3.5, but one I don't mind rounding up to 4 stars.

Historical fantasy is pretty much my favorite subgenre, so right away I knew I would like STALKING SHADOWS. Marie's sister Ama returns home after working at the Lord's estate, cursed to turn into a bloodthirsty wolf every full-moon. Marie works hard to ensure that Ama remains under control, but when young women and children begin to turn up dead, seemingly mauled by the beast Ama turns into, Marie realizes her sister's situation is very dire. Before Ama loses herself completely to the beast, Marie must find a way to break the curse by returning to the place she believes Ama was cursed: the duke's estate. But as Marie begins to feel fondly towards Sebastian and his brother, Lucien, she discovers that the answers are not as straightforward as she thought, and that a more sinister danger plagues the woods of her village than she could ever imagine. I really enjoyed this book. I thought it started off very strong, clearly depicting the high stakes for Marie and Ama. I really liked Marie as a protagonist and thought her character development and the challenges she encounters as she doggedly tries to protect and save her sister made her a very multi-dimensional character. I was living for the gothic and spooky atmosphere the author brings the reader into during 18th century France. Absolutely living for it. I also really liked the dynamic between Marie and Sebastian for most of the novel. It's a really cute slowburn romance. This all being said, the plot really ramps up towards the end, which has its pluses and minuses and much of which I won't go into for this review as they were spoilery, but I will say I kind of felt my comprehension and interest wane a little bit towards the end. Many of the twists, while not necessarily bad, just felt like they came out of nowhere with very little foreshadowing, and it kind of lost me. Overall, though, I enjoyed STALKING SHADOWS, a story about sisterhood and paranoia one faces when they are different than everyone else.

This YA gothic fantasy is a great way to start out spooky season. Marie is a strong female heroine doing whatever she can to help her sister. She knows there is a reason why she has suddenly turned dark. While searching for a book of spells that may have the answer she meets Sebastian and his little brother Lucien who is sick. Marie is also hoping that when she finds this book of spells it will also give her a recipe for sure Lucien. I loved this storyline line addition where she befriends these brothers and tries to help them. There were so many cool elements to this story. Gothic fantasy, herbalism, witches, scary woods, werewolves and poison.

Marie wants nothing more than to cure her sister and live life as a spinster aunt. Unfortunately, curing her sister from turning into a beast becomes a lot harder when secrets in her small town start to come to light. Will she be able to cure her sister and keep Lord Sebastian from finding out her secret, or will she become the beasts next victim? Panin did an excellent job with the atmosphere and pacing of this book. Every creepy shadow, room, cave and walk in the forest felt real. However, I did find the relationships between the characters a little stilted and hard to believe at times. I loved the character growth we see from Marie, and the twists that came about because of other characters were fantastic, but Sebastian felt unrealistic as did Marie’s sister. I also had greater expectations for the supernatural elements in this story, especially with all the mystery surrounding legends of the beast of Gévaudan and was quite disappointed with magic present in the story. All in all 3.5 stars for great atmosphere and writing but characters that were wanting.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and the author for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I found the concept of the book extremely interesting and THE COVER IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! However, I had mixed emotions about the book and just wished the characters just gave a little more.

When I first started reading this book, I found the setting just amazing and the characters to be very compelling. I would have loved to explore the little town and I love the external and internal dialogue of French that the author spread all throughout the text. It made me want to go back to school and take French just so I could sound like they did. The town they lived in also gave off a very Puritan vibe and the fact that the main character and her sister were considered outsiders just added to that shady element. So I was really digging it until about 100 pages in... then things seemed to get a little hairy.

I feel like this book has a case of too much going on and not enough pages to resolve it all in a timely and detailed manner. It was all just too much and my head was constantly spinning.

We had an element of witches that have powers, but don’t. The witches didn’t really make sense to me in that their presence and their power wasn’t really explained in a way that made sense to the mystery of the plot. They had a big role in the plot, but their reasoning behind their role just didn’t make sense to me AT ALL.... Like their presence didn’t make any sense, neither did who they were or how they even got their powers.. One of them straight up disappeared and it was never explained.... It was honestly a mess in my opinion and could have been done a LOT better.

The mystery of the plot itself was interesting, but again, not well executed. I feel like the multiple storylines affected the plot and didn’t allow the true mystery to shine..... The true mystery being how Ama became a beast and if she is the one killing the children in the village. I also didn't really understand what kind of beast she really was... At first it was explained that she was like a wolf and then later she was like a lion... just so unnecessarily confusing!

