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Guild of Night #1
Shadows of the Lost
Once I was a Charmer, and the magical beasts of this world loved me. Now I'm something else. Something darker.
As a member of the Charmers Council, Gaige is able to form lasting bonds with the magical beasts of his world. At least, he used to be a Charmer...until he died and was brought back as one of the immortal assassins of Cruor. Now he's far more dangerous.
...and something beyond the shadows lies in wait, hungry to claim him for its own.
As leader of the assassins, all Kost can do is watch as Gaige struggles with his new life day by day. He wants nothing more than to ease Gaige's suffering--yet how can he when they both know he's the one responsible? There is nothing left but bitter memories and hopeless longing between them. Yet when Gaige is lost to the shadow realm, Kost is the only one with any chance of bringing him back: if they can learn to trust (and perhaps love) each other again.
Intense, compelling, and impossible to put down, Shadows of the Lost is perfect for readers looking for:
• epic New Adult fantasy series with a bit of spice
• a unique premise, delicious angst, and a plot to die for
• high fantasy with paranormal and romance elements.
As a member of the Charmers Council, Gaige is able to form lasting bonds with the magical beasts of his world. At least, he used to be a Charmer...until he died and was brought back as one of the immortal assassins of Cruor. Now he's far more dangerous.
...and something beyond the shadows lies in wait, hungry to claim him for its own.
As leader of the assassins, all Kost can do is watch as Gaige struggles with his new life day by day. He wants nothing more than to ease Gaige's suffering--yet how can he when they both know he's the one responsible? There is nothing left but bitter memories and hopeless longing between them. Yet when Gaige is lost to the shadow realm, Kost is the only one with any chance of bringing him back: if they can learn to trust (and perhaps love) each other again.
Intense, compelling, and impossible to put down, Shadows of the Lost is perfect for readers looking for:
• epic New Adult fantasy series with a bit of spice
• a unique premise, delicious angst, and a plot to die for
• high fantasy with paranormal and romance elements.
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2023
55 people are currently reading
4470 people want to read
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June 7, 2023DNF@38%
Would only recommend this to those who have read this author's other works.
Even though this novel is labeled as book one, it felt as if you were thrown into the middle of a series. The story reference past events multiple times that I know nothing of. The story desperately needs more explanations. Especially when it came to the characters and their history/background.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Maxym M. Martineau, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
Would only recommend this to those who have read this author's other works.
Even though this novel is labeled as book one, it felt as if you were thrown into the middle of a series. The story reference past events multiple times that I know nothing of. The story desperately needs more explanations. Especially when it came to the characters and their history/background.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Maxym M. Martineau, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
June 3, 2023
Shadows of the Lost
by Maxym M. Martineau
Fantasy Romance LGBT
Erotica
NetGalley ARC
Gaige used to be able to form bonds with magical beasts until he died and was brought back to life as an Immortal Assassin, losing that bonding gift and exchanging it for the ability to control shadows, shaping them into weapons that could kill just as well as a real one, if he could learn how to control them. This was not the life he wanted, he loved his magical beasts, not the shadows. And every time he loses control the animals of the woods become aggressive.
Kost, the leader of the assassins who chose this life for Gaige can only watch him rage against his new life, fearing every time Gaige loses control that Gaige will succumb to the shadows and be lost to them all.
Written in first person, this book is told from the perspectives of Gaige and Kost, (but a few others do have their own chapters) and is mostly centered around Gaige whining about not wanting the life and not being able to control his shadows. Kost whines about not being able to help Gaige and is racked with guilt because he was the one who decided to have Gaige brought back to life.
At first, I thought the characters were teenagers, but no, they are adults.
And worse, both of them whine about their feelings for the other and how they can't be together, and this whining takes up the first fifty percent of the book. But the world, its magic, the people, etc. is brushed over because it has already been established in the previous series, which I had no idea this book was a spin-off of. Had I known this, I would not have requested this book since I haven't read that series. I am taking away a star for this because I had no background, nothing to connect with, or a reason to care about the characters. It would've been simple for the publisher to make this fact known. And because of the endless whining, this book loses yet another star.
Then it turned into porn. Bye-Bye star...There is nothing listing this story as erotica, and this is erotica. There are details, pages of graphic details of sex acts, and they are not your 'typical' acts. Had I known this was thirty percent of the story, I would not have requested/read it. For me, romance leaves those acts behind closed doors.
So to sum up, this book is sixty percent whining, thirty percent erotica, five percent story, and five percent index/quiz/author info.
Had there been more about the world and the magic, and less whining and porn, I think I might've liked it more! And had I known this was a spin-off, I would have read that series first.
Will I read the original series now? It sounds interesting, but...
Will I read the next book in this new series? Doubtful!
2 Stars
by Maxym M. Martineau
Fantasy Romance LGBT
Erotica
NetGalley ARC
Gaige used to be able to form bonds with magical beasts until he died and was brought back to life as an Immortal Assassin, losing that bonding gift and exchanging it for the ability to control shadows, shaping them into weapons that could kill just as well as a real one, if he could learn how to control them. This was not the life he wanted, he loved his magical beasts, not the shadows. And every time he loses control the animals of the woods become aggressive.
Kost, the leader of the assassins who chose this life for Gaige can only watch him rage against his new life, fearing every time Gaige loses control that Gaige will succumb to the shadows and be lost to them all.
Written in first person, this book is told from the perspectives of Gaige and Kost, (but a few others do have their own chapters) and is mostly centered around Gaige whining about not wanting the life and not being able to control his shadows. Kost whines about not being able to help Gaige and is racked with guilt because he was the one who decided to have Gaige brought back to life.
At first, I thought the characters were teenagers, but no, they are adults.
And worse, both of them whine about their feelings for the other and how they can't be together, and this whining takes up the first fifty percent of the book. But the world, its magic, the people, etc. is brushed over because it has already been established in the previous series, which I had no idea this book was a spin-off of. Had I known this, I would not have requested this book since I haven't read that series. I am taking away a star for this because I had no background, nothing to connect with, or a reason to care about the characters. It would've been simple for the publisher to make this fact known. And because of the endless whining, this book loses yet another star.
Then it turned into porn. Bye-Bye star...There is nothing listing this story as erotica, and this is erotica. There are details, pages of graphic details of sex acts, and they are not your 'typical' acts. Had I known this was thirty percent of the story, I would not have requested/read it. For me, romance leaves those acts behind closed doors.
So to sum up, this book is sixty percent whining, thirty percent erotica, five percent story, and five percent index/quiz/author info.
Had there been more about the world and the magic, and less whining and porn, I think I might've liked it more! And had I known this was a spin-off, I would have read that series first.
Will I read the original series now? It sounds interesting, but...
Will I read the next book in this new series? Doubtful!
2 Stars
May 18, 2023
An epic fantasy tale with magical beasts, a shadow world and death. The book is jam-packed with action, taming the magical Creatures and what happens when they lose control. It reminded me of Jurassic World 1st part somehow 😅
There is also a bit of spicy angle which could be a good thing for certain audiences. My only qualm with the story was I was not able to attach myself to the characters or the plot and as I am not much of an action person, those detailed well-described fight scenes were too much for me. I m sure the book will be wonderful for the right audience; sadly, it did not work for me.
Genre: #Fantasy #lgbt #romance
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC
There is also a bit of spicy angle which could be a good thing for certain audiences. My only qualm with the story was I was not able to attach myself to the characters or the plot and as I am not much of an action person, those detailed well-described fight scenes were too much for me. I m sure the book will be wonderful for the right audience; sadly, it did not work for me.
