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Wild Hunt #2

Shadows of Solace: Fae Fantasy Romance

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With Kaderyn’s shadows more powerful than ever and a firefae hunting her down, Valentina finally learns what secrets are hiding in Blackwater Junction. But seeing the bravery of those getting slaughtered by Winter and frustrated with those who can help but refuse, Valentina vows never to return to the broken chair in Otti Theater ever again. Life may flow on Spring’s breeze but it’s pulling Valentina into dangerous fae court games that are determined to send her into the ground. Or worse, back to the endless fire of Autumn Court. Kaderyn’s closer to returning to the Wild Hunt for the first time in centuries. It’s a straight shot to the last chest then it’s all finally over. But a light has shone through Kaderyn’s darkness and he’s not sure he’s willing to give Valentina up. But getting her back is going to make him do something he swore all those years ago he would never do again. Shadows of Solace is book 2 in The Wild Hunt books by H J Reese. It is, as promised, a medium spice fantasy romance with an 'all-consuming love'. Content warnings animal/hunting related triggers, sexual content not meant for those under 18, violence and swearing.

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2023

153 people are currently reading
418 people want to read

About the author

H.J. Reese

8 books22 followers
H J Reese is a left-handed, second-born, Sagittarius, who often falls into all the stereotypes these represent. She lives in a small town in Ontario, Canada but her dreams take her around the world. She is the author of the Wild Hunt books.

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5 stars
174 (39%)
4 stars
158 (36%)
3 stars
84 (19%)
2 stars
19 (4%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,054 reviews
August 16, 2023
4.5! I enjoyed book one so definitely signed up to arc read for the sequel! Definitely check TWs but ooohhh we got that spice/steam that’s not too much was just right! You get to build more into the characters and I truly enjoyed reading (felt like I was right there). Made run and Val’s storyline.? No spoilers but dang can I just escape into this world please, cannot wait for the next book!

I received this ARC for an honest review, all thoughts/opinions above are my own!
Profile Image for Kay.
79 reviews12 followers
August 19, 2023
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest review!

Shadows of Solace releases 22/08 on KU. 😊

In all the lands I’ve seen destroyed, in all the worlds I’ve seen reborn, you are the greatest wonder I’ve ever known. In this life or the next, I will always come back to you.

H J Reese has quickly become one of my favourite authors. Without a shadow (see, we’re punny!) of a doubt, every time these books hit my emails, I download and devour them as quickly as I can. I’ll keep doing so, I cannot sing her praises enough.

Valentina and Kade continue their quest for his shadows with the help of Jairek and Teal. But nothing is ever easy is it? We’ve seen glimpses of the Summer court, the heat from the Autumn court and now, we see the Spring. Lady Fey, sheeeeeshhh. Mohr, true to his possessive word, his hunt for Val continues. And a surprise little twist between the courts that I never expected. The drama and action flows through it so smoothly, leaving you waiting and wanting more. More shadows, more of this little found family, more of Val and Kade.

We finally get our peak at spice between these two, the build up has been great but I’m so glad they both caved to their feelings in this book. It isn’t heavy smut but it’s enough!

“You’re a light, Kaderyn, and you’re leading me home,”

I want more. I can’t wait for book 3 and I can guarantee you as soon as it hits my inbox, my review will come straight after. I’m so enamoured with this world, I just wish the books were a little longer so I could loose myself in them for more.

And Teal, my fave little Pixie, her rhyming is the absolute best.

“But my tale of Bean and the sock
There’s a saga about a ribbon around his—”


I’m going to go sulk for a little bit now and probs come back and edit this review later. I wasn’t prepared for it to finish how it did.

Add it to your tbr, do ittttt.
Profile Image for thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books).
2,811 reviews117 followers
August 25, 2023
Wonderful second book, I was so on edge through this, so much tension and drama, I get anxiety reading books like this abd I sometimes wonder why I put myself through this, but then I remember the characters, the chemistry and how good it is when everything’s going to come together, that and a fantastic story and great writing, yep this is why I do it to myself, thoroughly recommended for tense moments, drama and a great read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for VoraciousBookDragoness.
295 reviews
August 15, 2023
As much as the first book is good, this one is even better!

