Shadow and Son

Shattered Crown #3

by Gretchen Powell Fox, Dan Calley (Narrator), Stephanie Németh-Parker (Narrator)

Shadow magic, realm-shattering high stakes, and sizzling spice combine in this highly anticipated conclusion to the Best of #BookTok Shattered Crown trilogy, an epic romantasy series perfect for fans of Throne of Glass and The Serpent & the Wings of Night .

The fragile peace forged in the wake of the Arcane Crucible is unraveling. With the rise of an ancient evil, the scars dividing Arcanis have begun to bleed anew, and the future of the realm hangs by a thread.

Elyria Lightbreaker has paid a devastating price to save her loved ones. Now, she faces a whole new darkness—and must decide how much more of herself she’s willing to give to save a world that’s already taken so much from her.

Rocked by the secrets of his past and the truth of his power, Cedric Thorne scours the continent for the woman he loves. But as Elyria is pulled ever further from reach, saving her could mean becoming something unforgivable…and once Cedric’s fire is unleashed, there may be no putting it out.

A queen of shadow. A king of flame. A love bound and burdened by prophecy. When some wounds run too deep to be healed, peace might not be worth the cost.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Fae, Romance, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance, Magic

15 pages, Audible Audio

First published October 20, 2026

About the author

Gretchen Powell Fox spent her childhood in far-off places—figuratively and literally. She grew up with her nose buried in books and her feet on foreign soil. Both, she found, were essential in forming her deep fascination with stories.

Now, she crafts fantastical and futuristic worlds—along with the fiery heroines destined to change them for the better.

Her creative process involves copious amounts of Sour Patch Kids and sleeping fitfully. Her many interests include Taylor Swift, polka dots, reading fantasy novels, and playing the ukulele.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two wild, wonderful children.

Find her on Instagram at @gretchenwritesbooks.

Reviews

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book in this series. Still, I decided to give the second book a chance and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. And somehow, the final book was just as good, if not better! If you stopped this series after the first book, I seriously recommend giving it another try!

Cedric has the greatest character arc I’ve ever seen in an MMC. He goes from being a weak, “damsel-in-distress” knight to a powerful warrior and magic-wielder who would literally burn the world down to save his woman. In the first book, I found him unremarkable, but by the time I finished this one, he had officially been elevated to top-tier MMC status!!

In contrast, we get to see a much more vulnerable side of our shadow-wielding FMC, Elyria. Though she’s still as sarcastic and sharp-tongued as ever, seeing her grapple with the grief and trauma of her captivity added so much depth to her character. She’s extremely dedicated to protecting those she cares about and is strong-willed without ever coming across as annoying.

The romance was a standout aspect of this book. Cedric and Elyria’s chemistry was lacking in the first book, so I was really worried about how it would develop over the series, but it progressed so naturally! Cedric is SO in love with Elyria, and it was adorable watching him constantly worry over her well-being. Their relationship has truly come such a long way from where it started!

The found family was another one of my favorite parts. While I’ll admit that some of the side characters’ POVs were boring to read at times, they each had such memorable and distinct personalities. I only wish that we had gotten more closure with their individual storylines, as a few of their endings felt unresolved.

This is definitely one of those series that gets better with each book. Though I wouldn’t say the series as a whole is one of my all-time favorites, I’m still glad I decided to stick with it until the end!

[Gretchen Fox]

And just like that, the Shattered Crown trilogy is complete. <3

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In darkness and in daylight, in peace and in ruin. What you carry, I carry. What you become, we become.”

An epic, emotional conclusion to one of my favourite series. The intricate, high stakes plot that’s been unfolding for three books concludes with even more epic nail-biting battles (Gretchen’s battle scenes are some of the best I’ve read), the most beautiful and heartbreaking character journeys and a romance that swept me off my feet until the very end. Every victory in this was hard-earned, every loss was gut-wrenching devastation (Gretchen doesn’t pull any punches with this. I was ugly crying). I’ve fallen in love with this world and these characters over and over again and had my heart ripped out more than once.

I will say that during some of the side pov chapters, I found myself less immersed, and pushing through them because I wanted to be back with Elyria or Cedric. I know there was a lot of moving parts to the plot and characters weren't always together, but a natural outcome of spending two books (minus a few chapters) just in the povs of our two main characters means i'm more emotionally invested in them and their journey. I found the increase in povs in this final book a bit jarring, and the main reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars.

Still, I finished this with a bit of a heavy heart, knowing that this series is done. I will miss our loveable knight in shining armour, his secret-softie shadow Queen, and the rest of the crew dearly. I do get the sense the door may be ajar for future spin-offs or novellas with certain charcters?! 👀 Fingers crossed we can revisit Arcanis and the gang again in future.

“I don’t think anyone in the history of this wretched world has ever loved another person as much as I do you.”


Being on GPF's arc team is a dream 🤩 Thank you so much Gretchen and the team for the early copy.

[Karly Rose · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I was never going to be ready to leave this world!! 😭😭 Such a great conclusion to this trilogy!