Genre: #Fantasy #lgbt #romance
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC
May 29, 2024
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so I knew this was a spin-off of the The Beast Charmer series, but does that mean I actually finished that series before diving into Shadows of the Lost? No, it doesn't, because I completely ghosted the crap out of that and just realized that today. Obviously, one day, I will need to redeem myself and actually go back to that series and finish all the books.
That being said, I did actually enjoy the crap out of this book. Kost and Gaige were basically made for one another. Their slow-burn romance could be somewhat torturous, but that's because I'm greedy and always demanding more. They were just really cute and needed to cave into things instead of pining for one another in a dark corner (or something). If there's going to be a sequel, I will need more from them. So much freaking more.
Besides the romance, we get action and some mystery. I also really enjoyed the magic and the creatures throughout this. I really do want to know more about the magic system because it's just so freaking interesting (which is probably why I need to finish the other series). Plus, losing your powers and becoming a shadow person had me wanting to know even more about what else could possibly happen.
I just have a lot of questions, and I will probably have more if a second book gets written. Until then, I'll probably try to carve out some time to read Maxym's other series.
Okay, so I knew this was a spin-off of the The Beast Charmer series, but does that mean I actually finished that series before diving into Shadows of the Lost? No, it doesn't, because I completely ghosted the crap out of that and just realized that today. Obviously, one day, I will need to redeem myself and actually go back to that series and finish all the books.
That being said, I did actually enjoy the crap out of this book. Kost and Gaige were basically made for one another. Their slow-burn romance could be somewhat torturous, but that's because I'm greedy and always demanding more. They were just really cute and needed to cave into things instead of pining for one another in a dark corner (or something). If there's going to be a sequel, I will need more from them. So much freaking more.
Besides the romance, we get action and some mystery. I also really enjoyed the magic and the creatures throughout this. I really do want to know more about the magic system because it's just so freaking interesting (which is probably why I need to finish the other series). Plus, losing your powers and becoming a shadow person had me wanting to know even more about what else could possibly happen.
I just have a lot of questions, and I will probably have more if a second book gets written. Until then, I'll probably try to carve out some time to read Maxym's other series.
June 22, 2023
A recap I was able to piece together for the people confused (Also me)
Gaige was able to kind of speak to/communicate to animals/creatures before he died in the prior trilogy and Kost made a decision that brought him back from the dead without his consent. He lost his animal power and now is an angry undead shadow fella. They were kind of flirting prior to this all happening and can’t stand to look at each other now. They’re quietly grieving that loss separately as well. Kost feels guilty and Gaige liked who he was before he died and misses that and his abilities that are gone.
-----
Ok, now we're caught up to the present. This book has a really interesting magic system. We have the Charmers who can communicate with the creatures and the shadow people who are immortal assassins. You can't ever be both so our boy Gaige is struggling big time. You can have keys made to specific creatures so he was able to keep one for his companion animal but lost his ability for the rest of them. He's heartbroken and completely resistant to learning to use these new shadows because this is not the job he asked for.
Everyone gets it but is quickly getting over his attitude. Then every time he loses control of these new powers, they get attacked by some giant shadow monster that should not be acting like they are. Gaige keeps looking around like, "guys these aren't from me" but no one is believing him. Eventually, he figures out his life is going to be ok and we get to move forward.
My thing with this book is that everything between Kost and Gaige feels pretty settled so I would be stunned if they are the focus of the upcoming books in this series. At this time, nothing is available about book 2 in this series and if it follows a different couple or the same one. Either way, sounds like a good time.
Thank you Libro.FM for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gaige was able to kind of speak to/communicate to animals/creatures before he died in the prior trilogy and Kost made a decision that brought him back from the dead without his consent. He lost his animal power and now is an angry undead shadow fella. They were kind of flirting prior to this all happening and can’t stand to look at each other now. They’re quietly grieving that loss separately as well. Kost feels guilty and Gaige liked who he was before he died and misses that and his abilities that are gone.
-----
Ok, now we're caught up to the present. This book has a really interesting magic system. We have the Charmers who can communicate with the creatures and the shadow people who are immortal assassins. You can't ever be both so our boy Gaige is struggling big time. You can have keys made to specific creatures so he was able to keep one for his companion animal but lost his ability for the rest of them. He's heartbroken and completely resistant to learning to use these new shadows because this is not the job he asked for.
Everyone gets it but is quickly getting over his attitude. Then every time he loses control of these new powers, they get attacked by some giant shadow monster that should not be acting like they are. Gaige keeps looking around like, "guys these aren't from me" but no one is believing him. Eventually, he figures out his life is going to be ok and we get to move forward.
My thing with this book is that everything between Kost and Gaige feels pretty settled so I would be stunned if they are the focus of the upcoming books in this series. At this time, nothing is available about book 2 in this series and if it follows a different couple or the same one. Either way, sounds like a good time.
Thank you Libro.FM for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Read
February 18, 2023DNF
I didn’t read enough to rate this, but I could just tell it wasn’t going to be my thing — I had to stop and check if this was actually book two of a series because the opening was so confusing.
I didn’t read enough to rate this, but I could just tell it wasn’t going to be my thing — I had to stop and check if this was actually book two of a series because the opening was so confusing.
May 30, 2024
Es war wirklich wirklich schon wieder in die Welt eintauchen und die Tierwesen erleben zu können, dennoch empfand ich diesen Teil als etwas „unnötig“.. Sie hatte für mich einfach keinen wirklich Mehrwert bis auf die Liebesgeschichte
May 26, 2023
I didn't realize there was a series before. No wonder why I was so confused
February 14, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC. This review is my own and contains my own opinions.
The world Maxym creates is absolutely stunning. The beasts and the people are magical and yet feel like they could be your best friend.
Kost and Gaige were characters I enjoyed from the original trilogy, so when I learned that they were getting their own book, I was over the moon.
The story was quick, and the pacing was great. There was a good amount of slow burn without it being so drawn out that I got annoyed (though I did scream "communication" out loud to both of them at some point or another).
You can easily picture the world, as it's described so beautifully.
I can't wait for her next books and to see where the rest of the guild continues.
The world Maxym creates is absolutely stunning. The beasts and the people are magical and yet feel like they could be your best friend.
Kost and Gaige were characters I enjoyed from the original trilogy, so when I learned that they were getting their own book, I was over the moon.
The story was quick, and the pacing was great. There was a good amount of slow burn without it being so drawn out that I got annoyed (though I did scream "communication" out loud to both of them at some point or another).
You can easily picture the world, as it's described so beautifully.
I can't wait for her next books and to see where the rest of the guild continues.
September 6, 2023
— 4,5 Stars
July 17, 2023
I really loved this - even though I didn’t realize it’s a continuation of another series…which I will soon be reading…but even so, I couldn’t even tell from the worldbuilding (and only after I read the authors note :)
September 20, 2023
When I first read Maxym M. Martineau’s Kingdom of Exiles, book one of her Beast Charmers series, I was enthralled with the world she created, making that title my favourite read of 2019. She finished that series with two more titles, The Frozen Prince and The Shattered Crown. She also made an interesting pivot: while Kingdom of Exiles was definitely an adult fantasy romance with spicy sex scenes between Beast Charmer Leena and Undead Assassin Noc, she reworked it for the trade print market as an upper end young adult book by aging down the characters and reducing the explicitness of the sex scenes, then continued the rest of the trilogy as YA. (There’s an FAQ on her website about the change). With the end of Noc and Leena’s main storyline, the focus shifts now to some of the secondary characters who were introduced in the original books, and a spinoff series Guild of Night. Shadows of the Lost tackles two of those characters, Kost and Gaige. This review will contain some spoilers for the original series as a result.
