First off let me start by saing this is a nice fast paced read. There was never really a moment that something wasn't happening that didn't directly add to the story.

You get the point of view of four people who all want something different, yet all come together in a twist of fate.

This book had really good world building. You really got the feel for what was around you and the type of people living in this world.

If I'm being honest, I actually liked the side charcters much more that the two MC's. I found their dtories more appealing and cared for them more.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read with some fun/ny aspects. I'm giving this book a 3.5 on the verge of 4 star rating.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publishers for allowing me an arc in exchange for an honest review

Wow. I loved this book so much! I actually enjoyed reading every chapter and every point of view, which feels like it hadn't happened to me in so long. I didn't even want it to end because then I would have to wait for the next book (with that ending, I don't think it could stay a standalone). I'm a bit surprised to be honest to have enjoyed it so much compared to some other readers who gave lower ratings. Usually, I'm the one with the lower rating but I'm glad it's not the case here ahah.

This book follows a girl trying to survive in a brutal world where silver wielders have been hunted down and killed by the royal family. The King is the most brutal and cruel man in the kingdom. A rebellion is already there with rebels trying their best to conjure a plan to overthrow the King. Darek, the leader, finds out about Ren and her power. And while she doesn't care about the rebellion, she desperately needs the money to pay off a gang to which she owes money.

Of Silver and Shadow has lots of action and I was never bored. The romances were so entertaining to read and also nerve-wracking since one of those relationships was actually forbidden (in a mortal kind of way) and if they were found out, they would have been executed by the King.

Overall, it was a great read.

This was absolutely amazing. I loved everything about it. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I dint see any of the plot twists coming at all!

It always astounds me when books based on rebellions have little to no deaths, and none of the characters who do die are ones you have names for and feel connected to. I did love the characters, especially the prince who wants to forget he is a prince (I can't say anything without spoiling anything).
I loved the little twists and turns, especially the things I cannot say because it would give up the entire premise of the novel.
My only complaints are the first half of the book took a long time saying what it needed to say and repeated itself a lot. It took me until about halfway through the book to fall in love with the love interest (that could also be because the descriptions were inconsistent in the first half, so I had no clue what the love interest was supposed to look like or how old he was).
I won't say anymore, so if you want to know more, you can either check out my blog https://bookgirlreviewsbooks.blogspot.com or grab a copy of the book.

4 out of 5 stars.

Very solid 4 STARS for a rebellion fantasy novel!

It's tough to write a book about overthrowing an already-established rule. That's why so many fantasies, YA or otherwise, are released in trilogies or a series. For OF SILVER AND SHADOW to successfully write a well-planned rebellion, with multiple parties involved and fleshed-out characterizations, in one book? That's really impressive to me, and one of the reasons why this book and I just clicked. I don't think the premise is anything special: random thief girl is a silver wielder in a kingdom where only royals can wield silver. Rich rebel leader persuades her to help their cause for money, and she goes begrudgingly because she needs that money for a hidden altruistic reason. On the other side, we have the POV's of a trained soldier battling against her heart (with another female soldier) and her loyalty (to the crown), and a young prince that doesn't know where he wants to go/what he wants to do in life. The background is tried and true, but the narratives that Gruenke writes are just plain GOOD. Honestly, the story could have been longer to flesh things out, but my love for stand-alones (assuming this is) made this the perfect length for me.

We start with the rebels.

"She never considered that she might be dragged into an idiotic revolution by a couple rebels. She wished she could kill both brothers, shove a knife into their necks and be done with it. Corpses couldn't talk."

The story starts with an offer for Ren to join the rebel group that Darek and his brother lead. She's brash and unruly; he's trying to start a movement but can't without her. There's a pretty dynamic hate-to-love romance between them as she gets embroiled into his plots and ends up helping much more than she signed up for. I actually really enjoyed the interactions in the rebel group and their camaraderie - they make for a motley yet persevering group. Ren herself has to really ask whether she wants to sacrifice her current lifestyle of thievery and pit-fighting to fight for a greater cause, which creates some good character development.

We move to the characters inside the palace.

"Tomorrow, she would wake up, and she would put on her leathers and be the soldier she was trained to be, and she'd do it again and again and again until she finally made it out of this place..."

Adley is a loyal soldier to the crown, known as the King's Children. There are rules to being a King's Child. You can't be in a romantic relationship with each other. You basically carry out the torture and violence of the king. And you live for the crown. This was working fine for Adley, until she starts developing feelings (that are reciprocated) by Lesa, another soldier. This forbidden relationship (another trope I love) between them starts to unravel Adley's loyalty to the king, leading to more inner conflicts within her character. I also thought her character was great, and the f/f romance was really wholesome and sweet, despite the heavy violence that the girls engage in.