The characters in the book were all very interesting except one.... Sébastien LeClaire.... He was sooooooo meh. I mean Marie did all the work and she almost died a few times and he just brought nothing to the party. All he did was whine really so he wasn’t necessary to the plot and I thought that Marie could do so much better. Marie was such a cool character and she deserved so much better than she got!

The twist at the end and the culprit really didn’t make sense.... I mean it did and it didn’t. I wanted more details because the culprit was kind of one of my favorites other than Marie.

Overall, this read was an interesting concept, but I wish it had been better executed.

Thank you Netgalley, Amulet Books, and Cyla Panin for allowing me to read and review this book! Cyla Panin had reached out to a few readers to read and review and I was one of the lucky few :)

Marie is a mixer of perfumes and sells them on a street corner of her eighteenth century French town. She puts a "poison" in the perfumes to mark victims for her sister, Ama. Ama is a beastly creature who takes down victims in her beastly form. When a child comes up dead, Ama realizes she may not be in control of her alter-ego. Marie journeys to the mansion where the curse began and tries to find a cure for her sister. But at the mansion, she realizes nothing is what it seems and neither is the Lord who resides there....

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Cyla's dark and gothic writing. I really like the sisterly bond and how protective Marie is of Ama. The world building is pretty good, the characters are well developed, and the writing and atmosphere is on-point with the fall season.

4.5 stars.

When the author reached out to me and offered me an arc and of this book, I quickly read the synopsis and was sold! Gothic fantasy and retelling are two genres I quite enjoy, so I was beyond intrigued about reading this feminist retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Marie was the perfect-imperfect MC. She made choices that were frustrating but you understood why. She would and did do whatever she needed to do to help her sister. The strength and determination she showed throughout this story was refreshing, especially for a YA novel.

My favorite part of the book was the world building. It fit the story so beautifully. Dark, mysterious woods that made me feel as if I was there myself.

The twist/reveal was a little predictable but still enjoyable. Fans of gothic fantasy, retelling and eerie woods should definitely pick up this book!>

Stalking Shadows follows Marie as she tries to find a cure for the curse that plagues her younger sister Ama and turns her into a beast every month. Often left on their own by their alcoholic father, Marie and Ama make their living selling perfumes to the local villagers. Marie uses her knowledge of herbs and medicines to work at the mansion where she believes her sister was cursed. There Marie hopes to find the cure for Ama. With ever-increasing threats lurking and her sister’s life at stake, Marie learns that things aren’t always what they seem, and she must look into her own haunted past to learn how to save her sister.

I’m loving the abundance of YA Gothic literature lately, and Stalking Shadows is no exception. The Gothic elements – the isolated village, the old and desolate mansion, the dark and brooding male love interest, the spooky woods that surround the village, the plot shrouded in mystery, and the fantasy/paranormal elements – add so much to the story. The tone also has a sense of foreboding, as does the atmosphere, and it makes for a gripping read. It immediately immerses you into this ominous and entrancing world filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, curses, and more.

Marie is an interesting and dynamically developed character. A flawed woman, Marie does some unconscionable things that are hard to swallow, and she isn’t always the most likeable of people. She lies and manipulates others for her own purposes, and she doesn’t always think things through. However, she is also fiercely loyal to her sister, which is what fuels her throughout the story. Marie is strong, smart, and determined, and shows an incredible amount of courage as she searches for some way to help her sister. She is also often selfless, putting her own needs and desires aside to help those she loves. She is such a well-layered protagonist, and I enjoyed her character arc.

Marie isn’t the only morally grey character in the novel. In fact, almost all of the characters show signs of being morally grey, which highlights the fact that no one is completely good or completely evil. Marie does bad things to help her sister. Sebastien acts out of a sense of duty, responsibility, or love. Ama is just trying to survive. Other characters also reinforce the idea that everybody has shades of grey when it comes to life, morality, and ethics, and the story as a whole makes you think about questions like:

What would you do to protect the ones you love?
How do you decide what is personally right and what is wrong?
What do you do when your decisions/morals conflict with society’s?
Is it ever ok to lie and manipulate?

Another strong message in the story is shown through the fickleness of the townspeople. It’s a great commentary on society and how willing people are to change their beliefs when it suits their needs. This could also be a message about how people are willing to change and how beliefs evolve as knowledge grows, which is probably the case for some of the townspeople. But, for the most part, it seems as if people in this small village care less about change and acceptance and more about themselves.