With Noc regaining his ancestral kingship of Lendria, it’s fallen on his longtime companion Kost to take over Noc’s role as the Guild Master of Cruor. Leading a group of undead assassins is a challenge at any time, but especially in the fragile situation that exists now, with Hireath, the peaceful beast charmer city, having been destroyed by a legendary dragon beast, and Gaige, at one time a powerful beast charmer and member of the charmers’ council, under Kost’s wing. Because Gaige had died in a fierce battle and Kost, unable to imagine life without a man he’d come to call friend and maybe something more, had implored Noc to raise him to become an undead assassin like himself. As a result, the charmer symbol on Gaige’s wrist, once vibrant and bright, had turned to a faded etching, his bestiary link severed, and he’d lost the connections so vital to his core being, with the exception of one beast – Okean, for whom Gaige had been given a golden key, allowing him to call Okean from the beast kingdom to Cruor whenever he wishes. It’s bittersweet, reminding him of all the beasts he can no longer call and the beast kingdom he can no longer visit at will. Now, dark shadows, those an assassin learns to wield to perform their craft, follow him but don’t obey him. Gaige refuses to take part in any of the elemental training every newly raised assassin is required to take to learn how to control the shadows ,leaving him at risk of being consumed by the shadows and lost to the world entirely.
While Kost and Gaige’s friendship appears broken, Kost isn’t willing to give up on Gaige. He knows the adjustment he himself had to make when he was raised, the severing of his old life, the heartache of lost love and betrayal. Being patient with Gaige isn’t just his job, and if he hopes to regain the fragile steps they’d made towards a romantic relationship, he knows he has to give Gaige time and space to adjust. But time isn’t on their side, with dark shadows (Gaige’s? Someone else’s?) beginning to take on a life of their own, Gaige’s nightmares bleeding into daytime, undead beasts creating havoc outside of their normal realm, and an unknown enemy stalking their every move. Can Kost and Gaige find their way back to each other before it’s too late?
Whew, this story is a rollercoaster of action and adventure from start to finish! It’s hard for me to say whether reading it without having read the first trilogy is doable, as I reread the Beast Charmers trilogy before starting this one. There is some explanation of what has gone before to catch readers (old and new) up to speed, and the book also includes a bestiary and short character summary at the end. Like any good fantasy series, there’s a map at the start too, helping the reader picture the various places mentioned in the story.
So, high points for epic fantasy and adventure, sidekicks, secondary characters, and humour, especially with Calem and Ozias, two of Kost’s longtime friends and assassins. Where the story falters for me a bit is the romance between Kost and Gaige – the emotional battle of Gaige blaming Kost for having Noc raise him as an undead assassin just goes on and on, though it does get resolved somewhat in the latter half of the story. I say somewhat because while the story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger and Kost and Gaige are officially together by the end of the book, the enemy isn’t vanquished and all signs point to more books down the road. Interestingly, after having toned down the sex scenes in the first trilogy to be YA, this book has a higher heat level, in keeping with the author’s description of Shadows of the Lost as an “epic New Adult fantasy series with a bit of spice”, perhaps looking to see if it gets picked up by TikTok readers. The original trilogy is billed as “Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed” and that holds true for this story as well. All in all, it’s an enjoyable and action packed-read and definitely a series I’m planning to continue.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher.
With Noc regaining his ancestral kingship of Lendria, it’s fallen on his longtime companion Kost to take over Noc’s role as the Guild Master of Cruor. Leading a group of undead assassins is a challenge at any time, but especially in the fragile situation that exists now, with Hireath, the peaceful beast charmer city, having been destroyed by a legendary dragon beast, and Gaige, at one time a powerful beast charmer and member of the charmers’ council, under Kost’s wing. Because Gaige had died in a fierce battle and Kost, unable to imagine life without a man he’d come to call friend and maybe something more, had implored Noc to raise him to become an undead assassin like himself. As a result, the charmer symbol on Gaige’s wrist, once vibrant and bright, had turned to a faded etching, his bestiary link severed, and he’d lost the connections so vital to his core being, with the exception of one beast – Okean, for whom Gaige had been given a golden key, allowing him to call Okean from the beast kingdom to Cruor whenever he wishes. It’s bittersweet, reminding him of all the beasts he can no longer call and the beast kingdom he can no longer visit at will. Now, dark shadows, those an assassin learns to wield to perform their craft, follow him but don’t obey him. Gaige refuses to take part in any of the elemental training every newly raised assassin is required to take to learn how to control the shadows ,leaving him at risk of being consumed by the shadows and lost to the world entirely.
While Kost and Gaige’s friendship appears broken, Kost isn’t willing to give up on Gaige. He knows the adjustment he himself had to make when he was raised, the severing of his old life, the heartache of lost love and betrayal. Being patient with Gaige isn’t just his job, and if he hopes to regain the fragile steps they’d made towards a romantic relationship, he knows he has to give Gaige time and space to adjust. But time isn’t on their side, with dark shadows (Gaige’s? Someone else’s?) beginning to take on a life of their own, Gaige’s nightmares bleeding into daytime, undead beasts creating havoc outside of their normal realm, and an unknown enemy stalking their every move. Can Kost and Gaige find their way back to each other before it’s too late?
Whew, this story is a rollercoaster of action and adventure from start to finish! It’s hard for me to say whether reading it without having read the first trilogy is doable, as I reread the Beast Charmers trilogy before starting this one. There is some explanation of what has gone before to catch readers (old and new) up to speed, and the book also includes a bestiary and short character summary at the end. Like any good fantasy series, there’s a map at the start too, helping the reader picture the various places mentioned in the story.
So, high points for epic fantasy and adventure, sidekicks, secondary characters, and humour, especially with Calem and Ozias, two of Kost’s longtime friends and assassins. Where the story falters for me a bit is the romance between Kost and Gaige – the emotional battle of Gaige blaming Kost for having Noc raise him as an undead assassin just goes on and on, though it does get resolved somewhat in the latter half of the story. I say somewhat because while the story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger and Kost and Gaige are officially together by the end of the book, the enemy isn’t vanquished and all signs point to more books down the road. Interestingly, after having toned down the sex scenes in the first trilogy to be YA, this book has a higher heat level, in keeping with the author’s description of Shadows of the Lost as an “epic New Adult fantasy series with a bit of spice”, perhaps looking to see if it gets picked up by TikTok readers. The original trilogy is billed as “Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed” and that holds true for this story as well. All in all, it’s an enjoyable and action packed-read and definitely a series I’m planning to continue.
This review also appears at All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher.
July 23, 2023
I’m trying, you know I am. Because I re-read this book when I reached 15%-ish but I regret it because I still Mb>do not understand it all. Maybe this book is for you but it is not for me. — 1.5 ⭐️
I mean, the characters still seem odd. Not only the MCs but also the other supporting characters. To be honest, I have no clue whose is the real MCs because too many POVs makes us the reader confused. I know the MCs are probably them (Kost and Gaige) but what’s the point add 2-3 more POVs? Maybe for giving us a different perspective BUT in that certain POVs, it only shows the romance between that character to another. Not even related to the storyline. Also, the characters are needed to be improved more from one storyline to another in writing, for example, Gaige says he did not have those feelings but in the middle of the storyline, he was pushing Kost even further until on the same pages but then he says that he always loved him and care for him and blablabla. What’s the foundation of that? Then, there are some pop-ups characters that out of nowhere because it might make the story foundation interesting, but do we get answers from it? NOPE. There are also not certain characters that has specific development rather than Gaige. All of them are just rather vanilla.
The Storyline is also pretty confusing and I guess no solid ground in what is it about. Perhaps this book was intended to have no plot or sort but somehow I get the plot. The questions about the storyline are:
¹ Is the aim focusing on Gaige finding his power?
