I did a tandem read and listen and will give more detailed feedback on the book when I do the review there. As for the audio book, I loved the consistency of the narrator. She has such a pleasant tone and her use of voices and accents makes it easy to follow the story. It is very well edited and overall extremely well done.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me an advanced listening copy of this audiobook.
I really enjoyed the first book so was really excited about this sequel. Unfortunately, this book fell into the 2nd book slump. The stakes felt low, the plot was...lacking, and the development of relationships that the author was trying to create just felt forced.
That being said, I still had fun and the final act of the book was really exciting so Im excited about the 3rd book.

I love how the author remained true when it came to who Keera was. Sometimes you can pickup that second book and feel almost like those beloved characters have been Body Swapped by aliens or something equally as out there because of how much they have changed. Those core beliefs, the things that have them strength, or made them the best villains - POOF! Gone in what feels like the turning of a page. Whether the author wanted a change in plot or just was unable to capture that same fire, something profoundly different is there.

For all her brokenness, her flaws and failings, that ember that burns is still there. It lights her way when she is enshrouded in darkness and doubts; fires her up to continue to fight for those that can't. She is Keera and more. We get to start seeing the Keera beyond the woman who carries the burdens to the girl who was first broken on the ground but decided to standup and pick up the burdens of another as her own.

Friendships, heartache, betrayals, she will find a way to get through them all because her path has been set and the only to get there is forward. Friends, enemies, or lovers, they may all come or go but her purpose remains. Plot, political intrigue, and espionage. Whatever may come, expect the unexpected. When you have been nothing but a tool your whole life everyone continues to expect to use you as one. They need to watch, though, because even a to can become a weapon in the right hands and Keera has decided to take her fate into her own hands for once.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion **

3.5/5 stars
A Shadow Crown picks up right where A Broken Blade left off.
The very beginning of this book and the last 20-30% were very good. The rest of the book felt very slow and like not much was happening. The romance in A Broken Blade felt a bit forced, but was still a fairly significant part of the plot. In A Shadow Crown, the romance really seemed to take a backseat. I thought the first book had too many dream sequences that attempted to explain Keera, and I thought this one had too many flashbacks. It seemed like we spent so much time in the past that not much was happening in the present.
Overall, I thought this book was okay, but the overall plot seemed to take a backseat to character development. I think I will probably pick up the third book in this trilogy, but this one was just too slow for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Audio ARC!

A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair is the second book in the Halfling Saga series. I really enjoyed the first book, A Broken Blade, so going into this one I was nervous about the shoes it was filling. It turns out I had nothing to be worried about because I ended up liking this book even more! Kyla Garcia has narrated both, and I think her voice is a perfect match for the vibes of the story. The characters are varied and well defined, and the development as individuals and within relationships is captivating. The plot progression is slow in some parts, but in a way that feels natural.

Recommended for: Anyone that likes fantasy, or is considering getting into fantasy.

In conclusion: Can I have book three now please?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for providing an eARC of one my most anticipated releases of 2023 in exchange for an honest review.

This book. This book right here. Almost got thrown at a wall. In the most polite way, I assure you. And I blame it all on THAT ending.

A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair is a new adult fantasy that follows the events of the previous title in the series, A Broken Blade. By day, Keera is the King's most skilled assassin. But by night she works with Prince Killian and may or may be falling for his lovely Shadow, Riven. But she finds peace in the land of the fae, until a traitor is suspected amongst their crowd and Keera is the number one suspect.

*Disgruntled screaming* just read this series, please. It's really really good. And not completely mentally and emotionally scarring.

A SHADOW CROWN is a much stronger book than A BROKEN BLADE! I had a great time reading this and am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series! My review is linked in the videos below.

I ended up DNFing because it wasn't holding my interest :( I wanted to enjoy this more than I did and I'll probably give it a second chance later, but sadly it wasn't doing it for me.

Melissa Blair has done it again! The story she is crafting is similar to many a fantasy out there, but she continues to subvert tropes in ingenious ways and proves that although you think you know where the story is going, you would be completely wrong!

Some may find the pacing of this one a bit slower as we explore more of the trauma of the characters and the expansion of the world Blair is building. I will say I'm a bit biased because I am a LOVER of sequels/middle books/character development books. I love when authors take their time in exploring and healing their characters through the trauma they put them through, which is why I'm in love with Keera and Riven's relationship. But more than that I'm happy that Keera finds healing in her relationships with characters she looks up to, those she sees as her peers, and those she feels she needs to take care of. Riven serves as a constant in her world and allows her to heal by herself without pushing any of his agenda on her.

Speaking of agendas, that ENDING....!!! Truly I'm not sure where this is going but I'm glad to be along for the ride.

*Thanks to Netgalley/Union Sq & Co for the audiobook ARC. I'm not paid for my opinions.

Wow this was SO good!!! What an epic story! Keera is such an incredible main character. She has the fighting skills and is quick witted like Aelin, and also has emotional/physical scars she blames herself for. I loved how the first book deals with her working through her addiction and the second book is about her mental health and trying to allow herself joy. It was also action packed! It didn’t even feel like a book 2. I didn’t get bored or feel a lull like usual. It was really well done and it makes me so excited to read the next one!! I love the struggles these characters have and how they feel very real. There was so much in this that we love from our fave books (adventure, kingdom at war, Fae/Elves, cruelty, etc). More need to read this!!! Thank you SO much to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Despite the clunky writing, the first book really compensated with its fast plot and flawed characters, so I was excited to jump into the second book right away. Sadly, this really felt like the unfortunate second book of a trilogy - I assume the idea was to get to know and love the characters but there was no clear plot or stakes for the vast majority of the book. I also felt like there was very little character development - in fact, a lot of effort goes into making Keera look good all along, which I didn’t find too interesting. Overall, I found it slow - dare I say boring - and I’m not sure I would have pushed through it if this wasn’t my very first ARC. I will probably not read the next book…

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

True rating: 4.5 stars

So I binged the first book within 2 days and immediately binged this one. And instantaneously became an angry, anxious mess when I realized I'll have to wait for book 3.

The plot in this book had me hooked. Book 2 literally picked up right after book 1 ended, and so this one was more about Keera finding her place in Myrelinth, learning more about her past, and her budding relationship with Riven finally growing.

I loved the world building. I loved the way things unfolded. I loved the mystery and trying to figure out who was behind the attacks. And then... that cliffhanger ending. I. NEED. MORE. I feel like I was staring at the time left thinking there's too little time and so much that needs to happen, and I was right.

I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. I highly recommend this series.

This is Throne of Glass books 3-5 forced into one 400 page book. So the ideas are there, the world is interesting, I think the plot catches my attention but having read TOG this seems like a very weak version of it. The writting is fine but I think could definetly be worked on. I think I'm going to leave the series here as it's not adding anything to my reading exerpeince since I feel that I have read a better version of this before.

A Shadow Crown (shadows? I have seen both for the title) continues the story of Keera and her quest to kill the king and save other halflings like herself from his wrath.

I was so excited to be back in this world. I loved the first book in this series and devoured this one! There was less action in this book and more politics, world-building, character development, and backstory. I really think this book was a great sequel and I loved learning more about the world and the characters and their motivations. I can't wait to see where this story goes next!

A Broken Blade was a fantasy book that I began to read as a way of reading my favourite genre by marginalised voices. It was a bold book that set up the world that commented on the harm of colonialism to indigenous people, whilst embodying the elements of a fantasy romance that I want to eat up like it’s an unlimited buffet – romantic tension, strong and flawed main character, dancing at a ball, a heist. The stakes were higher in A Broken Blade, it wasn’t about good vs. evil. It became about resistance to colonialism – historical and present day. I’m very much here for that.

So when it came time to read the audiobook of the sequel A Shadow Crown, I was really excited to dive right in. It was beautifully narrated by Kyla Garcia who gave depth to Keera’s emotions throughout the book. You can hear Kyla’s voice tremble when Keera felt fear and imagine the burning anger in her stomach. In addition, I was able to distinguish the different voices for all the characters well throughout A Shadow Crown.

A Shadow Crown shifted a lot from A Broken Blade where Keera was at first more physically participative, but in this book had more opportunities for self-reflection. It was a shift that I enjoyed as it opened the world and explored Keera’s character and her history in more detail. It made me appreciate Keera more and how much she had to go through up until this point.

That being said, even though the book had more reflective parts, there were still a lot of life-threatening conflicts and spicy romantic moments that had my heart pounding. I enjoyed the ebb and flow of the pacing of the book. The moments of calm always felt like a breather before something big was going to happen. And before I knew it, the ending of the book blindsided me. I didn’t see it coming, I knew everything leading up to it was too good to be true. But I lived in denial throughout the whole book so that’s probably my fault.

In conclusion, Melissa can take all my money if she can reassure me that everything will be okay in the next book.

As soon as I saw that this was available to request, I read A Broken Blade. I fell in love with Keera and her damaged but powerful nature. I was so excited to have access to A Shadow Crown (initially noted as A Shadows Crown, which was very confusing). I do not have TikTok, so I didn’t realize how popular this saga was!

Very fun, tons of action, high fantasy with love thrown in! Keera deals with alcoholism, which is not seen often in heroes, and I loved watching her evolve.

The cast of characters was well-developed, and I definitely teared up a couple times. Also, I love Riven and how he evolves too.

Super exciting read with excellent narration.

I just completed the audiobook ARC for A Shadow Crown and I don't even know where to start... I absolutely adored A Broken Blade but I love A Shadow Crown even more! You get so many questions answered along with a million new questions. And the representation and found family is phenomenal and one of my favorite parts of the series.

A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair
5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

I binged both of The Halfling Saga books back to back and was completely obsessed from the start. Keera - enslaved to be the king's personal assassain and forced to kill mortals, elves, and halflings alike - has only known pain and death for years. When the opportunity arrises to make a difference, she siezes it. But with her enemy constantly changing and new information coming to light, she is caught in the middle and questioning what she could possibily do to truly make a difference.

Read this book if you like:
- NA romantasy books
- found family trope
- light fae and dark fae and elves - oh my!
- assassins
- shadow magic

A Shadows Crown will be released May 9th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Blackstone Publishing for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for allowing me to read this ARC!

As this is the audiobook version, I want to mention that the choice of narrators was absolutely perfect and added that perfection sense of magic!

I loved A Broken Blade when it first came out and have been eagerly waiting for the second book in the series. When I saw that it was available to request on NetGalley I immediately requested it. This is such a fantastic second book from Melissa Blair.

The growth and plot development kept me hooked the entire time I was reading. Blair does an excellent job at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat want to know what happens next. This book is a great mixture of character development, plot development and world building. We are introduced to more details about the magic system and the world that progress the series in such a great direction and perfectly sets us up for book three.

Needless to say I will be eagerly waiting for book three!

Jumping right in- I really enjoyed this & can't wait for the next installment! For some reason heading into this I thought this was the conclusion to the series, so I was really happy when I realized we'll be getting another book!

I do feel like it was a bit slower paced than the first one (which isn't a bad thing, especially for those who don't mind slower paced book). The pace of the action in the first book really hooked me & with this one felt like there was a lot more discussion/filler and not as much action, but I did really enjoy getting to find out more about Keera's past!

*Heading into Spoiler Territory*

I do wish there hadn't been as long of a wait for a reconnection between Keera & Riven. This is definitely just my own personal preference problem, but I'm the type of person that hates when the couple finally gets together and then for the whole beginning of the next book there's something that keeps them apart and then it takes time to reconcile and it kinda feels like we're taking steps forward and then steps backward, so if you're also that type of person you might not enjoy the pace of the romance so much in this book.

I do absolutelyyy love seeing how Keera's past relationship & healing plays into her relationship with Riven & how they handle that together. This situation is in no way included in what I mean by the relationship pacing (only the waiting for him to come back into the picture in the start of the book was kinda eh for me). This aspect of the story is such an amazing layer to explore & I'm really excited to continue on this journey with Keera. I'm also someone who lost someone I loved deeply, very unexpectedly & traumatically, so I really connect to Keera in this way.

All in all, while there was some things I preferred in the first book I still think this was a great read & I'm super excited to see where the story heads next!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read an arc copy of this!