Now, I’m a big fan of romance, and there is a wonderful, slow-building and burning love story between Marie and Sebastien. Though they come from completely different worlds, they have a lot in common. They are both outsiders in different ways, and they both know the sting of suspicion and distrust. Both are parentless but have strong bonds with their siblings, both are burdened with responsibility and have people depending on them, and both have been left in the dark for most of their lives. I like how their connection slowly builds over the course of the story, and though their relationship is built on lies and secrets, I so rooted for them. They have great chemistry, and they seem to really care for each other.

Ultimately, this is a story about sisterhood, survival, and finding one’s place in an unforgiving and intolerant world. A fantastic debut novel by Cyla Panin, Stalking Shadows is a unique and fresh Beauty and the Beast reimagining with immersive and layered world-building, strong messages, compelling characters, and several unexpected twists and turns. It’s gory and mysterious and suspenseful, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m so thankful to TBR and Beyond Tours and Cyla Panin for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review, and I can’t wait to read more by this talented author!

I really didn't enjoy Stalking Shadows. I don't think its terrible, it just really didn't work for me personally. And my biggest issue comes from the main character. I felt like she was really hypocritical throughout the story and then basically was proven that the actions she took and her behaviors were totally justified in the end. She did horrible things to the people in her town in the name of protecting her sister and then was confused why they didn't trust her or like her. Girl, you were literally marking them to die, you've never done anything for them to trust your word. If she had learned a real lesson and made changes and developed as a character then that would have been different but I don't think she really felt bad about anything she did. Also, I felt like the plot points and major conflicts were resolved way too quickly and conveniently, the ending was rushed and didn't really feel like they had earned it. Some people might enjoy this though I do want to say it can get gory and detailed with violence and blood so readers who might be triggered by that should avoid this one. It's too bad because I loved the idea of this book and the spin it took on the story of Beauty and the Beast, the execution just didn't work out for me.

This was a very unique and different story in some ways and similar to a lot of others in other ways. It reminded me of a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling with some different aspects which I can't really say or I might end up revealing spoilers.
I enjoyed this book a lot and it is definitely a great story with the right kind of atmosphere and vibe for a great story to lose yourself in during the fall. This story is about a girl, Marie, who lives on the outskirts of a small town with her sister, Ama, and their alcoholic father. They sell perfume to try and make ends meet while their father is absent off in taverns getting drunk or trying a little to contribute to providing for them, but for the most part, they have to take care of themselves. Marie marks someone to be Ama's next victim each time they go to the village to sell perfume so that when Ama turns into a beast she can track the scent of the designated target. One day as they're in the village selling perfume and looking to mark a victim for Ama's turning that night they see a body of a child in a cart brought into the village by another who discovered his body and Marie starts to wonder if Ama accidentally or otherwise attacked and killed the boy when she was a beast even though Marie denies it. They begin trying to figure out who killed the boy and Marie decides to try to find out more about what happened to her sister, Ama since Marie believes Ama was cursed in the previous year at the Lord's mansion. Marie finds a way to get herself into the Lord's mansion to help out and to search for answers to how she can reverse the curse so that Ama will be free of turning into a beast and instead discovers a truth about herself, the Lord, his family, her family and why her sister was given the ability to turn into a beast. The end was not what I would have expected and there are some great swoon-worthy romantic moments with the Lord and Marie, of course.
This story delivers some good messages and morals about accepting and loving yourself, being happy with what you have, and believing in yourself. Make sure to put this on your list and read it when it comes out, It's one you don't want to miss out on. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Abrams Kids for letting me read and review this great book. All opinions are my own.

This book is dripping in atmosphere. Solid world building and an intriguing story that had me turning the pages.

Shadows is the debut novel of Canadian author Cyla Panin. It takes the myth of the Beast of Gèvaudan, amps up the atmosphere, throws in some compelling characters and gives it a gothic spin. The result is heady, in all the good ways!

It is being marketed as another Beauty and the Beast retelling and while it maybe be (partially) true, this comparison is ultimately, unfair. Stalking Shadows is WAY more than just another B&B retelling flooding the YA market. It is one of the freshest takes on the age-old tale with some really clever subversion.

If you are in for a twisty Beauty and the Beast remaining, you will be happy with what you get. But if you are being put off by that comparison, STOP. There is a lot working in favour of Stalking Shadows, I promise. Stay for the lyrical writing, the tantalizing eerieness, the charm of a rural, old-world setting, for the gothic glory of a crumbling mansion, the nods to paganism and herbalism. Above all, stay for the relationships that shape the story and carry it on their shoulders with aplomb.

