I loved it, and then I was like wait what, and then some spice happened, more confusion and then I enjoyed it again.
After much contemplation:
⭐: 3.75/5

I quite enjoyed the book (which is a loosely based retelling of The Golden Key) and thought there was some pretty good story telling and world building going on here. I also loveeed the MMC Nix 🥺, another one to add to my very long list of book bfs.
So what I didn't like - just 2 things, but things that add quite significantly to the story.
The insta love trope - which I know is a big yes to a lot of people but it just didn't fit here. Besides the initial attraction, Auri has no reason to trust a trapped God (A TRAPPED GOD) that she just met. She wasn't the least bit scared, which was just a bit off for me.
Auri's (FMC) reaction to things - Auri is portrayed to be a very sensible, logical girl who cares for her family. When she finds out she's trapped in the key, she's just like oh well, it is what it is. She also goes through some pretty traumatic stuff and I just don't think her reactions to all of the things happening to her are realistic.
^ Once I got over the above (and there is time, since it's a pretty long book) I really enjoyed it. There's a good amount of spice involved too.
I'll definitely be checking out the next book when it comes out next year!

I received a free copy of this book through net galley for an honest review. All in all, this was a pretty good book. I gave it three solid stars, as I found it dragged in places. The thoughts of the main characters were a redundant in places as well. The book could have been shorter. However, it felt a little rushed at the end, trying to wrap up. One thing the bothered me the entire time, was that the heroine doesn’t know how long she was in the spell and what was going on in the real world, but after mentioning this once in the meadow, she never really seems concerned again. If she was truly as concerned about what was going on with her family, I felt that she would have tried to come up with at least the first wish sooner, or been apprehensive about taking too long.

In the Shadow of a Wish introduces us to Auri Fareview, a practical young woman who loves her family fiercely and yearns for a life of her choosing, free from the harsh restrictions the Kingdom of Kaloma enforces on women. But this is her reality. Women here must marry by the age of 26. Failure to do so results in life as a prisoner, outcast, slave to the birthing houses ... or worse.

Auri and her two sisters are teetering close to 26 years of age, and while the eldest has chosen to devote her life to their aging parents and is spared requirement of marriage, the other sisters aren't so "lucky." Thet take daily trips to the market to be put on display like cattle for potential husbands, and, let's just say ... there are slim pickings in the humble Kaloma village of Sevens. This showing of their "wares" so to speak is mandatory and humiliating, leaving Auri desperate for a world when she is free to have a say over her own life, her own body. (And yes, this did hit home as someone with a uterus living in America today.)

After a tense altercation with one of the less-than-eligible bachelors (can you be a bachelor if you're looking for wife #4?), Auri sets off on her own to explore and forage in the cold of the winter wood. But instead of nuts or herbs, she finds a glimmering golden key. She touches it and winter melts away to reveal a glorious meadow. A meadow she is not alone in.

Enter Nixus, Nix. He's something more than human; a god, he's tethered to the golden key clasped in Auri's hand, and she just became the most important person in his universe. His only hope for ever unlocking the spell that the gleaming key represents.

What's in it for Auri, though? Three shining wishes, Three opportunities to make her life better, three chances for the spell to use her wish against her in the worst ways it can think of.

And at the end of all that? She'll be faced with a choice that could finally free Nix from his magical prison. There have been six keyholders before her, and not one has chosen Nix over themselves in the end. Auri feels different to Nix, though. Will she be the one to save him from his godly solitude? Will he be able to keep himself at arm's length?

In the Shadow of a Wish was a decently paced piece of fantasy fiction, but it doesn't break the old. The "three wishes" plot screams for a reference to tales of genies, but there were surprisingly none. Maybe pick two wishes, four wishes? Three wishes just leads my brain in the wrong direction, plotwise.

Auri finds herself trapped with Nix in his gilded cage: a dreamlike world where he can conjure anything he likes, except freedom. There are tiny hints of Beauty and the Beast, with a young girl taking up with a dark and powerful stranger she eventually ends up lusting for (he even shows her a gargantuan library to feed her love of books). And, oh boy, lust she didd. And Nix knew just the book to, let's say, help.