² Is the aim looking for the Lost?
³ Does the storyline only occur for Kost-Gaige and The Lost?
⁴ What is the aim of the storyline? - what is the base and the foundation of these?
Because I just don’t get it, as I mentioned earlier that I even re-read this book when I reached 15%-ish and I want to understand more. When I re-read that, I am more confused. I get a grasp of how the magic work in this realm, who is who, and what is these creatures had to do with those, and so on. However, I’m still unsure what the aim of the storyline but if it's focusing on Gaige, then make it to do so not go around in circles! Also, the choice of words for the world-building is hella confusing. It was a poor choice of words. The world-building in this book is not that good either for my liking. So, I just don’t get it at all. The Map helps but when it is connected to the storyline, it is just a pile of rubbish.
I would probably appreciate this book more if they put some moral of the stories in a pile of these ridiculous traits. However, there are not many morals of the story that can be taken from this book as well. Even the romance is not that good, it’s annoying in complete nonsense. I was expecting this book to be one of cute-surprisingly-inspiring-M-M-worth-to-read-Fantasy. But oh boy why am I disappointed?
➊ Make yourself your own anchor
➋ Psychological response on your behavior towards other define your past
➌ Siblings jealousy - common sense
➍ Heroism traits - the most useless person in the room would likely to be the hero of all
Nevertheless, those traits have nothing to do with The Beast. Because the beasts are enormous! I love them. I appreciate the author putting this Bestiary inside the book, how cool is that? (maybe that's the only reason why I give this book more stars).
Next, there is this magical realism in this book which I am totally against it. Mainly because they did not have a certain or specific focus. Such as:
¹ The realm between the living and the dead
² The exact price for raising up the dead
³ The consequences to pull up strings between the dead and the living
Those almost like; it doesn’t matter whether you are living or you are just dead, isn’t it? Even though in the plot was mentioned that when someone was raised, they probably in completely different from who they are while they were still living but not to the point of “amazingly written”.
The ending of this book was a cliffhanger I believe the author intends to write another book. I do hopefully beg for the next book: Dear Maxym, if you really going to write the next book, please do has more solid ground than this. However, even though the cliffhanger might make some readers intends to read the next book, I personally might need to regain my calm composure and lower my expectation before reading the next book. I do know if I would read her other works because this one is a disappointment enough for me.
The only things that I like in this book are: Bestiary, The Quiz, and The People’s explanation at the end of the book.
Thank you for Netgally giving me the privilege of reading this book before the publication date
I mean, the characters still seem odd. Not only the MCs but also the other supporting characters. To be honest, I have no clue whose is the real MCs because too many POVs makes us the reader confused. I know the MCs are probably them (Kost and Gaige) but what’s the point add 2-3 more POVs? Maybe for giving us a different perspective BUT in that certain POVs, it only shows the romance between that character to another. Not even related to the storyline. Also, the characters are needed to be improved more from one storyline to another in writing, for example, Gaige says he did not have those feelings but in the middle of the storyline, he was pushing Kost even further until on the same pages but then he says that he always loved him and care for him and blablabla. What’s the foundation of that? Then, there are some pop-ups characters that out of nowhere because it might make the story foundation interesting, but do we get answers from it? NOPE. There are also not certain characters that has specific development rather than Gaige. All of them are just rather vanilla.
The Storyline is also pretty confusing and I guess no solid ground in what is it about. Perhaps this book was intended to have no plot or sort but somehow I get the plot. The questions about the storyline are:
¹ Is the aim focusing on Gaige finding his power?
² Is the aim looking for the Lost?
³ Does the storyline only occur for Kost-Gaige and The Lost?
⁴ What is the aim of the storyline? - what is the base and the foundation of these?
Because I just don’t get it, as I mentioned earlier that I even re-read this book when I reached 15%-ish and I want to understand more. When I re-read that, I am more confused. I get a grasp of how the magic work in this realm, who is who, and what is these creatures had to do with those, and so on. However, I’m still unsure what the aim of the storyline but if it's focusing on Gaige, then make it to do so not go around in circles! Also, the choice of words for the world-building is hella confusing. It was a poor choice of words. The world-building in this book is not that good either for my liking. So, I just don’t get it at all. The Map helps but when it is connected to the storyline, it is just a pile of rubbish.
I would probably appreciate this book more if they put some moral of the stories in a pile of these ridiculous traits. However, there are not many morals of the story that can be taken from this book as well. Even the romance is not that good, it’s annoying in complete nonsense. I was expecting this book to be one of cute-surprisingly-inspiring-M-M-worth-to-read-Fantasy. But oh boy why am I disappointed?
➊ Make yourself your own anchor
➋ Psychological response on your behavior towards other define your past
➌ Siblings jealousy - common sense
➍ Heroism traits - the most useless person in the room would likely to be the hero of all
Nevertheless, those traits have nothing to do with The Beast. Because the beasts are enormous! I love them. I appreciate the author putting this Bestiary inside the book, how cool is that? (maybe that's the only reason why I give this book more stars).
Next, there is this magical realism in this book which I am totally against it. Mainly because they did not have a certain or specific focus. Such as:
¹ The realm between the living and the dead
² The exact price for raising up the dead
³ The consequences to pull up strings between the dead and the living
Those almost like; it doesn’t matter whether you are living or you are just dead, isn’t it? Even though in the plot was mentioned that when someone was raised, they probably in completely different from who they are while they were still living but not to the point of “amazingly written”.
The ending of this book was a cliffhanger I believe the author intends to write another book. I do hopefully beg for the next book: Dear Maxym, if you really going to write the next book, please do has more solid ground than this. However, even though the cliffhanger might make some readers intends to read the next book, I personally might need to regain my calm composure and lower my expectation before reading the next book. I do know if I would read her other works because this one is a disappointment enough for me.
The only things that I like in this book are: Bestiary, The Quiz, and The People’s explanation at the end of the book.
Thank you for Netgally giving me the privilege of reading this book before the publication date
February 19, 2023
4.5/5 stars! This is the first book in the "Guild of Night" series by author Maxym M. Martineau. The premise of this book sounded dark and intriguing, and I was really excited to get started. I love books featuring assassins but they have to be written well to hold my attention. Martineau's did this and more. This is a high fantasy story and makes you fall for both Kost and Gaige. I found myself rooting for their happily ever after and am now anxiously waiting for the next book by this author.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
March 10, 2023
4.5
Imagine Fantastic Beasts meets Lord of the Rings, and that’s this book.
So full disclaimer, I had no idea this book was a spin-off when I started it. But the whole time I was reading it I was like “I feel like there’s a whole backstory here we’ve glossed over? Like what happened in this war they keep talking about?”
Well turns out I’m the dumb one! But honestly this book does an incredible job of explaining everything from the first series to someone who hasn’t read it. Like I still fully understood everything happening, but had a feeling that there was a bigger story here. Personally, if you haven’t read the first series, I think you can start here. This book has made me want to read the first series.
I honestly loved this book. At first I was confused because I was thrown into a world that already seemed pretty developed. But as the story went on, I began to really love the world and characters! I think the premise is so fascinating and I like how it had a bit of a mystery element while also being a typical epic fantasy.
The romance was done so well, mixed in perfectly to where there was just enough to combat the intensity of the plot. Honestly, I just wish this book was longer. I really got into it and ended up reading the last 75% in one sitting.
I highly recommending picking this up when it comes out! But until then, catch up on the first series so you can get the full effect!
This book comes out on June 6, 2022!
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC!
Imagine Fantastic Beasts meets Lord of the Rings, and that’s this book.
So full disclaimer, I had no idea this book was a spin-off when I started it. But the whole time I was reading it I was like “I feel like there’s a whole backstory here we’ve glossed over? Like what happened in this war they keep talking about?”
