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Mistlands #1
To Kill a Shadow
The instant New York Times bestseller
Britannia meets The Mist―with a touch of Evil Dead―in this illusory fantasy horror about a kingdom left to darkness…
Jude Maddox knows nothing of love or even light. He knows only his grim duty as the Hand of Death, to lead the Knights of the Eternal Star into a land filled with nightmares and certain demise. It’s only when he sees her―a young woman with wild, amber eyes who’s as fierce, defiant, and swift as the shadow beasts themselves―that he feels the warmth of life in his blood…
The other Knights may fear their lethal commander, with his hard, merciless demeanor. Outcast Kiara Frey sees only a leader, a man who knows how to survive. Someone like her. But wanting him is as treacherous as the shadows themselves…and just as seductive.
With a kingdom on the verge of collapse, the Knights must now venture into the darkest heart of the land and uncover the secrets of the misted shadows, where evil will prey upon their minds and feast on their flesh.
It will betray their senses.
It will surpass their nightmares.
Most of them will die.
But they have no other choice. Because the only way to fight the darkness…is to become it.
Britannia meets The Mist―with a touch of Evil Dead―in this illusory fantasy horror about a kingdom left to darkness…
Jude Maddox knows nothing of love or even light. He knows only his grim duty as the Hand of Death, to lead the Knights of the Eternal Star into a land filled with nightmares and certain demise. It’s only when he sees her―a young woman with wild, amber eyes who’s as fierce, defiant, and swift as the shadow beasts themselves―that he feels the warmth of life in his blood…
The other Knights may fear their lethal commander, with his hard, merciless demeanor. Outcast Kiara Frey sees only a leader, a man who knows how to survive. Someone like her. But wanting him is as treacherous as the shadows themselves…and just as seductive.
With a kingdom on the verge of collapse, the Knights must now venture into the darkest heart of the land and uncover the secrets of the misted shadows, where evil will prey upon their minds and feast on their flesh.
It will betray their senses.
It will surpass their nightmares.
Most of them will die.
But they have no other choice. Because the only way to fight the darkness…is to become it.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published November 28, 2023
899 people are currently reading
33000 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Quinn
9 books730 followersKatherine Quinn is a fantasy romance author and poet. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in psychology. She resides in Houston, Texas with her husband and children.
Her love for writing began after she read her first fantasy series, Song of the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce. After that, she wanted nothing more than to be a dagger-wielding heroine. Unfortunately, it’s frowned upon to give a child a dagger, so she settled on writing about daring adventures instead.
Coffee is her true love, and she believes anything can be fixed with Starbucks and dark humor.
Her love for writing began after she read her first fantasy series, Song of the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce. After that, she wanted nothing more than to be a dagger-wielding heroine. Unfortunately, it’s frowned upon to give a child a dagger, so she settled on writing about daring adventures instead.
Coffee is her true love, and she believes anything can be fixed with Starbucks and dark humor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,007 reviews
February 15, 2024
**Don’t mind me. Read this a while ago & just modifying some reviews
The first 100 pages of this book were amazing but the rest… idk what happened with the writing but it switched at that mark.
The world building was severely lacking, which I guess will be remedied in book 2 but I won’t be continuing this series.
The FMC was great for the first 100 pages then switched to a pick me which irritated me a lot
There were also a few inconsistencies with the story
The first 100 pages of this book were amazing but the rest… idk what happened with the writing but it switched at that mark.
The world building was severely lacking, which I guess will be remedied in book 2 but I won’t be continuing this series.
The FMC was great for the first 100 pages then switched to a pick me which irritated me a lot
There were also a few inconsistencies with the story
September 2, 2023
Okay, those last few chapters HURT.
Katherine Quinn is an auto buy author for me, and To Kill a Shadow only confirmed why I love her books so much!
From the first meeting, Kiara and Jude have so much tension between them. The way their first interactions are written makes it hard to breathe, the connection between them is a tanglible cord that gets plucked and shrivels as the story unfolds. It was so refreshing to read a fantasy romance with a commander-recruit dynamic instead of the popular enemies to lovers that still maintains a satisfying slow burn.
I love Jude. His backstory was so interesting and tragic, and I feel like we've only scratched the surface. I mean that last chapter?!? I need more. And I need my broody commander to be protected at all cost.
Obviously, the romance was my favorite part, but the worldbuilding is so dark and beautiful and unique. The plot is complex and intriguing, making it difficult to put the book down. The Mist? Terrifying. The creatures inside it? So much worse. The betrayals?? Blindsided.
I read this in 24 hours. Overall, this is a great YA fantasy romance that I think will be popular with many readers!
Thank you so much for the ARC and I cannot wait for book 2!! Meanwhile, someone go give Jude a hug.
Katherine Quinn is an auto buy author for me, and To Kill a Shadow only confirmed why I love her books so much!
From the first meeting, Kiara and Jude have so much tension between them. The way their first interactions are written makes it hard to breathe, the connection between them is a tanglible cord that gets plucked and shrivels as the story unfolds. It was so refreshing to read a fantasy romance with a commander-recruit dynamic instead of the popular enemies to lovers that still maintains a satisfying slow burn.
I love Jude. His backstory was so interesting and tragic, and I feel like we've only scratched the surface. I mean that last chapter?!? I need more. And I need my broody commander to be protected at all cost.
Obviously, the romance was my favorite part, but the worldbuilding is so dark and beautiful and unique. The plot is complex and intriguing, making it difficult to put the book down. The Mist? Terrifying. The creatures inside it? So much worse. The betrayals?? Blindsided.
I read this in 24 hours. Overall, this is a great YA fantasy romance that I think will be popular with many readers!
Thank you so much for the ARC and I cannot wait for book 2!! Meanwhile, someone go give Jude a hug.
December 11, 2023
Honestly, I do not understand the hype with this book. While the plot itself can be considered interesting the characters and writing were nearly unbearable to get through. I hated how much Ki complained about how she wasn't feminine or dainty, and how she didn't want to be. And how she's strong and all that junk. And then the way that Jude was immediately into her after meeting her for an assumed few minutes. While I do understand why she peaked his interest I found it unrealistic how obsessed he became with her immediately with no other buildup really. Maybe I was missing it, but the appeal of this book vanished almost immediately for me.
April 2, 2024
Would I read this book again, yes!
It just didn't keep my attention throughout.
World building I found to be lacking, but its the 1st of the series, so I'm hoping the author expands on it with the next book.
Kiara joins Jude on a quest at the behest of the king. you know how this goes people. They both start to fall for each other, while trying to KEEP THEIR SECRETS HIDDEN! Hoping their pasts don't prevent them from having that HEA ending!
Solid 3 stars!
It just didn't keep my attention throughout.
World building I found to be lacking, but its the 1st of the series, so I'm hoping the author expands on it with the next book.
Kiara joins Jude on a quest at the behest of the king. you know how this goes people. They both start to fall for each other, while trying to KEEP THEIR SECRETS HIDDEN! Hoping their pasts don't prevent them from having that HEA ending!
Solid 3 stars!
July 31, 2025
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.3★⚔️🔮𖤓
══════════════════
ᵀʰⁱˢ ʳᵉᵛⁱᵉʷ ⁱˢ ˢᵖᵒⁱˡᵉʳ⁻ᶠʳᵉᵉ
🪼⋆*:“𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚.””⚔️·˚
YESSSSS I LOVED THIS. Okay okay so I’ve been reading contemporary these past few weeks, mostly, and I totally forgot about my love for romantasy- but this book reminded me how great it was. I felt like a giddy girl reading her first book about a hot emo fae prince all over again.
There was a LOT of lore, so maybe some people would get confused, but the writing style is so descriptive and addictive that my eyes were glued to the pages, and I ate up everything. Yes- for the first time in history, I actually understood a romantasy. Also, I LOVED the plot twists that I wasn’t expecting. Each chapter was so mysterious that it would make you want to continue reading to figure out what's missing. I also loved the letters at the start of each chapter, adding to the mysterious tone of the book.
Unlike many fantasies I’ve read where the conflict was everywhere, made no sense, had multiple problems, multiple plot holes, and was hard to keep track of, this book was straightforward. I loved that- I’ve been reading so many confusing fantasy books that I NEEDED this.
