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Shadow War Academy #2
Shadow Fated
Death was just the beginning… now it might be the beginning of my end.
Answers finally brought into the light have revealed who switched my body.
Or should I say… switched it back. Apparently, it was mine all along.
And now I’m finally free of the Shadow Academy. But instead of gaining my freedom, I’ve ended up in enemy territory with the Winged Shadows.
Hiding my true identity, I blend in as another student and try to figure out my role in this new reality.
Unlike my four Shadow mates that followed me here and seem to enjoy causing havoc and playing games.
But everything is not what it seems. And as the dark slowly closes in around us, time begins to run out…
Turns out Commander Levington plans to destroy the Hollow once and for all. And if he’s successful, we would never have to worry about the dark creatures or terrigons ever again.
I just have to pass his little tests to get onto the team going.
That’s if my four possessive mates, who hate the idea of me being hurt, don’t block my chances.
But I also have to reveal my secret to them. A secret that could make us stronger…
Or maybe just break us once and for all.
Answers finally brought into the light have revealed who switched my body.
Or should I say… switched it back. Apparently, it was mine all along.
And now I’m finally free of the Shadow Academy. But instead of gaining my freedom, I’ve ended up in enemy territory with the Winged Shadows.
Hiding my true identity, I blend in as another student and try to figure out my role in this new reality.
Unlike my four Shadow mates that followed me here and seem to enjoy causing havoc and playing games.
But everything is not what it seems. And as the dark slowly closes in around us, time begins to run out…
Turns out Commander Levington plans to destroy the Hollow once and for all. And if he’s successful, we would never have to worry about the dark creatures or terrigons ever again.
I just have to pass his little tests to get onto the team going.
That’s if my four possessive mates, who hate the idea of me being hurt, don’t block my chances.
But I also have to reveal my secret to them. A secret that could make us stronger…
Or maybe just break us once and for all.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2026
681 people are currently reading
835 people want to read
About the author
Rumer Hale
7 books524 followersRumer Hale is a paranormal and fantasy romance author that loves writing about worlds filled with magic and strong heroines and their love interests. Love will always be at the heart of her stories but adventure is a big part too. So each story will give you a different experience.
She lives in Ireland with her daughter and family. She’s both a morning and nighttime person so her favourite time to write is either early mornings or late at night when everyone is asleep.
When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she’s getting lost in a good book or binging a series or movies.
You can connect with her on TikTok and Instagram @rumerhaleauthor.
She lives in Ireland with her daughter and family. She’s both a morning and nighttime person so her favourite time to write is either early mornings or late at night when everyone is asleep.
When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she’s getting lost in a good book or binging a series or movies.
You can connect with her on TikTok and Instagram @rumerhaleauthor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
January 31, 2026
first 50% was annoyingly rife with the dreaded miscommunication trope... but the second half was so much more fun! they finally communicated 🎉 and now all cards are laid on the table and everyone (including me) is happy. awful cliffhanger again, but i'm ignoring it for the foreseeable future! all in all, it ended up being decent fun.
February 3, 2026
First half of the book -> miscommunication trope GALORE
Second half of the book -> There's a creepy commander dude that's doing his best to separate us, but are we gonna do anything about it? Naaaahh that's just a problem for another day.
World building? None
Character development? The FMC just gets amazing and unbeatable at everything at the exact right moment.
Relationship building? None.
Plot? Potential, but the writing doesn't allow it to prosper.
Smut? Bad
Second half of the book -> There's a creepy commander dude that's doing his best to separate us, but are we gonna do anything about it? Naaaahh that's just a problem for another day.
World building? None
Character development? The FMC just gets amazing and unbeatable at everything at the exact right moment.
Relationship building? None.
Plot? Potential, but the writing doesn't allow it to prosper.
Smut? Bad
February 6, 2026
oh….. what happened??? i almost dnf’ed this. if the conflict that goes on for 50% of the book is resolved by a simple conversation (or more like a sentence) then it’s not even worth it lmfao. i’m not interested in anything anymore the plot has gone downhill and the love interests have gone stale. i actually enjoyed the first book btw i’m well aware i’m reading slop but how did this become wattpad level slop where is her editor….. i don’t even care about that cliffhanger. nvm.
January 31, 2026
I want more??? The only complaint I have is that the characters should be like early to mid 20s not 19 and THE BOOK SHOULD HAVE BEEN LONGER CUZ NEED MORE AND THAT ENDING DIABOLICAL OH MY GOD
February 4, 2026
I enjoyed this book but imo there was too much miscommunication, not enough character development and world building.
February 6, 2026
Honest review (miscommunication trope — communication is a myth apparently)
I waited for this book like it was going to change my personality, fix my sleep schedule, and emotionally destroy me in the best way possible. A full month of anticipation — which, for someone with zero patience, deserves a medal. The second it released, I jumped in ready for magic, chaos, and that addictive “just one more chapter” feeling.
Instead, I got front-row seats to the Miscommunication Circus.
By page 120 we are STILL watching characters avoid basic conversations like they’re allergic to honesty. And I mean… if someone had just LISTENED for five minutes, we could have saved at least 100 pages of dramatic confusion. Five. Minutes. That’s less time than it takes to make coffee.
Also — can we talk about the FMC? Where is the strong, capable woman from book one? Who replaced her with this watered-down, permanently confused version? It felt like watching a powerful character slowly turn into a background extra, and honestly I felt personally betrayed.
Meanwhile, the world is apparently collapsing, stakes are supposedly high, danger everywhere… but yes, let’s focus on prank week at college. Because nothing says “urgent fantasy plot” like chaotic campus jokes while the universe burns.
And the MMC's? Flat. Emotionally two-dimensional. The vibes were there but the depth never showed up.
But the FINAL BOSS that made me close the book? The endless miscommunication trope. Not cute. Not clever. Just frustrating enough that it started feeling like filler designed to stretch the page count rather than move the story forward.
Such big expectations. Such dramatic disappointment. I officially DNF’d because reading should not feel like arguing with fictional people who refuse to use their words.
Maybe it improves later — but honestly, I ran out of emotional energy before the characters ran out of misunderstandings.
One star for commitment to chaos. Zero stars for communication skills.