🗓️ ARC Review. Pub Date: October 20, 2026 🗓️
🎁 ARC gifted to me by Scarlett Press

Overall, I'm very satisfied with this conclusion. I fell in love with this world and characters in Smoke and Scar and have been obsessed with this series ever since. I'm still buzzing from how obsessed I am with Splintered Kingdom.

I will NEVER get enough of these characters, especially Elyria and Cedric. I cannot imagine two characters more perfect for one another, and their chemistry is off the charts. I also love the found family in this series—it's done super well where it further builds the characters together and as individuals.

THAT BATTLE SCENE?! *chefs kiss*

While I loved the introduction of more POVs, it's part of why I didn't this the full 5-star rating. It felt like those characters' stories were not fully baked. I love that it feels we're being set up for a spin off/their stories, but it felt a bit odd to introduce it at the end of this conclusion. I would've preferred for it all to stay within the epilogue.

The pacing of this book was a bit wonky at times, especially in the beginning. I thought the pacing of Splintered Kingdom was perfect, so maybe it's not entirely fair I'm comparing the two.

Regardless, I'll never stop recommending this trilogy. I love it with my whole heart.

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨4.5/5✨

My journey with this trilogy is done, and I couldn’t be happier with the way this book ended. Alright, like I’m not fully satisfied with everything because some things went the way I didn’t want them to go, and many characters I loved didn’t make it… but! Elyria and Cedric got their happy ending, and I’m just so happy about it!!!

The romance is full-blown here, the spice is exceptional, and the writing is as great as always. Elyria is still one of my favourite FMCs, and she reminds me so much of another FMC that I really love. The whole trilogy has my whole heart because of the found family trope — like yes, thank you, Gretchen — and in this book I couldn’t ask for it to be better shown. It was amazing.

Not full 5 stars as some parts of the book were slower (especially the beginning), and I didn’t necessarily enjoy that many different points of view. Not that I don’t love those characters, but the book was long anyway, and I found them a bit underwhelming. I still loved the book as a whole.

Without a doubt, this series will be one of my favourite series I’ve ever read! (can’t wait for a reread some time in the future 🤭😌)

As always, thank you to the author Gretchen Powell Fox for sending me this ARC! As always, it’s been a pleasure!!!! 🫶🏼❤️




ahhh I forgot! for my safety girlies: completely safe, no ow/om drama, no cheating, no sharing, no breakups, couldn’t be safer

[Kelcey | felinebooktrovert ✨️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Scarlett Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, a disappointing end to a disappointing series for me.

This whole series had so much potential, but the writing choices just tanked it for me.

I will say, the beginning and ending of this book were pretty good. Very fast paced and engaging. But the middle...same problem as the second book for me. Just absolutely nothing for the whole middle of the book. A couple stand out scenes here and there, but the book completely lost its pacing once Elyria was saved. Why? It was a great sequence and the opportunity to build off of that was endless.

But there were so many interesting things happening...that were completely off the page. Why didn't we get more of an insight to Nox disappearing? One minute he's there and then the next they allude to him just having peaced and that was it. Then he's gone for almost the rest of the book. Why didn't we get anything with Elyria's surgery? We go from the night before to jumping to three days later. Why didn't we get the invasion at the end before the final showdown?

And what was the ending with Nox? Where did this relationship come from between Kit and Tenny? The whole time that Kit and Nox were separated, they were only thinking about and worrying about the other. But then the end throws Tenny in there like it's some sort of throuple that had 0 support or development?

I don't know...I think I'm in the minority here. I think maybe this is a good introductory romantasy before you've read any of the master pieces yet.

[MillennialMomReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This finale to the Shattered Crown series from Gretchen Powell Fox is everything you could want in a series ending. I loved the multiple new POVs and felt they did a good job of portraying the complex plot without feeling overly complicated or burdensome. Gretchen is an expert at writing heartbreak and victory, anguish and joy and everything in between and you feel ALL OF IT in this story. I think one of the most beautiful things in Gretchen’s books is that the characters are well fleshed out and the plot doesn’t depend on immaturity or miscommunication to move at a steady pace. This is a refreshing thing to see in Romantasy! I’m super grateful to be on Gretchen’s street team and have gotten early access to this ARC copy. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

[Valencia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Gretchen for the e-ARC of Shadow & Son! Returning to Arcanis was something I’d been so excited for ever since finishing Splintered Kingdom on a cliff hanger, and I was really looking forward to seeing how Elyria and Cedric’s story would conclude. Unfortunately though, this book didn't resonate with me personally.

This is not a spoiler-free review.

1) Pacing

One of the biggest things I struggled with in this final installment was the pacing, particularly surrounding Elyria’s captivity. Since rescuing her is such a major driving force of the story, I expected to feel far more emotionally invested in what she endured. While her time with Malakar was undeniably dark, a lot of it felt glossed over rather than deeply explored, which made it difficult for me to fully connect with the FMC-in-peril arc emotionally. Ironically, the relationship that affected me most throughout the book was actually Elyria’s relationship with her father. Their dynamic carried some of the strongest emotional weight for me, which is why I found myself disappointed that there wasn’t a true heart to heart reunion or sense of closure between them by the end.