🪼⋆*:“𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙟𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙘 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚.”⚔️·˚
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭🖤
Romantasy┊Lots of cussing┊Morally gray MMC(?)┊Badass FMC┊no spice (yet?)┊Prophecy┊Lots of lore┊Polytheism┊
⤿Age I recommend: 15+
🪼⋆*:“𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡. 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣.”⚔️·˚
𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞🖤
YES YES YES YES. LOVED IT. The tension was there, giving enemies-to-lovers vibes. And when they kissed- istg got my inner girly out and about giggling like a maniac. I think it was also nicely paced, but who knows- maybe some people will claim it's instalove.
⤿Yes, this book didn’t contain any spice, but there was a lot of adult language used, so I do believe as the series progresses onward, there will be spice. So for my little darlings who think that this book is clean- sorry to disappoint, but it ain’t. There were also descriptive kissing scenes that included tongue.
🪼⋆*:“𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨... 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”⚔️·˚
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬🖤
🌻𝓚𝓲𝓪𝓻𝓪. A badass woman warrior who's Jude Duarte coded and has great humor? Yes please.
🌹𝓙𝓾𝓭𝓮. A brooding, serious commander of the army who only shows his humor around people he’s close with and has a sad backstory? GIVE ME.
➤𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓼. There were so many great side characters that the author had no problem killing <333
🪼⋆*:“𝙄𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙨?”⚔️·˚
𝐼𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝒹, I would suggest this as a fun romantasy read!
๋࣭ ⭑⚝💜✮⋆˙💿
𐔌💜⋮ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ˎˊ˗
⤷This has been sitting on my shelf for a month or so, and I have nothing else to read, so here I am. However, the illustrations are super pretty, and I really like the dedication.
› “To all those who have known the weight of darkness and still shine. You’re stronger than you know.”
══════════════════
ᵀʰⁱˢ ʳᵉᵛⁱᵉʷ ⁱˢ ˢᵖᵒⁱˡᵉʳ⁻ᶠʳᵉᵉ
🪼⋆*:“𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚.””⚔️·˚
YESSSSS I LOVED THIS. Okay okay so I’ve been reading contemporary these past few weeks, mostly, and I totally forgot about my love for romantasy- but this book reminded me how great it was. I felt like a giddy girl reading her first book about a hot emo fae prince all over again.
There was a LOT of lore, so maybe some people would get confused, but the writing style is so descriptive and addictive that my eyes were glued to the pages, and I ate up everything. Yes- for the first time in history, I actually understood a romantasy. Also, I LOVED the plot twists that I wasn’t expecting. Each chapter was so mysterious that it would make you want to continue reading to figure out what's missing. I also loved the letters at the start of each chapter, adding to the mysterious tone of the book.
Unlike many fantasies I’ve read where the conflict was everywhere, made no sense, had multiple problems, multiple plot holes, and was hard to keep track of, this book was straightforward. I loved that- I’ve been reading so many confusing fantasy books that I NEEDED this.
🪼⋆*:“𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙟𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙘 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚.”⚔️·˚
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭🖤
Romantasy┊Lots of cussing┊Morally gray MMC(?)┊Badass FMC┊no spice (yet?)┊Prophecy┊Lots of lore┊Polytheism┊
⤿Age I recommend: 15+
🪼⋆*:“𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡. 𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣.”⚔️·˚
𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞🖤
YES YES YES YES. LOVED IT. The tension was there, giving enemies-to-lovers vibes. And when they kissed- istg got my inner girly out and about giggling like a maniac. I think it was also nicely paced, but who knows- maybe some people will claim it's instalove.
⤿Yes, this book didn’t contain any spice, but there was a lot of adult language used, so I do believe as the series progresses onward, there will be spice. So for my little darlings who think that this book is clean- sorry to disappoint, but it ain’t. There were also descriptive kissing scenes that included tongue.
🪼⋆*:“𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨... 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”⚔️·˚
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬🖤
🌻𝓚𝓲𝓪𝓻𝓪. A badass woman warrior who's Jude Duarte coded and has great humor? Yes please.
🌹𝓙𝓾𝓭𝓮. A brooding, serious commander of the army who only shows his humor around people he’s close with and has a sad backstory? GIVE ME.
➤𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓼. There were so many great side characters that the author had no problem killing <333
🪼⋆*:“𝙄𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙨?”⚔️·˚
𝐼𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝒹, I would suggest this as a fun romantasy read!
๋࣭ ⭑⚝💜✮⋆˙💿
𐔌💜⋮ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 ˎˊ˗
⤷This has been sitting on my shelf for a month or so, and I have nothing else to read, so here I am. However, the illustrations are super pretty, and I really like the dedication.
› “To all those who have known the weight of darkness and still shine. You’re stronger than you know.”
January 23, 2024
DNF at 27%.
I’m confused why this book’s on so many “sapphic romance” lists while the story is clearly a MF romance.
Can’t believe someone managed to make me dislike emo boys in a book. As the most devoted fan of emo boys, I feel betrayed.
So, our boy Jude falls for Kiara hard the moment he sees her. The whole thing is written so ridiculously, It’s like there are a few chapters missing. The same applies to Kiara and her new friends. The found family trope came out of nowhere, one minute they are strangers, the next they are the closest of friends???
The writing lacks description, the dialogues are bad. I wanted to continue reading because of all the mystery, but everything feels empty and dead. Just like my will to read this book.
I’m confused why this book’s on so many “sapphic romance” lists while the story is clearly a MF romance.
Can’t believe someone managed to make me dislike emo boys in a book. As the most devoted fan of emo boys, I feel betrayed.
So, our boy Jude falls for Kiara hard the moment he sees her. The whole thing is written so ridiculously, It’s like there are a few chapters missing. The same applies to Kiara and her new friends. The found family trope came out of nowhere, one minute they are strangers, the next they are the closest of friends???
The writing lacks description, the dialogues are bad. I wanted to continue reading because of all the mystery, but everything feels empty and dead. Just like my will to read this book.
May 7, 2024
4,5⭐️
I went into this with zero expectations and absolutely no clue of what it was about other than that it’s a fantasy. it did NOT disappoint. Holy shit this book was crazy. I adored every second of it and I wanted to savor it till the very last word.
The ending had me wanting to throw my book across the room! So many plot twists and they just kept on coming! I didn’t even know this book was part of a series before starting, but I can’t wait for the next book!!!
Jude and Kiara might be one of my new favorite couples! At first I was scared that Kiara was gonna give me the ick since she’s very much a boys girl, but it was actually just so adorable and I love her so much!!
I went into this with zero expectations and absolutely no clue of what it was about other than that it’s a fantasy. it did NOT disappoint. Holy shit this book was crazy. I adored every second of it and I wanted to savor it till the very last word.
The ending had me wanting to throw my book across the room! So many plot twists and they just kept on coming! I didn’t even know this book was part of a series before starting, but I can’t wait for the next book!!!
Jude and Kiara might be one of my new favorite couples! At first I was scared that Kiara was gonna give me the ick since she’s very much a boys girl, but it was actually just so adorable and I love her so much!!
December 18, 2023
Clearly written in the shadow of Fourth Wing, TKAS conveys an affinity for strong characters, high stakes, political intrigue, mythology, electric chemistry and witty banter but fails to deliver on any of these fronts because of its frankly terrible writing; with respect, my sentiment overall is that a love of reading does not an author make 😞
If you took only the hard earned emotional beats of a story (or several popular reiterated stories) and spliced them together without connective tissue, you would have this highlights reel: recognizable scenes lacking both heart and finesse.
I’m thankful I was able to check out this new release from the library immediately after its OwlCrate announcement. It has the marketing and lovely sprayed edges, but isn’t a book I’d like to own.
DNF - read the first 100 pages and skimmed the rest.
If you took only the hard earned emotional beats of a story (or several popular reiterated stories) and spliced them together without connective tissue, you would have this highlights reel: recognizable scenes lacking both heart and finesse.
I’m thankful I was able to check out this new release from the library immediately after its OwlCrate announcement. It has the marketing and lovely sprayed edges, but isn’t a book I’d like to own.
DNF - read the first 100 pages and skimmed the rest.