I waited for this book like it was going to change my personality, fix my sleep schedule, and emotionally destroy me in the best way possible. A full month of anticipation — which, for someone with zero patience, deserves a medal. The second it released, I jumped in ready for magic, chaos, and that addictive “just one more chapter” feeling.
Instead, I got front-row seats to the Miscommunication Circus.
By page 120 we are STILL watching characters avoid basic conversations like they’re allergic to honesty. And I mean… if someone had just LISTENED for five minutes, we could have saved at least 100 pages of dramatic confusion. Five. Minutes. That’s less time than it takes to make coffee.
Also — can we talk about the FMC? Where is the strong, capable woman from book one? Who replaced her with this watered-down, permanently confused version? It felt like watching a powerful character slowly turn into a background extra, and honestly I felt personally betrayed.
Meanwhile, the world is apparently collapsing, stakes are supposedly high, danger everywhere… but yes, let’s focus on prank week at college. Because nothing says “urgent fantasy plot” like chaotic campus jokes while the universe burns.
And the MMC's? Flat. Emotionally two-dimensional. The vibes were there but the depth never showed up.
But the FINAL BOSS that made me close the book? The endless miscommunication trope. Not cute. Not clever. Just frustrating enough that it started feeling like filler designed to stretch the page count rather than move the story forward.
Such big expectations. Such dramatic disappointment. I officially DNF’d because reading should not feel like arguing with fictional people who refuse to use their words.
Maybe it improves later — but honestly, I ran out of emotional energy before the characters ran out of misunderstandings.
One star for commitment to chaos. Zero stars for communication skills.
February 21, 2026
I think I'm going to DNF. It really blows because I really enjoyed book one, but this is just lazy miscommunication to keep the tension. It's been nearly a month and I'm only 50% of the way through. I can only get about a chapter further along every time I open the book. This could have been such a great story, but it missed the mark. At the same time, I feel like nothing has happened for the first like 45% of the book. The grammatical issues are pretty awful, too. I don't usually mind too much, but words are missing and it sounds super weird using text to speech.
I may change my opinion as I try to work through this, but I have so many other books I need to read that it doesn't seem worth hanging on despite how badly I wanted this to work out.
I may change my opinion as I try to work through this, but I have so many other books I need to read that it doesn't seem worth hanging on despite how badly I wanted this to work out.
January 30, 2026
I’m hooked
I read this as soon as it was live and finished it just as quickly. And omg was it a ride and I wanted to shake Sena so badly at some parts. And that cliffhanger? Now I wish I didn’t read this so damn fast 😭
This was so good and I can’t wait to see how this wraps up. But I’m also scared at the same time
I read this as soon as it was live and finished it just as quickly. And omg was it a ride and I wanted to shake Sena so badly at some parts. And that cliffhanger? Now I wish I didn’t read this so damn fast 😭
This was so good and I can’t wait to see how this wraps up. But I’m also scared at the same time
January 31, 2026
3.5 ✨ overall I loved the storyline and the main characters but omg the miscommunication was killing me! Like just talk to each other 🤣 I enjoyed the second half of the book so much more and the ending was so good but the start dragged a little for me!
March 20, 2026
I struggled with this book because the miscommunication trope was front and center for the first 50%. I still enjoyed myself but I would have preferred a bit more emotional depth and character development.
March 24, 2026
What happened?? Don’t get me wrong, the first book wasn’t going to win any awards, but it still had some good aspects. This one was sooo bad!
1 - there were so many typos/spelling errors (to the point that I had to read a sentence twice to try and figure out what it was saying.
2 - it’s so random, especially the first half of the book… they go to this new academy and instantly they are thrown into this prank war, then the guys are shitted on, then there’s some training montages so they can go destroy this random thing that isn’t well explained.
3 - Why. The. Hell. Do. You. Need. 50. Pages. Of. Miscommunication? My Lord it was painful. Mind you, I hate the miscommunication trope in general (it’s just poor storytelling in my opinion), but when you have characters holding back simple clarifying information for absolutely no fucking reason, it is infuriating. And what’s worse, it didn’t move the plot forward at all. It was just a way to make the guys have to grovel. But again, since it was out of their control, it didn’t feel like they had anything to gravel for.
4 - can these characters work for anything? Besides the flying practice, every “challenge” the MFC faced was instantly solved. And usually by some magic force that just happened to make itself known in that moment.
“My Alita side rises to the surface, deciding it wants to come out to play, and I soon move with the skill of an assassin and slash a path through the rest of them and their shadows, knocking them out before turning to Arabella.”
I stopped caring whenever she was betrayed or had to do a test, because I knew she would magically skate through it.
5 - None of these characters act normally. For example, the MFC spends the entire book training to go on this mission because the commander told her that she needs to destroy the Hallow in order to save the world (essentially). They find out that that same commander has been messing with them and their bond and decide to wait until AFTER they return from said mission in order to confront him.
I’m sorry, but if I find out that the person who told me about this dangerous mission was actively sabotaging me and my team leading up to it, I would seriously question that mission. They are literally going on the word of someone they cannot trust. It could be a trap at the very least…
6 - if I have to read, “what the _____ are you??” one more time… I think every character said it at least once to various members of the main group. 🙄
It’s just so stupid and it was painful to read. This definitely needed more thought behind it. Maybe the author was just trying to push it out the door… but this was baaaad.
1 - there were so many typos/spelling errors (to the point that I had to read a sentence twice to try and figure out what it was saying.
2 - it’s so random, especially the first half of the book… they go to this new academy and instantly they are thrown into this prank war, then the guys are shitted on, then there’s some training montages so they can go destroy this random thing that isn’t well explained.
3 - Why. The. Hell. Do. You. Need. 50. Pages. Of. Miscommunication? My Lord it was painful. Mind you, I hate the miscommunication trope in general (it’s just poor storytelling in my opinion), but when you have characters holding back simple clarifying information for absolutely no fucking reason, it is infuriating. And what’s worse, it didn’t move the plot forward at all. It was just a way to make the guys have to grovel. But again, since it was out of their control, it didn’t feel like they had anything to gravel for.
4 - can these characters work for anything? Besides the flying practice, every “challenge” the MFC faced was instantly solved. And usually by some magic force that just happened to make itself known in that moment.
“My Alita side rises to the surface, deciding it wants to come out to play, and I soon move with the skill of an assassin and slash a path through the rest of them and their shadows, knocking them out before turning to Arabella.”