2) The magic system

I find this a common problem with many romantasy books unfortunately - the magic system is underdeveloped. Cedric unlocking new Sunfyre abilities had the potential to be incredibly exciting, but many of these power developments felt sudden and insufficiently explained. Rather than seeing meaningful progression or a deeper exploration of the lore, it sometimes felt like abilities simply appeared when the plot required them. The life bond between Cedric and Elyria especially stood out to me as something that could have benefitted from much more depth and clarity, because beyond “they’re bonded and now stronger,” as a power-up to fight Malakar, there wasn't much more substance.

3) An oversimplified villain

Another unfortunate thing that deterred me from connecting with this story was the lack of any real motivations from Malakar who is your typical "i just want to take over the world" villain. He has no other motivations besides that and I have found that this works in other series when the villain is cunning and manipulative but Malakar lacks depth and complexity. His plans are predictable, his agenda is predictable and he always shows up exactly when you expect him to.

4) The multi-POV was messy

The multi-POV structure was another aspect that didn’t fully work for me. Once the main couple got together, I usually need more emotional tension between them or stronger development from the side characters. Unfortunately, many of the additional POVs felt disconnected from the main story. Several chapters focused on characters coordinating politics, relaying messages, or attempting to gather support, but these sections often disrupted the momentum for me rather than adding to it. I also struggled to feel attached the side characters because they didn’t feel distinct enough beyond one or two defining traits (e.g. Jocelyn having her wings chopped off). The sudden introduction of a dwarven clan of mercenaries near the final battle made it difficult to keep track of who was who and the character deaths unfortunately held little meaning to me when I couldn't really remember who they were.

That said, I still appreciated the ambition and scale of this finale, and there were moments between Elyria and Cedric that reminded me why I loved returning to Arcanis in the first place. The world itself still has such an immersive atmosphere, and I’ll always appreciate the emotional foundations that were built earlier in the series. While this conclusion ultimately didn’t fully land for me personally, I’m still grateful for the opportunity to revisit these characters and this world one last time.

[Heather Becht (fantasyromantasy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️
"𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘌𝘭𝘭𝘦."

THIS SERIES. THE LOVE. THE FOUND FAMILY. EVERYTHING. STRAIGHT PERFECTION.
I don’t think that I can put into words how much I love this series and while it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to this world, the journey was such an incredible ride and the ending was so satisfying. There are some series that you read and know that they will stick with you forever and The Shattered Crown series is one of them for me.

I absolutely LOVE Elyria. She is such a fierce and dynamic FMC, and her character growth over this series is superb. Cedric. Oh sweet Cedric. I love him more than words can describe. His love and passion bleeds through the pages. Their relationship is truly one for the books!!! The found family in this series speaks to me on a different level. I am obsessed with the “side” characters and their journey. There were some devastating and heartfelt moments where I absolutely shed some tears. But I also swooned and laughed out loud so many times. The high-stakes action had me flipping pages so fast and staying up so late.

This ending wrapped up the story so perfectly. I was on the edge of my seat until the very end and couldn’t tear my eyes away. Thank you for such an incredible series. I can’t wait to read any and everything that you publish in the future!

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙑𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨
Slow-Burn Romantasy
Forbidden Love
Baddie Shadow Mommy x Sun Daddy MMC
Prophecies
Political Intrigue
Found Family
“My Wife”
Snarky Banter
Possessive MCs
High-Stakes Action
Epic Battles
Fated Mates

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.”

[Kat | Tropes TBD · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thanks to Scarlett Press for providing me with an eARC of this book!

Good conclusion to this series! Glad I finished and saw the conclusion of this series. This lost a little bit of tension for me but was overall a solid conclusion.

I liked book 2 quite a bit more than book 1 so I was excited to continue on in this sequel, We get a few more perspective series and some potential set up for spin off series but we remain mostly with Cedric and Elyria, which I think mostly worked. The difficulty with a trilogy when the main couple gets together in book two is how to keep readers interested and maintain tension. This book is a step up from book 2 in terms of sex scenes, but I found it did lose a lot of the romantic tension. I still enjoy Cedric and Elyria enough that this didn't both me too much, but I did find myself skimming sex scenes as they didn't always do anything to further the actual relationship or character development. As an example, Elyria is kidnapped by Malakar in the beginning of this book and his actions towards her are very traumatic. Cedric and her never really have an actual conversation about what happened to her, how it may effect their relationship, or how Cedric could help her manage the trauma. Having those sorts of intimate conversations would go a long way to show how they are continuing to deepen their relationship beyond just different titles and more sex.

There are definitely a lot of large action scenes. Action scenes are very hard to write well. They were pretty good here in terms of the actual writing. I think by book 3, you probably know if you enjoy her writing style. I did feel like there were several times where the solution of their problems came out of nowhere and without much effort or sacrifice from the characters. I never actually felt like there was much of a chance anything could really go wrong. Like I said, it seems like this author may want to write a separate book or series about the side characters but I think there was still a way to make the reader believe they could die and maintain some tension.

Having now completed the series, I do wish there was just a bit more world building. I never felt like I had a sense about who the cultists were, why they chose to become cultists, how they benefited from that choice, etc. The motivations of the villain are fairly clear - he wants to rule - but that's not a super compelling motivation and it doesn't explain why people follow him.