June 30, 2024
i despised the ending to this book. they fell in love within the first 50 pages. 🧍🏽♀️
june 30th, 2024 update
changed to 2/5. i’m sorry but this book really grinded my gears and i will not be continuing the series 😭 because what even was that epilogue? i should have dnf’d it instead of pushing through. so much about this book irritated me.
the tropes. if you love insta love, this is the book for you. unfortunately, not my cup of tea. they were waxing poetic about how they owed eachother devotion within the first 70 pages and then kissed.
the fmc was literally talking about how he was so deserving of her devotion and she willingly handed it over and she barely knew his name. not i, bestie!
where’s the hand brushing! the little giggles! i need drama and wanton love!!! i’m positive there’s other stuff that grinded my gears. i am not reopening the book to look. into the unhaul pile it goes 😩
june 30th, 2024 update
changed to 2/5. i’m sorry but this book really grinded my gears and i will not be continuing the series 😭 because what even was that epilogue? i should have dnf’d it instead of pushing through. so much about this book irritated me.
the tropes. if you love insta love, this is the book for you. unfortunately, not my cup of tea. they were waxing poetic about how they owed eachother devotion within the first 70 pages and then kissed.
the fmc was literally talking about how he was so deserving of her devotion and she willingly handed it over and she barely knew his name. not i, bestie!
where’s the hand brushing! the little giggles! i need drama and wanton love!!! i’m positive there’s other stuff that grinded my gears. i am not reopening the book to look. into the unhaul pile it goes 😩
August 26, 2024
This was an incredibly well written YA book with a strong female main character reminiscent of Mulan. The writing is impeccable and this obviously isn’t Katherine Quinn’s first novel. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for more books in this series!
March 15, 2024
PICK UP THIS BOOK! Okay ... now how to describe it ...
Listen, I read a lot. For the last 4 years I've read a couple hundred books a year. And while I love reading, and have no regrets about the speed in which I tear through books, going through so many so fast, I do notice publishing trends and when books don't stand out as their own. So something that automatically bumps up a book's rating for me is its uniquity. I've realized recently that a book can use tons of popular tropes and I won't mind, so long as the main characters and world building can stand on their own. And let me tell you, To Kill a Shadow is the perfect blend of well loved tropes and writing devices, and a fascinating, wholly new world. I love both the main characters, their romance is great, and this book is paced quite well, but the stand out feature of this book is easily the world building/setting. The lore is fascinating ... The setting is eerie, yet I want to explore it more. I love the "haunted forest" sub-genre of horror fantasy, and this book delivers that setting so well. Overall, this was a story that I easily got lost in and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out. I will be knocking on the publisher's door pleading for an ARC
Listen, I read a lot. For the last 4 years I've read a couple hundred books a year. And while I love reading, and have no regrets about the speed in which I tear through books, going through so many so fast, I do notice publishing trends and when books don't stand out as their own. So something that automatically bumps up a book's rating for me is its uniquity. I've realized recently that a book can use tons of popular tropes and I won't mind, so long as the main characters and world building can stand on their own. And let me tell you, To Kill a Shadow is the perfect blend of well loved tropes and writing devices, and a fascinating, wholly new world. I love both the main characters, their romance is great, and this book is paced quite well, but the stand out feature of this book is easily the world building/setting. The lore is fascinating ... The setting is eerie, yet I want to explore it more. I love the "haunted forest" sub-genre of horror fantasy, and this book delivers that setting so well. Overall, this was a story that I easily got lost in and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out. I will be knocking on the publisher's door pleading for an ARC
September 11, 2024
4/10 stars
I liked the cover and sprayed edges…that’s about it. I gave it four stars for the premise and design of the book, but there wasn’t anything else I enjoyed. Every single character fell flat as the author tried to rely upon tropes (ie, I’m not like other girls, overly friendly best friend, shadow daddy, chosen one…there wasn’t a single original character). Likewise, the story itself tried to play off of other hit romantacy novels (just reread Fourth Wing or pick up Once Upon a Broken Heart over this one for your own sanity). I think I’m even more upset about this book because I had been so excited to read it.
The premise is that there is a cursed land with knights (sick right?? We should get TONS of world building and plot development and magic system info). Our main character Kiara steps in to save her brother and becomes a knight herself even though the knights are all male (ooohhh so we’ll maybe get some She’s the Man Vibes). Starting off, the author throws you in the midst of things as though you’re joining a lecture for which you’re halfway late-I don’t have a problem with this as it can aid to an interesting middle of action start. However that info you feel like you’re missing? You never get it. That world building? Ignored. Character relationships? You’re TOLD how much everyone means to each other, but it’s never shown. Sadly, 90% of this book is telling not showing. It feels as though the author wanted every line to be quote worthy and wanted it to be as dramatic as possible, but in doing so made every sentence fall flat.
And then there is the romance. Have you ever heard of insta-love? Yeah check out this one. MOMENTS after first seeing her our supposed dark, cold, unfeeling assassin is in love and willing to give up the world for her. He reminded me of one of those guys you meet in college who has no social skills and ends up stalking you to your dorm and dining until you call campus police. Luckily, Kiara reciprocates his feelings so it’s not creepy (it still is to me, but we’ll ignore that). Kiara is the female equivalent so I guess it evens out. Only, she is determined to make every one of the knights her “brother.” I don’t remember the exact timeline, but within a few weeks she is commenting on how they are all as close knit as any family if not closer (mind you she came to take her brother’s place, but forget him am I right? Just replace him with these new guys). It is brought up MANY times how they are like family. You know how in SOC you love that found family as it grows and develops? Don’t worry, you don’t have to wait and read through any development here because you’ll be told over and over again how much they’re like family after instantly bonding.
In the midst of all of this Kiara and the knights are supposed to be training (again, we still don’t really know the knights’ purpose…they’re meant to fight, but what is that? The curse?) but it really reads more of Kiara and Jude trying to banter (this was copy paste cringe lines from every book) and both flirting and pretending to hate each other between their few meetings. This section is also Kiara reminding you she’s strong, unlike all those other girls who are weak and could never handle an environment like she is. Oh, and Jude (male love interest) growling every time a guy touches her…mind you she is the only female and she is sparring and friends with the guys…I think one time he managed to hold his growl back.
Eventually they head off into the cursed forest where there’s a lot of death, monsters, and confused feelings. The end was supposed to be a big plot twist, but realistically I think everyone will see some part of it coming (not from foreshadowing but because there isn’t any other option for the ending). Also, slight spoiler alert, but IMO the ending doesn’t make sense. The character that turns could have done what he did at any time so why wait? Why risk it? THERE IS NO LOGIC IN THIS BOOK. We never learn about the world or magic system and only gain an info dump on lore in the last few chapters.
Overall, I think the author was coerced into writing a romantacy in the Fourth Wing era and there’s nothing more there.
I liked the cover and sprayed edges…that’s about it. I gave it four stars for the premise and design of the book, but there wasn’t anything else I enjoyed. Every single character fell flat as the author tried to rely upon tropes (ie, I’m not like other girls, overly friendly best friend, shadow daddy, chosen one…there wasn’t a single original character). Likewise, the story itself tried to play off of other hit romantacy novels (just reread Fourth Wing or pick up Once Upon a Broken Heart over this one for your own sanity). I think I’m even more upset about this book because I had been so excited to read it.
The premise is that there is a cursed land with knights (sick right?? We should get TONS of world building and plot development and magic system info). Our main character Kiara steps in to save her brother and becomes a knight herself even though the knights are all male (ooohhh so we’ll maybe get some She’s the Man Vibes). Starting off, the author throws you in the midst of things as though you’re joining a lecture for which you’re halfway late-I don’t have a problem with this as it can aid to an interesting middle of action start. However that info you feel like you’re missing? You never get it. That world building? Ignored. Character relationships? You’re TOLD how much everyone means to each other, but it’s never shown. Sadly, 90% of this book is telling not showing. It feels as though the author wanted every line to be quote worthy and wanted it to be as dramatic as possible, but in doing so made every sentence fall flat.
