This third installment in a fantastic fantasy series lives up to its predecessors! Excitement, battles, romance, and more! I cannot recommend this book and series enough. Perfect for fans of the TV series Rome, with a touch of magic!

As I embarked on my journey through "The Bloodstained Shade" by Cass Morris, I was immediately captivated by the intricate world she wove. From the outset, Morris skillfully immersed me in a realm I found myself eagerly diving deeper into the shadows alongside the protagonist.

The characters she brings to life are complex and multi-dimensional, each with their own secrets and motivations that drive the narrative forward. As I followed their journey, I became increasingly invested in their struggles and triumphs, eagerly rooting for them to overcome the obstacles in their path.

One of the aspects of "The Bloodstained Shade" that I found most compelling was Morris's ability to keep me guessing. With each new revelation and twist in the plot

Nevertheless, "The Bloodstained Shade" is a captivating and atmospheric read that left a lasting impression on me. Morris's talent for crafting compelling characters and building tension shines through on every page, making this a must-read for history and sci-fi & fantasy fans.

This novel is absolutely decadent. I read the first two books before I could finish my review and I am so glad I did. Flawlessly written, real and gritty characters, Contains nuances that correlate to issues today. Love and plot, what else could you ask for?!

I've been a big fan of the Aven Cycle since the first book, From Unseen Fire, and I'm thrilled that the series has maintained its quality even as the author has been let down by the original publisher, DAW.

Since the beginning, this series has always threaded the needle well when it comes to its main characters, particularly Latona. This is (fake) ancient Rome, so the patriarchy is ever present, but Morris gives her female characters genuine agency and power, while also being cognisant of the ways in which that power was limited, or poorly understood by men. The result is a book that feels as close as the modern reader can get to the historical setting, rather than a modern fantasy which just happens to take place against the backdrop of a Roman aesthetic. The characters - particular the women - have aspirations and character traits that are shaped by the setting, but also allow them to be genuinely interesting in their own right. The magic system is also fun, and there are plenty of action scenes to keep the story moving.

I expected this series to be a trilogy, so was pleasantly surprised to discover there will be (at least) a fourth book - though it does mean that readers have to wait longer for the true ending to Latona and Sempronius' romance, as well as a number of other character arcs that haven't fully played out. I'll be keeping an eye out for news of the next instalment.

I'm going to say up front that I think Cass Morris is an author who I think deserves more exposure. Her dialogue is snappy, her descriptions always give you enough detail to build out a lush, intriguing world without being overwhelming. Her characters feel like people, with real thoughts, feelings and oh my opinions of their own, and her stories have that elusive capacity to keep you turning pages to see what happens next. I've been talking about her work for years now, and I really, really want the tl;dr of this review to be: this is an excellent book in an excellent series, and you should go now and read both.
With that out of the way, lets move on to The Bloodstained Shade in particular. Set in the alternate history of Aven, a Rome where magic is very real, and where mages exist throughout society, the narrative focuses on Latona of the aristocratic family Vitelliae, as she attempts to unravel an apocalyptic conspiracy at the heart of the city's government. It does also venture further afield, into warfare and diplomacy with other peoples out in the provinces, with Sempronius, a man who leads legions, does so rather illegally by being a secret magic-user, and does both of those things while being in love with Latona. But while we do get chapters from his point of view, and while I always enjoy the kinetic, fiercely physical feelings of tension that the author brings to her battle scenes, the focus of the story feels more tightly on Aven and environs than in other volumes of the series.

Fortunate, then, that Aven, the city, is a star all its own. From the graffiti-laden streets run by concerns of armed men, to the luxurious villas of the aristocracy, part sunroom, part fortress, to the austere, echoing halls of power that are the senate, the city has a grit, a grime and an energy that makes it feel alive. The same is true of the outskirts - the fields where returning legions camp, the quiet guesthouses whose hosts may or may not also be jailers. Therre's a vitality to Aven, a raw feeling of a melting pot on the move, that you can feel between the spaces of the words. That said, it's also a city in tension with itself; while diversity of peoples may ensure a better city, there's certainly people on hand who want to push back on that notion, to go back to the Good Old Days, which happen to have been good for them, rather than anyone else. There's an undercurrent of fear, of distrust, of wrestling with the pace of change. All concerns which may sound very familiar to the modern reader! Anyway, this is a long way of saying that there's texture and context to the world that Morris is building here. We known enough, even from a Hollywood history of Rome, to fill in some of the details, but what she makes explicit is exciting, intriguing, and most importantly, feels real.

