Shattered Into Oblivion

by Madeline Butler

Cas
Assassin. Ruthless. Phantom.

Cassandra Grey is no stranger to death. As an elite assassin for Legion, a clandestine organization, she has honed her skills for years. When her latest target, responsible for killing a Legion agent, utters a single clue with her final breath—Williams. Cas’ new mission is clear: Find Samuel Williams and eliminate him. First, she had to track him.

Charlie
Captain. Protector. Haunted.


Charlie Warren is driven by vengeance and grief after Legion claimed the life of his girlfriend two years ago. Now he leads an opposing group—the Way Station, dedicated to destroying Legion. Every mission brings him closer to stopping them, but no amount of training could prepare him for what lies ahead.

When Cas and Charlie’s paths intertwine, they are forced to rely on each other, blurring the lines between ally and enemy. Can they trust each other long enough to uncover the truth from the past where the real enemy might be closer than they realize, or will they be Shattered Into Oblivion?

310 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2024

Reviews

[Ellie Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. What a debut novel!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was soooo intrigued going into this book!! I got slightly confused reading the first few chapters but it all started to fall into place & make more sense for me so when it hit the middle of the book, my jaw dropped!! How did I not see this coming?! I feel like if I was to read it again… it would make so much more sense but that didn’t stop me loving this book.

The author has said there is easter egg’s in there!!

I love the characters!! The story/twists/plot was EVERYTHING. I have never read a book like this before & it was actually giving Dystopia vibes & that is my favourite!!


💜Dual Pov
🖤Assassins
💜Spies
🖤Underground Society
💜Grumpy/Sunshine
🖤Major twits & unexpected moments
💜Masquerade ball

I am SO excited for the next book! It ended just the way I knew it would.. and there is so much more to be told now!

This was addicting & you’ll be silly not to read it!!🤭

I need & want more NOW!!!😂😂

Oh and, REACH OUT TO THIS AUTHOR. SHE IS AMAZING & SO KIND. I love talking to her on tiktok & she makes me smile every dam day!!! Indie authors for the win!!!🫶🏽💜🫶🏽💜🫶🏽💜

[Destiny Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
For this being the authors DEBUT novel… so impressive.
I thought the storyline/plot was super creative & unique. The plot twists gave SO much to the storyline & kept me so intrigued.
I loved the enemies to lovers that we got & getting the duel POV. I loved the banter between the two main characters & the backstory…🤯
This was my first book in this genre so it was an adjustment but I had a great time & the ending makes me SO excited bc WHAT????? need it now

[Aislin Spurgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked up Shattered into Oblivion, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I had heard it was loosely based on Anastasia, one of my all-time favorite movies, and that it had something to do with assassins—quite the intriguing premise! Right off the bat, any expectations I had were blown out of the water. The first chapter is masterfully done, pulling the reader straight into the action. I honestly hated when I had to put this book down because I just wanted to keep reading!

I really enjoyed the two POVs of the main characters. Getting to know Cas and the serious exterior she portrayed at work was a nice contrast to the softer moments we got to experience in her friendship outside of work. Her bond with Rory was one of the highlights of the book for me.

Captain. Charlie. Warren. Where do I even begin? Madeline Butler has done a fantastic job writing a male lead who is swoon-worthy and then some. We see Captain Warren’s hope shine through his grief, his hesitancy wrestle with his thoughtfulness, and his understanding outweigh his pain. He’s such a multifaceted character, and I’m so excited to learn even more about him in the next book!

Going in fairly blind, I had no clue what the setting of this book would look like. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it’s set in modern times and heavily involves the CIA, along with high-tech gadgets far beyond the scope of the average person. You can tell Madeline Butler put in the time to research both the inner workings of the CIA and the technological aspects. Despite the book’s modern touches, I was delighted by how timeless it feels. There are no true pop culture references (aside from the made-up TV show Polterguyz), which allows this book to stand the test of time for years to come.
I have to dedicate a moment of this review to the gorgeous design of the book. The cover is beautiful, with little nods to the contents inside that I didn’t initially understand. The chapter headers and page breaks are uniquely intricate, and the inserted graphics that appear throughout added so much to my overall visualization while reading. Madeline’s intentionality is evident on each and every page.

As someone who also scours IMDb while watching a movie and needs to know the name and background of every actor, I adored Madeline’s choice to put her book acknowledgements at the beginning. Acknowledgements are a part of a book that often gets overlooked once the story has been finished, and I think this choice shows Madeline’s character and selflessness as both an author and a person. It’s such a small move with a big impact, and I hope other readers of Shattered into Oblivion take the time to not only enjoy the incredible story, but also appreciate the people who played a role behind the scenes.