And then there is the romance. Have you ever heard of insta-love? Yeah check out this one. MOMENTS after first seeing her our supposed dark, cold, unfeeling assassin is in love and willing to give up the world for her. He reminded me of one of those guys you meet in college who has no social skills and ends up stalking you to your dorm and dining until you call campus police. Luckily, Kiara reciprocates his feelings so it’s not creepy (it still is to me, but we’ll ignore that). Kiara is the female equivalent so I guess it evens out. Only, she is determined to make every one of the knights her “brother.” I don’t remember the exact timeline, but within a few weeks she is commenting on how they are all as close knit as any family if not closer (mind you she came to take her brother’s place, but forget him am I right? Just replace him with these new guys). It is brought up MANY times how they are like family. You know how in SOC you love that found family as it grows and develops? Don’t worry, you don’t have to wait and read through any development here because you’ll be told over and over again how much they’re like family after instantly bonding.
In the midst of all of this Kiara and the knights are supposed to be training (again, we still don’t really know the knights’ purpose…they’re meant to fight, but what is that? The curse?) but it really reads more of Kiara and Jude trying to banter (this was copy paste cringe lines from every book) and both flirting and pretending to hate each other between their few meetings. This section is also Kiara reminding you she’s strong, unlike all those other girls who are weak and could never handle an environment like she is. Oh, and Jude (male love interest) growling every time a guy touches her…mind you she is the only female and she is sparring and friends with the guys…I think one time he managed to hold his growl back.
Eventually they head off into the cursed forest where there’s a lot of death, monsters, and confused feelings. The end was supposed to be a big plot twist, but realistically I think everyone will see some part of it coming (not from foreshadowing but because there isn’t any other option for the ending). Also, slight spoiler alert, but IMO the ending doesn’t make sense. The character that turns could have done what he did at any time so why wait? Why risk it? THERE IS NO LOGIC IN THIS BOOK. We never learn about the world or magic system and only gain an info dump on lore in the last few chapters.
Overall, I think the author was coerced into writing a romantacy in the Fourth Wing era and there’s nothing more there.
December 26, 2024
rating: no*
* = no characterization, romantic development, world-building, and stakes! it's all just tropes thrown together in the worst way with no foundation or reasoning!!
i even hate the formatting! purchase not justified. i was fooled by the sprayed edges. i should've just used the library. 😭
alternate title: to kill a reader but the reader is me, and i am dead. this was a gods-awful and horrible way to go out. 😒
* = no characterization, romantic development, world-building, and stakes! it's all just tropes thrown together in the worst way with no foundation or reasoning!!
i even hate the formatting! purchase not justified. i was fooled by the sprayed edges. i should've just used the library. 😭
alternate title: to kill a reader but the reader is me, and i am dead. this was a gods-awful and horrible way to go out. 😒
September 17, 2023
2,5 ⭐
I wanted to love this book, but in the end, I didn't.
I felt like we were given not enough information about the world-building and I often felt like I was missing something. The characters lacked that characterization I enjoy and they felt rather flat to me. I couldn't really empathize with any of them and it was definitely a letdown.
The plot was the most interesting part of this book, but without the proper world-building, it didn't live up to its potential.
The thing I loved the most is the character arc story of Patrick, a character I didn't really care for at the beginning, but who became more interesting towards the end.
The found family trope: an example of a badly written one. I felt like Kiara finding so many friends who felt like a family was just too forced. And finally, the love story: I wished there was none. This book had a lot of potential, which I truly hope will be developed in the next installment.
I wanted to love this book, but in the end, I didn't.
I felt like we were given not enough information about the world-building and I often felt like I was missing something. The characters lacked that characterization I enjoy and they felt rather flat to me. I couldn't really empathize with any of them and it was definitely a letdown.
The plot was the most interesting part of this book, but without the proper world-building, it didn't live up to its potential.
The thing I loved the most is the character arc story of Patrick, a character I didn't really care for at the beginning, but who became more interesting towards the end.
The found family trope: an example of a badly written one. I felt like Kiara finding so many friends who felt like a family was just too forced. And finally, the love story: I wished there was none. This book had a lot of potential, which I truly hope will be developed in the next installment.
Read
April 20, 2024DNF @ 55% i just felt nothing for the characters and felt the romance and plot line had no introduction or proper storyline (or at least not enough to make me pay attention to it)
February 19, 2024
Review of To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn.
In a kingdom without the sun for 50 years (or so we’re reminded over and over because everyone seems to function just like usual), Jude Maddox, the king’s assassin, and resident dark and broody male love interest, has felt nothing for years. You would think he was a hardened warrior in his late twenties or older, but nope, he’s a wee lad of 19. How he is the commander so young is never explained. And then he sees Kiara Frey beat the crap out of an older boy and his heart just melts. Weird.
Kiara, a pick me girl who’s not like other girls, but who we’re told maybe likes girls (and we have to be told because clearly this is a MF romance), is a plucky and gorgeous super-awesome skilled fighter for reasons and naturally all the boys like her. Who else is supposed to like her? There are no other females in the entire book. She’s the type of girl who has no problem brazenly flirting with a cute guy she just met while she’s bathing. Weird.
In an instalove romance, these two kiddos are forced to go on a suicide mission with a bunch of redshirts into the deadly mist to find some vague object that will somehow bring the sun back. In quick succession, we have 3 very brutal deaths that would leave any normal rational person traumatized, but apparently not our heroes. They sleep just fine and are even joking and flirting with each other the very next day. Jude even has a moment of inner monologue after making out with Kiara in which he says he’s never felt so safe or peaceful…literally two days after his closest friend is killed. Yeah okay, weirdo.
We get another gruesome death by cannibalism, and our heroes getting so distracted in each other’s mouths that they nearly forget about their remaining friends who are most likely going to be eaten. Then comes a not so surprising reveal that didn’t align with the foreshadowing, but hey whatever. And now I guess we have to wait for a sequel to find out if they ever get the sun back.
Here are just a few things I didn’t like:
- The first half and second half felt like they were written by two different people
- The world building was severely lacking. We’re told there’s no sun, but we really don’t get that sense of what it’s like to live in the dark, especially when they keep mentioning how bright the moon is.
- Also, somehow it was super foggy during the quest, but they could see clearly??
- Kiara is such an erratic character. One moment she’s super cool fighter, the next she’s squealing in delight at jumping in a stream. She’s one moment not afraid to face death, the next page she’s terrified.
- Jude and Kiara not being phased by any death for longer than a few pages
- The dialogue was really bad
- The way it felt like other characters went missing just to give Jude and Kiara an excuse to be alone and start making out.
- The reveal of Jude being the sun goddess’s direct descendant despite the multiple references to Kiara looking just like the sun goddess. This is not how red herrings work.
- Jude coming upon the site where Jake had just killed and left behind a monster and thinking “there must have been some sort of scuffle.” I screamed. Did the body just vanish? Did it get up and walk away?
- In a similar vein, Kiara bringing Jude back to life with the goddess’s soul and then being surprised and confused at how he was alive…🫠
- Patrick, why did he join the guard? How did he know Kiara and Jude had the goddess souls? It just makes no sense.
- The king, what in the world is his motivation in all of this if he’s not the goddess’s ex-lover like I was starting to suspect? Make it make sense.
Also just for anyone who might be thrown off by this being marketed as horror and queer, this is 100% a male female romantasy with a touch of horror and barely a hint of queer representation.
I personally am very disappointed with this one. The premise sounded so interesting, but it just did not deliver. I will not be continuing the series. I have one other book by Katherine Quinn on my shelf that I’ve wanted to read for a long time, but my hopes for it being good have basically shattered. I’ll give it a second chance, but I’m keeping my expectations low.
Rating: ⭐️
🌙 instalove
🌙 shadow powers
🌙 grumpy/sunshine
🌙 interesting deity lore
In a kingdom without the sun for 50 years (or so we’re reminded over and over because everyone seems to function just like usual), Jude Maddox, the king’s assassin, and resident dark and broody male love interest, has felt nothing for years. You would think he was a hardened warrior in his late twenties or older, but nope, he’s a wee lad of 19. How he is the commander so young is never explained. And then he sees Kiara Frey beat the crap out of an older boy and his heart just melts. Weird.
Kiara, a pick me girl who’s not like other girls, but who we’re told maybe likes girls (and we have to be told because clearly this is a MF romance), is a plucky and gorgeous super-awesome skilled fighter for reasons and naturally all the boys like her. Who else is supposed to like her? There are no other females in the entire book. She’s the type of girl who has no problem brazenly flirting with a cute guy she just met while she’s bathing. Weird.