Overall I liked this series. I liked the relationship and the fantasy elements were interesting enough. I would definitely read more from this author, either books in this world or beyond it.

[Stacey | read.with.stacey · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the e-arc and libro fm + Simon Maverick for the alc 🫶

💭: This was a great conclusion to the series! I thought the pacing was well done and I was hooked from the beginning. There was a good mix of action and romance. I enjoyed seeing the FMC overcome some pretty big obstacles and I loved seeing her relationship with the MMC deepen further. I love the side characters in this series (excellent found family!) and they continued to be great in this book. I also love the shadow animal companion. I thought the main storyline wrapped up very well but I was excited to see that the storyline for one fav character was left a bit more opened ended… hopefully on purpose 🤭🤞.

🎧: This book is narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker (FMC), Dan Calley (MMC), and Tyla Collier (side character POVs). The narration between the FMC and MMC was always a duet narration style. I really enjoyed the audio for this one! The narration was well paced and clear and I loved the range of voices and accents. Would definitely recommend the audio as I really enjoyed my immersive read!

[Ceacea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Dark Romantacy
⭐️4/5
🌶2.5/5
Cliffhanger: No (Series End)
Noteworthy: Book 3 of a completed trilogy. Multi third-person limited POV. Content warnings provided. Expected publication date is 10/20/2026.

I highly recommend this series as a whole to anyone who wants to read a darker romantacy than say an ACOTAR but doesn't want to dive into the deep end of the genre. It does have these darker more emotional elements without taking them to the extreme. This 3rd book in particular tackles some very sensitive content but is not explicitly graphic. Also, I absolutely love a human male/fae female dynamic and this series does it so well! Heads up the spice in this book is kicked up a notch as well.

This was a satisfying conclusion to the series. It gave us some harrowing moments and good action when we got it. It does feel a little slow in the beginning. The first 20% has us facing Elyria's captivity and Cedric's desperation to find her and although it happens over a span of months and over a hundred plus pages it feels a little surface level at times. As someone who is well versed in darker fantasy I think having Elyria tell us about what she is going through a lot of the time instead of showing us kept me from fully emotionally investing in what was happening to her. Don't get me wrong there are some on page elements but it still felt like it could have connected us more with her journey had we experienced more with her.

Cedric had some major growth in this book. While I really liked him in book 1 and loved him in book 2, in this one he's an absolute star. He finally embraces who he's meant to be and his yearning evolves into I will burn the world for her territory. I mean, insert heart eyes! Another thing I loved is the relationship we get between Elyria and her father. What a great unexpected treat that was!

One thing through book 2 and 3 that I wasn't a fan of was the almost cartoonish nature of the big bad. I like clear and in depth motivations for villains I feel like I needed to understand Malakar better than we got to. I'm a big fan of villain POVs.

And speaking of POVs, we get plenty in this final installment. I understand the why's especially when everyone is trying to help find Elyria. But there are maybe some unnecessary chapters that felt a bit like filler. I love experiencing a story through the eyes of side characters but when it isn't furthering the plot it can drag down the pacing.

Overall I love how this book concluded the story. The conflict resolution was satisfying and had sufficient stakes. The relationship throughout the series developed very well from start to finish. And I appreciated the development of not just the found family but the related family as well. This is a 4/5 star series for me and a perfect intro into darker romantacy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Scarlett Press and Gretchen Powell Fox for this gifted eARC.

[PrettyBookish13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gods this was absolute perfection! I cried and laughed and cried some more, this was the best ending for the series and the epilogue scenes were amazing. I’ll update this review closer to release day

Updated review:
Shadow and Son is the most incredible ending to a trilogy I have read to date. I absolutely adore Cedric and Elyria’s story. This book was filled with old faces and new, joy, heartbreak and almost every emotion in between.
I’m sad that this story is over, but it will forever live in my brain.

[Julia · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Thank God that's over... I don't know why, but I had to force myself to finish this one. I actually enjoyed the first two books, but something just felt off here.

A magical dick apparently cured Elyria's PTSD and brought her wings back in record time. The villain turned out to be incredibly one-dimensional, with a motivation that basically boiled down to "because I want to, that's why." I still have no idea why anyone was following him in the first place. And don't even get me started on the romantic relationships. Both Nox and Kit's relationship and Kit suddenly kissing Tenny after Nox disappears felt like they came out of nowhere. Like, what even was that and what was the point???

Overall, though, this is still a decent romantasy read. The author clearly tried to strike a balance between the plot and the romance while putting a slightly different spin on some familiar genre tropes. Unfortunately, by the third book, the story still ended up falling back on a pretty formulaic plot, which is a shame.

[isabellerosereads · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ a satisfying, well-forged conclusion to a vivid romantasy trilogy!

Since this is a third book in a series coming out in October 2026, I obviously can’t say too much for spoilers sake but I do think lovers of this trilogy will really enjoy its ending.

This was definitely the spiciest and most romantic book in the series as a huge bonus - i just love what a loverboy Cedric Thorne is. We had some classic knightly rescue moments from him in this book which was outside his usual babygorl personification which was very fun, even though the situations he was rescuing our girl from was ABSOLUTELY TRAUMATIZING!!!