I stopped caring whenever she was betrayed or had to do a test, because I knew she would magically skate through it.
5 - None of these characters act normally. For example, the MFC spends the entire book training to go on this mission because the commander told her that she needs to destroy the Hallow in order to save the world (essentially). They find out that that same commander has been messing with them and their bond and decide to wait until AFTER they return from said mission in order to confront him.
I’m sorry, but if I find out that the person who told me about this dangerous mission was actively sabotaging me and my team leading up to it, I would seriously question that mission. They are literally going on the word of someone they cannot trust. It could be a trap at the very least…
6 - if I have to read, “what the _____ are you??” one more time… I think every character said it at least once to various members of the main group. 🙄
It’s just so stupid and it was painful to read. This definitely needed more thought behind it. Maybe the author was just trying to push it out the door… but this was baaaad.
February 3, 2026
DNFed, life is too short to read childish miscomm for half a book.
It's not me, it's you.
It's not me, it's you.
February 2, 2026
The entire first half of this book is literally just non/miscommunication. It’s worse than in any book I’ve ever read and was added just for filler nonsense. It’s so disappointing because it could have been an INCREDIBLE story but instead there’s completely needless tension that does nothing to add to the story. If you’re going to add a giant ass miscommunication trope that takes over the entire plot, at least let it have a point 😩 def not finishing the series. It probably should’ve been a duet.
January 31, 2026
just freaking talk!
I enjoyed the progression of the story but can I just say one of my biggest pet peeves is when one of the plot points used is that the characters don’t freaking TALK to each other? Oooooh girl that is just annoying af.
Still can’t wait till the next one to see what happens!
I enjoyed the progression of the story but can I just say one of my biggest pet peeves is when one of the plot points used is that the characters don’t freaking TALK to each other? Oooooh girl that is just annoying af.
Still can’t wait till the next one to see what happens!
February 9, 2026
youre actually a special female warrior
wait no youre actually a royal
wait no youre actually the LAST royal and will cure the entire world
yeah yeah sure sure
wait no youre actually a royal
wait no youre actually the LAST royal and will cure the entire world
yeah yeah sure sure
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2026
*2.5
Rtc
Rtc
February 27, 2026
There’s nothing I hate more than a miscommunication trope.
March 11, 2026
This book is absolute shambles. I wouldn’t even let my cat read it
January 31, 2026
2 stars because I liked the first book. I also thought this was gonna be the last one but apparently not.
February 27, 2026
Engaging
Spoiler alert.
There was a lot going on in this book. My emotions ran from deep sadness, to soaring heights of anxiety. That ending! Her old self, I never would have guessed. It just goes to show; she doesn’t ask enough questions about who her enemies could be and automatically assuming those closest to her are actually ones she can trust.
Leviton was written as someone Sena could look up to in the last book but in this book, he was slowly showing his true colors. Punishing the guys for killing the shadow academy that entered through the wards of the Valor academy all dressed in black like they were there to make trouble. Sending them to the island, blocking their access to sense Sena while also blocking Senas block. Additionally, Dakson, I thought he was on her side, but with his recent action of burying a potion outside the guys shack in the senior camp, that blocks their individual access to her doesn’t look good. He’s protective of her since we saw him beat up that guy who got a hit on her during training, so I’m unsure where his loyalties truly lie. Maybe Levington has something on him, as we do read them whispering to each other. I suspected that maybe he was her Valor mate, so I’m definetly interested in learning more about his connection to Sena.
Sena trains and trains to overcome the trials that Levington forced her to do in order to go to the hollow and destroy the heart there. He manipulated her and the guys, so many times. Told the guys he would make her go if they didn’t, and told Sena that he would make the guys go, but she didn’t want them to go without her, so he made her jump through what he thought was unreachable hoops. Training with weapons, training her wings to fly. He conveniently missed telling her that Alita can siphon energy from male shadows, and Willow confirms that the prissy Alita females are bullies. Levington slices shards of the crystal that is fought over in the trials between the 2 academies, while also allowing the Alita to siphon energy from male shadows. They can do no wrong in his eyes, and treats the female companions like their nothing. Talors true motive comes to light, he wants to suck the energy from the Hollow heart so he can crack the Crystal and be the most powerful shadow. Levington wants to destroy the hollows heart so the bad energy is destroyed along with the Terrigons and other demon like creatures. Levington is knowingly taking years worth of power out of the remaining Crystal they have by giving slices of it out to ppl of his choosing. The current Crystal only has about 30 years worth of power left and then everyone dies. The only remaining Royal is her, and only a Royal can create crystals. It’s not expressly stated but I think he wants to control her by way of the guys. By his secret manipulations, he thinks it’s going his way. Thankfully, with Sena’s honesty and integrity, she wants to save the world and everyone that’s kind to each other. To bad she couldn’t take the prissy bullying Alita off the board nor that Ana or Arabella from the Shadow academy. At one point, she feels a weird energy come over her and in her mind she seees another version of herself, her Alita self. When she was moved to another body, her Alita self couldn’t follow and now that she’s back, the split is slowing coming together slowly. She needs to merge properly in order to save the world. That energy sneaks up when she’s training or flying and after each mating with the guys, she grows more control over her flight and physical combat, with or without weapons. She also gained a ton of memories. Which helps her destroy the Hollows heart, who turned out to be a Royal. She was corrupted, and wanted to die when she was lucid. It was like she was bipolar, moments later her mind would go and she would scream they couldn’t kill her like they physically couldn’t. I dunno. This book was intriguing, it kept my attention and I’m so glad I waited till the 2nd book was out before I read the first one. Senas old body’s soul didn’t die in the fire and wants her body back. Can’t wait!
Spoiler alert.
There was a lot going on in this book. My emotions ran from deep sadness, to soaring heights of anxiety. That ending! Her old self, I never would have guessed. It just goes to show; she doesn’t ask enough questions about who her enemies could be and automatically assuming those closest to her are actually ones she can trust.
