What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadow and Trickster #1
A Thread of Shadows: Shadow and Trickster: Book One
Be warned of a sorceress scorned.
Magic and sorcerers only exist in fairytales. Or so eighteen-year-old Aaira Devoni thought. When the seamstress is accidentally caught in the middle of a sorceress’s vendetta unrelated to her, Aaira finds herself cursed in more ways than one. One of the curses with her being cast into an alternate reality where the kingdom is desolated, bearing the marks of war. The other, being cursed to the alternate reality with the spoiled but dashing prince Kerat Knight.
Having met Kerat only hours before, Aaira’s fate rests in his hands. With little choice but to trust each other, they have to work together to return to their own reality. In order to do so, they must find the sorceress who has unleashed magic across the war-torn kingdom.
Aaira must face the consequences of the curse that banished magic a thousand years ago, while facing a future where it has appeared once more. If there’s one thing she’s learned, it is that magic has returned with a vengeance and is unforgiving.
A Thread of Shadows is the first book in the Shadow and Trickster trilogy. It is perfect for fantasy fans with hints of a slow-burn romance, complete with adventure and sorcery.
Magic and sorcerers only exist in fairytales. Or so eighteen-year-old Aaira Devoni thought. When the seamstress is accidentally caught in the middle of a sorceress’s vendetta unrelated to her, Aaira finds herself cursed in more ways than one. One of the curses with her being cast into an alternate reality where the kingdom is desolated, bearing the marks of war. The other, being cursed to the alternate reality with the spoiled but dashing prince Kerat Knight.
Having met Kerat only hours before, Aaira’s fate rests in his hands. With little choice but to trust each other, they have to work together to return to their own reality. In order to do so, they must find the sorceress who has unleashed magic across the war-torn kingdom.
Aaira must face the consequences of the curse that banished magic a thousand years ago, while facing a future where it has appeared once more. If there’s one thing she’s learned, it is that magic has returned with a vengeance and is unforgiving.
A Thread of Shadows is the first book in the Shadow and Trickster trilogy. It is perfect for fantasy fans with hints of a slow-burn romance, complete with adventure and sorcery.
- GenresFantasy
381 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2024
13 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 30, 2024
ARC REVIEW (Spoiler free)
5⭐️
Something I did not expect with this story was that it would be a high stakes fantasy with fantastical magic and cold hearted sorcerer villains but still be able to elicit the feeling of comfort and coziness through its characters, dialogue and setting. The author is amazing at tying these characters relationships together and keeping the reader engaged. These characters are loved, this world feels lively and I couldn’t put it down. Not for just the story, but because I was so in love with Aaira. I cannot wait for continuations to this novel!!
5⭐️
Something I did not expect with this story was that it would be a high stakes fantasy with fantastical magic and cold hearted sorcerer villains but still be able to elicit the feeling of comfort and coziness through its characters, dialogue and setting. The author is amazing at tying these characters relationships together and keeping the reader engaged. These characters are loved, this world feels lively and I couldn’t put it down. Not for just the story, but because I was so in love with Aaira. I cannot wait for continuations to this novel!!
September 15, 2024
Disclaimers:
1. ARC reader
2. I learned from the author that their original version of this book was posted to Goodreads, but even though the book was essentially re-written after the first round of feedback, Goodreads didn’t allow the product page to be reset. So, old reviews from the old book are on this page. My review is for the remade (current) version that has now been published.
I often prioritize other things in my life over reading books now, so it took me awhile before I started reading A Thread of Shadows (AToS): Shadow and Trickster: Book 1. But, once I started, I was able to finish the book in about two weeks. Some of you can read a book in less than 48 hours, but this was a major accomplishment for me since I had to balance it with my other work and hobbies. But, at the end of AToS Book 1, I wanted more. I wanted to continue reading the next part. It was the same feeling I had when I was a kid after finishing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which is really what got me into reading during that part of my life. The only difference is that when I started reading Harry Potter, there were 2 or 3 other books released, so I could keep reading. AToS only has Book 1 of 3 released, so I’m forced to wait.
AToS was written in a way that made it easy for me to mentally paint the world and scenes in my head; something I am always doing page-for-page in the books I’ve read (this is what makes me a slow reader, because I take my time to visualize the world). Without spoiling anything, I’m pleased that the story was able to incorporate some twists and surprises that I honestly wouldn’t have guessed, and being able to “see” that clearly really boosted my experience.