The same is broadly true of the characters. I don't want to delve too deep for the sake of spoilers, but I will say that Latona has grown, here/ A woman looking for a role, stepping out of the shadow of expectations of others, has found it and is now pushing at the boundaries of society around her. Pushing back with an ideal of decency and service to the good. That evolution is the natural culmination of two previous books worth of effort, and the character fills it out perfectly. She's confident in herself, but cognizant of and coping with the fractures running through her emotions, through the trauma in her past. Latona is a power in her own right, now, but she's a person, wrapped in as much nonsense and damage as anyone else - often considerably more. But she's capable of strength and virtue and, let us say it loudly, kicking butt. She's a great one to follow around.

In this she's aided by a sterling cast of supporting characters, many of whom she's related to They all have their own agenda, their own needs and wants and desires and hatreds and loves. There's a delightfully gentle sapphic romance at one point that kept making me smile because oif both how awkward and how genuine it felt, and there's confrontations with antagonists that make you reel back in horror and long for the catharsis of their defeat. Incidentally, I want to say that Corinna, one of the main antagonists, a mage herself of no small distinction, is an excellent nemesis, a dark, broken mirror of Latona, someone as unwilling to accept the bounds society places on her, but perhaps even more willing to go further, to ends less salubrious. Every time she was on the page was a skin crawlingly evil joy.

And the story...again, no spoilers. But it ramps up well, pages of ratcheting tension keeping you going, dipping into battles and conspiracies and betrayals and revelation in equal measure. It's a story of women fighting expectations, and a story with magic in the air and blood on the floor. It's a story of government and grace. It's a story that you won't want to put down - and nor should you. Go read it, right now!

This is how you do sequels (or 3rds.. whatever they get called).

The characters are better, the writing is better, and just overall you're left wanting book 4. If you haven't started this series, its time. You've got 3 books to keep you busy until book 4 makes an appearance.

Love, war and politics, and of course some magic. I want to be careful of not sharing anything that may be a spoiler for any of the titles in this series so I'll stick to the story writing.

Morris does a great job of giving us insight of the opposing sides. Motivations are clear, the buildup to the climax is intriguing and well thought out.

This book was interesting. It had so many characters that it was impossible to keep track of who is who without referencing the list in the beginning pages. Enjoyable.

In The Bloodstained Shade, Cass Morris saves her devoted fans (and main character Latona) from the cliffhanger ending she left us with in Give Way To Night. But she doesn't make anything easy on her characters, clearly being an author who believes that roasting characters in a fire brings out their strongest qualities. Latona and Vibia remain the two main Aven-centered characters, although I was glad to see sisters Aula and Alhena getting more of a role here as well. Both sisters continue to develop as strong secondary characters, willing to face their fears despite the risks, and I'm hoping for even more from them in the next book, particularly from Alhena and her magic.

We get to see Sempronius, Latona's brother Vitellius, and their allies finish the war in Iberia, and I liked how Morris wrapped that up. enemies became allies, but even among the enemies and the terrible things they were doing, there was a deep humanity to every action. Morris examines how different people handle the gruesomeness of war- this kind of war in particular- in different ways, and can come back sometimes changed for the better, or at least come back thinking differently. Sempronius gets a few shocks along the way and didn't really know what to do with them, or his emotions, or the idea of possibly being vulnerable in any way. I have to admit I rather enjoyed that- suddenly he became a very human character, realizing the mistakes he was making and what he was risking in a way that his confidence had never allowed him to do before. I also have to admit, I'm pretty worried for what Morris is setting him up for in the next book, with a few of the not-very-subtle clues she dropped in this one.

One of the messages I loved in this book was the idea that we are who we make ourselves. Corinna may get to say it best when she chides Latona for trying to tell Corinna's story. "Never try to reduce another woman down to something smaller than she is" Corinna tells Latona. Corinna has refused to allow that to happen to her from the beginning. But it's a fight Latona's had across the whole series, being made smaller than she is and gradually growing out of that- although it is something she still fights with here. One of the reasons enemies fear Latona (and Sempronius) is for trying to step out of their normal roles in society and reach for something bigger. Throughout the book, and the series, is always the question, will we give in to temptation? Will we blame someone else for out actions? Or will we, in the end, accept that we are both the good and the bad of ourselves, and that can make us weak, or incredibly, unbelievably, strong and united.

Full of fast-paced scenes, and excellent writing, with vastly different characters and places woven together into a brilliant and heart-pounding finale. Secondary characters continue to shine and develop, our main characters continue to show strengths and flaws enough to keep them both likable and relatable. Cass Morris' Aven continues to shine as an ancient Rome-inspired world built into something new and different, and I can't wait for the next book in this incredible series.



Bloodstained Shade starts with a very good "previously in Aven" summary for readers who didn't reread the first two books before starting Book 3, but I wouldn't recommend starting Shade without having read From Unseen Fire and Give Way to Night first. This is a series that build from one book to the next.

I misread the description and so thought this was the first of a series of books, and so whilst reading I had some gaps in my knowledge from previous books. However, after reading this book I have been inspired to read the whole series.