I will say there was nothing that really surprised me in this book, which is fine imo not every book has to be chock full of plot twists. Everything seemed to reach its natural conclusion with little character relationship threads being open-ended which the author does acknowledge as being purposeful. I always reiterate when recommending this series that while I think the writing and development allows it to standout amongst current new publications for me, it will still always feel a bit familiar to frequent romantasy readers, particularly with the fated mates, epic battles against the Big Bad and shadow/light based magic holdsrs.

The only thread i was really anticipating in this book that i kinda feel like wasn’t fully fleshed out/explained for me was the whole Elyria vs her dad thing. What exactly happened between the two of them and WHOOOO was elyrias mom??? Also seeing him acknowledge the Raefe event would have been nice.

Usually a conclusion is my favorite in a series but I will also admit the pacing in here wasn’t my favorite, particularly in the middle third of the book, as I felt like we kept revisiting a couple of different POVs to essentially rehash the same information we already learned about. I feel like if some of those yappier “feel good” scenes were replaced with some more impactful action or plotting, it might have felt a little more gripping to me personally.

Overall though, i was satisfied, i never cringed once and i genuinely had fun which is really all i can ask for from romantasy in my current moodreading state. Will always highly recommend this series as a “classic romantasy” read or even a good alternative intro to the genre as opposed to *other* certain largely recommended authors.

Thank you so much to Gretchen Powell Fox and Scarlett Press for the gifted e-ARC! All opinions are my own.

[Jessica ❥˚♑︎ · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

⋆˙⟡ ── ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ 3.75⭐️

The conclusion to this trilogy was..nice. I didn’t love it, but it was..fine. I’m not sure what it was that didn’t make it a solid 4 star read for me like the other books in the series, but I think I just..didn’t care as much after Part I. Parts II and III sort of dragged (with reason), and we got the payoff through the final battle in Part IV, which I do appreciate wasn’t TOTALLY predictable. Overall, I thought it was alright.

I love Elyria as an FMC. She isn’t whiny, she’s sharp, she’s witty. Flawed, yes, but she’s certainly likable.

This trilogy as a whole is such an easy read and doesn’t feel too heavy. It’s definitely plot-forward with loveable side characters that are all easy to get attached to. Nothing really devastated me in this book, and while I love a HEA, it’s also expected to get a bit gutted..especially in a fantasy. This doesn’t quite do THAT, so it’s good if you generally are looking to have a good time.

[✩₊*Shelby ⋆ ☾⋆ LiteraryFaery ⁺₊✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM NOT LEAVING THESE CHARACTERS. YOU CANNOT MAKE ME!!!!

[JensBookishWays · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so satisfying!!! I laughed, I cried, and I cheered on these amazing characters 💜

Chapter 14 is sheer perfection!!!

I am really heartbroken that this series is complete! I’m hoping and praying for a spin off series, prequel, anything really (fingers crossed).

FYI: There are some dark events in this book including torture and attempted SA. Also lots of battle gore and blood.

These characters have my heart! Elyria and Cedric’s love story and bond is magical. I love their love! Elyria is one of my all time favorite FMCs, and Sir Worrywart Cedric is officially on my book boyfriend list. Sid will forever be my favorite 🐈‍⬛ Thraigg was joined by six dwarves who are actually mercenaries, which was a fun play on the traditional seven dwarves.

The plot was medium paced throughout with lots of plot twists and lots of anxiety over if my favorite characters would survive! I love Gretchen’s writing style. Each time I had a question, it was immediately answered like she was in my head.

The world building is expanded past books 1 and 2. The imagery is fantastic! The bonds and binding of powers were interesting.

This book has spice, 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Overall, such a great final book in this trilogy! I absolutely love this series and recommend it to everyone!

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books pull you in with their world, but others make you want to stay because of the characters. Shadow and Son gave me both!

I absolutely loved the characters and the relationships in this story. The connections between them added so much depth and emotion, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. The world-building was incredibly atmospheric, creating a world that felt immersive and beautifully crafted. And the writing? Absolutely brilliant. Gretchen Powell Fox has such a lyrical quality to her prose that makes the story feel almost poetic. There’s something special about writing that can create such a vivid atmosphere while making you feel connected to the characters, and this book delivered on both fronts.

This is the kind of book you want to sink into and savor, taking in the beauty of the writing just as much as the story itself. If you love immersive world-building, compelling character relationships, and gorgeous, lyrical prose, I highly recommend adding this one to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

What I love most about a book is when the characters and the world stay with me even after I’ve finished reading, and Shadow and Son absolutely delivered that experience.

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Gretchen, this was quite the ending! It was bittersweet to say goodbye to such wonderful characters; it felt like being sucked into the in-between without anyone to get us out. As with the previous books, this one was filled with action. Not one word wasted, every second was packed with heavy emotions. Although it is a HEA, it wasn’t without heartbreak, and oh dear, did it hurt! But the journey was absolutely fulfilling. Our dear green flag, Ric, will forever be our knight in shining armor and Elle, our cider-loving bacon-addict shadow mommy. We will miss you!😭

I read an ARC of this book and I’m leaving this review voluntarily. I’m honored to be in Gretchen’s Arc team.