Leviton was written as someone Sena could look up to in the last book but in this book, he was slowly showing his true colors. Punishing the guys for killing the shadow academy that entered through the wards of the Valor academy all dressed in black like they were there to make trouble. Sending them to the island, blocking their access to sense Sena while also blocking Senas block. Additionally, Dakson, I thought he was on her side, but with his recent action of burying a potion outside the guys shack in the senior camp, that blocks their individual access to her doesn’t look good. He’s protective of her since we saw him beat up that guy who got a hit on her during training, so I’m unsure where his loyalties truly lie. Maybe Levington has something on him, as we do read them whispering to each other. I suspected that maybe he was her Valor mate, so I’m definetly interested in learning more about his connection to Sena.
Sena trains and trains to overcome the trials that Levington forced her to do in order to go to the hollow and destroy the heart there. He manipulated her and the guys, so many times. Told the guys he would make her go if they didn’t, and told Sena that he would make the guys go, but she didn’t want them to go without her, so he made her jump through what he thought was unreachable hoops. Training with weapons, training her wings to fly. He conveniently missed telling her that Alita can siphon energy from male shadows, and Willow confirms that the prissy Alita females are bullies. Levington slices shards of the crystal that is fought over in the trials between the 2 academies, while also allowing the Alita to siphon energy from male shadows. They can do no wrong in his eyes, and treats the female companions like their nothing. Talors true motive comes to light, he wants to suck the energy from the Hollow heart so he can crack the Crystal and be the most powerful shadow. Levington wants to destroy the hollows heart so the bad energy is destroyed along with the Terrigons and other demon like creatures. Levington is knowingly taking years worth of power out of the remaining Crystal they have by giving slices of it out to ppl of his choosing. The current Crystal only has about 30 years worth of power left and then everyone dies. The only remaining Royal is her, and only a Royal can create crystals. It’s not expressly stated but I think he wants to control her by way of the guys. By his secret manipulations, he thinks it’s going his way. Thankfully, with Sena’s honesty and integrity, she wants to save the world and everyone that’s kind to each other. To bad she couldn’t take the prissy bullying Alita off the board nor that Ana or Arabella from the Shadow academy. At one point, she feels a weird energy come over her and in her mind she seees another version of herself, her Alita self. When she was moved to another body, her Alita self couldn’t follow and now that she’s back, the split is slowing coming together slowly. She needs to merge properly in order to save the world. That energy sneaks up when she’s training or flying and after each mating with the guys, she grows more control over her flight and physical combat, with or without weapons. She also gained a ton of memories. Which helps her destroy the Hollows heart, who turned out to be a Royal. She was corrupted, and wanted to die when she was lucid. It was like she was bipolar, moments later her mind would go and she would scream they couldn’t kill her like they physically couldn’t. I dunno. This book was intriguing, it kept my attention and I’m so glad I waited till the 2nd book was out before I read the first one. Senas old body’s soul didn’t die in the fire and wants her body back. Can’t wait!
March 15, 2026
This review is for both Shadow Bonds and Shadow Fated.
The good: The storyline is genuinely unique and interesting. It had me hooked enough to finish both books in two days and I need to know what's coming next. The characters had so much potential to be interesting, if only they weren't so ridiculously stupid.
The not-so-good See above. The characters are just so so stupid.
The entire plot of book two could be summed up as...
The guys But...but....Sena. It's not what you think. Just let us expl--
Sena: Just stop! I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Just leave me alone so I can go sulk about how you guys don't want me. Sena out.
I get that the miscommunication trope is sometimes necessary when the plot calls for characters to be kept apart, but this was a total fail. We've seen how stubborn and relentless these guys are. I have trouble believing they would allow Sena to shut them down even once, let alone dozens of times.
If she was angry about them ghosting her, then clearly all they had to do was tell her about being locked up for a month with magic dampening cuffs. You would think that after being shut down the first time, they would work harder to make her listen. Not gonna lie, I was so annoyed by the constant and repetitive failure to communicate that I kind of wanted the guys to use their shadows to gag and restrain Sena long enough to make her listen to what really happened.
And then there's Sena. I finished two books yesterday with FMCs who were too stupid to live. The other FMC was the type who would see danger and rush straight toward it without a plan. Sena is the complete opposite type of stupid. She's not looking for danger. It just keeps finding her. I have never seen one character attacked so many times. Like almost anytime she walked around alone. How does that make her stupid? Well, let's see. Aside from having zero situational awareness? Aside from being incapable of learning from history that she should not walk around alone and should always watch her back? One of the first powers this girl manifested was a shadow shield. A shadow shield that she could use offensively. A shadow shield that she could use as a platform or stairs.
Yet, every time the mean girls tried to murder her, every time a group of guys in black tried to snatch her, all the times she was beaten down to the ground and kicked until she was black and blue, this girl never brought up her shield. She never used it to repel her attackers. She hung from a cliff with a bully stepping on her hand, and never thought to make a shield platform under her feet.
She's well trained in combat, yet the only fights this girl ever wins are the ones she goes looking for. Unlike her wings or her royal powers, this Sena has zero reason to hide her shielding abilities. Everyone already knows she's mated to the guys. As many times as she's been jumped from behind, she should be walking around with her shield up 24/7. So so stupid.
And then...for all her talk about getting her own revenge, she seems to forget about it the moment the bully is out of sight. She was thrown off of a cliff and just shrugged it off. She didn't even report an attempted murder. I admire how she protects men from predatory women, but a few punches aren't going to stop these women from continuing the behavior. She acts like if it's not happening right in front of her, it's not happening at all. Arabella liked to flaunt her influence, and yet Sena's guys beat the general to a pulp with no consequences, so Arabella definitely could've been stopped.
And don't get me started on the Alitas. Sena's hiding her identity based on the word of a guy who's already been proven to be shady and untrustworthy. But yeah, let the mean girls continue trying to murder people because it's easier than exposing that you're the actual queen. Make it make sense.
The good: The storyline is genuinely unique and interesting. It had me hooked enough to finish both books in two days and I need to know what's coming next. The characters had so much potential to be interesting, if only they weren't so ridiculously stupid.
The not-so-good See above. The characters are just so so stupid.
The entire plot of book two could be summed up as...
The guys But...but....Sena. It's not what you think. Just let us expl--
Sena: Just stop! I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Just leave me alone so I can go sulk about how you guys don't want me. Sena out.
I get that the miscommunication trope is sometimes necessary when the plot calls for characters to be kept apart, but this was a total fail. We've seen how stubborn and relentless these guys are. I have trouble believing they would allow Sena to shut them down even once, let alone dozens of times.