The MC Marie frustrated me and I am grateful to the author for bringing us a protagonist that isn't always the easiest to root for. Marie is highly flawed and thus, relatable. She lies easily; she takes advantage of people's trust in her. She acts precious when she finds out other people are guilty of the same sins that she has been committing. We, as readers, are well aware that her actions are rooted in her love and protectiveness for her younger sister, Ama. But that doesn't make it any easier to overlook them. I admire Panin for keeping Marie's story gritty and often, grey. And also for exploring the sibling dynamics in depth (both in the cases of Ama-Marie and Bastien-Lucien). I am glad to finally have a protagonist that is much less than perfect but still, just as compelling.

There is a bit of a romance but not enough to peg this story as a fantasy romance. All the necessary ingredients for a romance are laid in place but it isn't quite that till the very end of the book. In my opinion, the equation leaned a lot towards friendship stemming out of a shared need. There is mental health rep for anxiety as well as rep for a same sex relationship that is briefly touched upon. Other than the sibling dynamic and the budding romantic equation, the author also deals sensitively with the topic of childhood parental abuse.

If I had to pick a bone with the story, it would have to be with how the climax was finally revealed. It felt a bit hurried. The main conflict, which had been built-up since the first line, ultimate fizzled out and resolved easily, without a lot of resistance.

Overall, Stalking Shadows is a stellar debut. I would love to read anything that Cyla Panin writes in the future.

Thank you, Netgalley, the publishers and the author for a free ARC in exchange of my honest thoughts.

Cyla Panin delivers a fresh and moody retelling of Beauty and the Beast in her debut, 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗦. Her writing is at once atmospheric and fast-paced, transporting the reader to an isolated village steeped in magic and superstition in eighteenth century France. Two sisters live on the edge of this village and protect a deadly secret: one of them shifts into a beast and struggles to control her thirst for blood. When their secret and safety are threatened by a trail of mysterious deaths, Marie—the elder of the two—sets out to find a cure at the estate where her sister first began to turn. Her desperate hunt is full of heady, floral scents, moonlit forests, howling monsters, shocking secrets, and slow-burn romance. If you’re looking for an empowering retelling to sink your teeth into this fall, check this book out.

A good entry point into gothic fiction. Stalking Shadows has all the elements - a young woman in a creepy house owned by a brooding and mysterious man, family secrets, the supernatural, monsters, unexplained deaths. Perfect for fans of dark fairy tales, mysteries, and morally grey characters.

STALKING SHADOWS is a stunning Gothic debut with twists around every dark and foreboding turn. It forces us to ask ourselves how far we would go to protect those we love. The authentic and complex bond between Marie and her sister truly stood out with the hard decisions made out of love and the real, sometimes destructive consequences that followed in their wake. As a Beauty and the Beast re-imagining, the story pulls threads from the French tradition while also reinventing itself into a relevant story of self-acceptance. The lyrical writing transports the reader to a lush world full of magic, mystery, and above all else -- love. Five stars.

I immediately liked this book. I loved Marie and her relationship with her sister, Ama. I have a younger sister who I would do absolutely anything for, so seeing that bond between Marie and Ama really resonated with me (and let's just say that my sister can turn into a bit of a beast as well when she's cranky lol). I liked that the beast wasn't the love interest as well, giving it a fresh new take on the classic.

I also loved the Gothic atmosphere and the Beauty and the Beast vibes from this book! The writing really captured the mystery of this small town, the creepy old manor on the hill, and the spookiness of the surrounding woods. I loved the twist at the end, although part of it was a bit predictable, but still exciting to read nonetheless! Marie was a strong heroine, and even when I didn't totally agree with her actions, I was still rooting for her.

I also kind of wished there was more emphasis on the romance. Just a little more fire between Marie and Sebastian would have been great, but maybe that's just me and my love for smutty books? Either way I totally recommend this book and loved the fresh new telling of the Beauty and the Beast. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy once it's released in September!

I wanted to love this one as in ways it had some Beauty and the Beast vibes although there was some genderbending. I did think it was a fun tale but there were just some aspects that lacked as well.

The book is told from the perspective of Marie. She tries to protect her sister as much as she can although it’s hard because she turns into a beast. I do think this was very interesting and had me kept reading to find out what would happen next. The plot veers onto a different path not short after and Marie is now working for the Lord who’s house may have cursed her sister in the first place.

I didn’t hate the direction the plot took but at the same time we are told from the beginning of the bond between the sisters, Marie and Ama. I know she was trying to fix the curse but she also just left her sister alone which kind of feels the opposite to what she was doing. Because of this change, there wasn’t much between Marie and Ama besides the beginning and then after around 50% or so. There is also another sibling bond between the Lord Sebastien and his younger brother. Marie takes advantage of this and claims she can help the poor boy who is terribly sick. It put Marie in a bad light for me. I understand what she was trying to do but putting a sick kid at risk is just as bad as what she is trying to stop in my opinion.