Overall, this book was an incredibly fun, engaging read with an ending I’ll be thinking about until I can get book two in my hands. I’d recommend Shattered into Oblivion to anyone who loves unique hooks, crime drama/spy thrillers, and stories that balance emotional depth with heart-pounding suspense.

Bravo, Madeline Butler! Congrats on an impressive debut!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5 stars (rounded up). I am still in awe at how this book had me hooked and invested so quickly. The most unique second chance romance with twists and turns that will have your jaw on the floor. I truly did not see the story turning out as it did and I am dying for the second book to come out!! Amazing work by Madeline Butler and would be a perfect fall read!

[Madeline Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book so I thought it would be fun to write the first review.

💃🏽🕺 Dual POV
🗡️ Assassins
🕵🏻‍♂️ Spies
🤫 Underground Secret Society
🌤️Grumpy/Sunshine
👻 Ghosts
🪩Masquerade Ball

I loved this book. I had a wonderful time reading and writing it. It took me eight years of planning, writing, and rewriting it. It is a lot of fun with big plot twists that will have your jaw on the floor.

I hope you love Cas and Charlie's story as much as I do!

Xoxo Madeline

[Hannah Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOAH. (spoiler free!)

This is her debut novel?! I really enjoyed this book. Incredible attention to detail, fast paced, and excitable. The paperback book has black chapter pages, a map, a playlist, and dual POV of Cas & Charlie’s stories. I read this book in 2 days and did a fun lil buddy read with 3 other girlies - it was so fun to read with friends and come up with theories throughout the story!

Shattered into Oblivion ends on a great cliff hanger, I am eager for the continuation of these characters and the mystery.

I felt like a little detective reading this book and trying to piece together the two POV, stories, backgrounds, and little hidden clues throughout the book!

This book leaves me excited for more. These characters are so easy to grow attached to as well. Madeline Butler, give us book 2 already! 😜 (and maybe some novellas!? I want details on these side characters!)

[Kiffani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting for years!

I’ve been waiting for years for this book to come out! Such a fun and exciting story full of twists and turns! I hope I don’t have to wait as long for book 2 to come out!

[Addison Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I NEED BOOK TWO!! I absolutely loved this book, the story, and the characters!! This book kept me hooked throughout the story, and had me trying to piece together all the little clues!! I am so in love with Cas & Charlie both! The pace of the book was perfect for me, and I cannot wait to read the second book!! Bravo!!!!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeline Butler is the only thriller author ever

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madeline idk what you did to do this book but I was HOOKED! This is a great book especially that this is her first debut novel as Madeline has a way grabbing your attention off the bat from the first chapter! It was already filled with action and it was a page turner from there and on out! It really sets the scene from the beginning and I love when authors do this because it has you craving for more!

This story does give me vibes of a dystopian world especially this is set in an underground society with assassins and spies 🕵🏻‍♀️ You have Cas who is your FMC that is part of the Legion Agent that is an assassin. I loved her character a lot and getting to know her back story. You also got Dual POVs, a grumpy FMC x Sunshine MMC, enemies to lovers, and this story is also a retelling of Anastasia which I thought was really cool and done in a unique way.

So many twists that it had me screaming yall! Especially chapter 24 😩 after this point I knew I needed book 2! And it ends with a cliffhanger btw but it was good because it sets you up for book 2. I would honestly go into this book blind and thank me later because I was just impressed throughout the whole story especially getting to know each character. You grow to love them ✨

I will say this book gave me vibes of John Wick or even The Bourne Identity but obvi not the same story line as this is set in modern times with a different technology background.

I look forward to book 2 as I absolutely need it now we ended on that cliffhanger and I’m going to need to get myself a physical copy of the first book to add to my collection because this was just a fun fast read! 🫶🏼🩷

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! From the moment I started reading this book it had me hooked!

This was so different than anything I have ever read before and I think that is why I liked it so much and what made it so easy to get into! It was such a breath of fresh air.

These are the books us reviewers should be talking about more!

I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves to be kept on the edge of their seat while reading, anyone who loves romance and lovers to enemies and then enemies to lovers! ❤️


I also always go for the darker features in my book bf’s but Charlie is blonde?! And has definitely made his way onto the list!

I also can’t say enough nice things about the author! She is so sweet and down to earth and personable! I highly recommend checking her out on tiktok!


Thank you Madeline for this AMAZING book! ☺️

[Mandy_lovestoread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t believe this is a debut novel

I adored everything about this book, it was easy to read and had and plots and twists that I didn’t seen coming. The story itself is unique and a real page turner. I was invested within a few chapters. A great book if you like a FMC assassin, spies and an underground society. Book 2 cannot come quite enough

[ArielsBookCorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sooo good for a debut novel! The premise and storyline was really interesting with some unique twists and things I did not expect!! I loved the spy aspect of it I’ve never read anything like that before so that was super fun! I loved the main characters and their relationship.

