I just didn't really connect with this book. I ended up DNFing this after the 57% mark. I just thought that everything was pretty meh. There were good parts and bad parts, but I felt that they just balanced each other out. There were some weird formatting issues I had while reading, so that probably didn't help either.

I loved this book it is so fast paced and I just love the characters we get to follow. Ren, the street hardened girl with the gift of silver, Adley ,the warrior who never missed with a forbidden live, Darek, the pouty brains and looks of the operation and Kellen, the prince with a Rapunzel complex.

It has a very Lannister meets furyborn vibe. I can not put into words how much I loved this. And all the snarky remarks. I really liked how it shows no matter where you are born in status or what's done to you. You can choose. You can make a change.

Rebellion, outlawed magic, potential romance, witty banter all make up this new fantasy book by Jennifer Gruenke.

Thoughts:
Rebellion is at the forefront of this young adult/new adult book. The kingdom is being run by those who don’t deserve to be in power and it is long past time to remove them.

Ren is a pit fighting, sarcastic, street-wise girl who gets noticed by the rebellion leaders. Why? Because she can do magic in a kingdom where magic is outlawed by death. They need her, but she’s not really all that into the rebellion until there is promise of money. Then, of course, she’s definitely in.

The rebellion has been long coming and they have planned out exactly how to use her talents. Not in the “she does everything while we stand back” kind of way except when they obviously have to since she is the only one who can do magic, but more of “let’s use her to rally others to our cause” way.

What I Liked:

- Character interactions and banter were fun, especially whenever Prince Kellen was around, but Darek and
Ren have some fun interactive encounters too. Speaking of Prince Kellen, he was quite the scene stealer. It’s
as if the book came alive when he wandered into a scene.
- World is pretty easy to grasp and follow. The kingdom and how it operates along with the magic system can
be quickly understood at a high level.
- Couple of unexpected moments in the plot that surprise you and keep the story progressing.

What Was Ok or Didn’t Like:

- Plot isn’t terribly unique to the fantasy genre, which was my main struggle with it. Rebels plotting against the
king, enemies to romance. We’ve seen it before. Overall, it has potential for being more complex, although I
did appreciate the portions of how King Mattheus manipulated other kingdoms, especially with the
proposed treaties.
- Wish there was just a little bit more explanation on how the story ends. It gives the impression that this is a
stand-alone story, so I wish there were an Epilogue to provide more information on what happened next and
how the ending plays out.

Overall, it was an enjoyable novel and quick read, but isn’t necessarily original. I know there are many who really love enemies-to-lover books along with rebellion and so if this is you, then definitely consider trying this one out. However, if you are looking for something with a complex, dark plot that is unique, then this may not be book for you. Due to some mature content, it feels more like it is on the edge of young adult and new adult genre.

Cover Thoughts: During my first glance at the cover I immediately noticed the silver color in the “Of Silver” part of the title and I thought “Ah ha! That’s very clever considering the title.” What I didn’t notice immediately when seeing the book on Netgalley, but did so later is how the “And Shadow” and castle portion of the title/cover is not written or drawn in dense black to represent a shadow as I originally thought, but is actually a shadow. This density of the lettering isn’t as clear within the letters and as you look closer you get the feeling that the light casting the shadow is just beyond our reach to see where it is coming from. It’s quite well done and adds a nice effect to the cover once you get a closer look. I have no doubt this cover will pull folks in to read it.

Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and North Star Editions for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

This is a wonderful read for lovers of dark fantasy and magic, with a sassy female lead (Ren - one of my favourite characters of the year!), and delicious insight from three other points of view. I'd put it at the higher end of YA.

Thanks to NetGalley and North Star Editions for the ARC in return for this honest review.

The royal campaign against wielders of Silver (magic) has been mostly successful, but a few gifted individuals still pop up in some families. The King's Children are fearsome opponents, and unlikely alliances have to be made in order to succeed. And a perfect hate-to-love set up among the rebel crew. There is danger and horror at every turn.

I found this book an engaging read and well written, with excellent world-building, clever dialogue and believable characters. 

I didn't like the explicit torture scenes so that's a bit of a trigger warning - they are rather ghastly. I know this kind of scene raises the stakes but unfortunately I have a weak stomach for torture scenes!