It was hard to connect with the characters on a deeper level since it felt like the story was more plot driven. Some characters lacked depth and some just felt thrown in to keep the book going. Sebastien and Marie had the most which makes sense since they had more page time.

The magic system wasn’t explained very well and I’m still confused why some had magic and were able to use it.

Overall, this was good but also just an average fantasy / retelling. I wish it had more depth for the characters and the magic.

I adored the provincial pace that kicked off this gothic tale about a cursed peasant girl and her sister's desperate plan to save her. The harsh beauty and mystery was wonderful, and the budding romance was sweet.

I only wish that it had been a duology, instead of a standalone. There came a point where the story began to feel rushed and jumbled, with too many new elements being added and not enough time to flesh them out properly. Some characters needed more time to feel real, and some seemed to fade away altogether, despite their earlier importance. In the end, I left the tale feeling hollow. It seemed as if I received little reward for my investment.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the lore and felt the story had great potential. The first half was a delight, and I don't regret spending my time getting to know the main characters, Marie and Sebastian. Perhaps, you'll enjoy the second half more than I did. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Review rounded up from 3.5 stars.

I was enchanted from the moment I picked this up and now officially want to go live in the 1800s in a little cottage sitting by a cosy hearth all day.

Stalking Shadows had EVERYTHING I wanted in a book. and I am obsessed.

✔️Gothic undertones.
✔️Fairytale reimagining (Beauty and the Beast).
✔️Herbalism.
✔️Magic woods.
✔️Witchiness.
✔️1800s setting.
✔️Cottage core vibes.
✔️Female werewolves.
✔️Poisonous plants.

Now do I have your attention?

Stalking Shadows has been marketed as a Beauty and the Beast retelling but I would be more inclined to call it a reimagining. That said, it was a beautiful interpretation and I preferred that it wasn’t a direct retelling. It gave Beauty and the Beast a new found freshness and life which I appreciated.

The story revolves around sisters Marie and Ama who make their living selling wild perfumes (sigh) and Marie is knowledgeable in herbalism. Marie utilises this knowledge to infiltrate an old mansion which she believes cursed her sister Ama years before, making Ama turn into a beast every month. Meanwhile people in the village are being killed and Marie is not sure if this is Ama or another beast that exists in hiding.

I was living for the gorgeous atmosphere throughout. It was the perfect book to read in Winter and I felt like I could hear and feel the cold air whistling as a hearth crackled in the background.

There’s a bit of romance but it isn’t overdone or sickly. Marie as a protagonist is strong, caring and relatable yet flawed. I appreciated that Cyla included some confronting family dynamics as it made the narrative feel more authentic. Marie’s relationship with plants was beautiful and added such a whimsical, earthy element to the story.

This book has my heart. I adored it and I hope I have convinced you by now to read it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for review.

A cool twist on and loose retelling of The Beauty and the Beast, Cyla Panin has created a fascinating world and magic system that feels fresh and new, though I did love the little nods to the original story tucked away inside this one. Readers will especially understand and relate to the love between the two sisters, as well as the struggle to live with loss and the deep searching for one's purpose.

3.5 stars

I looooved the aesthetics and spooky atmosphere in this!! I wouldn’t say this is another Beauty and the Beast retelling, but the elements are there. I’d say this book serves a very refreshing take on a classic tale as old as time.

This book also serves a very complex main character. Marie has a kind heart and would do anything to protect her sister. However there was one thing about her that had me feeling a little put off. That was when she poisoned Lucien—a seven-year-old boy with tuberculosis and Sebastian’s baby brother—just to accelerate her plan to use Sebastian to get his mother’s spell book. While she knew it wouldn’t mortally hurt him, it still made him sicker than he already was and I immediately felt disconnected from her after that point.

The pacing...I feel like the pacing of this story could’ve been better had this been a duology instead of a standalone. The first quarter part started off pretty good, albeit a bit slower towards the middle mark. After about 50 percent through everything started to happen super fast. Like I couldn’t process anything that just happened, and I feel like the romance development suffered because of this. Don’t get me wrong, Marie and Sebastian were sweet and I adored Sebastian. I just wanted to FEEL more longing and the pent-up sexual tension that comes with budding romances. I think this is why I couldn’t get too invested in their relationship.

All in all, I did enjoy this story and I’m happy I was able to read this eARC.