[Natalie Billman · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!! So many twists and turns in there I didn’t see coming!! Madeline left me shocked and speechless at a few parts! A wonderful debut novel that has me excited to see what is going to happen next!

[Farheen King · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fab start to November with a solid 4.5⭐️ read.

[Shelby Francis Billman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the characters and story immediately and I am already impatiently waiting for book 2!

[Courtney Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down! Ended on the perfect cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more. I can’t wait to see how Cas and Charlie’s story develops in the next book!

[Makaila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really had no idea what to expect when starting this book but immediately i fell in love with the premise and the characters.

The dual POV, the assassins, the masquerade ball, the banter, the loose retelling of Anastasia. So good.

The version on KU that I read did have some editing errors, but I was able to look past those. It’s so minor to me. The story itself was insane and I can’t stop thinking about it - I’m not sure I’ve read a book like this before and it was VERY well done and intriguing. I’m really looking forward to book 2!!!!

[Kelly Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great story. You have an assassin working for one company and a person working to save people from the assassin. There are secrets that need to be shared so the truth can be learned and people can be saved, but will they be shared in time? 4.5 out of five stars. I cannot wait for the sequel. I have continued to think about these characters days after finishing the story.

[Natalie Benson harward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun easy read! You get to hear the perspective between the two main characters. Slightly gory. Has some good intense moments in it. Had my mind swirling about theory after theory that could be going on in the book.

You follow the life of Cas an undercover agent for Legion, and the life of Charlie who watched his girlfriend die. These two characters meet up and all hell breaks loose for Cas.

[Beth Lucking · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the plot, the storyline, but on near every single page there's some form of grammar error. littered with misspellings, additional words, missing words, incorrect words. Theres even a paragraph where a room is described one way, then immediately described in a confusing and contrasting way, like the author couldn't decide on a description but forgot to edit before publishing.
It's such an absolute shame because the story is great but the grammar mistakes kept pulling me out of it, causing me to lose focus. For that reason it was a hard read and took me longer to get through than other books of the same size

[AbbieReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book 🤭👏🏽

Every time I put it down, all I would want to do was pick it back up again 🥰 I tried to read it slow to enjoy it but I want the answers to my questions and theories!!🤪

This was a fun, fast paced read, that makes you laugh and gives you action and adventure! I felt like I was watching a movie while reading this book!

This book will leave you on a cliffhanger! I can’t wait till the next installment!!

✨Loose Anastasia Retelling
✨Underground Secret Society
✨FMC Grumpy/ MMC Sunshine
✨Assassins
✨Dual POV

[Maddie Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, the plot idea was good—reminded me of the Avenger’s Black Widow movie. But the execution was not the best. There’s two secret societies, but you don’t really know/care why the bad one exists. Also, this author needs to invest in a good editor. There’s at least one grammatical mistake, missing words, wrong spelling, repeat lines, etc, on every. Single. Page. It pulled me out of the story so much I almost dnf’d multiple times.

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The concept of the story isn't bad, but the execution was not the greatest (to say the least). Constant repetitions, grammar and spelling mistakes, the FMC feels flat and cartoonish. It's clear to me that this book didn't go through proper editing. No self respecting editor would allow this to be published. Also the prose is just absent. I DNFd this book at 9%. Probably a record for me. I usually give a book a 20% chance, but I just couldn't go on reading it.

[Maddie Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️Omg talk about heart-pounding, nail biter, had me on the edge of my seat! I instantly fell in love with these characters & the plot has me HOOKED. I need book 2 immediately! Thank you to Madeline for gifting a copy of this stunner.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!
I loved everything about this book but especially how there's one scene that you see from both of the character's perspectives and how differently they both saw it which really helps you understand how they think.

[Morgan Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mission Impossible meets Anastasia. Such a fun debut. I absolutely adored the characters, and I can’t wait for book two! Madeline’s writing style will keep you laughing at the characters’ antics, as well as sitting on the edge of your seat!

[kassidy.raelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had it all!!! Action packed with moments of levity. I used to low shows like NCIS and Law and order - they give me anxiety now. But this book hit all the same beats without triggering a panic attack!!! The mystery was perfectly compelling!!

[Ashlyn Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick, entertaining read! The plot is so interesting & the twists were so fun & kept me guessing! Ended on a cliffhanger that just begs you for more. A great debut novel!

[Emilie Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story line of this book was so so fun! Lots of twist and turns🤭 Charlie is such a sweetie and cas is such a STRONG fmc. Loved it and can’t wait to get more!!