Well turns out I’m the dumb one! But honestly this book does an incredible job of explaining everything from the first series to someone who hasn’t read it. Like I still fully understood everything happening, but had a feeling that there was a bigger story here. Personally, if you haven’t read the first series, I think you can start here. This book has made me want to read the first series.
I honestly loved this book. At first I was confused because I was thrown into a world that already seemed pretty developed. But as the story went on, I began to really love the world and characters! I think the premise is so fascinating and I like how it had a bit of a mystery element while also being a typical epic fantasy.
The romance was done so well, mixed in perfectly to where there was just enough to combat the intensity of the plot. Honestly, I just wish this book was longer. I really got into it and ended up reading the last 75% in one sitting.
I highly recommending picking this up when it comes out! But until then, catch up on the first series so you can get the full effect!
This book comes out on June 6, 2022!
Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC!
January 9, 2024
This was such a beautifully written book. It was easy to understand the world. The characters are great. I plan to pick the other book series.
June 4, 2023
I found myself immersed in this novel. Although I discovered that there is a prior trilogy that would likely deepen my attachment to the characters and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the novel's world-building, I still thoroughly enjoyed this installment. I would not recommend reading this without reading the previous books.
The writing style is captivating and engaging, pulling readers into a richly crafted narrative. The characters come to life with depth and complexity, each possessing their own unique charm and quirks. The romance woven throughout the story is beautifully written with lots of yearning, evoking a range of emotions and leaving a lasting impact.
One aspect that stood out to me was the fascinating portrayal of magic. It was refreshing to see how a different magical background shaped the abilities and experiences of one of the characters. This added an intriguing layer of depth to the story, highlighting the diversity within the crafted magical realm.
The audiobook edition was delightful, as it featured different narrators for the various points of view. Each narrator brought their own talent and distinct voice to the characters, enhancing the storytelling experience and making it even more immersive.
One of the book's strengths lies in its exploration of the theme of found family. The bonds formed between characters create a sense of warmth and camaraderie, evoking a strong emotional connection. Additionally, the mystery element adds an extra layer of intrigue, although some aspects may have been somewhat predictable without more nuanced foreshadowing. I also found myself utterly captivated by the presence of the beast companions. These unique and endearing creatures added an element of wonder and companionship, further enriching the story.
Overall, this title boasts a good writing style, interesting characters, and a beautifully crafted romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC and libro.fm for the ALC! This review is my honest opinion.
The writing style is captivating and engaging, pulling readers into a richly crafted narrative. The characters come to life with depth and complexity, each possessing their own unique charm and quirks. The romance woven throughout the story is beautifully written with lots of yearning, evoking a range of emotions and leaving a lasting impact.
One aspect that stood out to me was the fascinating portrayal of magic. It was refreshing to see how a different magical background shaped the abilities and experiences of one of the characters. This added an intriguing layer of depth to the story, highlighting the diversity within the crafted magical realm.
The audiobook edition was delightful, as it featured different narrators for the various points of view. Each narrator brought their own talent and distinct voice to the characters, enhancing the storytelling experience and making it even more immersive.
One of the book's strengths lies in its exploration of the theme of found family. The bonds formed between characters create a sense of warmth and camaraderie, evoking a strong emotional connection. Additionally, the mystery element adds an extra layer of intrigue, although some aspects may have been somewhat predictable without more nuanced foreshadowing. I also found myself utterly captivated by the presence of the beast companions. These unique and endearing creatures added an element of wonder and companionship, further enriching the story.
Overall, this title boasts a good writing style, interesting characters, and a beautifully crafted romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC and libro.fm for the ALC! This review is my honest opinion.
June 15, 2023
3.5 stars
I wish I had known that this was a spin-off of another series before starting. The story jumps into the middle of things and I had to muddle along and try to catch up. There's a lot that's not explained well, I think the author is assuming you'll have read the previous trilogy. So please note, if you haven't read The Beast Charmer, you may be confused and not get as much out of this.
Now I did like Kost and Gaige a lot, they had a pining, slow burn romance that I adored and I appreciated seeing into both of their heads and how they were feeling. I totally ship these guys and I hope the next book features them as main characters again.
There's a good amount of action and I'm interested to learn more about the world and the creatures. I'll definitely be going back to read the previous books after this.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the copy.
I wish I had known that this was a spin-off of another series before starting. The story jumps into the middle of things and I had to muddle along and try to catch up. There's a lot that's not explained well, I think the author is assuming you'll have read the previous trilogy. So please note, if you haven't read The Beast Charmer, you may be confused and not get as much out of this.
Now I did like Kost and Gaige a lot, they had a pining, slow burn romance that I adored and I appreciated seeing into both of their heads and how they were feeling. I totally ship these guys and I hope the next book features them as main characters again.
There's a good amount of action and I'm interested to learn more about the world and the creatures. I'll definitely be going back to read the previous books after this.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the copy.
March 15, 2023
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange of an honest review:
I loved this book so much. I wasn't expecting to like it like I did. The world building, the characters, the scenarios, everything was beautifully written. Gaige had a big change in his life and he just couldn't adjust, I felt so bad for him. All he needed was to trust in himself and in his abilities. Kost was trying so hard to resist him but he couldn't in the end. He was always helping Gaige even if it didn't seem like it, he just wanted Gaige to be happy and safe, no matter what, with or without him. He deserved Gaige's love especially because he thought he didn't. They were so good together, they really were soul mates. Their love was just amazing to watch. I can't wait to read more about the other characters and their HEAs and the rest of story that is very interesting
I loved this book so much. I wasn't expecting to like it like I did. The world building, the characters, the scenarios, everything was beautifully written. Gaige had a big change in his life and he just couldn't adjust, I felt so bad for him. All he needed was to trust in himself and in his abilities. Kost was trying so hard to resist him but he couldn't in the end. He was always helping Gaige even if it didn't seem like it, he just wanted Gaige to be happy and safe, no matter what, with or without him. He deserved Gaige's love especially because he thought he didn't. They were so good together, they really were soul mates. Their love was just amazing to watch. I can't wait to read more about the other characters and their HEAs and the rest of story that is very interesting
dnf
July 25, 2023Thank you to libro.fm for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook. I am providing my honest opinion voluntarily.
DNF @ 15%.
Have you ever started watching a TV series in the middle and had no idea what was going on but had no one to explain it to you and didn't know that there were previous seasons? I have and it sucks. That's kind of what happened with this book. There was practically no world-building, and I had no idea what was going on. I was so focused on trying to make sense of the world and figuring things out that the characters were kind of pushed to the back burner since there wasn't a lot going on there, and it made it difficult to connect with them.
It wasn't until I came here to write my review that I discovered that this is a spin-off from another series, and that reading that series would have made it this one more enjoyable. Oh well.
DNF @ 15%.
Have you ever started watching a TV series in the middle and had no idea what was going on but had no one to explain it to you and didn't know that there were previous seasons? I have and it sucks. That's kind of what happened with this book. There was practically no world-building, and I had no idea what was going on. I was so focused on trying to make sense of the world and figuring things out that the characters were kind of pushed to the back burner since there wasn't a lot going on there, and it made it difficult to connect with them.
It wasn't until I came here to write my review that I discovered that this is a spin-off from another series, and that reading that series would have made it this one more enjoyable. Oh well.
Read
April 18, 2023Thank you , Netgalley for this arc.
I didn't realize this book was part of a series until today when I read other Netgalley reviews , where the reviewer had said that they didn't know it was part of the series either. And that this was a spin off or something.