Character development is well-paced. I like how this book doesn’t have characters develop courage or strength with no viable explanation or reason. For example, some things Aaira does or says are very realistic to what a real person would do or say in the same situation. I love how that aspect of the characters is more grounded and believable. You wouldn’t want to see Goku transform into a Super Saiyan without the grief he experienced from Krillin dying, would you? Aaira’s experiences mold her and make her stronger, and those were my favorite parts to read. Her development is believable, which is important for a reader like me. I keep highlighting Aaira, but the other characters (i.e. Jax, Kerat, etc.) were equally well done; Aaira just happens to be my favorite.
Also, the cover for the book is gorgeous.
The only downside of this book for me were some of repeating nouns and/or grammar used in a few places. But, again, I had an ARC, and much of my feedback was already implemented into the final release. That WOULD have been my biggest piece of constructive criticism for the book had it not been addressed.
AToS was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I look forward to Book 2 when it gets released. I hope to obtain an ARC for that, as well.
1. ARC reader
2. I learned from the author that their original version of this book was posted to Goodreads, but even though the book was essentially re-written after the first round of feedback, Goodreads didn’t allow the product page to be reset. So, old reviews from the old book are on this page. My review is for the remade (current) version that has now been published.
I often prioritize other things in my life over reading books now, so it took me awhile before I started reading A Thread of Shadows (AToS): Shadow and Trickster: Book 1. But, once I started, I was able to finish the book in about two weeks. Some of you can read a book in less than 48 hours, but this was a major accomplishment for me since I had to balance it with my other work and hobbies. But, at the end of AToS Book 1, I wanted more. I wanted to continue reading the next part. It was the same feeling I had when I was a kid after finishing Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which is really what got me into reading during that part of my life. The only difference is that when I started reading Harry Potter, there were 2 or 3 other books released, so I could keep reading. AToS only has Book 1 of 3 released, so I’m forced to wait.
AToS was written in a way that made it easy for me to mentally paint the world and scenes in my head; something I am always doing page-for-page in the books I’ve read (this is what makes me a slow reader, because I take my time to visualize the world). Without spoiling anything, I’m pleased that the story was able to incorporate some twists and surprises that I honestly wouldn’t have guessed, and being able to “see” that clearly really boosted my experience.
Character development is well-paced. I like how this book doesn’t have characters develop courage or strength with no viable explanation or reason. For example, some things Aaira does or says are very realistic to what a real person would do or say in the same situation. I love how that aspect of the characters is more grounded and believable. You wouldn’t want to see Goku transform into a Super Saiyan without the grief he experienced from Krillin dying, would you? Aaira’s experiences mold her and make her stronger, and those were my favorite parts to read. Her development is believable, which is important for a reader like me. I keep highlighting Aaira, but the other characters (i.e. Jax, Kerat, etc.) were equally well done; Aaira just happens to be my favorite.
Also, the cover for the book is gorgeous.
The only downside of this book for me were some of repeating nouns and/or grammar used in a few places. But, again, I had an ARC, and much of my feedback was already implemented into the final release. That WOULD have been my biggest piece of constructive criticism for the book had it not been addressed.
AToS was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I look forward to Book 2 when it gets released. I hope to obtain an ARC for that, as well.
July 8, 2022
There are many excellent ideas behind A Thread of Shadows. I loved the fairy tale vibes without it being a direct re-telling. I truly wish I could rate it a bit higher, but unfortunately the book really needed more editing passes/reworks to be enjoyed fully. Additionally, while it is advertised as YA, it is on the younger end of the YA spectrum. Hopefully the author can clean up some issues and then it would be a fun adventure for a younger teen.
Pros: The plot moves quickly and keeps moving. About halfway through the book, the character banter picks up nicely and I snickered at their interactions and antics. Multiple character POVs were nice, especially since the characters were not always together. The plot concept is great! As a whole, the story is cohesive and makes sense.
Cons: There are many grammatical and linguistic errors. One example is using the phrase, "make way for the buffet table," which is incorrect phrasing and the author likely meant, "make my way to the buffet table." The "voice" of the narrator is somewhat inconsistent and sometimes it is labeled but other times not and sometimes switches mid chapter without proper line spacing. The beginning 1/3 really needs more fleshing out to feel complete. Both the plot and the character development came across rushed like I was reading an outline of a story rather than a fully realized story. Many of the character lines were so brief and simple that they seemed more like placeholders than real dialogue.
Disclosure:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to Book Sirens and the publisher for allowing me to review this book early.
