Shades of Darkness

Ravenborn #1

by A.R. Kahler

Islington Arts Academy is not an average high school. Nestled in the forests of Michigan, surrounded by trees and nature and virtually no evidence of civilization, it is an oasis for those looking to get away. Perfect for a student like Kaira Winters, who wants nothing more than to put her past behind her and focus on the present…and her looming graduation, just a few months away.

But the past has a way of returning when least expected.

Kaira knows that what happened before, at her old school, wasn’t normal. She knows that what happened to her ex-boyfriend wasn’t natural. But she refuses to believe that the recent death on campus, the one that left everyone on edge, has anything to do with her. She refuses to believe that she could be at fault again.

But just as the past always returns, the truth can never stay hidden for long.

Even if Kaira didn’t cause the first death at Islington, or the second, or the third, she has the ability to find out who did. She has the obligation to stop whatever is coming to campus. To end the darkness that is falling with the same snow that once blanketed the woods in beauty.

But to embrace this power—to relinquish herself to the ancient entity that has been lurking in the corners of her mind–is to let go of her humanity…and Kaira doesn’t know how far she can go before she loses herself completely.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Mythology, Fiction, Boarding School

294 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2016

About the author

Author, circus artist, and full-time wanderer.
I'm a weekly blogger at the YARebels (I'm Friday!). I also, er, do a lot of other things.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kaira Winters has some dark secrets in her past that she refuses to share with anyone. Running from her past she has chosen to attend Islington Arts Academy nestled in the forests of Michigan. Kiara's made a couple of friends but she still holds them at arm's length not letting them know what it is that she is hiding from. When a student is found dead on campus though Kiara feels that somehow her past is catching up to her and she is to blame.

Unfortunately as great as the synopsis for this book sounded it ended up being another that I just didn't really care for in the end. I'm sure some people may love this one but for me the pacing was just way too slow for my taste which ended up making me just feel extremely bored by the time anything really starts to happen. There are probably 75-100 pages of just general character and setting set up at the start of the book before you ever start to bring anything else into the mix and even then it's very slow to add anything else.

Also, Kiara said a few things in the beginning of this book that really turned me off of her as a character so with a bit of disconnect from early on I found it hard to get behind her as I was learning her story. A few of the supporting characters were much more likable so it's unfortunate that the main character didn't appeal to me.

Shades of Darkness is the first book in the Ravenborn series and at the end of it there's a bit of an explanation finally for what had been going on but it really doesn't give too much information either leaving the reader hanging on for the next book. Unfortunately, I'd have to say that I probably wouldn't continue on with the story as this one just didn't capture my attention enough to want to know more.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Stacee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the synopsis for this and figured the strangeness would be right up my alley, yet I'm not entirely sure what I just read.

Kaira is an interesting character. She's got some things going on and while I can understand the reasons behind her pushing everyone way, the hot and cold got annoying. I loved her BFF Ethan and roommate Elisa. There were a few or the great characters as well.

I loved the boarding school setting and the art. The idea of this book was really cool, but it felt like nothing was ever explained. There were a lot of vague hints and half explanations, but never enough for me to feel like I knew what was happening or why.

Overall, it had a taste of unreliable narrator and I loved that, but the lack of full disclosure left me wanting. The ending was intriguing, so I may read the next one, but I'm not sure.

**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**

[Stacie (Shy Book Nerd) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh man, I am sorely disappointed with this book. I was expecting some cool Norse mythology, but pretty much nothing happens. I meanly literally, through out most of the book we just hear about the lives of boarding school and their art. Sure some parts got dark and mysterious but nothing gets explained until the very end. By then I tuned out because I could care less what happened to Kaira. Plus the author does not explain anything about the Norse gods. It is as though we are expected to know what god they are talking about. The only saving grace that kept me from stopping was Kaira's friends. I love Ethan, Oliver, and Elisa. They were the comedic relief to Kaira's seriousness. I kind of wish that it was more from their point of view rather than hers. I don't think I will continue the series even though the ending got interesting. We'll see when the time comes.

**Thank you to the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.**

[Anastasia ｼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review on my blog!

Though this novel does begin a little slow, and drags a bit in the beginning, it ends with one hell of a surprise and bang. The characters are amazing and seem all to real.