I was wondering why there was no world building and why the story ended up picking up at what feels like in the middle of the story or something. Wondering why at 54% , I still didn't really feel anything for these characters. I guess you could say I felt LOST.
I did enjoy that Gaige was starting to feel like he has a purpose and everything. That Gaige started not feeling so 'Lost'
I decided to DNF this at 54% I kept feeling like I should finish it.
I didn't realize this book was part of a series until today when I read other Netgalley reviews , where the reviewer had said that they didn't know it was part of the series either. And that this was a spin off or something.
I was wondering why there was no world building and why the story ended up picking up at what feels like in the middle of the story or something. Wondering why at 54% , I still didn't really feel anything for these characters. I guess you could say I felt LOST.
I did enjoy that Gaige was starting to feel like he has a purpose and everything. That Gaige started not feeling so 'Lost'
I decided to DNF this at 54% I kept feeling like I should finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2025
3,5⭐
Ich habe es geliebt, nochmal eine Geschichte mit diesen großartigen Charakteren erleben zu dürfen und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht!!
Diese Spannungen zwischen Gaige und Kost waren von Anfang an zu spüren, ihre gegenseitige, vorgetäusche Abneigung füreinander, war fast schon traurig mitzuverfolgen, da diese Sachen mit einem offenen Gespräch über ihre Gefühle, hätte geklärt werden können.
Aber so hatte auch Leena nochmal einen Auftritt und half Gaige dabei, trotz seiner Veränderung wieder zu sich selbst zu finden.
Das auch Calem und Ozias jeweils ein eigenes Kapitel bekommen haben, war eine tolle Idee. So konnte man endlich Mal aus ihrer Sichtweise sehen, das sie in Zukunft vielleicht nicht mehr alleine sein werden ( was das bedeutet? Tja, lest das Buch;) )
Der finale Kampf war einfach nur episch und der kleine Cliffhänger am Ende, lässt mich noch hoffen, das es nicht das letzte Mal gewesen ist, das ich diese unglaubliche Welt betreten und mit Hilfe eines neuen Buches weiterhin erkunden kann.
Denn eines ist sicher, sollte die Autorin diese Welt noch nicht aufgegeben haben, werde ich ganz vorne mit dabei sein, um weitere Geschichten dieser großartigen Freundesgruppe lesen zu können.
P.S.: Auch wenn ich es etwas schade fand, das das Hauptaugenmerk dieses Buches (verständlicherweise) nicht mehr so stark auf den vielfältigen Tierwesen liegen konnte wie noch in den vorherigen Bänden😅.
Ich habe es geliebt, nochmal eine Geschichte mit diesen großartigen Charakteren erleben zu dürfen und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht!!
Diese Spannungen zwischen Gaige und Kost waren von Anfang an zu spüren, ihre gegenseitige, vorgetäusche Abneigung füreinander, war fast schon traurig mitzuverfolgen, da diese Sachen mit einem offenen Gespräch über ihre Gefühle, hätte geklärt werden können.
Aber so hatte auch Leena nochmal einen Auftritt und half Gaige dabei, trotz seiner Veränderung wieder zu sich selbst zu finden.
Das auch Calem und Ozias jeweils ein eigenes Kapitel bekommen haben, war eine tolle Idee. So konnte man endlich Mal aus ihrer Sichtweise sehen, das sie in Zukunft vielleicht nicht mehr alleine sein werden ( was das bedeutet? Tja, lest das Buch;) )
Der finale Kampf war einfach nur episch und der kleine Cliffhänger am Ende, lässt mich noch hoffen, das es nicht das letzte Mal gewesen ist, das ich diese unglaubliche Welt betreten und mit Hilfe eines neuen Buches weiterhin erkunden kann.
Denn eines ist sicher, sollte die Autorin diese Welt noch nicht aufgegeben haben, werde ich ganz vorne mit dabei sein, um weitere Geschichten dieser großartigen Freundesgruppe lesen zu können.
P.S.: Auch wenn ich es etwas schade fand, das das Hauptaugenmerk dieses Buches (verständlicherweise) nicht mehr so stark auf den vielfältigen Tierwesen liegen konnte wie noch in den vorherigen Bänden😅.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC.
It felt really good to be reading this and to be transported back to Lendria, which I first fell in love with while reading The Beast Charmer series.
The main characters in this book, Kost (he's one of my favourite from the Beast Charmer series!) and Gaige, are generally very likeable. And the way Gaige's handling his new situation was understandable and kind of expected. It's also nice seeing everyone at Cruor were doing their best to help him, their newest member.
The story picked up from the previous series. I felt that this could be read as a standalone, but you'd get a better understanding of the world and the characters if you read the Beast Charmer trilogy. This book was told in multiple POVs. The pacing was good! There was a good amount of slow burn, and thankfully the pay off was worth it.
They got their happy ending here, no cliffhanger kind of ending. However, there were some unsolved mysteries at the end of the book and I cannot wait to see those mysteries solved in the upcoming books.
4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)
It felt really good to be reading this and to be transported back to Lendria, which I first fell in love with while reading The Beast Charmer series.
The main characters in this book, Kost (he's one of my favourite from the Beast Charmer series!) and Gaige, are generally very likeable. And the way Gaige's handling his new situation was understandable and kind of expected. It's also nice seeing everyone at Cruor were doing their best to help him, their newest member.
The story picked up from the previous series. I felt that this could be read as a standalone, but you'd get a better understanding of the world and the characters if you read the Beast Charmer trilogy. This book was told in multiple POVs. The pacing was good! There was a good amount of slow burn, and thankfully the pay off was worth it.
They got their happy ending here, no cliffhanger kind of ending. However, there were some unsolved mysteries at the end of the book and I cannot wait to see those mysteries solved in the upcoming books.
4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)
March 26, 2024
"Du wurdest nicht im Stich gelassen, du musst nur deinen Weg wiederfinden."
Schweren Herzens habe ich mich damals von der "DIe Tiermagierin"-Trilogie verabschiedet, denn ich habe jedes Buch davon abgöttisch geliebt und hätte ewig weiterlesen können.
Als ich dann gehört habe, dass es einen Spin-off dazu geben soll, ist mein Herz vor Freude gehüpft.
Denn ich war absolut bereit für ein weiteres Abenteuer in diesem einzigartigen Magiesystem.
Die Tierwesen, die Kreaturen, die Schatten - wenn ich nicht schon vorher so verliebt in die Idee dieser Geschichte gewesen wäre, wäre ich es spätestens jetzt.
Auch wenn es schon ein Weilchen her ist, dass ich die Bücher gelesen habe, konnte ich trotzdem problemlos mit "Klingen und Rosen" starten.
Dennoch würde ich allen empfehlen, vorher mit der anderen Reihe zu starten, auch wenn man dieses Buch ohne Vorkenntnisse lesen kann.
Doch ich denke, man sollte schon ein wenig Hintergrundwissen mitbringen, aber das ist nur meine Empfehlung.
Wir begleiten in diesem Buch Kost und Gaige, die einst eine wundervolle Freundschaft verbunden hat.
Sie sind vielschichtige, lebendige und unglaublich liebenswerte Charaktere.
Gaige, der einstige Tiermagier, kämpft mit seiner wiedergeborenen Existenz als unsterblicher Assassine.
Ein Leben, das ihm von seinem früheren Freund Kost auferzwungen wurde und das er für sich selbst niemals gewählt hätte.
Er kämpft jetzt nicht nur mit dem Verlust seiner einzigartigen Verbindung zu den magischen Wesen, er muss sich nun mit der Schattenmagie auseinandersetzen und versuchen, diese zu bändigen.
Wird er sich in der Dunkelheit der Schatten verlieren oder sich seinem Schicksal stellen?