If she was angry about them ghosting her, then clearly all they had to do was tell her about being locked up for a month with magic dampening cuffs. You would think that after being shut down the first time, they would work harder to make her listen. Not gonna lie, I was so annoyed by the constant and repetitive failure to communicate that I kind of wanted the guys to use their shadows to gag and restrain Sena long enough to make her listen to what really happened.
And then there's Sena. I finished two books yesterday with FMCs who were too stupid to live. The other FMC was the type who would see danger and rush straight toward it without a plan. Sena is the complete opposite type of stupid. She's not looking for danger. It just keeps finding her. I have never seen one character attacked so many times. Like almost anytime she walked around alone. How does that make her stupid? Well, let's see. Aside from having zero situational awareness? Aside from being incapable of learning from history that she should not walk around alone and should always watch her back? One of the first powers this girl manifested was a shadow shield. A shadow shield that she could use offensively. A shadow shield that she could use as a platform or stairs.
Yet, every time the mean girls tried to murder her, every time a group of guys in black tried to snatch her, all the times she was beaten down to the ground and kicked until she was black and blue, this girl never brought up her shield. She never used it to repel her attackers. She hung from a cliff with a bully stepping on her hand, and never thought to make a shield platform under her feet.
She's well trained in combat, yet the only fights this girl ever wins are the ones she goes looking for. Unlike her wings or her royal powers, this Sena has zero reason to hide her shielding abilities. Everyone already knows she's mated to the guys. As many times as she's been jumped from behind, she should be walking around with her shield up 24/7. So so stupid.
And then...for all her talk about getting her own revenge, she seems to forget about it the moment the bully is out of sight. She was thrown off of a cliff and just shrugged it off. She didn't even report an attempted murder. I admire how she protects men from predatory women, but a few punches aren't going to stop these women from continuing the behavior. She acts like if it's not happening right in front of her, it's not happening at all. Arabella liked to flaunt her influence, and yet Sena's guys beat the general to a pulp with no consequences, so Arabella definitely could've been stopped.
And don't get me started on the Alitas. Sena's hiding her identity based on the word of a guy who's already been proven to be shady and untrustworthy. But yeah, let the mean girls continue trying to murder people because it's easier than exposing that you're the actual queen. Make it make sense.
February 3, 2026
So like the plot is basically:
FMC gets kidnapped by this professor dude who seems important, mysterious, maybe hot??, and then immediately vanishes for, oh idk, THE WHOLE BOOK until he randomly pops back up at the end like “hey remember me?” Sir, no. I moved on.
Anyway, now we’re at this academy where FMC is like OMG I’m secretly a princess and future queen, which, yeah, cue the mental gymnastics and identity crisis because obviously. She’s training, she’s leveling up her little powers, she’s girlbossing or whatever… but romance? Absolutely not. This book said no love just extreme miscommunication.
YAY!
Instead, we spend a solid 50% of the story on this nonsense "we're over" phase that gets solved in one line of dialogue somewhere in the middle like, “Oh yeah, that? Already handled.”
Then there’s this commander dude who is deeply suspicious. Like capital-S Suspicious. He keeps separating the group for no reason, gives off major bad vibes, and is basically screaming I’m the problem, but do we investigate? Do we confront him? Do we maybe, idk, NOT trust him blindly?
No.
We just vibe.
Sure, everyone is allegedly going to die (per the shadiest guy alive), but honestly? Angsty feelings take priority. The impending doom can wait, that's a tomorrow problem, Just trust me bro.
And why do we believe him, well, because he says we need to destroy this random little stone that’s apparently the root of all evil or something. No proof. No explanation. Just vibes and blind trust. Even though we don’t like him. Even though he’s shady. Even though he’s clearly being a narrative cockblock. But sure, let’s do exactly what he says.
Also, still no romance. Not even fake romance. It's just sexy timesss (which were soo boooring, just copy and paste). AND angst because the MCs don’t communicate, like actual kindergarten behavior, and the FMC is too busy going to parties, pranking people like this was some kind of Delta Nu ritual, making besties, declaring undying friendship while actively lying to everyone.
Cute.
SO, moving on, they go destroy the evil pebble™, a (loving? lol, I don't think so) side character straight-up ascends to heaven (R.I.P), and then… it ends.
That’s it.
No reveal about whether Creepy Commander is actually evil. No payoff.
We’re just not doing that here.
uhmmm....
So yeah, turns out, once again, that YA fantasy is just not for me.
I hope you have a better experience than me, though. xoxo
FMC gets kidnapped by this professor dude who seems important, mysterious, maybe hot??, and then immediately vanishes for, oh idk, THE WHOLE BOOK until he randomly pops back up at the end like “hey remember me?” Sir, no. I moved on.
Anyway, now we’re at this academy where FMC is like OMG I’m secretly a princess and future queen, which, yeah, cue the mental gymnastics and identity crisis because obviously. She’s training, she’s leveling up her little powers, she’s girlbossing or whatever… but romance? Absolutely not. This book said no love just extreme miscommunication.
YAY!
Instead, we spend a solid 50% of the story on this nonsense "we're over" phase that gets solved in one line of dialogue somewhere in the middle like, “Oh yeah, that? Already handled.”
Then there’s this commander dude who is deeply suspicious. Like capital-S Suspicious. He keeps separating the group for no reason, gives off major bad vibes, and is basically screaming I’m the problem, but do we investigate? Do we confront him? Do we maybe, idk, NOT trust him blindly?
No.
We just vibe.
Sure, everyone is allegedly going to die (per the shadiest guy alive), but honestly? Angsty feelings take priority. The impending doom can wait, that's a tomorrow problem, Just trust me bro.
And why do we believe him, well, because he says we need to destroy this random little stone that’s apparently the root of all evil or something. No proof. No explanation. Just vibes and blind trust. Even though we don’t like him. Even though he’s shady. Even though he’s clearly being a narrative cockblock. But sure, let’s do exactly what he says.
Also, still no romance. Not even fake romance. It's just sexy timesss (which were soo boooring, just copy and paste). AND angst because the MCs don’t communicate, like actual kindergarten behavior, and the FMC is too busy going to parties, pranking people like this was some kind of Delta Nu ritual, making besties, declaring undying friendship while actively lying to everyone.