Let's move up some ranks in the palace.

"He had a tainted family name, a title that didn't suit him, and a pit where fighters couted death. He'd been trying for so long, swapping personas and hoping one day something would fit him right. But nothing ever did."

Last of the note-worthy POV's to mention is the youngest prince Kellen, who doesn't abide by the cruelties of his father and brother. But despite the small rebellion in his heart, he doesn't really act out on it. After all, what can a younger prince do? Instead, he rebels by sneaking out of the castle to see the city, and engage with the citizens. One of the ways he does this is by being the owner of a pit-fighting ring. Although he's lived a sheltered life, he knows there's other things he can do. But what? The instigation of a rebellion might change his listlessness...

There's a lot of moving parts and fast-paced action within this one book, but the scene transitions were seemless and I was equally invested in everyone's stories. There's not a character I love more because they're all explored really well and given good page time. There's also some pretty good dialogue among the characters that marks their unique personalities (Kellen's playfulness, Adley's solemnity, and Ren's sarcasm being examples).

Like I said, I think the world-building is rather generic and the conflict predictable. But something about this story and the different (third person omniscient) POV's just clicked for me. The pace, characters, and satisfyingly conclusive ending made this a really enjoyable read that I can find myself re-reading. I wouldn't mind revisiting the characters and kindgom for another book, but this was perfect as it was. Recommended for YA fantasy fans (of course!) who aren't looking for a unique magical world, but rather a tried and true tale of a revolt, and the characters that paved the way to change.

Thank you Flux and Netgalley for the review copy!

Fantastic world building, fast paced, and very easy to get drawn in! I truly loved this book, and it seems to be leading to a sequel! The MC'S seemed to have some immature fights, but it works nicely for the story line! 4/5 stars! Looking forward to more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

I have conflicting feelings about this novel; for about half of this I didn’t feel any connection with the characters whatsoever, the words seemed a bit clunky, and I found there to be repetition in unneeded places. I also didn’t have any interest in Ren or the rebels and their cause for most of the story, though it really picked up in the ending. Adley, the youngest Prince of Erdis, and the side characters were by far the most interesting and I absolutely adored their storylines! One of the romances I felt didn’t really make sense, or at least needed to be better developed, however I really liked the other characters relationships and loved that there was LGBT representation. As I said, the second half of the book was much better! It was awesome how all of the characters connected to each other, the climax was fast paced, and there was a twist that I didn’t see coming at all. The magic system was also well thought out and well explained, and I enjoyed the different points of view. This book didn’t live up to my expectations, but overall, I did like it!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Of Silver and Shadow was so freaking good. In it, you will meet Ren who is a silver wielder in hiding. This is because the King has killed every other person who has the magic.. except for his own family. So far she has been doing amazing and hasn't been caught using it. Well, until the second that she is.

Enter Darek. He and his brother, who come from money, have a vision about taking over the throne. He doesn't like the king one bit and thinks that Ren could be his savior. Or the people's savior. It also doesn't hurt that him and her are freaking adorable and have so much sexual tension. I was constantly shipping them together and I'm actually very happy about how things went down between them. I was so freaking happy but ugh.. the ending. I have questions and definitely need another book!

Beside him, there's also Adley and Kellen. Adley who is one of the King's Children has dreams of being his Fang. This is because after being the Fang for a while you eventually earn your freedom. Then there's Kellen, who is one of the princes but he is also a pit lord by night. They are both very interesting characters with zero romantic interest towards one another. Definitely more sister/brother vibe and I was all for it.

I, of course, shipped them with other people and was extremely excited for everyone involved. Other than that, this book has drama towards the end. Things happened that I wasn't fully aware could happen. That being said, I most definitely need another book for all these guys. I miss them already and I need to know what the heck is going to happen next. Ugh!

WHOA! This was an unexpected book.

I absolutely love how the story is fast paced as well as complex. Some books struggle to accomplish both of those qualities successfully, however Gruenke did a fantastic job of keeping out attention through the entire book.

There were some twists I did not expect, which is one of my favorite things in a story. Of SIlver and Shadow is straight to the point with the action and “political plotting”. All the different romances are bold and pure in their own way, no two is similar.