In an instalove romance, these two kiddos are forced to go on a suicide mission with a bunch of redshirts into the deadly mist to find some vague object that will somehow bring the sun back. In quick succession, we have 3 very brutal deaths that would leave any normal rational person traumatized, but apparently not our heroes. They sleep just fine and are even joking and flirting with each other the very next day. Jude even has a moment of inner monologue after making out with Kiara in which he says he’s never felt so safe or peaceful…literally two days after his closest friend is killed. Yeah okay, weirdo.
We get another gruesome death by cannibalism, and our heroes getting so distracted in each other’s mouths that they nearly forget about their remaining friends who are most likely going to be eaten. Then comes a not so surprising reveal that didn’t align with the foreshadowing, but hey whatever. And now I guess we have to wait for a sequel to find out if they ever get the sun back.
Here are just a few things I didn’t like:
- The first half and second half felt like they were written by two different people
- The world building was severely lacking. We’re told there’s no sun, but we really don’t get that sense of what it’s like to live in the dark, especially when they keep mentioning how bright the moon is.
- Also, somehow it was super foggy during the quest, but they could see clearly??
- Kiara is such an erratic character. One moment she’s super cool fighter, the next she’s squealing in delight at jumping in a stream. She’s one moment not afraid to face death, the next page she’s terrified.
- Jude and Kiara not being phased by any death for longer than a few pages
- The dialogue was really bad
- The way it felt like other characters went missing just to give Jude and Kiara an excuse to be alone and start making out.
- The reveal of Jude being the sun goddess’s direct descendant despite the multiple references to Kiara looking just like the sun goddess. This is not how red herrings work.
- Jude coming upon the site where Jake had just killed and left behind a monster and thinking “there must have been some sort of scuffle.” I screamed. Did the body just vanish? Did it get up and walk away?
- In a similar vein, Kiara bringing Jude back to life with the goddess’s soul and then being surprised and confused at how he was alive…🫠
- Patrick, why did he join the guard? How did he know Kiara and Jude had the goddess souls? It just makes no sense.
- The king, what in the world is his motivation in all of this if he’s not the goddess’s ex-lover like I was starting to suspect? Make it make sense.
Also just for anyone who might be thrown off by this being marketed as horror and queer, this is 100% a male female romantasy with a touch of horror and barely a hint of queer representation.
I personally am very disappointed with this one. The premise sounded so interesting, but it just did not deliver. I will not be continuing the series. I have one other book by Katherine Quinn on my shelf that I’ve wanted to read for a long time, but my hopes for it being good have basically shattered. I’ll give it a second chance, but I’m keeping my expectations low.
Rating: ⭐️
🌙 instalove
🌙 shadow powers
🌙 grumpy/sunshine
🌙 interesting deity lore
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 27, 2025
It took me weeks, but I finally decided to give To Kill A Shadow two stars.
The worldbuilding is severely lacking. Since this is the start of a series, I expected this book to take its sweet time with the intro. But no. Everything was either rushed or overlooked.
Reading this felt like walking into a conversation that had already started. I didn’t totally get it, but I could piece together what I had heard.
It didn’t help that I never quite clicked with either main character. In case you haven't read this, the dual POV switches between Kiara and Jude.
Kiara is the first female Knight. She’s smart and strong, and everybody should stop underestimating her. I got that the first time around, but it is repeated over and over again. It got boring. Being both capable and a woman is not a shocker. I wanted to see more from her. In my opinion, Kiara felt underdeveloped.
Jude is just another sad, broken man whose life is going downhill until he meets a woman he falls in love with. I might be on a romantasy burn-out because I found this to be too cliché.
In addition, all the relationships seemed too intense for them having known each other for such a short period. Kiara and the others went from strangers to “family forever” so quickly. This book takes place over the span of a few weeks. For their bonds to be believable, I needed be more on-page evidence of them getting to know each other.
I loved the idea of To Kill A Shadow in theory, but the execution didn’t impress me.
Bottom line: This is my sign to take a break from fantasy romance.
pre review initial thoughts
i am not sure how many stars to give to what i just went through…
༝༚༝༚
my blog!
The worldbuilding is severely lacking. Since this is the start of a series, I expected this book to take its sweet time with the intro. But no. Everything was either rushed or overlooked.
Reading this felt like walking into a conversation that had already started. I didn’t totally get it, but I could piece together what I had heard.
It didn’t help that I never quite clicked with either main character. In case you haven't read this, the dual POV switches between Kiara and Jude.
Kiara is the first female Knight. She’s smart and strong, and everybody should stop underestimating her. I got that the first time around, but it is repeated over and over again. It got boring. Being both capable and a woman is not a shocker. I wanted to see more from her. In my opinion, Kiara felt underdeveloped.
Jude is just another sad, broken man whose life is going downhill until he meets a woman he falls in love with. I might be on a romantasy burn-out because I found this to be too cliché.
In addition, all the relationships seemed too intense for them having known each other for such a short period. Kiara and the others went from strangers to “family forever” so quickly. This book takes place over the span of a few weeks. For their bonds to be believable, I needed be more on-page evidence of them getting to know each other.
I loved the idea of To Kill A Shadow in theory, but the execution didn’t impress me.
Bottom line: This is my sign to take a break from fantasy romance.
pre review initial thoughts
i am not sure how many stars to give to what i just went through…
༝༚༝༚
my blog!
November 21, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
4.5 stars, rounded up
I can't believe my silly little theory was right WHAT
This was a really solid series opener! The ending was wild, not something I thought was very predictable ( I guessed it and was still surprised that it actually happened LOL ). I liked the main characters, but I think Jake was probably my favourite. I liked Patrick too! The romance between Jude and Kiara felt kind of forced and was a bit too insta-lovey for me, but I still thought it was well written land they were cute). The plot was a bit slow at the beginning, but it really picked up at the 30% mark and did not slow down from there. And the ending!! I cannot believe that we ended like that! I need the next book immediately. Overall, I would highly recommend this book!
4.5 stars, rounded up
I can't believe my silly little theory was right WHAT
This was a really solid series opener! The ending was wild, not something I thought was very predictable ( I guessed it and was still surprised that it actually happened LOL ). I liked the main characters, but I think Jake was probably my favourite. I liked Patrick too! The romance between Jude and Kiara felt kind of forced and was a bit too insta-lovey for me, but I still thought it was well written land they were cute). The plot was a bit slow at the beginning, but it really picked up at the 30% mark and did not slow down from there. And the ending!! I cannot believe that we ended like that! I need the next book immediately. Overall, I would highly recommend this book!
November 27, 2023
To Kill A Shadow
Katherine Quinn
⭐5⭐
“Besides, no one could kill a shadow.”
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To Kill A Shadow is a fantasy romance novel that follows Kiara, a girl who has trained to fight for years after a terrible accident that left her cursed and scarred. An outcast in her village, her only friend is her brother, Liam. However, Liam is set to be drafted by the king to fight as a knight for the kingdom; regardless of his inability to do so in both physical capacity and demeanor. Kiara will do anything to protect her brother, and in an unexpected turn of events, she is selected to take his place in training for knighthood.
Jude is the captain of the king’s knights and his favored assassin. He is convinced that he is all dark and his soul is tainted because of the work that he does. Not only that, but his scars, both emotional and physical, remind him that he is always to be feared. But Kiara looks at him with wonder, as if his scars only draw her to him more. To Jude, she is everything light and good; she makes him believe that he still has something to live and hope for. He is also drawn to her by some invisible and unknown force, and he fears that this can only end in ruin.
When Jude and Kiara, along with a group of recruits and knights, are sent on a quest into the deadly mist in order to search for a means to return the sun, which after the goddess Raina disappearance 50 years ago, has not returned. A trip into the mist is practically a death sentence, as so many do not return. Within the mist, people change and go missing, and wicked things are lurking in the trees. When the quest takes many unexpected and dangerous turns, as Kiara and Jude grow closer, they are forced to address the dark secrets of their pasts. Many secrets are hidden in the mist, some that are finally emerging into the light. Will they be able to solve the mystery of the missing sun and cast the kingdom out of shadow? Or will they be forced to remain only in darkness for all of time?