Cute.
SO, moving on, they go destroy the evil pebble™, a (loving? lol, I don't think so) side character straight-up ascends to heaven (R.I.P), and then… it ends.
That’s it.
No reveal about whether Creepy Commander is actually evil. No payoff.
We’re just not doing that here.
uhmmm....
So yeah, turns out, once again, that YA fantasy is just not for me.
I hope you have a better experience than me, though. xoxo
February 2, 2026
She gets to the academy, followed by her mates. She has to reveal to them that she not only was body switched, but that she's the last living royal. They're upset with her for keeping things from them. They say they need some time to process.
Sena is placed in dorms with human girls instead of the other Alita so they won't figure out what she is. She is gifted a pendant by the academy headmaster to 'hide her Alita-ness'
The other Alita's are seen as royalty and they do whatever they want. They're kinda bitches.
The boys decide they are cool with her reveal and try to go back to Sena. They end up being punished for killing some inflitrators. They are locked underground in cells on an island, placed in magic cancelling cuffs, and cut off from their connection with Sena. A month goes by and she thinks they're ignoring her. The guys are told that Sena doesn't want to see them and they think she has blocked them out.
They are released, they go to her, she's pissed they've been ignoring her, they don't even try to explain what really happened (annoying) and just go about trying to earn her trust back.
Sena is informed of a mission to go into the Hollow an destroy the Heart Stone. This will destroy the Hollow. She can only join if she passes the test and an additional flying test. She starts training to use her wings.
The boys finally explain what happened to them and they clear the miscommunication. They realize the headmaster has been playing them. They just don't know why.
They all end up completing their bond and it makes all of them stronger. But now if Sena dies, they all die.
Sena passes the test to be part of the team and then also passes her flying test. She also has a weird power with animals. They like her and want to protect her.
They also figure out that the headmaster and one of his guys placed a block around the guy's living quarters to block their connection to Sena. She has also been being attacked in her dreams. She can actually be injured in these dreams.
t's time for the mission.
They go in with 4 other guys and Graves. They have to fight to get to the heart. The shadow academy headmaster is there and he tries to drain the power from the heart stone but it's too much and it kills him. Sena then is met with a woman that could be her mother and she tells Sena how to destroy it. She pulls her power from her and stabs the heart. She is transformed into royal garb and then flung back from the power released form the heart stone.
Then the Hollow starts to collapse.
Graves is able to open a portal and they all get out except for him. Sena is knocked out by a blast and when she comes to, she is tied up and her other body is there. She says it's time for a switch.
Sena is placed in dorms with human girls instead of the other Alita so they won't figure out what she is. She is gifted a pendant by the academy headmaster to 'hide her Alita-ness'
The other Alita's are seen as royalty and they do whatever they want. They're kinda bitches.
The boys decide they are cool with her reveal and try to go back to Sena. They end up being punished for killing some inflitrators. They are locked underground in cells on an island, placed in magic cancelling cuffs, and cut off from their connection with Sena. A month goes by and she thinks they're ignoring her. The guys are told that Sena doesn't want to see them and they think she has blocked them out.
They are released, they go to her, she's pissed they've been ignoring her, they don't even try to explain what really happened (annoying) and just go about trying to earn her trust back.
Sena is informed of a mission to go into the Hollow an destroy the Heart Stone. This will destroy the Hollow. She can only join if she passes the test and an additional flying test. She starts training to use her wings.
The boys finally explain what happened to them and they clear the miscommunication. They realize the headmaster has been playing them. They just don't know why.
They all end up completing their bond and it makes all of them stronger. But now if Sena dies, they all die.
Sena passes the test to be part of the team and then also passes her flying test. She also has a weird power with animals. They like her and want to protect her.
They also figure out that the headmaster and one of his guys placed a block around the guy's living quarters to block their connection to Sena. She has also been being attacked in her dreams. She can actually be injured in these dreams.
t's time for the mission.
They go in with 4 other guys and Graves. They have to fight to get to the heart. The shadow academy headmaster is there and he tries to drain the power from the heart stone but it's too much and it kills him. Sena then is met with a woman that could be her mother and she tells Sena how to destroy it. She pulls her power from her and stabs the heart. She is transformed into royal garb and then flung back from the power released form the heart stone.
Then the Hollow starts to collapse.
Graves is able to open a portal and they all get out except for him. Sena is knocked out by a blast and when she comes to, she is tied up and her other body is there. She says it's time for a switch.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2026
READ
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 2.5/5⭐
𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘: 𝖣𝖺𝗋𝗄 𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗒
𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘: 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌
𝗔𝗚𝗘: 𝖭𝖾𝗐 𝖠𝖽𝗎𝗅𝗍
𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬: 🟡
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝖢𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍 𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖺: 3/𝟻 🤔
𝖯𝗅𝗈𝗍: 2/𝟻 📖
𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖡𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀: 2/𝟻 🌎
𝖶𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀: 3/𝟻 📝
𝖯𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗀: 2/𝟻 ⏱
𝖫𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗍𝗁: 3/5 📏
𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌: 2/𝟻 👥
𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾: 0/𝟻 ❤️
𝖲𝗉𝗂𝖼𝖾: 1/𝟻 🔥
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 / 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘:
🎓 𝖠𝖼𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗆𝗂𝖼 𝗌𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀
💕 𝖯𝗈𝗅𝗒𝖺𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗒
💖 𝖥𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖬𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦:
I'm disappointed with this installment. Like the beginning was weird, the first book ended with slaughter, and now we're in the middle of a prank war, they just lost many soldiers. A lot of miscommunication in the first half used as filler, not enough world building and then ignoring literal threats during the second half
The world building and character development didn't improve. And I'm not liking the ending
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬:
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦:
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝖶𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖨 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗎𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌? ✔️
𝖶𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋? ✔️
𝖶𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖽? ✔️
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗧𝗪 / 𝗖𝗪:
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
Shadow War Academy
𝟏. Shadow Bonds: 3⭐
𝟐. Shadow Fated: 2.5⭐
𝟑. Untitled : TBR
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 2.5/5⭐
𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘: 𝖣𝖺𝗋𝗄 𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗒
𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘: 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌
𝗔𝗚𝗘: 𝖭𝖾𝗐 𝖠𝖽𝗎𝗅𝗍
𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬: 🟡
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
𝖢𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍 𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖺: 3/𝟻 🤔
𝖯𝗅𝗈𝗍: 2/𝟻 📖
𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 𝖡𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀: 2/𝟻 🌎
𝖶𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀: 3/𝟻 📝
𝖯𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗀: 2/𝟻 ⏱
𝖫𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗍𝗁: 3/5 📏
𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌: 2/𝟻 👥
𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾: 0/𝟻 ❤️
𝖲𝗉𝗂𝖼𝖾: 1/𝟻 🔥
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 / 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘:
🎓 𝖠𝖼𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗆𝗂𝖼 𝗌𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀
💕 𝖯𝗈𝗅𝗒𝖺𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗒
💖 𝖥𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖬𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦:
I'm disappointed with this installment. Like the beginning was weird, the first book ended with slaughter, and now we're in the middle of a prank war, they just lost many soldiers. A lot of miscommunication in the first half used as filler, not enough world building and then ignoring literal threats during the second half
The world building and character development didn't improve. And I'm not liking the ending
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬:
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦:
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝖶𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖨 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗎𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌? ✔️
𝖶𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋? ✔️
𝖶𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖽? ✔️
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗧𝗪 / 𝗖𝗪:
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
Shadow War Academy
𝟏. Shadow Bonds: 3⭐
𝟐. Shadow Fated: 2.5⭐
𝟑. Untitled : TBR
January 31, 2026
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5 spice (low plot, but good.)