The character I wish I could have seen more from, would have definitely been Kellen. Every character was fun to read about, but I absolutely wish I could have had some real closure for him. That might be my only Con to the whole story.

Overall this book was a great stand alone novel and I would highly recommend reading it when you are not so patiently waiting for the next book in a series to be released. I like how the whole story is told in a single book, even though it has opportunities to branch out into a duology. In fact, If you’re reading this Gruenke, then please feel free to give us a follow-up novel :)

-Stone

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. It was brilliant, full of action, it had interesting world-building, and beautiful characters. Sure, there are some parts that could've been better, but I enjoyed this too much that nothing bothered me.
The Lyandors are the monarchs of the kingdom of Erdis. They wield silver, a dangerous power that they reserved only for themselves, killing everyone who showed signs of it. But Ren Kolins somehow escaped. Now she is a vital pawn of the rebellious plan to overthrow the monarchy. Ren's world is filled with magic, thievery, and fighting. This book reminded me of the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson and Six of crows by Leigh Bardugo. If you enjoyed those books, I highly recommend this one.
I enjoyed the relationships the most, especially a female-female relationship that was exceptionally written, but left me craving for more. Friendships and hate-to-love relationships are also explored in detail. The characters were interesting and filled with personal details that made them special. My favorite characters were Kellen, Adley, and Lesa.
The book had no dull moments. The world could've used a map, as do all the fantasy worlds, but I wasn't bothered by this fact. The dialogs were entertaining and memorable. “Brooding suits me. I have the jawline for it”(also humorous).
I hope(and insist) that this book has a continuation. I definitely need more to satisfy my cravings.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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It's been a while since I read a good YA. This one does not disappoint. I was initially scared of finding 1 dimensional characters and an ill-developed and ill-executed rebellion, however that was not the case.

The world building and mechanics were incredibly creative and the writing style was simple yet sufficiently descriptive.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an enjoyable start to a new series.

Overall rating: 5 stars

I loved everything about this! I didn't see the ending coming but it was perfect! I know the author said that it's currently a standalone but there was room for a sequel and I hope that happens!!

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Of Silver and Shadow was a well-written, creative young adult book. I can see it being a successful series that many youth and adults will enjoy. I was easily and quickly drawn into the story and the characters. I liked the main characters, their back stories, and cared about what would happen to them. I enjoyed the mix of magic and fantasy throughout the book, even though it was outside of my normal reading interests,

Ok so at first I admit I had mixed feelings. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not. But as I kept reading I started to enjoy it even more.

High stakes, action and adventure, political intrigue, and unique characters. The world building was very lush and detailed. The plot was easy to follow, The writing style was fluent and fast paced which made for a really quick once I got a little further in the read!!

Definitely going to want to get this one!! Add to your tbr right now!!!

Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke is a captivating story that pulls you in from the beginning. Holding your attention until the very shocking end. You will fall in love with the vivid and realistic characters as they share their story.

~~ Thanks to Flux, Netgalley and Jennifer Gruenke for allowing me to read the ARC and give my honest review ~~

I have gotten a red queen vibe at first and then while reading a Throne of Glass book. I have loved this book, it has a nice story and it’s an easy going read, it’s a fast read it does not idle on so many filler parts, this is not common and I very much like it that way, it goes straight to the point.
For now, it is a standalone, and to be sincere I hope it is cause there are not many fantasy books that are standalone.
While I really enjoyed this book, the main characters were not so appealing, the characters that I did like where Kellan, Adley and Lesa there is something in the writing that makes one love them. When one reads a book I guess the author always want us to love the main characters not the side ones. Even do it is a critic, I still liked this its a different perspective and it’s nice to have it after reading so many books.
In resume, I want to inform that even do I critique some points I want to say that these things made me love the book, so I totally recommend it, that is why I put 4.5 to it, in Goodreads do to know issues I will put 4 stars but it deserves the .5.

Of Silver and Shadow is a fun read with a large cast of engaging characters! The story is relatively fast paced and intense with some witty dialogue and banter thrown in. The book switches between several narrators and the plot unravels from each of their different perspectives. The magic and world building was unique and intriguing in my opinion; different from what I had ever seen before, and not explained in a way that was convoluted or mysterious. I also appreciated that although this was a world and plot focused on magic, not every character had magic, and not only the characters that had magic were important to the story line. In my opinion the book could have been improved by delving deeper into some of the themes and relationships that were explored. At times it felt like details were omitted and that important backstories and character development were skipped over in an effort to keep the book shorter. Overall I enjoyed the book, I was drawn in from the start and finished it in two sittings. Would recommend for fans of fantasy who enjoy witty characters, great dialogue and fast paced action!