Pros: The plot moves quickly and keeps moving. About halfway through the book, the character banter picks up nicely and I snickered at their interactions and antics. Multiple character POVs were nice, especially since the characters were not always together. The plot concept is great! As a whole, the story is cohesive and makes sense.
Cons: There are many grammatical and linguistic errors. One example is using the phrase, "make way for the buffet table," which is incorrect phrasing and the author likely meant, "make my way to the buffet table." The "voice" of the narrator is somewhat inconsistent and sometimes it is labeled but other times not and sometimes switches mid chapter without proper line spacing. The beginning 1/3 really needs more fleshing out to feel complete. Both the plot and the character development came across rushed like I was reading an outline of a story rather than a fully realized story. Many of the character lines were so brief and simple that they seemed more like placeholders than real dialogue.
Disclosure:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to Book Sirens and the publisher for allowing me to review this book early.
July 12, 2022
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I liked this book 😃 It’s about a hardworking seamstress named Aaira who attends a ball celebrating the king’s birthday, only to be poisoned by a powerful sorceress and scorned lover of the king. Aaira falls into a deep sleep, and is banished to an alternate world alongside Prince Kerat.
Once the two arrive in the alternate world, they run into Jax (also a powerful sorcerer), who was ordered by the sorceress to kill Prince Kerat once he arrives. Believing the Prince will be killed by the monsters in the forest, Jax leaves and takes Aaira with him.
I won’t say too much more here to avoid spoilers. The book is told from multiple POVs, which is good because there are many times the characters are split up, or else unable to communicate with each other. I liked most of the characters, although I will say that Jax transitioning from bad guy to good guy was very sudden and too easily believed by the other characters (although Kerat was more suspicious than Aaira was).
The Sorceress was the character I struggled with the most. She had 20 years to plan her revenge, but then chose to send the Prince to an alternate world with a girl he just met? She spends the rest of the book hunting them down, but why didn’t she just kill them in the first world? That part never made much sense. It was a minor plot hole.
I ended up loving the banter between the characters. At one point, one of the characters gets turned into an owl and keeps pooping on the leg of another character. And it’s funny every time 😂
The book sets up the world pretty well. Magic is a thing of the past but is just starting to return, and the characters discover more and more about it as they navigate the world trying to get back home.
No insta-love here (yay!). I believe the story takes place over about a month, so if the romance was very far along it wouldn’t feel genuine. There was a little kissing, but nothing else. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next book has quite a bit more. I also don’t know for sure if this is going to end up being a love triangle kind of thing, but it feels like it could be headed that direction.
I do want to know how this ends, so I’ll definitely read the rest of the series as it comes out.
Overall, I liked this book 😃 It’s about a hardworking seamstress named Aaira who attends a ball celebrating the king’s birthday, only to be poisoned by a powerful sorceress and scorned lover of the king. Aaira falls into a deep sleep, and is banished to an alternate world alongside Prince Kerat.
Once the two arrive in the alternate world, they run into Jax (also a powerful sorcerer), who was ordered by the sorceress to kill Prince Kerat once he arrives. Believing the Prince will be killed by the monsters in the forest, Jax leaves and takes Aaira with him.
I won’t say too much more here to avoid spoilers. The book is told from multiple POVs, which is good because there are many times the characters are split up, or else unable to communicate with each other. I liked most of the characters, although I will say that Jax transitioning from bad guy to good guy was very sudden and too easily believed by the other characters (although Kerat was more suspicious than Aaira was).
The Sorceress was the character I struggled with the most. She had 20 years to plan her revenge, but then chose to send the Prince to an alternate world with a girl he just met? She spends the rest of the book hunting them down, but why didn’t she just kill them in the first world? That part never made much sense. It was a minor plot hole.
I ended up loving the banter between the characters. At one point, one of the characters gets turned into an owl and keeps pooping on the leg of another character. And it’s funny every time 😂
The book sets up the world pretty well. Magic is a thing of the past but is just starting to return, and the characters discover more and more about it as they navigate the world trying to get back home.
No insta-love here (yay!). I believe the story takes place over about a month, so if the romance was very far along it wouldn’t feel genuine. There was a little kissing, but nothing else. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next book has quite a bit more. I also don’t know for sure if this is going to end up being a love triangle kind of thing, but it feels like it could be headed that direction.
I do want to know how this ends, so I’ll definitely read the rest of the series as it comes out.
July 28, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I just finished this book and I absolutely loved it! The story was amazing and I have warm fuzzy feels for several of the characters. No joke I want to give them a hug and a boop on the nose. The ending felt a bit rushed but as this seems to be a series in progress I agree that it was a good stopping point for the next book. I have so many things I want to see happen next and I can't wait to see what else comes from this story!