[Haley Hilbun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Advanced Reader Copy Review
First of all, I want to thank Gretchen Powell and her team for choosing me to be an ARC reader. After falling in love with the first two books of this series, the third and final epic conclusion was very high on my 2026 TBR list. I was ECSTATIC to have been chosen and have the opportunity to read this book early.

Before I dive in, I want to say that I overall did enjoy this book. I read through it pretty fast (a good sign), it had epic plot twists with ups and downs, and some pretty badass and heartfelt quotes. If you liked the first two books, I have no doubt you’ll find something to love in this one.

That being said, after finishing this last book, I did find myself feeling like there was something lacking. Another of the ARC readers already posted their review and I linked it below because I found myself agreeing with it exactly. It helped me put a finger on what I felt to be lacking in this final book.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I agree with the statements regarding the odd pacing, comments on the magic system and villain, as well as the confusing POVs.

This was hard for me to grapple with because I really felt like there was such a difference between the first two books and this 3rd book. I couldn’t give this book more than 3 stars, whereas the other two I rated higher.

I think part of my problem was the multiple POVs. Maybe if some of them were taken out and more time was instead spent on expanding on our two main characters (whom we love), there could’ve been a higher rating from me. I don’t think it needed to be broken into two books, 600 pages is a lot and makes for a good hefty romantasy, I think there just could’ve been some stuff cut out (maybe even put into a novella?) so that we could focus more on our main characters.

Elyria’s capture was brutal and traumatic, she needed more attention on her growth and battling through that. Almost being *aped is a BIG deal and I believe needed a lot more time to work through.

I also think that there could’ve been more growth between our two love interests in getting to know each other and navigating life as a couple. Book two essentially ended with their bonding mark and then they were almost immediately ripped apart. I would’ve liked to see them figure out how to do life together and maybe worked up more relationally towards the final “marriage” step at the end. Books one and two did SUCH a good job on this.

Also, the finale premise was good, but I think a lot of the deaths and almost-deaths were clustered together and not as impactful as they could’ve been.

But again, overall I loved this series. I loved the characters and following along with it all. I am so so sad this is over!

Will I be getting matching fancy hardback copies of all three cause they are so stunning?
YES!

Will I keep supporting Gretchen Powell?
ABSOLUTELY!

And will I continue telling everyone I know to read this series?
ALREADY ON IT!!!

Thank you again for this opportunity. Happy reading everyone!

[Dallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I don’t think anyone in the history of this wretched world has ever loved another person as much as I do you.”

SIR CEDRIC THORNE THE MAN THAT YOU ARE. This book had everything I wanted from the conclusion of this epic romantasy trilogy and more. I laughed, I cried, I kicked my feet and I blushed. Gretchen broke my heart a little bit with this one, that final battle was amazing and also such a hard read. Everyone grab your tissues for this one. I love this found family so much and it is so sad to be leaving this world behind (for now 👀). Elyria and Cedric forever have my heart and I love them even more after shadow and son. They had some of the most epic moments and this is definitely a series I will be coming back to and rereading. If you haven’t read this series yet what are you waiting for.

I loved the extra POVs we got this book and it feels like we have some teasing going on for some of the characters in this world, I will be very impatiently waiting to see them all again.

Thank you so much to Gretchen and her team for letting me read this ARC. I just about died when I got the email.

[Kayla T (kaylabobayla) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

An epic end to a brilliant romantasy trilogy! Bring on the battles and the war!!

Our FMC Elyria is still sassy, strong willed and vulnerable all at once. And MMC Cedric has had a really great arc over this series, changing and growing and becoming a character I really enjoyed!

The romance is such a deep love, of a long term serious relationship, and it’s refreshing in a romantasy. The spice is also heaviest in this book out of the whole series (3🌶️). And there is a couple-focused moment in this book (trying not to give plot spoilers) that’s just the cutest ever!

The pacing did oscillate between slow emotional deep diving and then quick moving action and battle sequences, but I enjoyed the balance in the plot! It felt appropriate for the culmination of this story.

I listened to the final 25% while doing a workout and it was extremely motivating!! I can only hope we get more in the future regarding side characters, because it was so fun exploring everyone’s motivations in this trilogy as the books have gone on. HUGE thank you to Gretchen Powell Fox, Scarlett Press, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Paulina Mierzejewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending to the perfect series! I absolutely adored the found family and romance! Elyria is a dynamic bombshell that is one of my favorite fmcs. I was heartbroken, laughing, you name it. The reminder that healing can coexist with darkness - hit my soul.
The pacing was absolute perfection!!

"She wanted the light that burned inside him to wash over her, wanted to nestle against his heart and live there." 😮‍💨💞

So honored to be on Gretchen’s arc team.

[ShaynaReadsFantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There couldn’t be a more perfect ending to this trilogy. Each plot line was beautifully wrapped & each character completed stunning character arcs. (except one I suspect is purposely left open ended for future stories) I already want a reread, it’s so bittersweet to be saying goodbye to this world after being immersed in it for so many years. If you love deep characters with trauma that heal, change and grow you need to pick up this series.
We pick right back up after the shattering(lol see what I did there) cliffy we were left on from Splintered Kingdom and hit the ground running. This book was packed with action and challenges as our charming Sir Worrywart takes charge and really steps into his power after working through so much about his self identity in the last book. He is really taking charge and giving DADDY THORNE in this book. I will never not be obsessed with Cedric and his sweet babygirl energy, but it was so refreshing to see him being a multifaceted king, taking charge and stepping into the power he has, I have such proud mom feelings about his journey in this series, but also like I wanna jump his bones LOL
Elyria’s layers are peeling back like an onion, more and more and showing new sides to her character as well and it is SO refreshing. She’s still her snarky baddie self but she is letting Cedric & the gang in and being vulnerable, and we love to see it!
I am so obsessed with how Ric & Elle have grown together as a couple and individuals through this series. Their love is maturing and their connection is deepening as they navigate saving Arcanis from Malchior once and for all. This one has some of the bestttt spicy scenes, with some of my favorite microtropes making an appearance, they’re a much needed reprieve from the intense battles and suspense.. They deserved that.
The way the found family has deepened through each book in the series is one of my favorite things! The gang has been growing and evolving together through 3 books and I’m so proud of all of them, even some of the characters I thought I’d never like🥹
This one is DEFINITELY a tear-jerker. I was sobbing a few times throughout this book, from the traumatic & intense battle moments to the deep and quiet internal reflections the emotions are running HIGH.
The plot had me on the edge of my seat the entire book, each chapter left me REELING from the mini cliff hangers each time, this is high stakes epic romantasy, get the tissues and prepare yourself for the pulse pounding suspense moments. 
The ending was pure perfection and I am always so anxious for that HEA to hit just right but Gretchen finished this out so perfectly. Ok I’m gettin choked up again just thinking about it so I’m gonna wrap this up but first.
A huge thank you to Gretchen for having me on her team since the beginning, it’s been an incredible honor to be on this journey cheering you on. You deserve all the greatness that is coming to you! Thank you to Dr Emily for all her hard work and dedication to the Feral Foxies, we love you endlessly!

[SelkieReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this as the glacial pace of a snail because I did not want it to end.
I still don’t, I need novellas catching up with the gang every holiday

[Athena · Rating 2 out of 5]

It pains me to rate this low after I loved the first two books but I found this horrendously generic. One thing I loved about the first two books is that they reversed a lot of the cliches that are normally found in these types of books. This book was just chock full of them. The villain is very generic, and the romance between Elle and Cedric fizzles out as it's just them constantly saying they love each other and then attacking anyone who hurts them. Elle goes through horrific stuff in the beginning but it's all brushed aside for the power of love. I found it disappointing compared to the other books were Elle genuinely struggled with her problems. It honestly took me so long to read this because there wasn't any stakes that I cared about anymore. Some characters die and I couldn't even remember who they were. Well I'll always have the first two books but I have no urge to ever read this again.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

⭐ 3.5 | ❤️ 4/5

I want to preface this review of Shadow and Son by providing context on how I felt about the first two books, since my experience of the final installment of the series isn’t in a vacuum. Smoke and Scar is a book I widely recommend given how often people request books that subvert genre expectations. While the sequel Splintered Kingdom was a struggle for me due to the slow narrative progression and extended separation of Elyria and Cedric, I figured that this final installment would address most of my challenges with the 2nd book, and it does for the most part.

If you loved Splintered Kingdom, I highly recommend Shadow and Son. This book addresses and resolves four of my critiques from the sequel, one of which I will not discuss due to spoilers.

In the previous book, I was frustrated with the antagonist Lord Church feeling like a cartoon villain, but one of the highlights of this book for me was his character arc. He receives his own POV chapter that felt both true to him, while fleshing him out as person, warts and all. I never would have thought that the series could bring out feelings of sympathy towards him, but his arc was beautifully written. As an aside, I also want to make a shout out for Sid the shadow cat for being the MVP of book 3 while I’m recognizing stand out characters in this book.

I found that the previous book lacked the focus of Smoke and Scar and sometimes it felt meandering, but Shadow and Son felt more focused as it moved us towards the end game. There were some great battle sequences, which I feel Gretchen Powell Fox does well, which felt like a call back to the action in book one as they went through the trials.

Like its predecessor, there is more time devoted to Elyria and Cedric as a couple with increased spice. Book 2 took us from glimpses and kisses to open door spice, and this book took us home bumping up the spice to be explicit. The tone of the romance was a personal taste mismatch with me, but in case it’s a fit for you, I’d characterize the romance to be very sweet— a mouth full of cavities sweet, and at the worst of times, a little cheesy. “I love you” is mentioned no less than 18 times, and the leads describe each other as “perfect” ~14 times (the latter on par with book 2). The use of cutesy terms of endearment just wasn’t for me (Trouble, Sir Worrywart, Sir Sleepyhead, Sir Manners, Sir Knight). I found the frequent declarations of love by Cedric a bit over the top for my own taste; I prefer it demonstrated through actions over declarations in romance.