I LOVED this book. The last few chapters were painful, and I’m going to need the sequel ASAP. What a great start to a new series!
Quotes:
“Hope is a dangerous thing to possess.”
“Fate might have brought me here, but from now on, I would be able to choose my destiny.”
“Kiara, although hard headed and stubborn, reminded me of all that was light and good.”
“Nothing of beauty and substance should be kept by one person alone.”
“‘You are what I imagine the sun to be like,’ I whispered so softly I wasn’t sure she could hear the admission. ‘Fiery. Beautiful. Damning.’”
“I was never crafted to sit and wait. To huddle in fear and wrap my arms about myself as others fought the monsters that thrived in the dark. I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself if I tried.”
“I think that you’ve always claimed you were hard to love, but really, you just saw the best in everyone else and the worst in yourself.”
“I coveted a love so profound, so realm-shattering, that my home became their arms and the music in my ears belonged to the beating of their hearts.”
“For some reason, jude called to all of my shadows; the parts of my soul I’d shown him without me even realizing it. And I wanted more. More time to see what else I could feel.”
“Courage is unlocking the door to your cage and taking flight. True bravery is burning the cage to the ground. - Asidian proverb”
“Uncle Micah had often told me that things were never as they appeared. That sometimes even the most beautiful things could be poisonous. I suppose that applied to people as well.”
“The heart is the wickedest of beasts, for it can never be tamed. - Asidian proverb”
“My goddess of war was so very docile in her sleep.”
“We were different in so many ways, but when we connected, truly connected, everything that separated us was just one more thing to find beauty in.”
“Only monsters could defeat monsters.”
“You are the only light I will vow to protect.”
“Loyalty was a greater commodity than brute force or skill.”
“It was greater than divinity, than magic. What I felt for her was infinite.”
“Love is not the absence of self, but rather, the absence of fear. For only the brave drop their armor and walk onto a battlefield with their hearts exposed.”
“I was both the night and a forgotten light. The vast universe of black and the endless possibility of the day.”
“‘A good man is often the one who has known the most evil.’”
“All things must come to an end–even if it’s just a walk through the woods.”
“Besides, no one could kill a shadow.”
Katherine Quinn
⭐5⭐
“Besides, no one could kill a shadow.”
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To Kill A Shadow is a fantasy romance novel that follows Kiara, a girl who has trained to fight for years after a terrible accident that left her cursed and scarred. An outcast in her village, her only friend is her brother, Liam. However, Liam is set to be drafted by the king to fight as a knight for the kingdom; regardless of his inability to do so in both physical capacity and demeanor. Kiara will do anything to protect her brother, and in an unexpected turn of events, she is selected to take his place in training for knighthood.
Jude is the captain of the king’s knights and his favored assassin. He is convinced that he is all dark and his soul is tainted because of the work that he does. Not only that, but his scars, both emotional and physical, remind him that he is always to be feared. But Kiara looks at him with wonder, as if his scars only draw her to him more. To Jude, she is everything light and good; she makes him believe that he still has something to live and hope for. He is also drawn to her by some invisible and unknown force, and he fears that this can only end in ruin.
When Jude and Kiara, along with a group of recruits and knights, are sent on a quest into the deadly mist in order to search for a means to return the sun, which after the goddess Raina disappearance 50 years ago, has not returned. A trip into the mist is practically a death sentence, as so many do not return. Within the mist, people change and go missing, and wicked things are lurking in the trees. When the quest takes many unexpected and dangerous turns, as Kiara and Jude grow closer, they are forced to address the dark secrets of their pasts. Many secrets are hidden in the mist, some that are finally emerging into the light. Will they be able to solve the mystery of the missing sun and cast the kingdom out of shadow? Or will they be forced to remain only in darkness for all of time?
I LOVED this book. The last few chapters were painful, and I’m going to need the sequel ASAP. What a great start to a new series!
Quotes:
“Hope is a dangerous thing to possess.”
“Fate might have brought me here, but from now on, I would be able to choose my destiny.”
“Kiara, although hard headed and stubborn, reminded me of all that was light and good.”
“Nothing of beauty and substance should be kept by one person alone.”
“‘You are what I imagine the sun to be like,’ I whispered so softly I wasn’t sure she could hear the admission. ‘Fiery. Beautiful. Damning.’”
“I was never crafted to sit and wait. To huddle in fear and wrap my arms about myself as others fought the monsters that thrived in the dark. I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself if I tried.”
“I think that you’ve always claimed you were hard to love, but really, you just saw the best in everyone else and the worst in yourself.”
“I coveted a love so profound, so realm-shattering, that my home became their arms and the music in my ears belonged to the beating of their hearts.”
“For some reason, jude called to all of my shadows; the parts of my soul I’d shown him without me even realizing it. And I wanted more. More time to see what else I could feel.”
“Courage is unlocking the door to your cage and taking flight. True bravery is burning the cage to the ground. - Asidian proverb”
“Uncle Micah had often told me that things were never as they appeared. That sometimes even the most beautiful things could be poisonous. I suppose that applied to people as well.”
“The heart is the wickedest of beasts, for it can never be tamed. - Asidian proverb”
“My goddess of war was so very docile in her sleep.”
“We were different in so many ways, but when we connected, truly connected, everything that separated us was just one more thing to find beauty in.”
“Only monsters could defeat monsters.”
“You are the only light I will vow to protect.”
“Loyalty was a greater commodity than brute force or skill.”
“It was greater than divinity, than magic. What I felt for her was infinite.”
“Love is not the absence of self, but rather, the absence of fear. For only the brave drop their armor and walk onto a battlefield with their hearts exposed.”
“I was both the night and a forgotten light. The vast universe of black and the endless possibility of the day.”
“‘A good man is often the one who has known the most evil.’”
“All things must come to an end–even if it’s just a walk through the woods.”
“Besides, no one could kill a shadow.”
June 20, 2025
₊˚⊹♡ rating ! : 2/5
·:*¨༺ ✮ ༻¨*:·
「 ✦ review ✦ 」
╰┈➤ that’s crazy!!!! another dnf this year!!!
what the hell is my attention span …
book was probably good but I just couldn’t pay attention to it and I’ve been in the first chapter for a week now ….
😭
﹥*:ꔫ:*+ﾟ
- ღ ezra / ezzy
·:*¨༺ ✮ ༻¨*:·
「 ✦ review ✦ 」
╰┈➤ that’s crazy!!!! another dnf this year!!!
what the hell is my attention span …
book was probably good but I just couldn’t pay attention to it and I’ve been in the first chapter for a week now ….
😭
﹥*:ꔫ:*+ﾟ
- ღ ezra / ezzy
January 15, 2024
Dnfed.
Stating "a lesser woman" in your book was unnecessary. We also didn't need to be reminded that she's dainty every chapter. Show don't tell.
Stating "a lesser woman" in your book was unnecessary. We also didn't need to be reminded that she's dainty every chapter. Show don't tell.
January 11, 2024
YA
fantasy
Romance
Suspense
Action
This is my first book by Katherine Quinn. It took me a few chapters to settle into the story but I enjoyed the journey once I got into it.
A girl chosen to join the army… this reminded me of Mulan which is a favourite of mine.
Kiara is chosen to join the army because of her fire. She’s like a wild horse that can’t be tamed. Her place should’ve been her brothers and she has to prove she belongs in a male dominated world.
Jude is a feared leader. He’s strong and obedient. When finding new recruits he’s drawn to Kiara- the first girl to join the army. She isn’t afraid to defend herself and Jude finds himself protective of her too. She can stand on her own two feet which only makes Jude more curious.
These two have a connection bigger than most. It’s mesmerising and more than it appears to be.
It took me a bit of time to settle into this book (10%). I think it was because of the world building and language. At the beginning of each chapter we are told of a legend and throughout the book we are uncovering what it means to the characters. I’m glad I perceived because the chemistry between the characters came to life right off the page once I got past the first few chapters. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more.
fantasy
Romance
Suspense
Action
This is my first book by Katherine Quinn. It took me a few chapters to settle into the story but I enjoyed the journey once I got into it.
A girl chosen to join the army… this reminded me of Mulan which is a favourite of mine.
Kiara is chosen to join the army because of her fire. She’s like a wild horse that can’t be tamed. Her place should’ve been her brothers and she has to prove she belongs in a male dominated world.