March 2, 2025
I bought and read this book after meeting the author in real life and then learning they had published a novel. As someone who reads fantasy more than any other genre, I was excited to read the book, and I was not disappointed! However, the book had its flaws.
THE GOOD:
I really liked almost everything about this book. Especially as (I presume) a first published book, I think the author has lots of potential.
First up is the subgenre of portal fiction. I love that. In this case, it's an alternate/mirror world, rather than a completely different world. This allows for some interesting plot points and conflicts and is part of the main conflict of the book.
The thing I think was handled the best was the pacing. Most books have moments where I feel rushed or I feel bored. In this book, I never felt either. The action kept moving but not at a pace that felt too fast. Every scene and setting took what felt like an appropriate amount of time, especially considering the somewhat short total length of the book (compared to most fantasy novels that I'm reading at least). On a similar note, the pacing of information was great. There were no massive dumps of information, and I felt that the reader was given new information at a steady and manageable rate, which I really appreciated.
The characters were fairly simple, but good. They felt real, and they felt consistent, and the three main heroes are distinct. I cared about each of their predicaments and didn't feel like they were making poor decisions just for the sake of plot. They were engaging to follow, which is definitely difficult to write across that many "main" characters! Well done there.
The setting and magic system were both good, although nothing mindblowing. I look forward to learning more about both in future books!
THE NOT SO GOOD:
The main critique I have about this book is that it feels like it could have been so much better if it had been given just one more editing pass. The book is riddled with errors and typos. I didn't find it to be overly distracting, but at some point it was more humorous than it was unfortunate. I really think that this book needed another draft before being published, or should have had a few more test readers to point out possible edits.
Similarly, I think the writing should have had one more draft. Overall it ranges from perfectly fine to quite good, but this makes the poorer-quality moments that much more painful. This is primarily a problem with dialogue. A lot of it feels like placeholder dialogue that should have been replaced with something better. The best way I can describe it is like a poorly-translated anime. It's just some unnatural choices in what characters are saying. Luckily, most of the dialogue is fine, and it was nowhere near bad enough to make me want to stop reading.
I complimented the pacing, but there was one part where things seemed to happen suddenly, or too fast. I'm not going to give advice or anything, but I did feel that a scene transitioning from act 2 to act 3 felt like it came out of nowhere, and introduced characters that ultimately didn't seem to serve a purpose other than some good old deus ex machine. This was the only scene I took issue with.
When it comes to the world, I wanted the alternate world thing to be explored a little more. Since it was an alternate world and not a different world, there weren't too many opportunities for the main characters to be confused about something, so I kind of felt like the alternate world thing didn't add a lot. That said, based on the ending I can tell that there is going to be more interaction between the two worlds, so I'm looking forward to that! I just didn't feel super impacted by this as a reader, since the characters were partially surrounded by familiar landmarks and customs, however we also didn't get to see much of the original world to compare it to. The sense of "the other" just wasn't really there - and maybe it was not meant to be there, which is also fine! Not much of a criticism, just something that came to mind.
I am looking forward to future books, though I also hope that the author creates an updated an edited version of this first entry.
THE GOOD:
I really liked almost everything about this book. Especially as (I presume) a first published book, I think the author has lots of potential.
First up is the subgenre of portal fiction. I love that. In this case, it's an alternate/mirror world, rather than a completely different world. This allows for some interesting plot points and conflicts and is part of the main conflict of the book.
The thing I think was handled the best was the pacing. Most books have moments where I feel rushed or I feel bored. In this book, I never felt either. The action kept moving but not at a pace that felt too fast. Every scene and setting took what felt like an appropriate amount of time, especially considering the somewhat short total length of the book (compared to most fantasy novels that I'm reading at least). On a similar note, the pacing of information was great. There were no massive dumps of information, and I felt that the reader was given new information at a steady and manageable rate, which I really appreciated.
The characters were fairly simple, but good. They felt real, and they felt consistent, and the three main heroes are distinct. I cared about each of their predicaments and didn't feel like they were making poor decisions just for the sake of plot. They were engaging to follow, which is definitely difficult to write across that many "main" characters! Well done there.
The setting and magic system were both good, although nothing mindblowing. I look forward to learning more about both in future books!