However if you love that kind of death-lurks-at-every-turn magic fantasy, and don't mind quite a bit of blood, then this is going to be perfect for you. Watch out for the release in April 2020.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC for an honest review. Of Silver and Shadow is a compulsively readable book. The prose is not always elegant, but it is extremely effective. Jennifer Gruenke’s world is populated with imperfect people who primarily exist in a moral gray area. All the characters are flawed in some capacity, but their shortcomings do not stop them from seeking virtue in impossible circumstances. Their choices and actions are not always easy to embrace, but Gruenke manages to facilitate some level of sympathy in the reader. The end of the novel definitely leaves the reader wanting more and I am hopeful that the story will continue at a future date.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book!

Final rating: 4.0 stars
TW: INTENSE Violence and (very subtle) implied sexual assault

My Thoughts:

So I had a really difficult time rating this novel! I enjoyed the plot in itself, (even if it felt a little too stale at points.)

BUT

The beginning quarter was full of info dumping. I believe I stopped reading at about 20% through the novel, just to check and make sure I hadn't accidentally requested a second book in a series.
My biggest problem was one of the earliest scenes, when Ren is captured by Darek and him brother. This is there first point meeting, but (without taking the time to really gauge Ren as a person) Derek reveals personal things about his backstory AND a good chunk of their rebellion's plan.
This is made better at the end when you find out that the entire novel takes place over just three weeks, and that's why the plot is so fast paced and characters have a lot of moments where they say things that feel extremely inorganic. But it still felt like a problem at the beginning.

This book has 4 POVS, which I was nervous to discover. I have a minor case of ADD, and sometimes it's really hard to keep my attention on a novel when there are a lot of POV changes. Let me tell you though, this author does a great job transitioning POVs, and all 4 characters were interesting enough to keep my attention.

Speaking of the characters, all of these were great and well enough developed. I wish we had gone a little bit more into Heath and why (other than INTENSE daddy issues) he was so deranged. And I wish we had a bit more time with the Rebellion so Rico's capture made me feel a bit more. But those are both nitpicky little things. I feel like this novel really would have benefited by being a bit longer, and an adult novel.

The final thing I want to address is the fact that, though Adley and Lesa were my favorite characters, there wasn't a scene at the conclusion where they had to face what they did to Rico. And that really bothered me.

ANYWAYS. I actually really enjoyed this novel for the most part, and I'm looking forward to picking up the book when its released next year.

I was reading a Net Galley uncorrected proof, so there are possibly things that will change, but this book needed another go with the editor. It wasn't awful, but there were a few cringey mistakes. The first quarter of it was a bit meh. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't a page-turner. Once I passed that point, things got more interesting. All in all a good story. It had some things I love, such as enemies-to-lovers tropeyness and a bit of witty banter.

Ren tries too hard, or she is written too hard. I get it, she is bad and soooo bad. Also bad. It just got to be a bit one-dimensional. The enemies bit was pretty good, but when the tide started to change direction, I was like.. ehh. It could have been done better. It wasn't bad, but it didn't leave me with bated breath, and I think it could have.

I mean it was a decent read but nothing to write home about. The different perspectives were done well. Each character had a distinct feel. It wasn't confusing.

It was also done well in that it is the first of a series, and it ties things up very nicely in book one, but it didn't give me enough of a reason to look forward to book 2. I mean, I'll give it a chance, but it won't be on my radar or anything.

I just finished this book, and I'm not sure how I'm going to rate it yet, so I'll decide that part at the end. At the beginning, I thought it was going to be something like a 2 to 3 star read. The characters seemed tropey, the writing style was very clunky and you could tell it was a debut novel. There was a lot of quick exposition in those first couple chapters—you have the exceptional protagonist who is the only person who can do magic, you've got the tragic backstory, you've got the good-hearted but stubborn and sullen rival, and I found it to be very off-putting for the first 10% of the book. In addition, Adley's first chapter had a lot of violence for the sake of violence, which was really uncomfortable for me, especially in a YA novel.

After the rough start, though, the novel definitely picked up. The end of the pit lord's first chapter is what cinched it for me, I think, and the character reveal was really well done. I was lucky to be on an airplane when I finally hit that point, and I ended up devouring over half the book during that travel day, and later finishing it in another sitting. I think the pacing in the middle was spot on, in fact, I almost wish the book had been a bit longer, especially the ending. But I also thought that The Priory of the Orange Tree should have been longer, so should we really be trusting my judgement?