Raised in a kingdom where casual intimacy and even, erm, self exploration, are punishable offenses, Auri's eyes are opened to the possibilities of personal pleasure. In this sequestered world woven by Nix's whims, she finds the freedom to explore. The spice in In the Shadow of a Wish is *chef's kiss*. The alternating POVs pulled me in deeper and built an enticing contrast between coy, virgin Auri and broody and very learned god Nix. They're both learning to explore new feelings. Nix has never felt this level of a connection with anyone else holding the key and Auri has never had the freedom to build any connection at all. This plus their total inability to stay away from each other equals steam. Lots of it.

Along with the stream, the subject of consent is addressed after a particular scene between Nix and Auri. Without spoilers, I appreciate the way this was handled. It felt accurately uncomfortable and honest in a way you don't see enough.

While not my favorite fairytale reimagining, In the Shadow of a Wish is a solid story with complex characters and even more complex sociopolitical issues. I look foward to seeing how Auri's world continues to change in the next volume of the series.

I received the arc through Netgalley in exchange of a review. All opinions are my own solely based on my experience reading the arc. Thanks to netgalley and Xpresso book tours for the chance to review it.

First of all, THAT COVER IS BEAUTIFUL.

That said, it is my first encounter reading the author so I was not so sure about what to expect but definitely looking forward a new story.

I did enjoy how brave and giving Auri can get to be but I believe it also played against the flow of the story since we only get a slight hint of how deep and complex her personality could be. Also, this might just be me but the narration style was rather modern for a fantasy book and that kind of took me away from the story at time.

Now, I definitely didn't expect spice in this particular book but glad those scenes were added, overall, they were pretty well done.

- THE TENSION (especially in the last half)
- Solid world building
- Quick read

For sure would recommend to those who want an easy read with great message.

I was unable to read this because it was not sent to my kindle. When I went to see it, it was archived.

I'm not going to lie. I wanted to read this book based on the beautiful cover, but when I did read it, I found an amazing work with some pretty spicy love scenes. The world-building was great, The characters likeable. The romance was believable. Good book.

Unfortunately this was a huge miss for me. It started off promising with solid world building and an intriguing dilemma for the female main character, Auri. But that ended up not being the actual story at all once Auri picks up a key in the forest and is transported inside a curse with a hot god named Nix. Even then, I was like ‘oh a Grimm’s retelling! I can work with this!’ But alas, I could not. Auri treats being trapped in a spell like a vacation to a hotel, motel, Holiday Inn and accepts her situation so quickly that it gave me whiplash. The excessive use of modern crude language didn’t really flow with the flowery language a reader usually finds in fantasy and I think the author should’ve committed to one or the other for a consistent tone. I’m a huge fan of fantasy with smut but the sex was just… poorly written. I think if the writing was better, I could’ve gotten on board. Nix and Auri might be the horniest characters I’ve read outside of erotica. Sex was like their ultimate character motivation and I don’t think one page went by without one of them having a sexual thought. I was almost ready to DNF after a particularly traumatic sexual moment happens to Auri but homegirl here shrugs it off like losing your free will and being essentially raped by two strangers isn’t anything to cry about. The blurry lines of consent was a bit off-putting in general, to be honest. I think the best part of the book was the end and it had an intriguing set-up for the series but I don’t see myself continuing on. Overall, not for me but if you’re a fan of fantasy and retellings, it might be worth a shot.

I was mildly interested in the society of the fantasy world, but the setting quickly moves to a non-corporeal place with no people besides the two characters. The chapters focusing on the male MC include poorly-incorporated language that maybe is supposed to differentiate the narration from the female MC-focused chapters, or maybe supposed to set up the male MC as a redeemable bad boy; it didn't flow well with the overly-flowery fantasy-type language and felt crass rather than pointed or useful. The writing in general was repetitive and uninspired. Under other circumstances, I might have powered through and hoped for the writing to settle down and the universe to pick up, but I have too many other ARCs and library books, I have to prioritize, and I'm prioritizing books that are more enjoyable and less painful.

eARC from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this retelling, it was quite different from most retellings I have read recently! I liked Auri who is the main character, she was selfless and brave. I also loved Nix from the first page he was on! This book started out whimsical but was definitely steamy at times. I like that the characters are a little bit older in their 20s! I didn’t realize that this was the beginning of a series but I’m so excited to read more books in this enchanting world!