THE NOT SO GOOD:
The main critique I have about this book is that it feels like it could have been so much better if it had been given just one more editing pass. The book is riddled with errors and typos. I didn't find it to be overly distracting, but at some point it was more humorous than it was unfortunate. I really think that this book needed another draft before being published, or should have had a few more test readers to point out possible edits.
Similarly, I think the writing should have had one more draft. Overall it ranges from perfectly fine to quite good, but this makes the poorer-quality moments that much more painful. This is primarily a problem with dialogue. A lot of it feels like placeholder dialogue that should have been replaced with something better. The best way I can describe it is like a poorly-translated anime. It's just some unnatural choices in what characters are saying. Luckily, most of the dialogue is fine, and it was nowhere near bad enough to make me want to stop reading.
I complimented the pacing, but there was one part where things seemed to happen suddenly, or too fast. I'm not going to give advice or anything, but I did feel that a scene transitioning from act 2 to act 3 felt like it came out of nowhere, and introduced characters that ultimately didn't seem to serve a purpose other than some good old deus ex machine. This was the only scene I took issue with.
When it comes to the world, I wanted the alternate world thing to be explored a little more. Since it was an alternate world and not a different world, there weren't too many opportunities for the main characters to be confused about something, so I kind of felt like the alternate world thing didn't add a lot. That said, based on the ending I can tell that there is going to be more interaction between the two worlds, so I'm looking forward to that! I just didn't feel super impacted by this as a reader, since the characters were partially surrounded by familiar landmarks and customs, however we also didn't get to see much of the original world to compare it to. The sense of "the other" just wasn't really there - and maybe it was not meant to be there, which is also fine! Not much of a criticism, just something that came to mind.
I am looking forward to future books, though I also hope that the author creates an updated an edited version of this first entry.
Read
July 21, 2022Thanks to BookSirens for an advance copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
tl;dr
A fast-paced fantasy adventure set in a world with a lot of magic. Characters and romance take a bit of a back seat to the plot.
About
Aaira the seamstress wants little more than to do her work and snag a few expensive bites at the royal ball. The fight for Prince Kerat is the last thing on her mind, but when a sorceress out for revenge transports her and the prince to another world, they're going to have to work together to escape.
Thoughts
There is a LOT going on in this book. Alternate realities, revenge, sorcery, elemental magic, family drama, transformed princes, forest spirits, forgotten gods, and a whole lot of history for the titular Trickster who shows up late in the book. The about the author section notes Lord of the Rings, and there's a very similar FotR nature of this book being the "first" in a series that's simply setting up all the pins for what comes next. It's a lot of ground to cover, and the book starts off at a fairly fast pace because of this. Readers don't get much time to know the two leads before leaping into the story, and I wouldn't have minded more character development before the jump. The Trickster character is the most developed, and by the time we get to the end of the book, it feels like this is probably his story more than anyone else's. World building is vast, but not detailed, and I'm definitely interested to see how magic in the two realities contrast against each other. There are also hints of a slow-burn romance with maybe a triangle, but the relationship stuff is not the main focus of this book. Overall, this book feels written largely for younger teens who prefer fast-paced plot-driven fantasy in an expansive world.
tl;dr
A fast-paced fantasy adventure set in a world with a lot of magic. Characters and romance take a bit of a back seat to the plot.
About
Aaira the seamstress wants little more than to do her work and snag a few expensive bites at the royal ball. The fight for Prince Kerat is the last thing on her mind, but when a sorceress out for revenge transports her and the prince to another world, they're going to have to work together to escape.
Thoughts
There is a LOT going on in this book. Alternate realities, revenge, sorcery, elemental magic, family drama, transformed princes, forest spirits, forgotten gods, and a whole lot of history for the titular Trickster who shows up late in the book. The about the author section notes Lord of the Rings, and there's a very similar FotR nature of this book being the "first" in a series that's simply setting up all the pins for what comes next. It's a lot of ground to cover, and the book starts off at a fairly fast pace because of this. Readers don't get much time to know the two leads before leaping into the story, and I wouldn't have minded more character development before the jump. The Trickster character is the most developed, and by the time we get to the end of the book, it feels like this is probably his story more than anyone else's. World building is vast, but not detailed, and I'm definitely interested to see how magic in the two realities contrast against each other. There are also hints of a slow-burn romance with maybe a triangle, but the relationship stuff is not the main focus of this book. Overall, this book feels written largely for younger teens who prefer fast-paced plot-driven fantasy in an expansive world.