This is a multi-perspective book, and I think some of the perspectives were stronger than others. Darek's character definitely could have been developed more, especially since I can't really think of an instance in which his point of view was really necessary. We got his interior feelings toward Ren, but besides that he didn't reveal any secrets to us and there was never any dramatic irony between what the reader had learned from his chapters and the knowledge Ren had. In addition, he felt supplementary to Ren rather than a character in his own right. The pit lord and Adley both had much more fleshed out characters and motivations, and I really enjoyed their chapters (except for Adley's gratuitous violence and the torture scenes). I definitely managed to care about those characters, and Ren, in a way in which I simply did not with Darek. The multi-perspective is another reason I think the book could have benefited from being a little longer. In my opinion, if you take each character and put their chapters together and exclude the other characters, it should form a short book, with all the rising and falling action and character change and growth you would expect from a single-perspective book. We definitely got that with Ren, but everyone else I think got shorted in the character development department.

I did think this book was enjoyable, probably the most important aspect of reading. It was a fun read. There were some pitfalls, there were some problems that I would expect any debut author to have, but it was a good time. If there was a sequel, I'd read it, and you can tell that it's written in a way that allows for that (although I wish Gruenke had focused on making it a solid standalone, and not rushed the ending so much). There were still some questions at the end of the book, and not everything was given as much depth as I would have wished, so honestly, I hope there's a sequel, so that everything that is meant to be in this story manages to make the cut.

Well, I've reached close to the end of my review, and I still haven't quite decided on a star rating. I hate giving half stars, but I'm very solidly in between a 3 and a 4, so I guess we'll say 3.5 star rating. As always on Goodreads, I round up.

One last thing. There is an f/f romance in this book, but as always in reading such books one is left wondering whether it's a bury-your-gays trope or not. However, this information is spoilery, regardless of whether it is or not, so I hid it in spoiler tags over on Goodreads (I don't know if they show up on Netgalley). Check out the link if you need to know before starting this book.

**Disclaimer: I received an ARC of Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**

I initially was intrigued by this book from the cover alone because, let's face it, I am a sucker for a good looking cover! I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by it but I always do! And I'm (for the most part) good at picking books with beautiful covers, like this one, and loving the book as well. This book is no different! I loved it.

Of Silver and Shadow has 4 different POV"s. Sometimes I enjoy those kinds of books, sometimes I don't. Luckily I did like it this time because it was beautifully done and each character was equally interesting. I'm always a sucker for a hate-to-love story and this book had it and I loved it. A must read for anyone that loves magic and a love story with great characters and storyline.

I think it will do well in YA and be decently popular, but there is some room for improvement here.

Ren's edgy character provides a lot of excitement and witty banter that really benefits the story. A strong female character who is an excellent fighter even without her magic and a cunning thief is an exciting character. I do think Ren is in need of the most improvement in regards to character development. This is multiple perspective book and as a reader, I never felt very attached to Ren. Her stony persona should be something that the other characters in the book perceive, but that the reader gets a glimpse through in a book like this. We see a lot of Kellen, some of Darek, but very little of Ren's internal perspective. How does Ren perceive the world? What does she feel during plot twists? When we read Ren's perspective it almost feels like someone else is telling the story.

I love the magic in this book. I enjoyed imaging the physical aspects of the magic like the movements of the wrist. I think there could have been more world building here though. More information on the magic, more focus on implementing it. It seems like it should be a major part of the story, but isn't.

I love a slow burn romance. In fact, a good romance is pretty much a determining factor on if a book makes it to my favorites list or not. This romance evolves slowly and I enjoyed it being part of the story. It felt a little bit out of nowhere though and perhaps could have used slightly more development. I personally would have enjoyed seeing more moments of trust or intimacy… just something to make it feel like there was a real relationship developing here before it sprung up suddenly.