I generally don't read books with sexual content or erotica so I had to put this one down early due to personal preference (I wasn't aware there would be, based on the book's description). However, I will review what I did read, since I appreciate receiving the copy. The writing itself is good: easy to read, good flow, no mistakes. The setting is an interesting one. Due to a lowering population, marriage is forced under threat of essentially being put in a baby-making factory. It's a cool concept and I thought it was handled well (in the beginning, at least). The main character is also fine. The typical YA protagonist but she didn't do anything dumb or annoying that I noticed in the parts I read. The pacing was also good. Overall, if it weren't for the sexual content (and allusions, discussion surrounding it), I likely would have enjoyed it (but probably wouldn't love it), hence my 4/5.

My first impression and expectation when reading this story was for this story to revolve more on the 1st paragraph from the synopsis. But it wasn't and it focused more on Nix and Auri relationship. It was a bummer that I was expecting for it to be focusing more on resolving the marriage law instead of their relationship. And as a person who haven't had any relationship in her life, I just don't understand certain relationship arguments. I acknowledged their conflict but they ended up back to square one over and over again about their relationship. It was quite tiring to read the same thing for over 30 chapters +. Dont want to touch the sexual part of the story ( I think someone wrote a good comment on that part haha).

Words matter but I don't even know what they wish for anymore haha (I'm the clear definition of stupidity). It was just a tangled mess of words to me and I was like, it's okay whatever you wish for, just do the obligation even though I don't understand the relation between them. I understand what happened but I don't know why though or the pattern of it.

Despite all of this, I like the climax part the most. The tension and power made my hair stand up. Not always you could find a story with the female lead empowered the climax of the story by herself.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours and Mixed Plate Press and the author for granting me an advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

First off I loved the characters Auri and Nix. Second if you are not into sexually explicit scenes you will not enjoy this book. Third it was a terrific story with wonderful setting and thoroughly enjoyable. If it got to heated for me, I just skipped over those parts. It didn't change my opinion or take away from the story by fast forwarding.

Definitely an 18+ book. Recommend.

This was a really great read. For a 500+ page book it didn't feel long at all, and I had no problem reading the whole thing at once.

I was so interested in what was going to happen next that I couldn't (and didn't want to) stop until I finished it.

The start was a nice intro into the story, and in those moments it felt really unique and unlike anything I've read before. The middle got a bit slower, and that part reminded me of For the Wolf because of certain scenes so if you liked that, you'll also love this. And the end had a lot of fun things happening, as well as some sad things.

The romance was kinda insta lovey, but I really didn't mind, because they're soulmates of a sort and I love soulmates. There was a lot of angst, and steam too, definitely more than I expected.

In a few other reviews I've seen readers say that some of the steamy scenes made them uncomfortable, and while I didn't feel like that myself, it's worth checking out the author's note at the start for possibly triggering material in the book.

I won't talk about the plot, because I have no complaints, and I also believe that you should go into this with as little knowledge as possible for maximum enjoyment (warnings aside of course). I didn't even reread the blurb before I started reading and I kept getting surprised the further along I read. Just trust me on this.

At the end of the book there's a teaser for book two and it seems one of Auri's sisters will be the main character in that one? I think that's a good idea, since this first book feels both self contained and there's also room for expansion.

There's also titles for the next three books, so that means this series will have at least four books and I'm assuming each of the sisters will get her own book. The only flaw is that each book will be released in a different year.

