minimum wage jobs and she is almost out of funds. She isn’t very lucky on her way to the interview, getting splashed with muddy water by a passing vehicle. When she tries to clean herself up, she catches the dragon charm on her charm bracelet, on her tights leaving a ladder. She has no choice but to hurry to her interview before she is late, but she can overhear the current interviewee and she is a Rhodes Scholar! Paige’s interview doesn’t exactly go well, especially as she has very little work experience in libraries, just her love of books and reading. Reading was her go to as a foster kid, having been abandoned on the steps of a church in a neighbouring town when she was just three days old. Not quite a qualification for the job really. Just as she was being told how unsuited she was for the job, her dragon charm catches as she gets up, only to catch Ronnie, her interviewer’s eye. That charm bracelet changes everything and she is hired on the spot!

She goes back to her dreary flat and to her cat Dickens, but doesn’t get to relax much as it seems someone is moving in upstairs and there is lots of crashing and banging! When she goes up to complain, she is struck silent by the gorgeous bare-chested man who opens the door, the same man who helped her up as she fell coming down the steps outside the library and saw her key card for the library. He says he is almost finished moving stuff, but by the time she gets back down to her flat, he has heavy metal music playing so loud she can’t even relax and watch a movie on her TV. She decides to go off to the library and explore a bit, which will relax her, but she ends up going down to the restricted area, where she will be working as an archivist, and finds things aren’t quite as she expects and she becomes quite frightened by some strange noises. She goes back home and thankfully the music has stopped and she can sleep, only to have a horribly realistic nightmare, where she dreamt a huge dark creature attacked her, leaving scratches on her back! When she awakes, she finds the scratches are real and doesn’t know what to think! Ronnie shows her around and introduces her to the reality of magic, supernatural creatures and the magical artifacts it will be her duty to recover and keep safe. She is also introduced to her partner, a tiny (sorry – he doesn’t like that description) dragon called Dewey Decimael, who has worked in the archive for over ten years. The last librarian only allowed him to do research and he has never actually left the library, having his own nest with the stacks. Ronnie also shows her the picture of a former librarian and tells her that is her mother, Reed Moore, who disappeared some three weeks after dropping Paige off at the church steps. She was working on a case and just disappeared! No sign of her has been seen since.

Paige is just trying to get used to the library archives and some of the relics and artifacts it holds, as well as how to use the basic tools and devices, the BookTron and the Locartifact, which will help her find any book or artifact in the archive and where to locate them. Just hours into her first day, a loud alarm and flashing lights goes off, signalling that they have a high priority case to pursue. A red alert means the case is vital to the survival of the human race and they need to get the magical object before others do. They are the closest library and that is why they have been notified. Their target is the Mirror of Duplication and apparently the werewolves have made some sort of deal for it and they need to stop them asap! If Paige doesn’t feel up to the job, Ronnie will pass the case over to another library. Paige looks at the frustrated look on Dewey’s face and tells Ronnie they will do it and decides to stick around and help Dewey with all the research, as it will help her learn about the job as well. They take loads of books up to Dewey’s nest and she then goes out for some food supplies to keep them going, but feels like someone is following her and she ends up in a near miss as she falls, in another klutzy move. Dewey notices the marks on her back and realises she has been marked by a ‘beast’, only Paige can’t really remember what it looked like, to help Dewey figure out some sort of cure. They soon figure out they need something to hide Paige away from the beast that is tracking her, and also try to locate the mirror before the werewolves grab it and manage to duplicate a whole army of werewolves! Lots of danger and problems for the pair as they have to keep Paige safe whilst also searching for the artifact before the dangerous werewolves get to it. Lots of adventure and supernatural goings on and I can’t wait to read a whole lot more of it. I really enjoyed this book and it reminds me a bit of Warehouse 13 and the Librarians, and I would recommend it to all who enjoyed them. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Lauren]

Magical libraries are my thing, I just finished Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library series, and this gives me those vibes but in a contemporary setting. There are a LOT of reading and library puns running around here, in addition to Paige Turner and Dewey Decimal (pronounced Decimall) there’s also a side character mentioned whose name is Reed Moore. I’m living for it all.

The amount of bad luck that Paige runs into and the number of contrived events and run-ins do start to get to you after a while which is the main reason I only rated it 4 stars. Learning the ins and outs of the library system and the politics of this world’s paranormal society with Paige is easy because she’s as much of a newcomer as the reader, although you sure wouldn’t know that all the time given some of her reactions to certain situations.

Because this is the first book in a series there’s a lot of world-building and plot elements that don’t get resolved here because they’re setting up longer narrative arcs, the death curse for example. But the plot of this book is cohesive and the adventure is compact, clean and well thought out. Some things do happen too quickly, it’s a very condensed timeline, especially given how much travelling the MCs have to do. I’ll continue the series.

[V]

Upřímně... nevím. Čekala jsem asi, že to bude dávat větší smysl, ten nápad s knihovnicí se mi strašně líbil, ale připadalo mi to trochu jako Flynn Carsen. Společníka knihovnici, která vlastně s knížkami vůbec nepracovala (vážně, přišla mi úplně negramotná) dělal úžasný malý dráček a to hodně zachránilo ten chabý příběh, abych byla upřímná. Nějak mě ted rozčilují příběhy, které by se měly odehrávat v týdnech a ne v hodinách - tři sta stránek akce a to vše se odehrálo ve dvou dnech (navíc prvních dnech v nové práci). Ale Dewey to fakt zachranoval. :)

[Roger]

Shadow Beasts: A Magical Library Urban Fantasy Novel (Shelving Magic Book 1) , my first read from author Nellie H. Steele. An enjoyable Contemporary Fantasy read. Sometimes a book can be described as simply enjoyable, an apt description for this book. I enjoyed it so much that I went looking for more by this author and I discovered that I owned Shadows of the Past: A Mysterious Urban Fantasy Adventure (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 1) a book I'd received back in May of last year. Have you ever lost track of a book? So I've added it to my TBR list. “I received a free Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I look forward to reading more from this author and in this series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Alexandra]

2.5 ⭐️
This was an ok book that kept me entertained on several long commutes. I was very intrigued by the first part of the story, getting to know our heroine. And I thought the way she was described as a clumsy unlucky bookworm had potential for a wonder arc. The book however went in a different direction, creating a nonsensical, absurd, sometimes infuriating story where the characters, instead of growing, seem to devolve. It was, as I said, entertaining, in the way absurd reality TV is.

[Brian Mcclain]

Solid introduction into an urban fantasy world where a librarian takes center stage. She clumsily trips into the legacy left by her mother with both feet, meets some interesting characters, and some background creepiness ensues. Definitely recommended.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Angie Barnes]

Nellie H. Steele has written a 5-star book. If you like a mystery, magic and a little running around the world to find things then this book is for you. It is not a romance between Paige and Dewey. They work together and build a friendship. They have each others backs.
This was a wonderful book and I would recommend it to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara Harrison]

Set aside an entire long day for this exciting family-friendly contemporary adventure in which 34-year-old orphan (and new librarian at Shadow Harbor Public Library) Paige Turner with her researcher Dewey Decimael handle M. O. D. W. W.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christinaraven]

I really enjoyed this story. The story begins when Paige gets her dream job at a library and finds out it is more then it seams. She is now a Librarian and her job is not what she expected. Entertaining story and characters, magic, a great sidekick, and lots of trouble. Easy to read and get sucked into the story. I found it hard to put down. Made me laugh and groan.