Overall, the pacing is great. The characters are lovable. It's a fun adventure that I think readers of upper YA fantasy (and I do mean upper, I would hesitate to recommend this to younger YA with the amount of language) will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book!! It reminded me a lot of Six of Crows and Throne of Glass, but it was also completely unique, with an amazing cast of characters and a complex magic system and monarchy.
Ren was my absolute favorite character, and I loved seeing her character growth throughout the book as she slowly becomes braver, more selfless, and more caring towards others, while still retaining her sarcastic personality.
The other characters were all very distinguishable from one another, which is sometimes difficult for me when reading multi-perspective fantasies (especially when the chapters aren't labeled). However, Jennifer Gruenke did an excellent job giving each character a unique voice, personality, and backstory. I could hardly believe she was a debut author; her world and her characters were so detailed and enjoyable to read.
Also, the plot was action-packed and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the magic system being based in silver, as well as the shadow aspect we don't learn about until later. I'm very excited to read the sequel, as well as anything else she writes!

Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke was WONDERFUL! Once I started to read I just could not stop until I eventually finished it. If you are looking for a book that is full of action, romance, fantasy, and surprisingly comedy then this is the book for you! This story is about a silver named REN who wields power and what makes her even more special, despite her badass nature and her Witt is the fact that she is one of the last silvers, despite the King and his family. The great thing is that this book is not just about REN, but rather connects us to three other different characters point of views. We have Darek who is the handsome and fierce leader of the rebellion, Kellan, the humorous Prince that is different from his family, and Adley who is a children of the king who is just trying to make her way in the world she was dealt. All four of these characters collide to orchestrate a beautiful story. I loved this book and i think that if you love fantasy and a little bit of romance then you too will love it as well! I will be posting a longer review to my blog later today!

The book was very beautiful written. The way the story is build up is very pleasant and you really get a feel for the characters.
Some parts were a bit predictable and not very original. But otherwise it was a nice book and I would recommend it.

I was given an advanced copy of this book to provide a review by Flux – North Star Editions.
A captivating story that had me from the very beginning and until the very end. I was left feeling bereft and hopelessly wondering what was left in store for all the colourful and vivid characters in this mesmerising tale.
Ren Kolins is strong and feisty young woman whose bark is definitely not worse than her bite. She is rude and abrupt but life has forced her to be this way. Ever since her parent’s death where they were burnt alive in their own home. Ren had barely escaped with her life and has the scars to show for it both inside and out.
But that’s not all there is to Ren, she has her own secrets. Secrets she keeps hidden like layers wrapped tightly around herself for warmth in the winter. With walls forever up, rarely letting anyone to see through the cracks of her armour.
Ren developed and perfected her skills as a thief and an accomplished fighter. Of course, the fact that she was a silver wielder certainly helped, though that is one secret she keeps closer than all the rest.
But to be a silver wielder in Erdis is a dangerous thing indeed. If the King were to discover her secret, she would join her parents. As only those with royal blood were meant to be silver wielders, and Ren was not of royal blood.
So, when Darek and his brother Markus tracked her down and revealed they knew her secret she was none too pleased.
Asking her to join their rebellion, she thought she would be better off signing her own death warrant. However, there was something about this Darek that she just couldn’t quite explain or put her finger on. He was dark and moody, almost as much as Ren was herself. And he had an uncanny knack to get under her skin like no one else could. Against her better judgment she joiner their rebellion, for a price.
The fight for the kingdom quickly turned into a fight for their lives. As the King’s loyal soldiers, the King’s Children circled Ren closer and closer, slowly tightening the noose. Can ren allow herself to depend on someone else or will she let it all burn around her, as long as she is safe…

Jennifer Gruenke is a talented author pulling the reader in and holding them in her power as she weaves her tales.
If you like the stories and works of Sarah J Maas you will definitely enjoy this thrilling story.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read more of Ren and her adventures.

I was unable to continue to read this book due to a graphic torture scene. Since the characters doing the torture seem to be main characters, I am afraid of more scenes like that, so I can’t continue the book.

A quick to read, but enjoyable YA fantasy debut.
There is quite a bit of POV jumping, and I enjoyed reading some characters more than others, but the flow of the story was good!
I like that the author wasn’t adverse to touching on the grittier side of a rebellion (TW: there are a number of mentions of torture/blood/gore in this book), as it made the rebellion seem more real and visceral as I read it.
I do wish there had been a touch more world-building and fleshing out of some characters, but assuming this may only be book one, there’s time to build on that.

Overall, It definitely kept me turning pages, and rooting for both Ren and Adley as the two of them traversed their world.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.
#indigoemployee

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Of Silver and Shadow. Ren is our main character and at the start of the book we see her cheating in a card game, then stealing a new coat. I loved that Ren isn't your typical Heroine of a story. She is sarcastic, angry, and a badass with a deadpan humor that is just what i wanted. Ren has been living on the streets for 9 years ever since her parents were ordered to be killed by the king. Ren cheats, cheats, is a pit fighter really she does whatever she has to do to survive and makes no apologies.

