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Even witches can’t outrun their curses.

Nadine

My magic’s been awakened, but being a witch is a death-wish. I’m the only Curse Breaker alive, and if the coven found out, they’d turn on me. I must hide who I truly am to ensure my freedom.

There’s a witch in town intent on driving me out of my home. Chloe has stepped up her mean-girl tactics, but I refuse to leave Octavia Falls. I must find a way to break the curse over our families before her powers are awakened.

As if one curse wasn’t enough. I’m on the verge of becoming the Reaper’s Shadow, the cursed mate of a Reaper’s Apprentice. Being with Lucas should be easy. I just have to outrun my darkness long enough to break the curse...

Lucas

Two children have gone missing from the coven, and no magic can find them. I want to help, but I barely know how to help myself.

The only way to get my hands on information is to pursue my own investigation.

Meanwhile, I fear that I’ve damned Nadine to a cursed life. If only I could keep my hands off her long enough to save her from death.

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2020

108 people are currently reading
364 people want to read

About the author

Alicia Rades

68 books738 followers
Alicia Rades is a USA Today Bestselling Author of over forty young adult and new adult paranormal novels. Her stories follow characters in equal-dynamic romantic relationships and feature themes of discovering and claiming one's inner power. When she's not dreaming up magical stories, she's either binge-watching paranormal TV shows, meditating, or making crafts and cooking with her family. Her favorite tropes are small-town mysteries, witches, and magical academies set in the modern world. She has an unhealthy obsession with psychic characters and writes with a deck of tarot cards next to her computer.

Never miss a new release. Sign up for Alicia's newsletter at http://www.aliciaradesauthor.com/news...

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5 stars
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116 (29%)
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Jenny  Zimmerman.
1,664 reviews71 followers
February 17, 2023
Wow, what a wild ride full of many twists and turns!!

The characters are still amazing and I still love getting to know each character. Nadine is still my favorite character and I feel as if I still have a strong connection with her. She went through so much.

The storyline was incredible. There were so many twists and turns and shocking and jaw dropping scenes throughout the story and I was completely reeled in from beginning to end and I just couldn't put the story down. I highly recommend this read!!!
Profile Image for Debbie Eyre.
5,913 reviews116 followers
December 2, 2020
Wow this kept me on my toes. With a fast paced storyline filled to the brim with drama, magic, action, secrets and so much more, you will be sucked into the story and will not be able to put this down! With incredible world building and an exciting and captivating story and great characters you cannot go wrong.
Profile Image for Janice perry.
176 reviews8 followers
January 28, 2021
Wonderful

This book was amazing and suspenseful. I am very excited for more of this series. The characters are fun and the plot was great.
Profile Image for Nancy (The Avid Reader).
3,071 reviews128 followers
November 17, 2020
Nadine’s magic has awakened. A dark shadow is hanging over her head. She has a secret that she must never let the coven find out. Nadine is the only Curse Breaker alive. That’s not the only problem she has.

Nadine is endangered of becoming the Reaper’s Shadow. Nadine’s boyfriend Lucas is the Reaper’s Apprentice and all she needs to do is keep her hands off him or more like he should keep his hands off her if he wants to keep her dark side at bay.

There is a girl in Nadine’s class, Chloe who wants to see Nadine leave Octavia Falls. Chloe will stop at nothing to try and get Nadine to leave town but Nadine has no intentions whatsoever of doing that. Nadine must find a way to break the curse that is hanging over Chloe and Nadine’s family before Chloe’s magic awakens or before Chloe takes her out.

I felt bad for and admired Nadine for trying so hard to learn her magic and become stronger. She would get so tired from using her magic. I have to give her credit she is one tough cookie never giving up and always pushing herself beyond her limits, wearing herself out. Nadine and Lucas both are strong characters always having their friends back.

Someone is going around town taking innocent children from their beds doing the middle of the night. Lucas wants to find these children to do so he must start his own investigation. Lucas interviews all the parents. It doesn’t take him long to figure out that the parents are hiding something from him. He must find out how or if the missing children are connected and what their parents are hiding if he is going to find the missing children.