Seine inneren Konflikte waren beim Lesen deutlich zu spüren.
Hach Kost, ich liebe ihn und ich konnte damals seine Entscheidung, Gaige nicht gehen zu lassen, so sehr nachvollziehen.
Nur kann Gaige ihm das jemals vergeben?
Ich habe mir die ganze Zeit gewünscht, dass die beiden endlich miteinander reden und wieder einen Weg zueinander finden.
Ihre Gefühle wurden so authentisch dargestellt und haben mich mitten ins Herz getroffen.
Ihre Verzweiflung, ihr Schmerz, aber auch ihre tiefe Verbindung zueinander war zum Greifen nah.
Ich habe so sehr mit ihnen mitgefiebert, ein Wechselbad der Gefühle durchlebt und mich in dieser Welt, in der Magie und Schatten verschmelzen, verloren.
Ihre Dynamik und ihre charakterliche Entwicklung war so wundervoll.
Die Atmosphäre in dem Buch ist einzigartig, beeindruckend und absolut atemberaubend.
Die Spannung bleibt konstant fesselnd, begleitet von actionreichen Kämpfen und überraschenden Wendungen.
Die bildhaften Beschreibungen der Autorin haben dafür gesorgt, dass ich das Gefühl hatte, selbst dort zu sein.
Ich liebe ihren Schreibstil.
Ein weiteres Highlight war das Wiedersehen mit bekannten Charakteren, die ich alle so sehr in mein Herz geschlossen habe.
"Klingen und Kronen" ist eine rasante, temporeiche und gefühlvolle queere Enemies to lovers Romance und ein absolut gelungener Spin-off, der Lust auf mehr macht.
Schweren Herzens habe ich mich damals von der "DIe Tiermagierin"-Trilogie verabschiedet, denn ich habe jedes Buch davon abgöttisch geliebt und hätte ewig weiterlesen können.
Als ich dann gehört habe, dass es einen Spin-off dazu geben soll, ist mein Herz vor Freude gehüpft.
Denn ich war absolut bereit für ein weiteres Abenteuer in diesem einzigartigen Magiesystem.
Die Tierwesen, die Kreaturen, die Schatten - wenn ich nicht schon vorher so verliebt in die Idee dieser Geschichte gewesen wäre, wäre ich es spätestens jetzt.
Auch wenn es schon ein Weilchen her ist, dass ich die Bücher gelesen habe, konnte ich trotzdem problemlos mit "Klingen und Rosen" starten.
Dennoch würde ich allen empfehlen, vorher mit der anderen Reihe zu starten, auch wenn man dieses Buch ohne Vorkenntnisse lesen kann.
Doch ich denke, man sollte schon ein wenig Hintergrundwissen mitbringen, aber das ist nur meine Empfehlung.
Wir begleiten in diesem Buch Kost und Gaige, die einst eine wundervolle Freundschaft verbunden hat.
Sie sind vielschichtige, lebendige und unglaublich liebenswerte Charaktere.
Gaige, der einstige Tiermagier, kämpft mit seiner wiedergeborenen Existenz als unsterblicher Assassine.
Ein Leben, das ihm von seinem früheren Freund Kost auferzwungen wurde und das er für sich selbst niemals gewählt hätte.
Er kämpft jetzt nicht nur mit dem Verlust seiner einzigartigen Verbindung zu den magischen Wesen, er muss sich nun mit der Schattenmagie auseinandersetzen und versuchen, diese zu bändigen.
Wird er sich in der Dunkelheit der Schatten verlieren oder sich seinem Schicksal stellen?
Seine inneren Konflikte waren beim Lesen deutlich zu spüren.
Hach Kost, ich liebe ihn und ich konnte damals seine Entscheidung, Gaige nicht gehen zu lassen, so sehr nachvollziehen.
Nur kann Gaige ihm das jemals vergeben?
Ich habe mir die ganze Zeit gewünscht, dass die beiden endlich miteinander reden und wieder einen Weg zueinander finden.
Ihre Gefühle wurden so authentisch dargestellt und haben mich mitten ins Herz getroffen.
Ihre Verzweiflung, ihr Schmerz, aber auch ihre tiefe Verbindung zueinander war zum Greifen nah.
Ich habe so sehr mit ihnen mitgefiebert, ein Wechselbad der Gefühle durchlebt und mich in dieser Welt, in der Magie und Schatten verschmelzen, verloren.
Ihre Dynamik und ihre charakterliche Entwicklung war so wundervoll.
Die Atmosphäre in dem Buch ist einzigartig, beeindruckend und absolut atemberaubend.
Die Spannung bleibt konstant fesselnd, begleitet von actionreichen Kämpfen und überraschenden Wendungen.
Die bildhaften Beschreibungen der Autorin haben dafür gesorgt, dass ich das Gefühl hatte, selbst dort zu sein.
Ich liebe ihren Schreibstil.
Ein weiteres Highlight war das Wiedersehen mit bekannten Charakteren, die ich alle so sehr in mein Herz geschlossen habe.
"Klingen und Kronen" ist eine rasante, temporeiche und gefühlvolle queere Enemies to lovers Romance und ein absolut gelungener Spin-off, der Lust auf mehr macht.
May 12, 2023
Shadows of the Lost had a fascinating premise, which is what drew me to the book to begin with. The world of Charmers, beasts and the undead was an interesting one, and something I loved about this book was the end matter, which included a dictionary of the various magical beasts and a charmer colour quiz. Both Kost and Gaige held appeal as characters and as a couple, yet despite all these positives, somehow the book didn't quite come together for me and I was unable to get full invested, my mind constantly wandering as I read. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where the issue was -- maybe in the pacing -- but overall this was, for me at least, a book that had many good points and a lot of potential but didn't quite manage to become a cohesive work. As such, I am giving it three stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2024
True, it was an interesting fantasy story, but next to the fantasy story there is also a love story and for me the love story is the one that spoiled the fantasy world.
Gaige’s struggles with his new life and and his new powers and his tries to get back what he lost, it was all so compelling, I wanted to know more. And then there is the part about Kost and Gaige, their history and their friendship … it felt more like second thought, or part from another book, and it did nothing to the story, it disrupted the natural flow of the story.
So if you are looking for a fantasy with a dash of erotica, it’s your book.
Gaige’s struggles with his new life and and his new powers and his tries to get back what he lost, it was all so compelling, I wanted to know more. And then there is the part about Kost and Gaige, their history and their friendship … it felt more like second thought, or part from another book, and it did nothing to the story, it disrupted the natural flow of the story.
So if you are looking for a fantasy with a dash of erotica, it’s your book.
July 25, 2024
"Du wurdest nicht im Stich gelassen, du musst nur deinen Weg wiederfinden."
Habe die ersten drei Teile schon so geliebt und bin glücklich, dass ich nochmals in die Welt der Tiermagier eintauchen durfte.
Kommt für mich nicht 100% an die vorherigen Teile ran, aber wahrscheinlich eher, weil ich viel zu euphorisch war haha.
Trotzdem ein echt gelungenes Spin-off!!! Ich hoffe auf weitere Teile weil das Ende kann nicht so stehen bleiben…
Habe die ersten drei Teile schon so geliebt und bin glücklich, dass ich nochmals in die Welt der Tiermagier eintauchen durfte.
Kommt für mich nicht 100% an die vorherigen Teile ran, aber wahrscheinlich eher, weil ich viel zu euphorisch war haha.
Trotzdem ein echt gelungenes Spin-off!!! Ich hoffe auf weitere Teile weil das Ende kann nicht so stehen bleiben…
June 21, 2023
Why doesn't anyone talk about this book?
𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓.
ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍᴇʀꜱ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴄɪʟ, ɢᴀɪɢᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ʟᴀꜱᴛɪɴɢ ʙᴏɴᴅꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴇᴀꜱᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀꜱᴛ, ʜᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍᴇʀ...ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀꜱ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟ ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄʀᴜᴏʀ. ɴᴏᴡ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ꜰᴀʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ���ᴜꜱ.
...ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ʟɪᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴡᴀɪᴛ, ʜᴜɴɢʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ʜɪᴍ ꜰᴏʀ ɪᴛꜱ ᴏᴡɴ.
ᴀꜱ ʟᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴꜱ, ᴀʟʟ ᴋᴏꜱᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴏ ɪꜱ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴀꜱ ɢᴀɪɢᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪꜱ ɴᴇᴡ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ʙʏ ᴅᴀʏ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀꜱᴇ ɢᴀɪɢᴇ'ꜱ ꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ--ʏᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙʟᴇ? ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ʙɪᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴘᴇʟᴇꜱꜱ ʟᴏɴɢɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ʏᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɢᴀɪɢᴇ ɪꜱ ʟᴏꜱᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ʀᴇᴀʟᴍ, ᴋᴏꜱᴛ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴʏ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʀɪɴɢɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍ ʙᴀᴄᴋ: ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴜꜱᴛ (ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘꜱ ʟᴏᴠᴇ) ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴛ is the first book of the ɢᴜɪʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ, born from the incredible pen of Maxym M. Martineau.
As always, I start with the technical information.
The author's writing is truly sensational. Although I got to listen to the audio book of this fantastic epic fantasy, I still managed to get an idea about his pen: incredibly compelling fluid and very detailed.
I think it was the details about the setting, the places and the characterization of the characters that struck me first.
The worldbuilding, at least personally, I did not find excessively complex. In fact, I found it simple and very, very intriguing. I also madly loved the combination of paranormal elements to more romantic ones.
I consider it to be a very interesting fantasy also for the so much action. However, there were some details that made me turn up my nose a bit. The first of all is the age of the characters. Yes, ok. Maybe I'm exaggerating on this point of view but believe me, at some point I could not understand if they were young adults or mature and vaccinated adults. Spoiler: they are mature and vaccinated adults.
Another thing that made me turn up my nose was the spicy. I don't know... For what has been the course of history, it seemed to me exaggeratedly pushed. And... Gloomy? Maybe?
Small details appear, I madly enjoyed listening to the audiobook ( the narrators are really great).
Will I continue the saga? Yes, absolutely. I have to find out how it ends.
Thank you Netgalley, Maxym M. Martineau and Dreams ape Media for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a candid review.
𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓.
ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍᴇʀꜱ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴄɪʟ, ɢᴀɪɢᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏʀᴍ ʟᴀꜱᴛɪɴɢ ʙᴏɴᴅꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴇᴀꜱᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀꜱᴛ, ʜᴇ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍᴇʀ...ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀꜱ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀꜱ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟ ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄʀᴜᴏʀ. ɴᴏᴡ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ꜰᴀʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ���ᴜꜱ.
...ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ʟɪᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴡᴀɪᴛ, ʜᴜɴɢʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ʜɪᴍ ꜰᴏʀ ɪᴛꜱ ᴏᴡɴ.
ᴀꜱ ʟᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴꜱ, ᴀʟʟ ᴋᴏꜱᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴏ ɪꜱ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴀꜱ ɢᴀɪɢᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪꜱ ɴᴇᴡ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ʙʏ ᴅᴀʏ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀꜱᴇ ɢᴀɪɢᴇ'ꜱ ꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ--ʏᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙʟᴇ? ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ʙɪᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴘᴇʟᴇꜱꜱ ʟᴏɴɢɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ʏᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɢᴀɪɢᴇ ɪꜱ ʟᴏꜱᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ʀᴇᴀʟᴍ, ᴋᴏꜱᴛ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴʏ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʀɪɴɢɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍ ʙᴀᴄᴋ: ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴜꜱᴛ (ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘꜱ ʟᴏᴠᴇ) ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴛ is the first book of the ɢᴜɪʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ, born from the incredible pen of Maxym M. Martineau.
As always, I start with the technical information.
The author's writing is truly sensational. Although I got to listen to the audio book of this fantastic epic fantasy, I still managed to get an idea about his pen: incredibly compelling fluid and very detailed.
I think it was the details about the setting, the places and the characterization of the characters that struck me first.
The worldbuilding, at least personally, I did not find excessively complex. In fact, I found it simple and very, very intriguing. I also madly loved the combination of paranormal elements to more romantic ones.
I consider it to be a very interesting fantasy also for the so much action. However, there were some details that made me turn up my nose a bit. The first of all is the age of the characters. Yes, ok. Maybe I'm exaggerating on this point of view but believe me, at some point I could not understand if they were young adults or mature and vaccinated adults. Spoiler: they are mature and vaccinated adults.
Another thing that made me turn up my nose was the spicy. I don't know... For what has been the course of history, it seemed to me exaggeratedly pushed. And... Gloomy? Maybe?
Small details appear, I madly enjoyed listening to the audiobook ( the narrators are really great).
Will I continue the saga? Yes, absolutely. I have to find out how it ends.
Thank you Netgalley, Maxym M. Martineau and Dreams ape Media for sending me the audiobook in exchange for a candid review.
June 12, 2023
Kicked off Pride Month with this monster epic fantasy. Advertised as the first in the a series, it’s actually a spin-off of the Beast Charmer trilogy. It’s definitely action-packed, detailed and well-written…it’s just very very detailed with references to characters, powers, and a world in which I wasn’t familiar. I ended up stopping around 15% in to read the previous start to original series to be fair…and to finish without being overwhelmed and getting lost. I was super excited for the LGBTQIA+ romance in an epic fantasy book because it’s everything I wanted.
Martineau’s character romance pairings in general seem to be very enemies to lovers and this wasn’t an exception. I loved Gaige and Kost together and their super spicy scenes that were still sweet and special. It was definitely a lot packed into this book. There was a lot of tension and angst, almost too much, but it was worth it. I personally think this spin-off created a lot of new character pairing, foreshadowing and intros that were hard to follow when there was already so many character details to start. There were great voice actors to help bring the story to life, I just think it was A LOT for a “first book.” I’d definitely start with the previous series. I feel like I’d rather have more of Gaige and Kost than another “ship” for the next book. I don’t think I got enough of them together…and I’m not really excited about anyone else’s story tbh. I wish it would have been an entire LGBTQIA+ trilogy for this spin-off but doesn’t look like it. Here’s hoping!
Special thanks to #NetGalley publisher #SourcebooksCasablanca and talented author #MaxymMMartineau for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of #ShadowsoftheLost
Martineau’s character romance pairings in general seem to be very enemies to lovers and this wasn’t an exception. I loved Gaige and Kost together and their super spicy scenes that were still sweet and special. It was definitely a lot packed into this book. There was a lot of tension and angst, almost too much, but it was worth it. I personally think this spin-off created a lot of new character pairing, foreshadowing and intros that were hard to follow when there was already so many character details to start. There were great voice actors to help bring the story to life, I just think it was A LOT for a “first book.” I’d definitely start with the previous series. I feel like I’d rather have more of Gaige and Kost than another “ship” for the next book. I don’t think I got enough of them together…and I’m not really excited about anyone else’s story tbh. I wish it would have been an entire LGBTQIA+ trilogy for this spin-off but doesn’t look like it. Here’s hoping!
Special thanks to #NetGalley publisher #SourcebooksCasablanca and talented author #MaxymMMartineau for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of #ShadowsoftheLost
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