Damn that ending was basically my whole fear for this series lol. I need to read the next book immediately. HOWEVER I am super disappointed that there was no plot development until 80% in. The author lost the plot nearly that whole time they finally had spice added in. Book 1 had no spice, so this was genuinely an insane upgrade in the smut department. Which is why I think the plot got lost since these crazy scenes certainly had to take a lot of brain power as there were just so many. This book dragged sooooo much in that entire first part. I remember in book 1 I absolutely could not put that book down, and then while reading this one I actually had to go read a summary of book 1 with my review to remember why I even wanted to read this series. If book 2 was actually book 1 (aside from the plot not making sense technically) I so would have DNF because what the actual hell was this?? It was so bad it was good?? I feel pissed that this book was pushed back so long all for this to be the outcome. It was supposed to be out last Nov per the info that was out at the time of my review of book 1 around when it first came out. The errors were just as bad, the plot never moved forward unlike book 1, and we didn’t really get much on the other characters this book. We did however get an INSANE upgrade in the smut department where book 1 had basically nothing to this where every other chapter some sexual nonsense was happening. Or they were fighting and no one was actually communicating. I truly hate miscommunication tropes, so this whole angsty situation would have also left me with a DNF if the damn storyline wasn’t so freaking interesting. Circling back to my thoughts that the author lost the plot there for a long time by actually writing smut in this book, because once the scenes were over with the plot got crazy good again all for it to be over already lmao. I would be more forgiving if the book was longer maybe. Well either way the author wins as I will certainly be reading book 3 but let it be known I am pissed about it!
Damn that ending was basically my whole fear for this series lol. I need to read the next book immediately. HOWEVER I am super disappointed that there was no plot development until 80% in. The author lost the plot nearly that whole time they finally had spice added in. Book 1 had no spice, so this was genuinely an insane upgrade in the smut department. Which is why I think the plot got lost since these crazy scenes certainly had to take a lot of brain power as there were just so many. This book dragged sooooo much in that entire first part. I remember in book 1 I absolutely could not put that book down, and then while reading this one I actually had to go read a summary of book 1 with my review to remember why I even wanted to read this series. If book 2 was actually book 1 (aside from the plot not making sense technically) I so would have DNF because what the actual hell was this?? It was so bad it was good?? I feel pissed that this book was pushed back so long all for this to be the outcome. It was supposed to be out last Nov per the info that was out at the time of my review of book 1 around when it first came out. The errors were just as bad, the plot never moved forward unlike book 1, and we didn’t really get much on the other characters this book. We did however get an INSANE upgrade in the smut department where book 1 had basically nothing to this where every other chapter some sexual nonsense was happening. Or they were fighting and no one was actually communicating. I truly hate miscommunication tropes, so this whole angsty situation would have also left me with a DNF if the damn storyline wasn’t so freaking interesting. Circling back to my thoughts that the author lost the plot there for a long time by actually writing smut in this book, because once the scenes were over with the plot got crazy good again all for it to be over already lmao. I would be more forgiving if the book was longer maybe. Well either way the author wins as I will certainly be reading book 3 but let it be known I am pissed about it!
March 10, 2026
⚔️✨ SHADOW FATED REVIEW ✨⚔️
⭐️⭐️/5
🗡️ Worldbuilding: ★★★☆☆
The academy setting and the lore around powers and the crystal had potential, but unfortunately the book barely explored them. Instead of diving deeper into the academy, the headmaster, or the FMC’s new abilities, a lot of the story was spent on unnecessary drama and silence between characters.
💘 Romance: ★★☆☆☆
About half of the book revolves around miscommunication. The FMC and her mates spend an unreasonable amount of time giving each other the cold shoulder. Honestly, even children wouldn’t keep a silent treatment going for that long. It became frustrating because that time could have been used to actually investigate what was happening around them.
👑 Characters: ★★☆☆☆
The FMC and MMCs felt extremely immature for characters who are supposed to be around 19 years old. Their reactions, conflicts, and choices often felt more like something you’d expect from six-year-olds. Sadly, there was also very little character development throughout the story.
🔥 Spice: 🌶️ none / very low
✨ Tropes:
— Academy setting
— Fated mates
— Magical powers
🖤 Villain reveal
the first chapters, everything pointed directly at this person like a giant neon sign flashing “VILLAIN.” There was very little mystery or suspense because it was easy to guess who was behind everything.
📖 Final verdict
This installment had an interesting premise and worldbuilding potential, but the execution was disappointing. The excessive miscommunication, predictable villain, and lack of character maturity made it hard to stay invested.
⭐️⭐️/5
🗡️ Worldbuilding: ★★★☆☆
The academy setting and the lore around powers and the crystal had potential, but unfortunately the book barely explored them. Instead of diving deeper into the academy, the headmaster, or the FMC’s new abilities, a lot of the story was spent on unnecessary drama and silence between characters.