The Reaper’s Shadow has lots of secrets and twists between its pages. Once I picked it up I was hooked I couldn’t put it down as I had to know how it all turned out. Like who took the children? Why did they take the children? How far is Lucas willing to go to save Nadine from the Reaper’s Shadow? I can’t wait for the next book in the College of Witchcraft series.

I highly recommend The Reaper’s Shadow to all fans of magic and the paranormal. One-click your copy of The Reaper’s Shadow today to begin this enchanting adventure!
478 reviews2 followers
November 25, 2020
Alicia Rades takes us perfectly from the end of Bk.1. The Covens’s Secret Into her Hidden Legends College Of Witchcraft Series and what a book this is !! Prepare yourself for a storyline that will make you shake in your boots at the darkness and evil that is portrayed. Alongside the building romance between Nadine & Lucas which was lovely to absorb as this author makes you feel she is slowly dripping it into your very heart and soul. Lucas decides to take up the fight of the devastating & unsolvable case of the missing children from the Coven whose parents have hope of returning but Lucas knows differently, knowing the crimes haven’t finished. He is emotionally drained and beaten down by others but will he give up ? Nadine has different problems, she’s happy to be back in Octavia Fall’s and relishing in being back with her Coven friends, but things are not that easy and turns deadly and dangerous. Lucas is her rock but not even he can’t stop the evil that’s revealed. A conclusion comes for them both but not what they would ever wish for. Then when they are both finished with the biggest battles of their lives the ending was one I never expected and neither of them coming but it ripped my heart out alongside theirs. Sorry I can’t give you any spoilers except I can’t wait for book.3. To continue this gripping magical drama. Alicia Rades is a creative writer who knows how to make a world and her characters come to life in your mind feeling their empathy, excitement, anger, joy, sorrow, fear, hate and love alongside any other she decides for you. This captivating author makes me want more and more of her originality.
Profile Image for Barbara Marie Warner.
1,616 reviews2 followers
December 3, 2025
The Reaper’s Shadow (Hidden Legends: College of Witchcraft Book 2) ~~ If book one grabbed my heart, book two ripped it right out and stomped on it… in the best way. Nadine’s power is awakening, she’s desperately trying to survive the goddess’s test, and Lucas is fighting every instinct in his body not to love her ~ because loving her could literally kill her. The emotional tension in this one had me chewing my lip.

Lucas’s struggle with his cursed role hits hard. The scenes showing the weight he carries the last thoughts of the dead echoing in his mind were devastating. Nadine becomes his light in the darkness, and you can feel how terrified he is to believe he deserves her.

And then the truth behind the curse and the threat against the coven starts unraveling. Secrets come out, allegiance shifts, and what Nadine learns about herself? I absolutely did not see that coming. I was yelling at my Kindle and Audible book on more than one occasion.

I would definitely recommend this book and series and can’t wait to start on the next book. If you want to know what happens next, you’ll just have to read this series yourself ~ you won’t regret it.
Profile Image for Véronique Laplante Grenier.
1,216 reviews8 followers
December 5, 2020
The Reaper's shadow is the second book of the College of witchcraft's serie and take place in the Hidden Legend universe.

Nadine's magic have awakened and she's the only cursed breaker alive which could be a problem. So she need to hide it if she wants to remain free. Chloe wants to drive her out of town cause of and old curse on their family saying that when both of them have their power, one of them will die withing a month if they're both in the coven. Chloe doesn't have her power yet, but she won't be the one to leave and so does Nadine.

Nadine have another curse that might take her. The Reaper's curse, if she takes think further with Lucas and become is mate. This one is working on solving a case of childrens who have gone missing without a trace.

I have really love it and cannot wait to read the next one in the serie.
2,872 reviews11 followers
January 29, 2024
A new adult & college fantasy romance. The romance between Lucas and Nadine heats up, but not much. The war between Chloe and Nadine escalates dramatically. The curses over all three continue to be problematic. To top it off, two children have gone missing over the past couple of years. And Lucas has heard their final words.

