A Shadow so Queenly and Defiant

Counterpart Academy #4

by Sam Blood

In the final showdown between mother and daughter, only one will emerge victorious.

After the devastating loss of Jupiter and my crushing defeat at my mother’s hands, our revolution lies in ruins. I return to the familiar halls of Counterpart Academy, seeking solace and the strength to rebuild and lead our army. But Sephy wants nothing to do with me, and Aberdeen and March have vanished without a trace on a dangerous mission. We’re isolated, divided, and even our beloved academy is more vulnerable than ever.

As I struggle with my fears and the shattered remnants of my once-unshakable resolve, an unexpected figure from my past reappears, changing everything. Meanwhile, my mother prepares to make her final move, leading us to an inevitable battle that will reshape the Praetory. Only one can wear the crown.

Can I rise to the challenge, or will I be forced to watch our world burn?

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2026

About the author

Sam Blood lives in Auckland, New Zealand, where he spends his days writing urban fantasy, eating, and trying to impress his spectacular Sri Lankan lawyer wife with plot twists. He started writing the first book about magical creatures called Shadows when he was nine years old, and frankly, things have spiralled out of control ever since. If you enjoyed his books, he’d really appreciate a quick rating or review—reviews help indie authors get seen! www.sambloodauthor.com www.instagram.com/sambloodauthor www.facebook.com/sambloodauthor


Dive into the Shadows universe with my other books:

Counterpart Academy: (Young Adult, Urban Fantasy)

A Warrior So Clever and Cursed (Prequel)
A School so Gorgeous and Fatal
A Princess so Noble and Vengeful

The Shadows Series: (Young Adult, Portal Fantasy)

Shadows
Raven
Cameron
Majestic
Eclipse
Winghold



Reviews

[Alisha]

I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY!!

This whole series is beyond words, it's absolutely amazing and book 4 is no exception. This was such an emotional rollercoaster and seeing the love and betrayals that happen within!!

I cannot think of a better way for the series to end (well maybe one way...) and I was in tears towards the end of this!

I really enjoyed meeting Alexandra 'Scarecrow' Crowley and seeing her story progress from book 1 to the end in book 4, her friendships, her family, her love, everything. It was a beautifully written story and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole series!

[Shelley]

ARC received from Sam Blood in exchange from honest review.

⚡Blurb⚡
After the devastating loss of Jupiter and my crushing defeat at my mother’s hands, our revolution lies in ruins. I return to the familiar halls of Counterpart Academy, seeking solace and the strength to rebuild and lead our army. But Sephy wants nothing to do with me, and Aberdeen and March have vanished without a trace on a dangerous mission. We’re isolated, divided, and even our beloved academy is more vulnerable than ever.

As I struggle with my fears and the shattered remnants of my once-unshakable resolve, an unexpected figure from my past reappears, changing everything. Meanwhile, my mother prepares to make her final move, leading us to an inevitable battle that will reshape the Praetory. Only one can wear the crown.

Can I rise to the challenge, or will I be forced to watch our world burn?

⚡ Review⚡

I had enjoyed this series thoroughly, with it's twists, turns, big victories and horrific losses, with dreadful consequences. Was I prepared for more of the same in this novel? I was. Did it deliver?

It absolutely did. This book will completely gut punch you, repeatedly and unapologetically. Sam Blood is not afraid to wield the "end character life" button, and is certainly not afraid to repeatedly jab the "emotional destruction of Crowley" key. Crowley has returned to the Academy following the death of Jupiter, having sent Aberdeen on a mission to rescue her brother, Harper. Her first priority is to mend the bond between her and Sephy, followed by a regrouping and rebuilding of Shadows Eve, ready to take on her mother and the Praetory.

The destruction of the bond between Crowley and Sephy in the third book of this series meant that there was a lot to be repaired, and I was pleased that this was not an easy or instant fix, as that would have been a disservice to Sephy, who had been so deeply hurt by Crowley's actions. Sephy wants very little to do with Crowley at the start of the novel, and rightly so, but as the story progresses you see thawing, and as they face crisis after crisis, the bond begins to repair.

[Michelle]

What a great book to end the series with. I spent most of this book blinking back tears, partly because the story was ending, partly because of all the sorrow that kept piling on amid the sparks of joy. Great banter, as always, lots of great twists and turns. Deceptions and betrayals. Love in the strangest places. Friendships burned but also cemented in others. The last quarter of the book had me crying so hard and so often, I could barely read the words. I loved it!

[Debbie Eyre]

This has been one hell of a ride from the very start. You may have had betrayals, crushing losses and defeat but there has also been some victories, great camaraderie and twists and turns to keep you spinning. As we head towards the epic finale, you find yourself drawn back into this incredible world and hanging onto the edge of your seat. There’s tears, there’s laughter and there’s love as the author does a fantastic job of pulling everything together and giving us a worthy ending!

[That Queer Neurospicy Artist]

I didn't want this book to end, because it meant the end of the series and saying goodbye to characters that I fell in love with.
Twisting, turning, emotional and a great ending to the series.