Jude is a feared leader. He’s strong and obedient. When finding new recruits he’s drawn to Kiara- the first girl to join the army. She isn’t afraid to defend herself and Jude finds himself protective of her too. She can stand on her own two feet which only makes Jude more curious.
These two have a connection bigger than most. It’s mesmerising and more than it appears to be.
It took me a bit of time to settle into this book (10%). I think it was because of the world building and language. At the beginning of each chapter we are told of a legend and throughout the book we are uncovering what it means to the characters. I’m glad I perceived because the chemistry between the characters came to life right off the page once I got past the first few chapters. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more.
December 5, 2023
This book is non-stop action, and OMG I could not stop reading!
I really loved all the camaraderie between Kiara and the friends she makes along the way. I love how they treat her as an equal and I love all the different personalities and banter (I especially love Jake). I love the queer-normative world building in this, too. (Kiara is bi/pan and Jake is queer/gay)
Heads up there is a good bit of gore, violence, and things I can’t talk about without revealing spoilers but it’s definitely a bit gruesome! Lol
Kiara and Jude - man, do these two have some great chemistry together. There is definitely that tension and that push/pull between the two of them. It nearly got to be too much for me with the "I want you, but I shouldn't" thing they had going on for most of the book. I do think that could have been maybe shortened a tad bit? They are both very strong, very layered characters and the question of their pasts - Kiara with her hands, Jude with his past in the mist, make for a very captivating story.
And that ending??!! 🤯
OMG I hope the wait for more of this series isn’t too long!
I really loved all the camaraderie between Kiara and the friends she makes along the way. I love how they treat her as an equal and I love all the different personalities and banter (I especially love Jake). I love the queer-normative world building in this, too. (Kiara is bi/pan and Jake is queer/gay)
Heads up there is a good bit of gore, violence, and things I can’t talk about without revealing spoilers but it’s definitely a bit gruesome! Lol
Kiara and Jude - man, do these two have some great chemistry together. There is definitely that tension and that push/pull between the two of them. It nearly got to be too much for me with the "I want you, but I shouldn't" thing they had going on for most of the book. I do think that could have been maybe shortened a tad bit? They are both very strong, very layered characters and the question of their pasts - Kiara with her hands, Jude with his past in the mist, make for a very captivating story.
And that ending??!! 🤯
OMG I hope the wait for more of this series isn’t too long!
November 25, 2023
I adore Katherine Quinn’s books, so I was beyond thrilled to get an arc of the first book in her new Mistlands series. To Kill a Shadow is a fantastic start to the series. It’s action-packed, immersive, and suspenseful with a well-paced and layered plot, dynamic characters, and a swoon-worthy love story that had my whole heart.
Quinn is an amazing storyteller, and I found myself quickly sucked into this bleak and harsh world and the characters who live in it. The story takes place in a world that has been plunged into darkness for the last fifty years, and Kiara is a young woman, the only woman, drafted to serve the kingdom by battling the mist and the monsters who live there. Kiara, with many other young men, goes through a grueling and perilous training led by an enigmatic and ruthless commander.
Kiara is a layered and compelling protagonist, as is Jude, the commander. She’s brave and skilled, and she’s a strong leader among the trainees. She stands out, and not just because she is the only woman soldier. Her quick thinking, training, and determination attract the attention of many, most of all Jude. He’s drawn to Kiara from the moment he meets her, which is the antithesis of what you’d expect from this ruthless and merciless commander. I love Jude and how protective he is. I’m all for the moody, broody MMC who falls first, and Jude delivers. He has a heartbreaking story, and I so wanted this man to find happiness. The story is told from both Jude’s and Kiara’s points of view, which adds depth and dimension to both characters.
The character development is balanced well with a quick-paced and action-filled plot. From the deadly and dangerous training to the journey into the Mist, the story is intense! And the world-building is as layered as the plot and characters. I found the world so interesting and horrifying, and the lore and history are engrossing. It’s definitely the kind of plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
There are a bunch of secondary characters that are great too, and there are major found family vibes going on with the other recruits. Kiara forms some strong relationships with her peers, and they go through A LOT together. Some parts are brutal and harsh, but it’s appropriate for the world they live in. My heart broke more than once when reading, and I was completely stunned by a couple of the twists and revelations. It’s the kind of book that takes you through myriad emotions, and once I started reading, I found it tough to put the book down. I had to know what happened next!
I thought this was a fantastic start to the series, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next because, man, some of the stuff that happened toward the end HURT MY HEART. I would absolutely recommend the book to readers who like YA romantasy. Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Quinn is an amazing storyteller, and I found myself quickly sucked into this bleak and harsh world and the characters who live in it. The story takes place in a world that has been plunged into darkness for the last fifty years, and Kiara is a young woman, the only woman, drafted to serve the kingdom by battling the mist and the monsters who live there. Kiara, with many other young men, goes through a grueling and perilous training led by an enigmatic and ruthless commander.
Kiara is a layered and compelling protagonist, as is Jude, the commander. She’s brave and skilled, and she’s a strong leader among the trainees. She stands out, and not just because she is the only woman soldier. Her quick thinking, training, and determination attract the attention of many, most of all Jude. He’s drawn to Kiara from the moment he meets her, which is the antithesis of what you’d expect from this ruthless and merciless commander. I love Jude and how protective he is. I’m all for the moody, broody MMC who falls first, and Jude delivers. He has a heartbreaking story, and I so wanted this man to find happiness. The story is told from both Jude’s and Kiara’s points of view, which adds depth and dimension to both characters.
The character development is balanced well with a quick-paced and action-filled plot. From the deadly and dangerous training to the journey into the Mist, the story is intense! And the world-building is as layered as the plot and characters. I found the world so interesting and horrifying, and the lore and history are engrossing. It’s definitely the kind of plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
There are a bunch of secondary characters that are great too, and there are major found family vibes going on with the other recruits. Kiara forms some strong relationships with her peers, and they go through A LOT together. Some parts are brutal and harsh, but it’s appropriate for the world they live in. My heart broke more than once when reading, and I was completely stunned by a couple of the twists and revelations. It’s the kind of book that takes you through myriad emotions, and once I started reading, I found it tough to put the book down. I had to know what happened next!
I thought this was a fantastic start to the series, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next because, man, some of the stuff that happened toward the end HURT MY HEART. I would absolutely recommend the book to readers who like YA romantasy. Thanks to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
abgebrochen
August 23, 2025Vorab möchte ich mich herzlich beim Loewe Verlag und NetGalley für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionsexemplares bedanken!
DNF: 33% – 2025 – 2⭐
Mit »To Kill A Shadow« erhalten wir eine weitere Romantasy-Geschichte die grundsätzlich viel Potential hatte. Leider wurde dieses kein bisschen ausgeschöpft.
Was ich mochte:
Die Grundidee war wirklich toll. Der Klappentext hatte mich direkt angesprochen: ein tödlicher Nebel, eine Welt in Schatten und Dunkelheit, ein Fluch, eine gefährliche Mission und ganz viel Herzkribbeln – es hätte so gut werden können!!
Leider konnte die Autorin ihre Ideen nicht umsetzen.
Meine Kritikpunkte:
• zu aller erst „show, don't tell!“ – es wird so viel erzählt, und das in solch einem langatmigen Tempo, dass man beim Lesen wörtlich einschläft
• die Welt, die Charaktere, die Beziehungen untereinander? – alles blieb so blass und nicht ausgearbeitet
• Logik-Lücken was das Worldbuilding betrifft
• insta-love vom feinsten
• ich hatte wirklich das Gefühl als hätte die Autorin ein paar Tropes und ein dystopisches Szenario grob skizziert, aber nicht wirklich einen Plan gehabt, wohin sie mit dieser Geschichte hinwollte bzw. dass das Ganze auch Sinn machen sollte
Ganz großes Schade!! Das Buch müsste eigentlich von Grund auf überarbeitet werden. Daher kann ich leider das Buch, als jemand der schon sehr viele Reihen in diesem Genre gelesen hat, nicht empfehlen.
DNF: 33% – 2025 – 2⭐
Mit »To Kill A Shadow« erhalten wir eine weitere Romantasy-Geschichte die grundsätzlich viel Potential hatte. Leider wurde dieses kein bisschen ausgeschöpft.