Fast paced amazing plot, filled with action, emotions & steamy romance.

Val & Kade continue their quest with Jair & Teal. These captivating characters & their journey, brought me tears & made me smile. Held my breath sometimes & took deep another.

Profile Image for Erin H. (ITIO Book Reviews).
115 reviews
September 6, 2023
While I loved the first one, this second book was a bit of a disappointment, sadly. Felt jumbled, rushed, and unorganized. Honestly didn’t really know why certain plot points were happening. Read like a 2.5 star book, BUT I loved the first book so much that I’ve rounded to 3 stars.

I’ll probably still read the next two when they came out, but I don’t think they’ll be as good as the first one. :(
Profile Image for Bookdragonskeep (Krystina).
86 reviews7 followers
September 3, 2023
Now that Kaderyn has half of his missing shadows back, the gang starts their trek across Spring to reach the other half of his shadows in Winter. Upon finally discovering the truth of Blackwater Junction and having to help defend its residents from Winter, Valentina is determined to find a way to save the faeless. But fate has other plans, and she finds herself playing Spring’s games that may lead to her demise, or worse… back into the hands of Autumn. Kaderyn is so close to getting the rest of his power back that he can feel it, but what he feels even more is the desperation to keep Valentina by his side. In order to save her and get her back, he is willing to risk it all. Shadows of Solace, the second installment of the Wild Hunt series, is a multi-POV, fast-paced, action-packed read with an engrossing love and a feisty pixie!

I blazed through this book and could not put it down! The first book, Dancing with Darkness, had really sucked me into the world of Eadha Island, but Shadows of Solace engulfed me completely. Getting to know the characters more deeply really made me feel connected to them and I want to be a part of their little found family! I am truly enamored with the love that has developed between Kade and Val: it’s protective and borderline possessive (but in a good way). The suspense and tension throughout the book kept me on the edge of my seat and craving more! With the Wild Hunt being more involved than ever, I cannot contain my excitement for book 3 and cannot wait to see how things will play out from here!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Zofia von Huck.
52 reviews2 followers
September 11, 2023
This was an enjoyable read. Like the first one, the plot was very original and never grew predictable. The characters were well written and relatable. I often find female characters in this type of story stupid and annoying, but Valentina was not like that. She was smart and sassy, and a little flawed. Kaderyn and the rest of the cast were well-rounded out too. The book had it's faults. Some of the descriptions were a bit vague, e.g. there were wind pipes that played "beautiful" music, but I don't actually know what they actually sounded like. But there was enough description to make the world feel real. Some parts were confusing, e.g. I have no idea what the spring games were supposed to be about, but Valentina made the experience enjoyable to read about. Maybe she was confused too?
The best part I thought was the growing romance between Valentina and Kaderyn. It was believable and sweet, and unlike so many romances in this type of genre, it was mutually respectful and healthy, which was very refreshing to see. No strange stalking or obsessive behaviour to be seen from anyone, which was great. I look forward to the next instalment.
338 reviews3 followers
June 20, 2024
Brilliant second story for Kaderyn and Valentina!
With Kaderyn’s shadows more powerful than ever, Valentina finally learns what secrets are hiding in Blackwater Junction. General Mohr continues to hunt Val down and Kaderyn is closer to returning to the Wild Hunt for the first time in centuries. It’s a straight shot to the last chest then it’s all finally over and he can return to the Underworld. But Valentina has shot a light through Kade's darkness and he's not sure he can give her up.
With the help of lion shifter Jairek and pixie Teal, he races to get Valentina back as she is held captive in the Spring Court.
"In all the lands I’ve seen destroyed, in all the worlds I’ve seen reborn, you are the greatest wonder I’ve ever known. In this life or the next, I will always come back to you."
SIGH...
Loved this book. Now have to wait a week for the third instalment. Looking forward to it!

Profile Image for HadexX Severan.
68 reviews
May 12, 2025
3.7 🌟 1.0🌶

Definitely better than the first book, but still with disappointments.

The FMC comes across as poorly thought out, clearly written in to play the part of the female love interest. She just seems shallow.