Ren has magic, she can wield Silver, which no one outside of the Royal family is allowed to have. A couple generations ago anyone outside of the royals that had the magic was killed. and this was the reason her and her family were targeted by the king.. Someone snitched.

So this is the story of Ren reluctantly joining the Rebellion to overthrow the King, and meeting some people along the way. People that will become important to her even though she tries her hardest for that not to happen. Along the way she has to fight, use her magic, and she gets to blow some shit up..

I did think the ending seemed kind of rushed. At the almost very end of the book everything happens all at once, when i saw how much of the book was left I thought it must end on a cliff hanger but it didn't.
I would like to read more from this author, and hopefully more about Ren, Derek and Kellen in this world.


also when it published I will leave a review on my instagram
www.instagram.com/danielovestoread

WOW. What an incredible debut novel!!

After reading the blurb I just knew that I had to request an ARC from Netgalley. I’m a big fan of fantasy books, especially where magic has been banned and a rebellion is brewing…

I was a tad worried that this book might be similar to other books I’ve read in the past. Thankfully Of Silver and Shadow was an exciting breath of fresh air.

What I liked…

I loved the main character, Ren. She is an angry, sarcastic badass who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. I wouldn’t say she is a “likeable” character, given her past and everything which has happened to her. The way she is portrayed makes her a whole lot more interesting. She’s got a lot of bloody fight in her and never backs down. I liked that her character was consisted throughout the story – it made Ren more interesting.

I was nervous at first about having multiple POV’s, sometimes I find you can get a bit lost in them. BUT I LOVED THEM ALL. Behind Ren, I really loved reading Prince Kellen. He is such a fun and lovable character; so it was hard not to like him.

The flow of the book worked really well. It went straight into the action while building the world around it at a steady pace. Jennifer is an incredible writer and was able to make this world come to life for me.

I am a big lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope. If you are too, THEN YOU BETTER READ THIS. It was developed really well and at times I wasn’t sure if it was actually going to happen. So it leaves you wanting more!!

What I didn’t like…

There isn’t much I didn’t like about this book (which is good!) but the ending felt weirdly rushed for me. I mean, it was good and there was a twist at the end but I wanted it to tell me a bit more. Other than that I REALLY liked this book!!

Currently, this book is just a standalone *cries*. The author has mentioned on Goodreads that there could be more books in the future!!! Which I would absolutely love. I think there is great potential for this to turn into an amazing and exciting series.

Erdis is ruled by a tyrant king. Ren Kolins is an orphan on her own. Only members of the ruling family are supposed to have magic, called silver, but somehow Ren has it. Ren lives in fear of being found out. She knows if found, she will die. Darek, a rich boy, somehow finds out and convinces her, through promises of money, to join a revolution to overthrow the king. Along the way, Ren meets a pit lord who isn’t who he seems, a bakers daughter who she’s not sure if her motives and one of the kings children who she’s sure she cannot trust. Armed with only one friend on her side, Ren embarks on this dangerous task of helping a revolt that she doesn’t believe in.
By far, this book is the best book of the year. I will be adding Ms. Gruenke to my list of favorite authors. She is skilled at weaving the webs in the story that I’m convinced she’s part spider. There are so many important main characters that you wonder how they will all meet and come into play for the climax of the book. I had roughly one more hour of this book to read and had to go out. I stood in checkout lines and read because this book had me so captivated that I couldn’t not read. I really hope there is another book in the making. The story ended so that another could be written or it could have been completed. I truly want to know what happens next. Well done Ms. Gruenke, well done!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC!!!
I have to say I was incredibly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Plot wasn’t ALL that unique but genuinely a good fantasy rebel uprising trying to tear down a tyrannical king.
I think the characters really shined in this book. Multiple povs between a couple men and women. A petty thief hiding illegal and rare magic. A wlw King’s guard hiding her forbidden love and willing to do anything to be free. A playboy prince. A broody rich boy. I really liked all of the characters and their varied personalities and drives. It made me more invested in the story than I would have been otherwise.
It was a quick, enjoyable read and I definitely will recommend people read this.