So before you start reading be ready for a long commitment, at least until 2025 if the dates stay the same. I know I'm committed now, and I'll be counting the days until January 2023 when book two is due to come out.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

"my body my choice"

this is the word I kept hearing throughout my reading. My first impression and expectation when reading this story was for this story to revolve more on the 1st paragraph from the synopsis. But it wasn't and it focused more on Nix and Auri relationship. It was a bummer that I was expecting for it to be focusing more on resolving the marriage law instead of their relationship. And as a person who haven't had any relationship in her life, I just don't understand certain relationship arguments. I acknowledged their conflict but they ended up back to square one over and over again about their relationship. It was quite tiring to read the same thing for over 30 chapters +. Dont want to touch the sexual part of the story ( I think someone wrote a good comment on that part haha).

Words matter but I don't even know what they wish for anymore haha (I'm the clear definition of stupidity). It was just a tangled mess of words to me and I was like, it's okay whatever you wish for, just do the obligation even though I don't understand the relation between them. I understand what happened but I don't know why though or the pattern of it.

Despite all of this, I like the climax part the most. The tension and power made my hair stand up. Not always you could find a story with the female lead empowered the climax of the story by herself.

I have never read anything quite like this, in a good way!

I loved the slow burn between Auri and Nix
The workings of the spell and wishes
The world that was created in the spell which gave us a glimpse into the real world of Nix.

I'm really excited to see where book two takes us with Tarley, I do hope we see more of Auri and Nix.


Though the character dump at the start really threw me and I did struggle through that, I felt it could have been more drawn out at the market and introduced them all slowly so there was no overload.
Also the God yoke could have had more explanation, what it was, how they are fated/bonded, what happens once it is completed. Just to many questions left with that.
Some of these questions were answered in a way, I guess it was all to vague for me.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review

I would like to start this review by saying thanks to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to read an advanced copy of In the Shadow of a Wish in exchange for an honest review.

Before I read the story:
I thought the concept of the story was very interesting, which was one of the things that drew me to requesting it (that and the beautiful cover art). I normally stay away from books that have things like marriage laws or situations that force characters to lose their agency, but I’ve made an exception in this case. The concept is somewhat of a mix between the Starless sea by Erin Morgenstern and a fairy tale that I can’t quite pinpoint. Both characters have a lot on the line and now bound by this enchanted key they will have to deal with more than just their feelings if they want to get out of this unscathed. This is the sense I get, I thought I would write my opinion of the book from the synopsis and then write a follow up after I finish the book.


After I read it:
“Are you willfully petulant?”
“Incessantly.”

I loved this line and felt it really encapsulated the banter and dynamic that Auri and Nix shared.

This was an interesting read. It was, as a whole, very different from my initial thoughts and there were a lot of things that I really really liked about this book. I absolutely devour books that utilize dual POV because I love getting to watch these characters pine for each other while also trying to work out the source of their feelings. This book does not disappoint in that sense. Getting to be in both Auri and Nix’s heads helps to build the excitement for when they finally take the leap and get together. Forced proximity and a somewhat slow burn are some of my favourite tropes; and when you throw in a sense of forbidden love, it creates a perfect storm for some steamy scenes.

Speaking of steamy scenes, the late night swimming scene? Incredible.
The build up? Well paced and exciting
Auri's bold moves? Fantastic.

There did come a point, however, that the steamy scenes almost felt as if they were impeding on the rest of the story. I understand that being trapped in a spell together doesn’t always leave one with much to do, but still. It felt like on occasion there was a lot of flip flopping with their feelings, and sometimes that also seems to draw out the story more than necessary. Nix, being a self proclaimed “selfish god who does selfish things” (I may be paraphrasing but this is more or less said throughout the book) tends to do things that directly take away Auri’s choices. As this is one of the themes of the book, I don’t take too much issue with the obligations, but I do take issue with him trying to manipulate her in order to help (despite not giving her the choice in that very matter). Usually after this happens he tries to figure out why she’s mad, and despite her telling him exactly why she’s mad, he believes its really for some other reason that she can’t quite voice yet.

I don’t know man, maybe she’s mad you manipulated her despite your good intentions?