If the cover isn't enough to persuade you to read this book, then please, let me enlighten you.

A SOLID 4 STARS FROM ME ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I didn't expect to love Of Silver and Shadow but damn, it was such a great story! Magic, rebellion, hot sizzling forbidden romance and hate-to-love, strong female characters, and a charming prince. All of my favorite fantasy tropes in one book.

There were so many nerve-racking and heart-wrenching moments, I couldn't stop reading it since the first page even though I have midterm tests this week. I love the characters, I love the twists, I love everything about it, ESPECIALLY PRINCE KELLEN!

Yes, this book isn't perfect. I still want to know how the magic work. The ending felt rushed but it was still good. The antagonist lacked deeper characterization. And I really wish this isn't a standalone because I'd like to know what will happen to the characters after this book.

Overall, Of Silver and Shadow is a great YA fantasy standalone. It has a perfect amount of fights, ridiculous banter, romance, political intrigue, and magic. It was a little bit dark and brutal but still fun and heartwarming. If you're looking for an awesome new release book, make sure to add this one to your TBR. I highly recommend it.

[This review is posted on my Goodreads account. Full review will be published on my blog on May 26th]

Thank you so much to North Star Editions: Flux for the ward via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!

All the Ands and Buts in the summary are driving me crazy! Sentences and paragraphs shouldn't start with "but."

Anyway!  Magic in the form of Silver has been outlawed in the country of Erdis for years.  The Kingdom's bloody history includes a huge genocide of magic wielders and a systematic eradication of trade routes and immigration from areas where refugees fled.  The King is a murderous bastard, the crown prince is even worse, and the youngest prince is the snarky one that wants nothing to do with royalty.  He reminded me of Nikolai except he's a pit lord, not a privateer.

The rebellion is seeking to overthrow the crown and has been planting seeds to do so since before Darek (this generation's rebel  leader) and Ren were born.  The characters are pretty well described in the summary.  There is a lot of squabbling (or sexual tension) between a few of them, but the book has a lot of quite well done banter.  I just kept being reminded of Nikolai with the whole second prince syndrome.

Silver is just an innate ability like fire wielding or any other mage ability.  It seems to be the only magical ability in the kingdom.  Silver can be used for anything from lockpicking to torture to making a giant silver lion appear - like an illusion with substance.  The king uses it to torture people while Ren picks locks and destroys ships... I felt like we were deprived of a good mage fight.  I wanted to see silver vs silver in combat.  While it is a simple enough magic system, and a cool ability, it's a bit underdeveloped.  Definitely in book two.

The world building is really excellent in some places.  The descriptions of the city, buildings, river, mood, political structure, and tension in the city were real.  We even got to see the festival, some food, and see some music and entertainment.   The characters used English slang though, in high quantity.  It isn't a bad thing but I forgot this was a YA book while reading.

Speaking of age appropriateness: the tortures used in the book aren't for the fainthearted!  I enjoyed reading a book with some teeth, but kind of had it in my head that I was reading an adult fantasy.  I enjoyed it though, flaying skin and muscle and blood and arrows stabbed in unconventional ways courtesy of Adley and Lesa, the torturers.  As long as I'm talking about content, there is a pair of women but the worst that they do is pine and kiss and pine some more.  Otherwise Ren checks out Derek and they hook up off page.  I kind of feel lile if we get to read about Adley flaying a guy's skin, we could have read about Darek in bed, but to each their own.

The group of characters came together into a unique group at the end.  The pacing of the entire book was good, fast, but the last maybe 100 pages were BREAKNECK!! I could not put it down!

All in all I think older teens and young adults are a good audience for the book.  I actually enjoyed it as an adult, the most eye-rolling thing that happened was how often the two coupled pairs eyed each other before getting it over with.

My original instinct was 5 stars for the last part of the book being so amazing, but overall I will go with a strong, strong four.  Thank you again to the publisher for the advanced read!

Blog link can be seen at https://onereadingnurse.com/2020/03/07/arc-review-of-silver-and-shadow-by-jennifer-gruenke/

This is an action packed YA fantasy book that has complex world building and a lot of interesting characters. Side characters are the ones that stole the show. The book ends in a way that suggests that there will be more books.
Even though there is a lot of things that should make this book a winner, but I was still felt that I missed something. Maybe the deciding factor was that I never really connected with Ren.
It is an okay read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.