This is an amazing tale filled with diabolical twists. Most of the good is balanced out by bad. Paying attention to the wrong details will lead down the rabbit hole. However, that is not true in the end. The end is overbalanced toward the bad. Hopefully, that will be corrected over the remaining titles of the series.

Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Romantic. Scary. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Lexi Reads.
169 reviews
July 6, 2025
This was good. I still liked the first book more it had more going on and the tension I feel was higher. I have noticed this author likes to have her couple break up at the end of the second book and then get them back together pretty quickly so I won’t be surprised if that’s what happens. I wasn’t at all surprised either that the person killing the kids wasn’t Professor Daymond I kind of had a feeling from the beginning that he didn’t do it and it was someone else I was surprised that it was Carlisle though because of how close to the case he was with Lucas. I am also very happy Nadine and Chloe were able to work on their shit. Talia was absolutely pissing me off through this whole thing. The amount of times I had to stop reading and ground myself to stop from wanting to yell at her was crazy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
864 reviews
August 22, 2024
There's lots going on in this series which is best read in sequence. I listened to the audible version which is read by two different narrators thus the voices are different for the two main characters when the POV changes. This is a little annoying. I am not a fan of steamy romance so the steamy sex scenes seemed unnecessary in this story. I like the plot premise of the college of witchcraft, the covenant and magical elements. Additionally, the author's use of different physical, mental disabilities and medical conditions adds to the storyline. My other gripe with this series is why the professors, adults and people in control are not aware of most of the trouble and life threatening actions the students do to each other.
I have the third book in the series so will continue on.
Profile Image for Crystal Hill.
82 reviews
March 29, 2025
Book 2 in the series.

Good read (listen) but pissed at ending. Kinda predicted some things but the mystery of the boys kept me guessing.

Will they get back together? Lucas and Nadine were cut together. I’m super glad Talia finally dumped the dirtbag Cody and hope she gets with Grant soon.

Will Nadine go dark? She’s already been tempted by the dark magic and I’m sure it’s a slippery slope!

Will start book 3 tonight.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Roxanne Glawson.
145 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2020
Review by Roxanne

Wow this series just keeps getting better. As Nadine sets out trying to kearn her magic and break her curse all hell breaks loose. Can she and her friends handle what's coming? Will a total unexpected ali help in the end? This has everything that keeps you wanting more. Love loss betrayal and total kick butt characters you will love. A must read series.
Profile Image for Jennifer Lil'n  Dunski.
1,518 reviews15 followers
November 21, 2020
A powerful read that makes you want to read the entire book in one sitting! Excellent storyline and plot twists that spin your perspective on the story. Character development was phenomenal and enduring and crazy! Absolutely loved this story!
Profile Image for Michelle VanDaley.
1,703 reviews5 followers
November 29, 2020
Book 2 continues this captivating series following Lucas & Nadine's journey. We see alot of personal growth in this book. Along the way there is alot of action, suspense & twists. I really like the world the Author created and am excited for the next book.
Profile Image for Mari.
3,132 reviews2 followers
December 21, 2025
I liked the story and most of the characters as well. I’m a bit undecided on Lukas at the end here however and I’m not sure that I like it very much. I’m picking up the next book, but mostly in the hope that things get better from here on out.
Profile Image for Cleocutie.
3,113 reviews24 followers
November 19, 2020
Great continuation of the series. The character development as the series goes on is wonderful and the story keeps you interested until the very end.
Profile Image for Sharmane Mazyck.
343 reviews
May 7, 2021
loved it

I'm so happy that Nadine and chole were able to get over there curse and work it out I'm so disappointed I Lucas I hope talia and grant get together at some point
Profile Image for Celine Boyd.
198 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2023
Well written!!! Wanted to love it but I just wasn’t satisfied to keep going with the other books.
Profile Image for Karina.
140 reviews
October 18, 2023
Gah, the stoooopid teenagers are still driving me nuts. The story is pretty good, but I just want to reach in and slap some of the characters.
25 reviews
December 14, 2023
The twist was very twisty, but there was a ton of repetitive juvenile conflict.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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