As to be expected of any fantasy novel, and especially in the first in a series, there is a lot of info dumping and world building to help the reader understand the world they’ve stepped into. There are moments that feel out of place or kind of forced because of this, but overall it was easy to understand and follow as you dive into the story.

My biggest issue with the story comes towards the end in the form of a sort of ex machina twist. Bringing in a new character into the story so late that suddenly had answers to questions they didn’t even know to be asking, felt a little lazy and could have been tweaked to give it a more meaningful ending. The final sacrifice also felt very underwhelming, given how much trepidation the characters all faced going into it. The build up with the wishes and obligations made it seem as though the final sacrifice would ask much much more from Auri, rather than something she had already stated more than once, that she would give willingly. I felt a strong disconnect from the characters at the end of the book, as though there should have been much more on the line than there ended up being. Even the “villain” was sort of underwhelming, and while it could have been a very strong twist, it just fell flat for me.

One of Auri’s wishes had been for bravery when the spell was ended, and that somehow ended up taking the shape of forgetting everything that happened and believing it was a dream??? I really didn’t like this because at the core of all of her wishes, she had been trying to make not only her life better but looking out for the people around her and this felt like chopping down a lot of the growth she went through over the course of the story. I know it is rectified, but still, as something similar happens earlier in the book, I find it hard that she would just be ok with it when it was something much more important to her. While there were clear changes in the dynamics of Kaloma at the end vs the beginning of the story, it felt as if her second wish (bravery) just didn’t really work?

As a whole, I really enjoyed this book and found the characters to be exciting and well built. I’m very thankful for getting to read an advanced copy of In the Shadow of a Wish, and I’d like to once again thank NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the trust that I would read and honestly review it. Based on the snippets for the second book, I think it will be just as good as this one and I can’t wait to read it!!

#Netgalley #XpressoBookTours #InTheShadowOfAWish

If I learned anything from this book, it's that *WORDS MATTER*

Thank you so much to Mixed Plate Press and NetGalley for the ARC! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book prior to its release.

I was delighted to jump into a fantasy novel - I'm finding it challenging to discuss this book without giving away spoilers or just repeating what I've seen other people remark upon, but I shall try my very best to be original.

This romantic-fantasy definitely is right on the line where it could pass as an erotic fiction. I'll be honest and share that the sexy, steamy, smutty moments were definitely my favorite parts of the book. If you are someone who enjoys sexy scenes with multiple partners - this book is for you!

As far as characters go my favorites in order are Lexa, Nix, and then our FMC, Aurielle. I am truly anticipating learning more about Nix's siblings Lexa and Luc in the next book and seeing where those storylines can grow. Nix was sexy AF and is definitely in line to be one of my book boyfriends...however, the romance between him and Auri seemed a little too much too soon -- but the "god-yoke" nonsense clarifies that a bit ...I suppose!

I am highly anticipating the release of the sequel & learning more about these characters.

My biggest complaints were that it kind of feels "stuck" for a good portion of the book. It wasn't extremely fast-paced and the same things were being rehashed repetitively, but I think the world was built up and the characters developed in a way that sets up the next book to be even better and fill those cracks left in this novel.

This book had some of my favorite elements. I wish that there was a bit more to the characters, though, as I had trouble really getting invested in their stories and their development. Cute read though.

Thanks to NetGalley, I received a copy of "In the Shadow of a Wish" by Maci Aurora and it more than thrilled me. The story follows a young woman, Auri, who doesn't have much choice in her life as far as her future is concerned. But she gets a chance one day, in the form of a magical key that will change her life forever. She meets Nix, the god of the night, who can grant her three wishes before she has to choose at the end whether to free herself or him from the spell that holds them.

The book is about courage, wisdom and love and I especially liked the magic system.

It is very entertaining to read and has made me very much want to read the second part, which is coming in January 2023. I am very excited!

This was an amazing start to the series! I’ve recently felt like fantasy fairytale spins were getting repetitive but this was a cool take on a not-well-known tale. I felt it was a little too raunchy at times it didn’t necessarily need to be but loved the pacing and the ending definitely left me reeling for more. Can’t wait for book two!