Kaira sends herself to an art academy due to some supernatural events that happened during her freshman year of high school. Kaira is about to graduate and all the seniors are finishing up their art thesis'. The night before the first two thesis' are due a student commits suicide. Kaira and her friends are shocked by the student's death and Kaira realizes there's more to what happened. A battle between the gods has started and several of the students are instrumental to the gods war.

This book will keep you flipping pages long into the night and the big reveal does not disappoint! You'll never look at crows the same way again. I can't wait to read book two! 

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[Celeste · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't like this book. I didn't mind the main character and the setting, but the story took forever to get going and there is a big mystery that is eluded to until the last quarter of the book and by then I didn't even care what it was I just wanted to be put out of my misery. The ending was horrible and there is a supernatural element but who knows what that was about. Bad writing and poor execution. I wouldn't have finished it if I didn't have to do a book talk on it. Also horrible language and we spent the first twenty pages clarifying all the characters different gender identities.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

So overall this book was pretty good but there were a few things I didn't like
1. It started off a little confusing and took me about 40/50 pages to get into it
2. The main character has so many problems and dark secrets it's just not relatable so I didn't like her
3. Her secret is really confusing and doesn't make sense and is just plain weird

Other than that it's pretty good I love Ethan and Chris (but his backstory is a little weird too) and I think it would have been better if it was realistic fiction vs Norse mythology

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cupcakes, I've always been super picky on my "Waiting on Wednesday" posts, which is one of the reasons why I don't do many of those to begin with. To make it as my W.O.W pick, a title has to beckon me to read it; it needs a cover that pulls me in and a synopsis that promises me all the crazy drama this ridiculous little book nerd could ever need. In the case of Shades of Darkness A.R. Kahler, it had everything I was looking and it easily became my "Waiting on Wednesday" pick and a highly anticipated title!

"Prepare your kidneys, Ethan. We're about to consume more coffee than any mortal has before."

Shades of Darkness was mysterious, dark, and full of twists I had no way of anticipating. Kaira, the protagonist in A.R. Kahler's latest, had an interesting and wonderful aura about her, although, at times, she proved difficult to understand. Trying to unravel her character and getting to know her proved to be a challenge, but overall it most definitely worked out in the long run. Overall, I found Shades of Darkness to be quite an entertaining read and absolutely cannot wait to see what A.R. Kahler has in store next!

"The gods walk, something inside me whispered."

On a related note: upon writing my review, I noticed that there were a few low ratings for Shades of Darkness on Goodreads. As always, I'm very curious on the thoughts of others who experienced the same novel I enjoyed differently, so I took it upon myself to have a fun bookish chat with someone who didn't exactly fall in love with the title. What I took from it was that we both agreed it had a slow build up, however in my experience I saw Shades of Darkness as a sort of prelude to the events, I can only speculate, will be extremely exciting in the next installment in the Ravenborn series. With that said, it just goes to show you that not every reader absorbs a book the same way as another reader would, however I do recommend this: try Shades of Darkness by A.R. Kahler, but keep an open mind based on all the exciting possibilities in Ravenborn #2. As I mentioned, it's unique mythology will suck you in and Kaira will become a character you'll enjoy.

[Nicole Craswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

There was a lot about this book that I really liked and a lot that I was really meh about. Plot wise it was really, really interesting. It felt kind of like reading a mystery novel for parts of it, just trying to put together the pieces of Kaira's past as we learned more. I loved the mythology aspect, I'm not super familiar with Norse mythology so I can't speak to how accurate things were but it was definitely interesting.

I also loved the setting. I mean I'm a sucker for a good boarding school story. The combination of the boarding school and the fact that it was this really cool specialized art school was really interesting. It may have been my favorite aspect of the book. I loved reading about all the art that surrounded the characters and hearing the descriptions of all the different theses.

My main issue was the writing style. A lot of it felt kind of info dump-y. Whenever we would meet a new character or go to a new location there was almost always a paragraph of description about what they looked like that just felt kind of awkward. Just In general the writing style felt more like something from a kids book or just from a younger audience/author. That's not necessarily to say it was bad, it just felt very... Basic.

I also struggled with the main character. For the most part I enjoyed her personality but she seemed kind of forced-quirky. Every element of her from the colored streaks in her hair, to her habit of drawing weird shapes on her face in eyeliner for some unexplained reason, to her penchant for 1950s slang. I do however appreciate her determination to stick to her decisions/morals (not quite the right word but it's close enough). Near the beginning of the book she tells people she doesn't want to date (for mysterious ex related reasons) and she doesn't just throw that out the window the second a cute guy comes into her life.

So yeah, there were a number of issues I had with the books but for the most part it was pretty enjoyable. I'm probably going to continue on with the series.

[Eileen (BookCatPin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shades of Darkness was one of those books where you didn't know what to expect until things happened. For the most part, I enjoyed it. The writing evoked emotions and A.R. Kahler did an excellent job setting up the dark tone to the story. However, the slow pacing made the first half of the story a bit boring.

Like I already said, this book was a slow read. There was a bunch of hinting and foreshadowing but nothing really happens until about three quarters of the way in. Then the story really takes off. I never fully understood the underlying Norse mythology but I could appreciate the significance of the twists and reveals. The impact was just lessened because of the minimal amount of information we got.

I found the boarding school setting to be really neat. I would love to see the place and the artworks it displays. The artistry and creativity had a strong presence in the story. What I enjoyed the most in Shades of Darkness was the atmosphere the author creates- the lightness when it was a group of friends surviving schoolwork and the darkness when unexpected deaths occurred. The creepy, ominous vibe made me shiver every time a raven or crow was mentioned (which was a lot).

Past trauma has made Kaira afraid to take chances. Even when a cute genuine boy takes an interest in her. It was sad to see her so withdrawn but she had her reasons. Her life at Islington Arts Academy would've been very different if not for the sweet friends she made. The love and friendship between Kaira, Ethan, Oliver, Chris and Elisa made me so happy. Ethan especially, with his quirky personality and one-liners, made me laugh despite the heaviness of the plot. These friends are definite keepers.

Just a note that Shades of Darkness does end on a cliffhanger. One that requires more explanations which hopefully we'll get in the second book. I will be continuing this series because something big is coming and I want to know!

[Jeninne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kind of feel misled in a way. This was supposed to be an urban fantasy kind of book, right? It is not. It's a teenage angst book with poorly developed or explained supernatral elements. Featuring petty, underwhelming characters, a convoluted and abrupt ending, and an unlikable main character who calls her bff homo and talks about how she's this conglomerate of Native American that makes people stare because apparently they're just dying to know her ethnicity, but then also emphasizes how important it is that she use makeup to hide her features.

This book isn't an offensive one, but does not deserve two stars. 1.5 is the verdict.

[Courtney Robeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I had expected, but it was really good. I know this book got a lot of crappy reviews, but I thought it was a very innovative book with a plot I haven’t heard before. This book seemed to make up its own mythology, which was super interesting. Honestly, the only reason Im giving this four stars instead of five is because of all the tarot stuff with Kaira and her mom, which was a little uncomfortable at times. Otherwise, super good book, and now I’m craving the sequel, which I just found out was a thing.

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shades of Darkness has a unique genre meshing premise the author forgot to actually mesh. You read sections of contemporary and sections of mystery and sections of mythology but they all feel entirely separate from each other. It's like listening to a teenager talk about her mundane high school experience and then suddenly the plot remember to exist and you get a 2 page info dump.

The mystery isn't one and the love story is boring. This book randomly decides it hates straight people despite centering around a straight relationship. Our narrator is constantly gushing over her hot, sexy gay friends but Chris, the actual love interest is barely given the light of day. She mentions liking Chris because she's never met a straight boy who could talk about emotions before and... I just don't understand how I was supposed to read a book that craps all over straight guys for the entire first act and then root for Straighty McWonderbread to win the MCs heart at the end. Nothing about this book beyond the synopsis really worked for me.

[Megan Houde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I enjoyed this and figured I would because I love Alex’s work. His Immortal Circus is amazing. This one took a myth and turned it modern. I loved the whole aspect and the characters. And of course that cliffhanger ending that has me ready for the next.

[CR Daylex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this because cover love and it's queer ... but alas it was boring and the pacing of the writing was way off.

[Natália Lopes · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This is what's important. Where you are, not where you've been. Your past can't hurt you unless you let it."