May 3, 2024
A thread of shadows is the first book of an ongoing trilogy about ancient gods, curses, lost magic, a love triangle and much more. We have our three protagonists which we meet under the multi POVs chapter, Aaira, Kerat and Jax. Prince Kerat and Aaira, a simple seamstress, find themselves trapped in a parallel universe from theirs, as they are caught in the middle of a vendetta of a powerful sorcerer. They will have to find a way to get back home, through lies, betrayals, twists and discoveries…
I found the book very interesting and enjoyable to read, middle paced. Between the bad dad jokes and banter from Kerat to a more cynic approach from Jax, I found this book a cozy high fantasy, with a solid base of dialogue, setting and engaging characters. The love triangle caused some angst, especially towards the end, not going to lie… but I suppose it’s a good set up for the following book, which I cannot wait to read! (I am deeply rooting for Kerat, and if Aaira won’t take him, I will gladly take him— he is so precious please.) 😭
Definitely worth the read if you like magical settings, with plot twists, betrayals, love triangles, gods and a book that feels right out of a fairytale!!
(Many thanks to the lovely author for the ARC, cannot wait for book 2!)
I found the book very interesting and enjoyable to read, middle paced. Between the bad dad jokes and banter from Kerat to a more cynic approach from Jax, I found this book a cozy high fantasy, with a solid base of dialogue, setting and engaging characters. The love triangle caused some angst, especially towards the end, not going to lie… but I suppose it’s a good set up for the following book, which I cannot wait to read! (I am deeply rooting for Kerat, and if Aaira won’t take him, I will gladly take him— he is so precious please.) 😭
Definitely worth the read if you like magical settings, with plot twists, betrayals, love triangles, gods and a book that feels right out of a fairytale!!
(Many thanks to the lovely author for the ARC, cannot wait for book 2!)
May 21, 2024
Kerat is a prince of Logithia and his life is full of joy but one day sorcerer, who wanted a revenge on his father, cursed prince and sent him to another (parallel) world and not alone but with a girl Kerat met just a few hours ago. The other problem that this girl - Aaira - is under sleeping curse and Kerat needs to carry her with him hoping to find someone who can help and break the curse as well as help them to return home. He started learning something about this world and there is nothing but war, blood and dwellers, mystical creatures in the woods. As Kerat continue moving and investigating the new world, he meets a lot of different people but you never know who is standing in front of you and if this person has any hidden intentions… Parallel worlds, forbidden magic and mysterious creatures - this all you can find in this book. It is also important to mention that it is YA fantasy as of now (only kissing was mentioned a few times).
Interesting story, not similar to other books I have read before, I really enjoyed reading it and I gave it 4 stars. Can’t wait for the second book to learn more about Aaira and her adventures 💙
Interesting story, not similar to other books I have read before, I really enjoyed reading it and I gave it 4 stars. Can’t wait for the second book to learn more about Aaira and her adventures 💙
August 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! The main character, Aaira, is a strong female lead, brave but also has a sense of humor. The characters she meets along the way have a variety of personalities, weaving together a sense of harmony, which allows for many opportunities for fun banter. I like that we get multiple perspectives and that it is in third person. I feel like we get to know the characters on a more intimate level this way.
As someone who appreciates a slow-burn romance, I felt the author captured it just right. It reminds me of authors like Sharon Shinn, who don't dive right into the romance but develop it throughout the story. The romance stays true to YA, which is nice for readers who like romance but may not care for spicy scenes.
And as someone who also appreciates mysterious figures in a mask that hides most of their face, the character on the main cover does not disappoint ;)
I am eager to dive back into this world and see what happens in book 2!
As someone who appreciates a slow-burn romance, I felt the author captured it just right. It reminds me of authors like Sharon Shinn, who don't dive right into the romance but develop it throughout the story. The romance stays true to YA, which is nice for readers who like romance but may not care for spicy scenes.
And as someone who also appreciates mysterious figures in a mask that hides most of their face, the character on the main cover does not disappoint ;)
I am eager to dive back into this world and see what happens in book 2!
July 16, 2022
I wanted to like this book a lot. It was hard to go through because the writing wasn’t as strong as I’m used to. But that comes with time. I see where the story was trying to go and the action started immediately. We weren’t left with waiting for something significant until the end of the book. But there was no world building and the speech/way of speaking didn’t seem to fit in with the time period in which the story takes place.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 7, 2022
2.5 I had a hard time with this book. I wanted to love it but the writing just wasn't strong enough for me to enjoy it.
July 12, 2024
The premise was good and it started off good. It got so boring though and I struggled to find a reason to finish. DNF at 30%
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews