Member Reviews

I am in love with this series! "A Shadow Crown" picks up right where "A Broken Blade" left off and dives right in to even more action-packed adventure.

The first book was an amazing foundation for this series, and in book 2 we get to see an expanded version of the world and characters. Keera continues to be a somewhat morally grey badass, but we get more insight into her past and the backstories of a number of major side characters. The character development and the world building both played really well into the overall plot, keeping it balanced while remaining fast-paced.

There’s a lot going on in this book, but it’s setup in a way that’s easy to keep track of so it never feels overwhelming. I’m so excited to see what Melissa Blair has in store for book 3!!

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

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I absolutely LOVED the first book in 2022 and this sequel DID NOT disappoint! What an incredible masterpiece! I couldn’t be happier with how this series is going and I love the author😍😍

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When I got approved to read this ARC book, I was soooo happy! I absolutely loved broken blade (part 1 of this series) and I was so excited to read this book!
Just as in the last book, this book contained a super exciting plot. There was a lot happening, so I never got bored of reading it. I even finished the last 80 procent in a day!
The world building of this book is also exceptional. I was really sucked into this world because of it, I loved it.
Last but not least, I adored the interactions between characters. There were a lot of sarcastic jokes, those often made me laugh out loud.
Sadly, there were also a few things I missed in the book. Firstly, the book had a lot of side plots, causing that the main plot often disappeared to the background. Sometimes, I was a bit confused by the plottwists because of this.
I also missed some interactions between riven and keera, they're supposed to be in love. But they have so little conversation that I don't think it's realistic.
Overall, I still think this book is absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to everyone.

Thank you netgalley for sending me an ARC book in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

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Picking up right where A Broken Blade left off, A Shadow Crown was a captivating sequel full of the same dark atmosphere and morally grey characters I loved about the first novel.

Characters
I love Keera so much. She is such a unique FMC in terms of her age and coping mechanisms that she feels a little more realistic to me than many of the FMCs I've read before. I also love Riven and all of the secondary characters in this story.

Pacing
The first half was feeling a bit slower and I was a little worried this would fall prey to middle book syndrome, but the second half absolutely flew by. In the end, I do think the pacing well done well and allowed for a consistent build up.

Romance
The enemies to lovers tension of book one really stepped aside to make room for a sweeter, more emotional romance in this novel. While I loved the way their relationship has developed, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish for him to go a little more feral over her/her safety. (manifesting this in book three)

Overall thoughts
This was a really fun read and I am excited (but anxious) to see where the story goes from here.

CW: grief, loss, substance abuse, self harm, abandonment, death of family members

---4/5 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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A Shadow Crown is a fantastic sequel to A Broken Blade! After reading the cliffhanger at the end of A Broken Blade, I was desperate to reunite with Keera, and I definitely was not disappointed. There were some chapters and scenes that felt like filler plot, but for the most part, this sequel was action-packed. Every page had me surmising over new theories and gasping at every plot twist. In this book, we get multiple moments where we see Keera in her true, ruthless form as the Blade, slashing through anyone who does her, her friends, or her people harm and I was so here for it.

At the same time, there are many tender moments in the novel as well, especially between Keera and Riven, Nikolai and *spoiler*, and Keera and Gwyn. The subplot of Keera discovering more about her ancestry and trying to be accepted by the Elven pulled many heartstrings. The romance between Keera and Riven, of course, was just as precious in the first book. I went into this sequel thinking we would get a ton of angst between the two after the events of the first book, but Melissa Blair pulled a 180 and instead wrote the most beautiful romantic scenes. Keera and Riven are truly two souls that found each other after years of hurt and trauma, and it was really special to see them be even more in love <3.

Once again, this book ends in a sequel, and it definitely left me yearning for more! I'm not sure how I can wait until the next book, but I'll 100% be re-reading my favorite scenes from the first two books in the meantime.

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This book kept me on my toes throughout the entire read. There was never a moment where I was bored and I was consistently learning new things about the characters. This novel adds a new spectrum of what romance is, making me think about the ending for days to come. I cannot wait for the sequel to this book.

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I can't thank NetGalley and Union Square & Co enough for an eARC in exchange for an honest review of A SHADOW CROWN by Melissa Blair- one of my most anticipated releases and sequels of 2023.
A Shadow Crown is book two in The Halfling Saga, a fantasy romance series written by an indigenous author who explores themes of colonialism in a fantasy world full of fae, elves, and halflings. In book two, we get the answers to questions we were dying to know from book one, and it did NOT disappoint. The climactic twist left me in tears and begging for book three.
Keera's character is one that I feel will always stick with me. She's a troubled heroine who is damaged by her past and is determined to fight for the future she dreams of. Her growth in this installment of the series was amazing, I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it (this book gave me lots of goosebumps actually). I felt we really got more of Keera in all the right ways. We get to see her open up more, express her fears more, and get our hearts broken as we explore more of her past. She is such an interesting character to follow, and there is no way to not connect to and feel for her.
Along with Keera was an interesting set of characters who, no matter how minuscule their roles in the plot, all played a part in the found family of my dreams. Keera faced lots of struggles to be accepted, but the way the found family developed and grew warms my heart so much. I often forget how much I like found family until books that do it as well as this one show it to me all over again.
Keera's character, growth, and the found family are my favorite things about this story, but it doesn't stop there. The humor was excellent, the world descriptions were so incredibly beautiful (Especially of the fae realm), the slow-burn romance had me squealing for more, and that ending had me sobbing yet begging for more heartbreak.
I seriously cannot wait to read book three. This sequel was so easy to jump back in to, even after it having been so long since I read book one. I will be anxiously awaiting more of Keera, Riven, and the rest of the cast!

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Sadly this just felt way too drawn out. It didn’t clear up the confusion with ALLLLLLLL the magical groups and beings and only compounded a lot of the issues I had with the first book. The romance felt really really strained despite yet again being billed as a fantasy romance at the very beginning.

The politics and power struggle didn’t feel very clever or like the audience was brought it on it, mostly it was just laid out and told to us after the fact. I also found Keera less compelling this time around as she’s just moved around and used by those around her. I found she lacked agency and maybe that’s the whole point of where this ends, but throughout I just wanted more from her, her taking more control, her taking more of a lead, or honestly her just not being so passive to the brought planning by Killian, Nikolai and co.

Not a fan of the new love interest proposed, feels late to be introducing another love interest and love triangles in general as just not my thing.

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A Shadow Crown, The Halfling Saga #2 or as I have been calling it, A Broken Blade 2, was just as fun and exciting as the first in its series.

We continue along Keera’s journey to fight to save the Halflings and make amends for all the lives she was forced to take in service to the King. The story picks right up from book one and took off immediately. The way that they travel in this book made the world really expand for me and was very fast paced and enjoyable. I loved seeing Keera let her walls down and care about more people - her relationships with Nikolai, Syrrah and later Vrail were really special and for a book filled with revenge and plans to murder a king, it was also filled with a lot of emotional growth and heart. If you weren’t sure of Riven in book 1, you will be now (and if you aren’t, please don’t tell me). I cannot wait for the next one!

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This second installment in this Halfling Saga definitely succeeded in expanding the world and making me more invested in the characters, so I’d say it’s successful as a sequel overall. The action feels almost nonstop. Even the slower parts of the boom have a lot going on, and the nature of travel in the book makes it feel as though characters are zipping from place to place like it’s a video game.

I wouldn’t say the book is completely flawless: certain characters still lack compelling stories/motivations/depth for me (hello Killian could we see a personality please), and the action/travel is so fast sometimes that it’s a bit jarring, something I noticed in Book 1 as well. I can’t help thinking that given the fascinating world setup, Keera’s strength as a main character, and a pretty solid supporting cast (Nikolai I love you) this book could use just a bit more refining.

However, I have had so much fun reading both of these books that I’m honestly fine to push those things aside because at it’s core, this is an interesting story about a compelling main character. I lovedddd the expansion of the world here. I have no idea if I’m point but the new setting in this book was giving me strong Avatar energy (blue people not last Airbender) and I loved that. Even characters I was a little questionable about in Book 1 (Riven) grew on me a lot, and I understood more of the chemistry.

Mostly, Keera is wonderful and I will happily read all of her stories. Excited for Book 3!

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This is for Throne of Glass Lovers!!!!!!

This is a highly entertaining sequel that does have the ability to keep you hooked. I don't really want to spoilt anything but it literally picks up from where book one left off. Like right after. Keera and her allies are still seeking to end the King's reign and there are still many trials and tribulations that go with that. There is also a spy among them so that was a lot of fun trying to figure out.

Would recommend this 100% for any fantasy lover.

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My dumbass brain…. Just read this book and didnt even read book one.

So i started to read the first book and come back to this masterpiece!

Haha i‘m so sorry… how could i not realize it?!

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Thank you net galley for sending me an advanced readers copy in exchange for a honest review.
Due to the potential of a broken blade the first book in the series (which I rated three stars) I was tempted to read the second as well. Sadly I am no longer interested in reading more of this author due to certain issues I have with her writing.

There is so much telling rather than showing which is the same issue I had with book one. I like the MC as a character but I fail to see her connection with the love interest, as their whole relationship is build using so many tropes I simply tired of it.

This isn't a "bad" book but it is not for me. I can see why people would enjoy the series but I think they are the kind of books meant for a younger audience that isn't too advanced regarding fantasy reading.

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Oh my god! I absolutely loved this book!! It everything I expected and more. I love love love everything about it. The characters, the plots, the writing, everything was perfect. I loved found family trope with my whole heart and the relationship between Keera and Nik & Keera and Syraa & Keera and Gwyn was so wholesome and it made my heart full. The ending blew my mind away!! I'm so so so terrified for Killian because we didn't get to know if Gerarda rescued him too or not and I really really don't want him to die!! I CAN'T WAIT FOR THR NEXT BOOK!!!

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Book two in this series blew my mind right out of the water. We pick up right where they left off in book one & the adventure just keeps on rolling! While found family is not my favourite trope, Melissa had a way of writing such a great found family that I couldn't help but love all the characters and every minute of this book.

I found it fast paced and easy to follow along with, which significantly helped me fly right through the book to the very end! Things were constantly moving & had me hooked from the very first page. All the things we saw in book one? Melissa turned up the heat and just kept it going.

This was a great book two in this series & ended on such a high note, I can only imagine that book three will be that much better!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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- [x] Shadow Crown
by Melissa Blair

I enjoyed A Broken Blade. And it was no different with the second book.

A Shadow Crown is part two in The Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair blew me away.
Melissa Blair has written a thrill ride of a fantasy with gorgeous world building and even more beautiful characters.
A gripping, fast-paced high fantasy story that took me on one hell of a ride.
I loved the epic world-building and character development on all characters.
A Shadow Crown has a diverse cast and great representation.
The pacing was at a steady pace and flowed nicely throughout.
I enjoyed the slow burn enemies to lovers romance.
The tension, the steam, the enemies to lovers storyline made for an entertaining read. Gosh, the build up between them is written so good.
Phenomenal female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance you’ll have no choice but to pull an all nighter.

Those who love LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation in their fantasy realm will fall in love with the unforgettable cast of characters here inside this stunning novel.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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This is a fantastic series as a whole so far, and I enjoyed the second installment!
There were a few areas that seemed a tad slow and repetitive, but overall the plot was intricate and very interesting. I absolutely loved A Broken Blade, and A Shadow Crown picks up right where A Broken Blade ends.
Keera is now one of my favorite female main characters, and the character development and all of the background information we get in this book in this book was phenomenal! This goes for the side characters as well. I am obsessed with the friendly banter between Keera and Nikolai. The worldbuilding, lore, and political plotlines are so well planned out and executed.

Thank you Union Square & Co., Sterling Square and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

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💫 ARC Review 💫

Book: A Shadow Crown
(sequel to A Broken Blade)

Release: May 9, 2023

GOOD THINGS CHECKLIST:

✔️ this book picks up RIGHT where book 1 left off - we get to dive right back into the action, deception, adventure, and magic

✔️ the world building gets even more fun and detailed, with added layers of magic and monsters ✨️

✔️ I love SO many characters in this book & everyone is beautifully & uniquely written as we discover more about their personalities and their pasts

✔️ the slow burn romance in A Broken Blade continues with some scorned lover action and some soulmate vibes 🙈

✔️ action-packed, magical, fantastic writing that had me so sucked in, I couldn't put this book down!

this book is phenomenal. I will be anxiously awaiting anything Melissa Blair writes in the future because I have no doubt it will be amazing.

thanks to @netgalley and @unionsqandco for the advanced copy!

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"Do you know why the Elverin mourn their dead with trees?" I huffed a breath. "To keep their memory alive?" "That" Nikolai smiled softly "and because trees, like grief, go through seasons. Their leaves change colours just as our feelings continue to churn and change. Sometimes the leaves fall to the ground entirely, leaving us cold and bare, draining us of hope that the warmth of summer will ever come. But it will." Nikolai gripped my hands even more tightly. "Don't let a moment of fear and grief convince you that's all your life is made for.”
Found Family Trope? Check
Excellent Pacing? Check
Expanded Worldbuilding? Check
Emotional Ending that left you gasping for more? Check
Plotting against the genocidal King? Check
Discovering your magical heritage? Check
Fae, Elves & Magic? Check
Needing to uncover a mole in the rebellion? Check
I delved straight into this after finishing A Broken Blade & did not regret binging it in one session for a second. All the feels with this book! Both the old characters from the first book, & the new ones introduced in this one were fantastic. A thoroughly enjoyable read. While the stakes were of course as high as in the first book, they didn’t always feel as so because of the setting, much of the story took place in a beautiful city grown in the middle of a forest, hidden from the cruel King who had done all he could to wipe out what was left of the Elves & Fae. It’s the stuff of my fantasies & dreams for such a city to exist, it reminded me greatly of Lothlorien from Middle Earth but with plenty of its own uniqueness. The found family development in this one was superb, so many little warm the cockles of your heart moments that made my eyes a little watery, & a few bigger moments the threatened my cheeks with tears. More focus is spent on character development and worldbuilding than furthering the plot a significant amount, however this works well with the pacing & I predict a very action packed third book based on how this one ended. That’s not to say this one was without some action, because there was a couple of fantastic high stakes fights happen over the course of the story. We also learn more of Keeras mysterious past & her heritage, how Nikolai, Riven, Syyra, Killian & others all intertwine, what they all mean to each other, & what they end up meaning to Keera. It’s honestly one of my favourite books now when it comes to the found family trope, it never felt forced or boring, quite the opposite, it was compelling from page 1 till I turned the last page & realised there was no more. While we do get a lot of answers in this book, I now have more questions based off of the happenings in this one that I now desperately need answered lol! Bring on book 3 like yesterday! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book, it was so great not having to wait those extra couple of months for the official release date, though now the wait for the third will be even longer.

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Wow! I absolutely loved the sequel to A Broken Blade. As we continue Keera’s story things continue to be very tense and uncertain. I was completely addicted to this book and couldn’t stop thinking about it whenever I wasn’t reading.

On top of the stress, angst, and romance, Blair creates the most magical realm and I want to crawl inside my treehouse burl and never leave again.

If you loved A Broken Blade you will not be disappointed by the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square for the arc! All opinions are my own.

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