I skipped from pg.120 to pg.170 because it was not needed. Even after skipping whole paragraphs I never felt like I missed a part of the story. It was simply another detour in the book that didn't matter or make any impactiful difference to the story.

The spice heats up in this book in a way that's well done, but the spice scenes are still not detailed extremely well.

I would still recommend this book to people who are happy to read anything, the only reason I am still going it because of the MMC. So if he's not your thing, I wouldn't bother.
Profile Image for Jagged.
1,076 reviews31 followers
March 22, 2024
2.5

Hard to rate this one. It was still incredibly slow. I had thought it might pick up the pace in this one since everything was outlined in the previous book. It didn't.
A lot, and I'd say maybe 60% of the book was description. There is such a thing as too much, Reese will hopefully find a balance in the next book.
The relationship between Kaderyn and Valentina took a massive jump at an odd time. I thought their pacing was good in the last book, but it felt rushed in this one.
Still interested to read the next one.
111 reviews11 followers
August 22, 2023
Shadows of Solace was everything I wanted it to be as a sequel! Val and Kade travel across Eadha in search of Kade's missing shadows and get into all kinds of trouble along the way. The romance was so sweet and fulfilling and the relationship between their companions grew deeper and deeper. I can't wait to read the next book in the wild hunt series!
Profile Image for Happyscribe.
939 reviews9 followers
September 8, 2023
Wow - this is a chunky read but oh so worth it!
Fae, strange magic, unsettling events heralding something coming that no one wants to acknowledge - poor Valentina is up against it!
Recommend curling up with this behemoth book over a cold and wet weekend!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
130 reviews
September 6, 2024
More of the same! FMC/MMC relationships progress and strengthen... Very familiar / platonic / friend-type of relationship at first before it becomes strictly romantic which is endearing and nice. The adventures they go through are not as exciting as the first book, more tropey... But I finished it and enjoyed it but didn't really feel like I could do book 3.
Profile Image for Kat.
607 reviews3 followers
August 20, 2025
Not as good as the first book, which I loved, but still a solid 2nd book. The romance between the main characters progresses & there is some spice in this one! Also a mating hunt of unwilling female participants so check your TW. While it was not a great 2nd book it was still good and I will be continuing the series.
Profile Image for Stacy Jane.
188 reviews1 follower
August 16, 2023
This author has became one of my favorites. This is the second book of this series. The suspenseful and mesmerizing writing is great and makes it even easier to fall into the story and love (or hate) the characters. I Loved It!!
Profile Image for Diane.
14 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2024
Amazing Characters

This is the second book I’ve read and I must admit I’m now completely invested in seeing this adventure to the end!

The world building is fantastic and the complexity of the characters makes for engaging reading.
Profile Image for Lauren.
554 reviews5 followers
May 6, 2024
Thank god there's only like two weeks until book 3! I love this series. After this book, Kade and Valentina give me even more Hades/Persephone vibes than they did before. Plus, things are heating up and I cannot wait to learn more about the Shadow Court.
Profile Image for Dee Ray.
66 reviews
November 19, 2023
Perfect🩷

I love love love this series! It has definitely achieved top 3 of the year for 2023 in my opinion and I eat sleep and live romantacy:)
20 reviews
January 14, 2024
Loved it!

Great read, and I can't wait for the last book! Hope I can find more by this author of the same content.
Profile Image for Em (FantasyEm).
158 reviews
February 6, 2024
A great sequel to the first book, I’m looking forward to the next one to see where Vals story takes her
614 reviews3 followers
May 18, 2024
Again, fantastic

So many twists and heart in your mouth moments. Brilliant story with the characters worth barracking for. This series is worth reading. Loved it.
Profile Image for Rita.
76 reviews
July 3, 2025
Excellent! Looking forward to reading book 3
Profile Image for Teigan.
339 reviews38 followers
September 13, 2025
One book later and Valentina is still useless af. 🤣
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,379 reviews15 followers
May 19, 2025
3.5-4 stars

Still the same difficulty with the writing style but as before (wondering if AI was used to write parts of this series?), the story, characters, and romance are all compelling enough to keep me reading. I do really hate Teal's rhymes though. #sorrynotsorry

Heat index: several brief sex scenes.

Profanity meter: frequent harsh profanity.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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