Another one of my issues with the 2nd book that got resolved in this book was Cedric’s naiveté. This book’s self awareness of it through the juxtaposition of Cedric making naive assumptions always followed by ribbing from other characters turned something frustrating to an inside joke for readers.

While I generally enjoy the author’s writing style—particularly in the cinematic, descriptive quality of how she writes about the manifestation of magic, sometimes I found myself skimming, when the story would go longer than necessary about something not important to the plot. There were some stylistic writing quirks during intense moments that were jarring for me like the repetition of a word 3 times for emphasis (e.g. [word], [word], [word]) and generous use of em dashes (e.g. 4 em dashes in one sentence). There were also redundant words and information shared (e.g. same information shared with very similar response in two different POV chapters of different characters) as well as repetition of certain words or phrases (e.g. “there was nothing” x9) that pulled me out of the story.

There were a handful of continuity issues that hopefully will get resolved by the time this is published. For example, objects already having been prepared for a specific ritual ready in Elyria’s tent, when moments earlier, her father was surprised that she was even entertaining the idea of doing said ritual so it was confusing that he apparently had the foresight to procure ritual objects. Another example would be Lord Church stating that thousands of nights had passed since he last spoke and yet it was only days/weeks ago when he spoke to Elyria when she was captive (as noted by his amber eye color).

In the previous book, I noted that Kit felt less developed than the other characters. In this book, I felt like a reveal regarding Kit and another character felt surprising, since I didn’t pick up on its development at all. It looks like the book is setting us up for a future novella with Kit.

Should you read this book? If you loved the action sequences of Smoke and Scar and wished that it was spicier, then you should give this book a try so long as you don’t mind a romance that’s very sweet in nature. If you loved the second book, what are you waiting for?

1. Smoke and Scar ⭐ 4.5 | ❤️ 1/5
2. Splintered Kingdom ⭐ 3.25 | ❤️ 3/5
3. Shadow and Son ⭐ 3.5 | ❤️ 4/5

CW: suicide ideation, graphic violence

This review is based on an ARC provided by Scarlett Press & the author. All opinions are my own.

[liz · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

An ultimately very satisfying conclusion to an action packed trilogy full of the most charming found family.

I loved the first two books of this series so much but I had a lot of trouble wanting to get through this one. I don’t know if it was just right book / wrong time (it was an arc so I HAD to read it and don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood right now and that might be the issue), or if it was just the pacing of it but it felt so stagnant for me.

I love this series and the fact it’s a 200+ year old jaded Fae warrior FMC and a very shy nervous polite knight that is figuring things out still. I love all the side characters specifically TRISTAN MY BELOVED!!!
Kit and Tenny POV I could not get through quick enough. And while I LOVE Tenebris Nox I did not understand their entire random side quest plot and why that was just a new thing in book 3? Hmm….maybe we’re getting a spin off >:)

The first 1/3 was excellent and had my full attention. Cedric being so agonized and desperately trying to get back to Elyria was so well done. Peak tortured yearning.
But once they got reunited it had my least favorite trope ever - dilly dallying with a world ending war looming on the horizon.
Why are they smooching so much? Why the heck at 75% are we all drinking at a bar? And look I get it the whole time it was reflecting on the fleeting happy moments because tomorrow is not promised. But I was like damn can we please go fight this man already? People are dying and I’m itching for some type of action.
It redeemed itself for the last 15% and honestly that shit SLAPPED and I was happy with the closure we got.

And I don’t want this to sound like I’m just shitting all over the book because I promise I’m not. This series and these characters are everything to me. It does have the same humor and charming dialogue as in the first two books. The found family is there and even more adoring than before. But while the others were great, to me this one was just good. I wish I loved this one just as much in the end.

Thanks to Scarlett Press & NetGalley for the eARC.

[Mia · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

What a great ending to such a fun and addicting trilogy! I’ve really enjoyed this series, and I’m sad to say goodbye to these characters. This was a really good way to wrap everything up, and I was invested in seeing how it would all end.

I loved seeing more of Cedric and Elyria and how their story came together. The romance, found family, action, and emotional moments were some of my favorite parts. I was also sad about some of the minor character deaths because I had grown attached to them too!

Maybe I’m just being picky, but the villain felt a little stereotypical to me. He gave me the classic take over the world, muahaha! vibes, and I wish there had been a little more depth to him. It’s also been a while since I read Splintered Kingdom, so I forgot some smaller plot points and side characters that never really clicked back into place for me.

The only other thing I kept cringing at was when characters would swear and say things like “stars-a-f*cking-bove” or “stars damn.” Maybe that’s just a me thing, but some of those phrases just weren’t doing it for me lol.

Also, I NEED Tenebris Nox to get his own spinoff! He’s such an interesting character, and I wasn’t completely happy with how his story ended. I feel like there’s still so much more to explore with him, and I would absolutely read an entire book about him!

Overall, this was such a fun, emotional, and addicting trilogy. Even with a few small complaints, I think this was a great conclusion, and I’m really going to miss these characters. I just hope we get more from this world someday!

Thank you Netgalley and Scarlet Press for this ARC!