I went into this book blindly since I have never read the other two books in the series. This book was quite lengthy, totaling 600 pages. Most of the book seemed to be filled with filler with way too many characters. The pacing was horrible, and it took me a very long time to finish the whole book.

I really like the duality of the main character being the savior or the destroyer of this world. I find prophecies and how they are handed in novels very interesting. It has been awhile since I read the other novels so I did go in a bit blind but I did understand the overall plot. (Which is that a good or bad thing...not sure) This is more definitely a connection to the last book which a lot happening but not a lot of closure. There were a lot of points of view in the chapters and it felt more like a gimmick rather than intentional. I did appreciate the depth this book gave to Lukas who felt very one dimensional until this point. I am not convince he has our main character's best interests at heart but who really does to be honest. My overall feedback is that this is a bridge book and just gets us closer to the conclusion of the series.

Okay. This is going to be really hard to write without spoiling anything but I’ll try. Holy Ancient One this book is amazing. I’m not really surprised as this whole series has been absolutely amazing. The beginning of this book was started a little different by giving us the point of views of other characters, but I really liked it. Once the view finally gets back to Elloren, she is with Lukas trying to explain he needs her protection without divulging too many secrets until she knows she can trust him. There is so much that happens and I don’t want to spoil it but the story is fast paced and nonstop. I enjoyed learning more about Elloren’s power. But be ready to not want to put this book down once you start it!

As mentioned, the beginning of the book has different points of views. It occurs a little more throughout the book as well, but not as much. I thought this was brilliant. Since everyone is in different places, it gives an insight of what they are doing without taking up too much time. I also like that these were done in the third book and not earlier. These characters are know well known and it makes me want to know more about them. I thought Forest did this perfectly. Elloren grows so much in this book, into herself and her magic. What still makes me mad though is how she blames Lukas for her wandfasting and then after he explains it a little more she forgives him. Like, ELLOREN, he told you he was doing this to protect you and you’re Aunt is a Crazy B so why else would you think he was doing it hurt you? But I do like that Lukas’ character was more introduced in this book. I’ve always liked his character and it made me appreciate him more. Now, I’m still Team Yvan but I do enjoy Lukas as well.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest was even more amazing than I thought it was going to be. I don’t know if I can really explain all of my feelings but I absolutely adore this series. It seriously is so amazing and just offers so much. There are an abundant of amazing, and hateable, characters. The story is just fascinating and the pacing makes you feel like you’re reading a 200 page book rather than a 500+ page book. I highly recommend this series if you are a fantasy lover.

This was a really moving read. I appreciated the first book and loved how the second book came together, This is a series I have read and reread already.

I liked this book a lot. I like that it started out with a lot of character development because I feel like the other books lacked in that area and for me, the more character development there is then the more I get attached to these characters and that's important to me. The plot of this book was also great, it was nothing like the first two books in the series and I feel like I kind of like that. I also think this is series is underrated and I will for sure be shooting these off for recommendations.

Lots of feeling on this book by everyone! This is a hard review. Loved the earlier installments but confused by this book. Love triangles, deaths or not deaths, jumping ship to another guy, all kinds of stuff going on for Elloren that I don’t like and wish we could rewind to the earlier books. I need a minute to digest what I read.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is great!! I really love the overall plot and themes.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

I really enjoyed the first two books of this series and was eager for this one; However, I was not as happy as I was with the previous books. The alternating POVs were necessary but a bit confusing at times. That didn't bother me much, though. The pacing of the book is erratic and not all of the sections move the plot ahead. With such a long book (over 600 pages) that makes for a very sluggish read. Most of these scenes were the "adult" stuff, which honestly it was not necessary to into so much detail and detracted from the plot.

The third installment of the isolating journey to healing a world threatened by fear and separation.

Elloren Gardner is in hiding and must train to use her Black Witch magic. However, she continues to lose allies and must turn to Lukas Grey and the Mages of Gardneria for protection.

The story begins right where the second book ended. Elloren experiences a lot of much-needed character growth in this book. She spends less time wallowing in sadness and more time building her friendships and her confidence. The plots focus on the challenges faces by key characters and prepares readers for the battle to come in the next book. The racism and homophobia present in the earlier books are less prominent in this book. (Attributed to further character growth). There is a consistent flow between perspectives and plots.

This is a great read for fantasy fans and adventureres.

I found this incredibly hard to continue, purely based on the overuse of descriptive passages. I found it challenging to relate to the characters because of how many there were - I felt as though as soon as I would start to understand and attach to one character, there was an introduction of a new one.
I love the creativity and thoughtfulness of the world that has been created but it did take away from the plot trying to get though the first half of world and character building.

Will i still read the next addition, yes. But my interest is slipping in the series.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I was excited to get this it is the three book in this series. I was everything I wanted the story to be at this point in their adventure. There is so much I want to say about this but I don't want to spoil anything. I have really been trying to read more fantasy and this has pulled me more into the genre. I can't wait to see what is going to happen in book 4 since there is a bit of a cliffhanger in this book. It is exciting and adventure has not go stale at all. It is keeping wondering what is going to happen next.

This is exactly what a high fantasy novel should be. Tons of character introductions, a plot that is thought out and in depth, and of course more than three in the series. Normally by book three, we have the plot laid out and we've met all of the characters but not in The Shadow Wand. There is still a ton to read about a a main character that you can stand behind!

I love this series so much. While this one tended to be a little long winded it was more than worth it for the storyline. Everytime I finish a book in this series in dying for more! I can't wait for the next one!!!

LOVE. Can I just say how much I love Lukas Gray?! I flew through this book. I think this may be my favorite of the first three. I connected more with this and my ship sailed! It answered a lot of lingering questions from the first 2 books and naturally left me with more. I was 100% in my feels by the end of the book and I need to know what happens next to everyone.

The third installment in the Black Witch Chronicles did not disappoint! This picks up the story as our heros separate into different parts of Earthia. After a training incident, Elloren is forced into asking her fast mate Lukas Grey for help. As each member of the team starts to find their own way to work against the Gardnerians, Marcus Vogel's power becomes monstrous. This book is a great continuation from the first two books and sets up the next book beautifully. I can't wait until the next book comes out!

Loved it! This series is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and one I see myself rereading every time a new book comes out. I truly enjoy the characters, the world-building, the writing style, the plot twists, and everything. I'm so excited for the next book.

Laurie Forest has done it again. If you have been sleeping on The Black Witch Chronicles, do yourself a favor and drop everything, check out The Black Witch NOW. The series remains phenomenal with the third book and will keep readers invested to find out what happens next. I truly cannot recommend this series enough!

The Shadow Wand is the third book in the Black Witch Chronicles and there isn’t much to say without spoiling the previous books.
I’ll keep it short, I really enjoyed this! I’m a big fan of the series as a whole and I thought this was a great addition. I’m so excited for the last book to come out, I can’t wait to see how it ends.

This book was everything I was hoping it would
be. This is one of my favorite series and I recommend it to as many of my public library patrons as I can. This series is high fantasy and definitely just as high level as fantasy series written for adults. I adore that it deals with current real world issues through the lens of a fantasy world.

As always, what gets me with this series is the care that Laurie Forest has put into the world building. The second thing is the character development. Elloren has come a long way from being a privileged, prejudiced brat. I felt like we weren't just told that she'd changed but we'd actually witnessed this gradual change in front of our eyes. I'm excited for more world-building and complicated characters in her follow-up series.