Was ich mochte:
Die Grundidee war wirklich toll. Der Klappentext hatte mich direkt angesprochen: ein tödlicher Nebel, eine Welt in Schatten und Dunkelheit, ein Fluch, eine gefährliche Mission und ganz viel Herzkribbeln – es hätte so gut werden können!!
Leider konnte die Autorin ihre Ideen nicht umsetzen.
Meine Kritikpunkte:
• zu aller erst „show, don't tell!“ – es wird so viel erzählt, und das in solch einem langatmigen Tempo, dass man beim Lesen wörtlich einschläft
• die Welt, die Charaktere, die Beziehungen untereinander? – alles blieb so blass und nicht ausgearbeitet
• Logik-Lücken was das Worldbuilding betrifft
• insta-love vom feinsten
• ich hatte wirklich das Gefühl als hätte die Autorin ein paar Tropes und ein dystopisches Szenario grob skizziert, aber nicht wirklich einen Plan gehabt, wohin sie mit dieser Geschichte hinwollte bzw. dass das Ganze auch Sinn machen sollte
Ganz großes Schade!! Das Buch müsste eigentlich von Grund auf überarbeitet werden. Daher kann ich leider das Buch, als jemand der schon sehr viele Reihen in diesem Genre gelesen hat, nicht empfehlen.
January 14, 2024
This book is so bad and i would advise anyone against reading it, so as to not waste their time.
I ended up marking this book DNF because of how bad it was. I tried so hard to give it a chance and finish it even after it started getting bad but I just couldn't. The author takes ideas from numerous other ya fantasy books; such as how Fourth Wing-adjacent this book is and how Jude is basically a watered-down good guy version of the Darkling from Shadow and Bone. The language and writing is very inconsistent throughout the book and it is extremely hard to tell what time period the author was even shooting for when writing the book. The plot was so non-existent and choppy that i started only reading every other page and still knew what was going on. Kiara is such a pick me and her whole character made no sense. it was like the author couldn't make up her mind on Kiara's personality. One minute she was anti-social and hated people and the next she wanted to be the center of attention. It also didn't make much sense how in the scene with the spiders she drags out the experience of "killing" carter so much when all she did was stop him from suffering any longer while she makes it sound more like she killed a man in cold blood. One other thing I didn't understand was why this book was marked as a sapphic romance in some areas. There were mentions of Kiara having another girl in her village stare at her and seemingly like her but there was no actual non-heterosexual romance in the entire book. Overall, I hardly understood this book and couldn't bare to suffer while reading it any longer. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I ended up marking this book DNF because of how bad it was. I tried so hard to give it a chance and finish it even after it started getting bad but I just couldn't. The author takes ideas from numerous other ya fantasy books; such as how Fourth Wing-adjacent this book is and how Jude is basically a watered-down good guy version of the Darkling from Shadow and Bone. The language and writing is very inconsistent throughout the book and it is extremely hard to tell what time period the author was even shooting for when writing the book. The plot was so non-existent and choppy that i started only reading every other page and still knew what was going on. Kiara is such a pick me and her whole character made no sense. it was like the author couldn't make up her mind on Kiara's personality. One minute she was anti-social and hated people and the next she wanted to be the center of attention. It also didn't make much sense how in the scene with the spiders she drags out the experience of "killing" carter so much when all she did was stop him from suffering any longer while she makes it sound more like she killed a man in cold blood. One other thing I didn't understand was why this book was marked as a sapphic romance in some areas. There were mentions of Kiara having another girl in her village stare at her and seemingly like her but there was no actual non-heterosexual romance in the entire book. Overall, I hardly understood this book and couldn't bare to suffer while reading it any longer. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
February 4, 2024
DNF at 46%
💜Romantasy
💜Dual PoV
💜Cursed kingdom
💜Found family
💜Forced Proximity
💜Star-crossed lovers
Summary: Kiara is recruited by Jude (the commander) to attempt to solve the puzzle behind the curse that has plagued their Kingdom for 50 years.
Thoughts:
My first DNF of 2024. It was not for me. I was so bored to the point where I started skimming chapters. It was labeled as horror but yet is more of an insta love fluffy Romantasy. And if the FMC was described as “dainty” one more time I was going to throw this book down a sewer drain.
Check out this book if:
- you love a good Romantasy with a strong FMC.
- you adore the found family trope.
- you love powerful and protective mmcs.
- you love a good mystery.
Just because this book was a one star for me, doesn’t mean it can’t be a 5 star for you!
Happy Reading besties 😊
💜Romantasy
💜Dual PoV
💜Cursed kingdom
💜Found family
💜Forced Proximity
💜Star-crossed lovers
Summary: Kiara is recruited by Jude (the commander) to attempt to solve the puzzle behind the curse that has plagued their Kingdom for 50 years.
Thoughts:
My first DNF of 2024. It was not for me. I was so bored to the point where I started skimming chapters. It was labeled as horror but yet is more of an insta love fluffy Romantasy. And if the FMC was described as “dainty” one more time I was going to throw this book down a sewer drain.
Check out this book if:
- you love a good Romantasy with a strong FMC.
- you adore the found family trope.
- you love powerful and protective mmcs.
- you love a good mystery.
Just because this book was a one star for me, doesn’t mean it can’t be a 5 star for you!
Happy Reading besties 😊
August 21, 2024
This one was pretty disappointing, but I'm a loyal OwlCrate reader, so I powered through it. This would be a great read for a Romantasy fan, I'd say. If you like magic systems and world building then this just isn't for you. The primary focus of this book was the romance with a sprinkle of magic around it. The main character has a terrible case of "not like the other girls" syndrome, but that honestly hits a check in the box for the Romantasy genre lol.
January 3, 2025
I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this book, but I was a sucker for the beautiful presentation. I surprisingly liked it a lot until about one-third through when it started to drag and stumble. At first, it was well written and paced, and I really liked the strong character development. As I approached the 30% mark, the story slowed, and pacing became inconsistent as if the author became tired or lost her footing. The writing was beautiful up to this point, then suddenly bordered on purple prose with repetition. I counted the word "uncharacteristically" three times over three pages. I most likely will not read the next book because I didn't love this one, and it wasn't memorable.
This book will be a traveling book in LiterALLy BOOKiSh Book Club, the best group on Facebook.
This book will be a traveling book in LiterALLy BOOKiSh Book Club, the best group on Facebook.
November 20, 2023
3.5/5 Stars
This book is mostly vibes with a small sprinkle of a fantasy plotline. I had heard many great things about this book but I had a hard time connecting with the writing. I felt that the author spent a lot of time establishing the dark and sinister atmosphere but not enough time on building the world. Additionally, I didn’t feel like the two main characters had good chemistry and their relationship felt a little predictable.
This story follows Kiara and Jude as they are sent on a mission to try to break the curse of mist on their kingdom. Kiara is stubborn and fierce while Jude is cold and aloof. The first half of the book felt very slow and was hard to get through as it didn’t feel like the plot was really moving. The book starts to pick up in the second half but a lot of the plot twists felt a little predictable.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dark fantasy vibes with forbidden romance and prefer a more atmospheric book, where the ending makes the book. I would not recommend this to anyone that needs more world building and doesn’t enjoy a predictable book.
I’d like to thank Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book for my honest review.
Blog || Instagram
This book is mostly vibes with a small sprinkle of a fantasy plotline. I had heard many great things about this book but I had a hard time connecting with the writing. I felt that the author spent a lot of time establishing the dark and sinister atmosphere but not enough time on building the world. Additionally, I didn’t feel like the two main characters had good chemistry and their relationship felt a little predictable.
This story follows Kiara and Jude as they are sent on a mission to try to break the curse of mist on their kingdom. Kiara is stubborn and fierce while Jude is cold and aloof. The first half of the book felt very slow and was hard to get through as it didn’t feel like the plot was really moving. The book starts to pick up in the second half but a lot of the plot twists felt a little predictable.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dark fantasy vibes with forbidden romance and prefer a more atmospheric book, where the ending makes the book. I would not recommend this to anyone that needs more world building and doesn’t enjoy a predictable book.
I’d like to thank Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book for my honest review.
Blog || Instagram
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