💘 Romance: ★★☆☆☆
About half of the book revolves around miscommunication. The FMC and her mates spend an unreasonable amount of time giving each other the cold shoulder. Honestly, even children wouldn’t keep a silent treatment going for that long. It became frustrating because that time could have been used to actually investigate what was happening around them.
👑 Characters: ★★☆☆☆
The FMC and MMCs felt extremely immature for characters who are supposed to be around 19 years old. Their reactions, conflicts, and choices often felt more like something you’d expect from six-year-olds. Sadly, there was also very little character development throughout the story.
🔥 Spice: 🌶️ none / very low
✨ Tropes:
— Academy setting
— Fated mates
— Magical powers
🖤 Villain reveal
the first chapters, everything pointed directly at this person like a giant neon sign flashing “VILLAIN.” There was very little mystery or suspense because it was easy to guess who was behind everything.
📖 Final verdict
This installment had an interesting premise and worldbuilding potential, but the execution was disappointing. The excessive miscommunication, predictable villain, and lack of character maturity made it hard to stay invested.
March 23, 2026
𝓝𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓾𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓮’𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓸𝓸 𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯𝓲𝓼𝓱 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓸𝓸 𝓯𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓰𝓸𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓷 𝓹𝓼𝔂𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓾𝓹.
Shadow Fated literally starts right where Shadow Bonds ended and things get intense so fast. Sena finally finds out that this was always her body and not someone else’s, and the truth about the switch plus her being royalty?? Yeah… that did not go down smoothly with her mates 😬
A lot happens in this book. Sena, Malachi, Knox, Cyrus, and Theon end up in Volar Academy and from there it’s just chaos, emotions, and so much going on at once. But I have to be honest… the miscommunication in this book really tested me 😭 like please just sit down and TALK?? The push and pull kept going for so long that I was getting frustrated at times, even though I was still completely hooked and couldn’t stop reading.
And Levington?? Yeah no. I hate that man with everything in me 😤
One thing I really loved though was the female friendships. Ember, Maia, and Remi were such good additions and I loved seeing that bond with Sena. It felt really refreshing. Also I missed Robin 🥺
And that ending??? What even was that cliffhanger?? Like how is that possible??? I need book 3 ASAP ughhhh 😮💨
Shadow Fated literally starts right where Shadow Bonds ended and things get intense so fast. Sena finally finds out that this was always her body and not someone else’s, and the truth about the switch plus her being royalty?? Yeah… that did not go down smoothly with her mates 😬
A lot happens in this book. Sena, Malachi, Knox, Cyrus, and Theon end up in Volar Academy and from there it’s just chaos, emotions, and so much going on at once. But I have to be honest… the miscommunication in this book really tested me 😭 like please just sit down and TALK?? The push and pull kept going for so long that I was getting frustrated at times, even though I was still completely hooked and couldn’t stop reading.
And Levington?? Yeah no. I hate that man with everything in me 😤
One thing I really loved though was the female friendships. Ember, Maia, and Remi were such good additions and I loved seeing that bond with Sena. It felt really refreshing. Also I missed Robin 🥺
And that ending??? What even was that cliffhanger?? Like how is that possible??? I need book 3 ASAP ughhhh 😮💨
February 3, 2026
this series is quite unique in the magic system. our MMC sena is whisked off to another school to continue learning about her powers and discovers her "new" body is actually her original body.
there is a big miscommunication trope in this book where Sena and her guys are apart for the better part of the first 40% of the book. the new school is still sketchy like the first one and the new leader of the school is just as untrustworthy as talos from the dark academy.
sena has to endure new trials to be able to enter the Wood to find the stone and destroy it to save the world-which she does of course!
but this book ends with Sena almost burning herself out to defeat Talos and destroying the crystal and when she comes to the book ends woth her potentially being switched back into her old body!
will there mates be able to tell she has been body snatched again? what are they going to about Draken and shady commander dude? what is their play now?
book three cannot get here fast enough!
overall: 4/5 🌟
spice: 3.5/5 🌶
there is a big miscommunication trope in this book where Sena and her guys are apart for the better part of the first 40% of the book. the new school is still sketchy like the first one and the new leader of the school is just as untrustworthy as talos from the dark academy.
sena has to endure new trials to be able to enter the Wood to find the stone and destroy it to save the world-which she does of course!
but this book ends with Sena almost burning herself out to defeat Talos and destroying the crystal and when she comes to the book ends woth her potentially being switched back into her old body!
will there mates be able to tell she has been body snatched again? what are they going to about Draken and shady commander dude? what is their play now?
book three cannot get here fast enough!
overall: 4/5 🌟
spice: 3.5/5 🌶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars
The second book in the Shadow War Academy series, Shadow Fated by Rumer Hale, had all the key elements of a romantasy.
In this installment, we learn that Sena is a Royal—the most powerful being of all—but that power makes her a target everywhere she goes. The stakes feel higher as she and her mates are constantly on the run.
There’s also tension within the bond. Her mates are hurt and angry over the secrets she’s kept, leading them to block the bond between them—only for outside forces to threaten it even more. The emotional conflict added another layer to the story.
Their main goal is to destroy the Heart Stone in the Hallow, the most dangerous place imaginable. Sena and her mates manage to accomplish it, but the victory is short-lived. The book ends on another cliffhanger when the variant who switched bodies with Sena during childhood returns…
Spice: 2/5 🔥
There isn’t a ton of spice yet, but something about the fantasy elements always makes the tension feel even steamier.
The second book in the Shadow War Academy series, Shadow Fated by Rumer Hale, had all the key elements of a romantasy.
In this installment, we learn that Sena is a Royal—the most powerful being of all—but that power makes her a target everywhere she goes. The stakes feel higher as she and her mates are constantly on the run.
There’s also tension within the bond. Her mates are hurt and angry over the secrets she’s kept, leading them to block the bond between them—only for outside forces to threaten it even more. The emotional conflict added another layer to the story.
Their main goal is to destroy the Heart Stone in the Hallow, the most dangerous place imaginable. Sena and her mates manage to accomplish it, but the victory is short-lived. The book ends on another cliffhanger when the variant who switched bodies with Sena during childhood returns…
Spice: 2/5 🔥
There isn’t a ton of spice yet, but something about the fantasy elements always makes the tension feel even steamier.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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