Esse livro foi uma leitura interessante, gostei da mistura de mistério com toque paranormal e mitologia nórdica, além de quê adoro esse ambiente de internato no meio do nada, sempre traz uma atmosfera mais sombria. A questão de saúde mental é algo muito bem abordado no livro, principalmente por conta do passado da protagonista e eu achei que foi trabalhado na medida certa. Porém, tenho algumas questões - a trama só começa a desenrolar mesmo quase que na metade do livro, e a protagonista demora horrores para enveredar mesmo e fazer alguma coisa com relação aos acontecimentos (sendo que ela é, talvez, a única que possa fazer algo), e enquanto isso as coisas giram muito em torno do dia-a-dia e dinâmicas entre o grupo de amizade da Kayla. Algumas coisas meio que ficam ali girando em círculos, e já começava a me cansar, até que tudo engatou. Gostei do romance, achei o casal com química, mesmo que nada UAU. O final foi interessante, e parece que deixou tudo setado para a continuação, porém a) já vi resenhas péssimas do segundo b) não tem o terceiro por que a editora dropou, então a história NÃO TEM FINAL….ai infelizmente não tem como dar continuidade. Como já não foi uma leitura 5 estrelas, não é algo que vou me desdobrar pra ler. Quem sabe, se algum dia o final vier, eu retorne a essa história? Por enquanto, ficarei apenas nesse livro mesmo.

[AJ (the.booknerd.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty decent book. Loved Ethan and Oliver, and also all the quirky and comedic quips between the characters. However, it lost the star for me because I thought it was a bit too confusing and vague. I understand that mystery was a factor in the vagueness, as to add to the suspense, but I feel the mythology and Kaira's past were a bit too under-explained. Regardless, I am anticipating the next installment, but I hope the sequel will clarify on some of the more underdeveloped world-building spots.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it took me a good bit of the way through the book to understand what was going on, I rather enjoyed the mystery and intrigue of it. I loved the suspense throughout the book. Wondering what happened that she is running from and what is really going on at the school. Seeing the big picture slowly develop was a refreshing change from having a good idea of where a story is headed from the beginning. Kudos.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A snowy Midwestern boarding school is the perfect playground for the paranormal to stalk angsty teens with dark back stories. The author taunts you with snippets of the kids' past deliciously until the very end. This book will keep you flipping pages long into the night and the big reveal does not disappoint! You'll never look at crows the same way again. I can't wait for the conclusion in book two, Echoes of Memory!

[Kelly Sierra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book took 34% to get into the actual plot, to the thick of the story. I had to wait 34% for the first murder and before that there was just a lot of talk about graduating, crows, and bad dreams. I was not interested with the flow of the story and found myself struggling to move forward.

2 stars.

[Liza]

Got only about 46 pages in before calling it quits.

It's just so dang boring and nothing's happened so far. Based on the other reviews, it sounds like it is a good thing I'm checking out early.

[°☆.。.:*・Nanna°☆.。.:*・ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The beginning was slow and boring, and as I went on reading it didn't make my opinion any better. I just couldn't get into the book and just completely stopped reading after a few chapters.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quite a bit more than I thought I would. Really interesting infusion of cultures with a partial Native American and Norse mythology. Looking forward to how it all unveils.

[Zoë · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was such an easy and fun read. The setting was so much fun and added so much to the experience.

As I followed these characters I felt like I was in the group following just a few steps behind. I could imagine everything like a movie playing. Each chapter ended with me immediately going to start the next. I loved every character. Even the “side” characters felt well rounded. Everyone was messed up and had secrets to hide. I was left wanting to know everyone’s secrets and when I found them out I just wanted to give them a hug.

Even when I was reading about the characters eating or doing homework I was excited. Personally I liked reading about them doing some mundane things that sometimes are glossed over. In this book we got to see eating, walking to classes, homework, and sitting bored in class. Yet they were all done in ways we found out new information that was important to the story.

The last twenty pages were wild! When I finished the book I immediately ran into my office to grab the second book so I could read the first chapter! If that isn’t a sign of a good book I don’t know what is.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaira Winters transferred to Islington Arts Academy, in the woods of Michigan, as a junior visual arts student to escape from what happened to her at her former school. She strives to put her past behind her by throwing herself into her coursework and preparing for her senior project show, a paint and collage display of her life in tarot cards. However, Kaira can’t escape the crows that have followed her to the boarding school; she sees them everywhere, on her windowsill, on buildings, and in her nightmares. Remembering what happened previously, Her number one rule is to never fall in love again but, when Chris, an enamored classmate, wants to get to know her better, her resolve falters. After two girls commit suicide, Kaira feels responsible for not protecting them. Is there something cosmic at work here, a power that demands payment to even the score? When her academic advisor and literature teacher insists that she attend his independent group study on arcane aspects of mythology, the unimaginable happens and changes everything. The book ends with a totally unexpected twist, leaving loose ends that whet the reader’s appetite for Book 2.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't judge a book by its cover!

The only word that I can think of to describe this book is simply... alright. The characters, the setting, the buildup were ALRIGHT, but I debated putting the book down after around 100 pages. I usually love academy-setting books, but this one just lacked a plot. It seemed like a book about a normal girl going to an art school and the allusions to mythical undertone were, well, mythical! It wasn't memorable enough for me and by the time I reached the end of the book (when the ''action'' commences), I was flipping rapidly without caring too much. The characters just seemed dull and what seemed to be a promising book turned into a bit of a long enumeration of daily happenings.

I must admit that the cover was really beautiful and encouraged me to cough up the 6$ at Chapters for it, and give it an honest try all of the way through. The beautiful white cover and simple water-colour design was very pretty, but the story inside was dull compared to it.

Cover: 10/10
Story: 3/10

[Diana Hurwitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series as well as all the Circe de Immortals books. Ravenborn Shades of Darkness and Echoes of Memory take place at a boarding school and is just as magical as the Circ des Immortals story word and his cast as mesmerizing. Kaira Winters attends a boarding school deep in the woods of Michigan and then the bodies start falling. She is the only one who can stop the violence, but must come to to terms with who she is - a goddess buried deep within her. Five stars for plot, character, and descriptions and dialogue that sizzles. Highly recommend all of Kahler's books.
There are magical elements that some writers bring to the table that other writers simply lack. Their prose rises from the page to dance with you. The characters, the setting, the action are all brought to 3-D High Def life by word choice and sentence structure. It is the difference between reading "see spot run" and "see Spot shoot toward the exit, legs fueled by terror, chased by certain death."
When I find these amazing wordsmiths, it is like finding the most delectable dessert.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept, VERY slow

I really struggled to finish this book because it was so incredibly boring about 90% of the time. And I hate saying that about a book because it’s obvious the author did pour a lot of time and thought into it. Unfortunately, majority of the book was purely descriptive. Every page was drowning in details of the location, scenery, architecture, etc. and it all became very repetitive. Building up a clear idea of a scene is important, but this was just excessive.
The story had an extremely slow start. Nothing important or interesting happened until the 7th chapter and then it slowed down again. The ending was good and finally (thankfully) wrapped up the loose ends of the plot itself. The mystery of who or what exactly was the antagonist was finally made clear. I’m a sucker for cliffhanger endings no matter the quality of the book, but I definitely won’t be reading the next in this series.

[Alisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book was DNF'ed

I struggled to read this book. Even though the characters were at a Art camp, or special Art school. I couldn't really connect with the characters. To me it didn't seem like their was a lot of description to really show where they were at in terms of the school grounds, the surrounding woods, the coffee/tea shop, etc. Then about 85 pages in you give me a death of a unknown not really mentioned character. I couldn't take it after that. I wasn't interested in continuing on with the story. This book just wasn't for me. Sorry.

[Violet · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars.
I'm honestly quite disappointed in this book, I was so excited to come across a book that was set in Michigan (since, if a lot of them do exist, I somehow never come across them.) And I didn't expect it constantly to be all about Michigan or I'd find a different book, but the actual plot for this book, I really did not like and I can't really go into it without spoiling stuff. After a good bit of thought, I will not be continuing this series.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, it was a bit of a slow burn right away that almost had me not finishing it, but I kept on because I was intrigued about the main character’s past. It started to annoy me though just how withholding she was- it really slowed down the book. I think a lot of events could have been moved up to make this more thrilling, but it was exciting at the end though. *****But big trigger warning on this book for suicide. *****£*