I enjoyed my time reading this book. I do think it suffered a tad bit from second book syndrome but I’m very excited to see how the series concludes. The writing is definitely improved for book two, not that it was lacking book 1 but it’s cool to see an author improve.

The story picks up right where you left off. There’s tons more character development/building for this book which I definitely enjoyed.

This second book was really great. I went straight from book one to book two it was so good.

I feel like Keera had alot of growth in this book and has really started to find out who she is.

I was really sad with how little of a role I feel Riven played in this book... I hope we have more of him in book 3!

I DNF'd this book. I just didnt like it as much as I thought I was going to, The first book was fast paced and fun and this one was just slower,I didnt enjoy it as much.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the audio book of "A Shadows Crown". I remember when I first picked up "Broken Blade" I was so drawn in by the unique plot and characters. I read a lot of books weekly and Broken Blade left such a strong impression I gifted it to all my friends for Christmas, so I was thrilled to get a chance to listen to "A Shadows Crown" before the official release!

This second book picks up right where the Broken Blade left us. We pick up with Keera and her friends of rebels- Nikolai, Riven, Syyra, Killian & several other side characters who are part of the rebellion. I loved the relationship between Nikolai and Keera. Surprisingly I did not enjoy the relationship between Keera and Riven as much as I had in the previous novel and I would be OK with a love interest shift in the 3rd installment. I am already dying to read the third novel after the cliff hanger ending!

This is a must read if you're a fan of adult fantasy novels that deal with harder topics while also bringing in fantastical elements.

**Trigger warnings: violence (physical and psychological), death, murder, blood, assault, torture, abuse (physical and psychological), sexual content, mutilation, and self-harm***

This second book picks up right where the Broken Blade left us. We also learn more about Keera's mysterious past and the mystery of her heritage. You also see the ways Nikolai, Riven, Syyra, Killian & several other characters intertwine. The relationships are shifting and changing. I love the sense of family that is developing between the characters. I’m not sure where the author is going with the love interests, and I am shifting my view on the relationship between Keera and Riven. I like it less and less.

I do feel more satisfied with the answers received during this book. It was hard to pause the story!

I had the pleasure of enjoying the ARC audiobook from Blackstone Publishing and NETGALLEY with the voice of Kyla Garcia. She did an awesome job with pacing and keeping the language clear. She seemed genuine as she spoke for each character.

My problem with this book is having to wait for the next one after that ending. I need more because he's absolutely someone I love to hate and I need more.

I love getting to see little glimpse into her memory

After reading the first book, I was really dying to get back in and this book picked up right where it left off! The Halfling saga is a gripping tale about a woman who finds out basically everything about her life, world and past while saving that world and acquiring an ideal found family and community along the way. If you like fantasy you'll love this series.

In book two Keera has already started putting the pieces together and (basically) chosen a side.... her own. Her world is largely shaped by her actions and those of the people around her from when the first book starts, on. Keera, while very flawed (aren't we all?) is trying her best to make up for the (unwilling) sins of her past and save her world from their horrible king and his horrible son.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator is lovely, she captures the voice of Keera and all of the other characters wonderfully. I am never taken out of the story she does a wonderful job and I would pick up another book with her to guide me any time.

I finished this book STILL wanting more, so here's hoping the third book comes out soon!!

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

We pick up right where we left off in A Broken Blade and plunge immediately into a bunch of new stuff.

New settings and the revelation of more history behind the lives of the fae, elves, and halflings living in Myrelinth meant more world building in this book. But the depth added to the story was amazing as a result, and created a very complex conflict for this installment of the story.

I love the obvious transformation happening with Keera. He character development in this book was great. There’s also a lot going on with Riven and Prince Killian, and I can’t wait for more to be revealed in book three, because there were a lot of little teasers that are now running around in my mind. Nikolai was a favorite again in this book with perfectly timed comic relief.

The ending was rough with a lot hanging in the balance but I’m excited to continue this story with book 3 when it’s released!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review an advance copy. I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook, and loved both. Excellent narration on the audiobook.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this great book. I enjoyed this wonderful book with many well-developed characters, lovely descriptions, and beautifully created world. Looking forward to the next book.

In this second book of The Hafling Saga, author Melissa Blair picks up right where A Broken Blade left off. Keera, still navigating all of her emotions of grief, hope, and maybe even love, has to find the right way to win the kingdom back for the people she cares for deeply. Along the way she finds out more about her family, and herself, than she ever thought possible. Some enemies are not enemies anymore, but other enemies have far surpassed that title. Secrets can only be kept so long, and Keera's ability to keep them are running out.

This series is a wonderful illustration of what social media can do for books and authors. I never would have heard of this author and series if not for TikTok, and that would have been a shame! As a huge fan of fantasy, a with a kick-ass female lead, this series was a great find. The world-building continued into this second book, and we learn the history of other peoples in the world and our characters' places in them. Blair's writing, and Garcia's narrations, brought the story to life. I can't wait to continue on with this series.

***4.5 Stars***

Overall,
A really solid follow up to A Broken Blade. The book stars off immediately after the events of the first. While predictable in some places, the pace was good, taking time for Keera to heal, while also having some pretty good action sequences. There is a lot of character growth in this one as well. The ending was honestly not what I expected, and leaves me chomping at the bits for the next book in the series. There is not a whole lot of romance in this book, probably about a 2 on the spicy scale.

Narration,
The same narrator is used as the first book. She does a fantastic job. Really good.

Recommendation,
A great series to get into if you enjoy the fantasy romance genre. There are quite a few themes that may be triggering to some so I recommend reading the trigger warnings.

***Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the chance to review this audiobook ARC***

I am DNFing this one at 11%. As a bookseller, I read (and DNF) a lot of books. So far, the continuation of Keera’s story has failed to grip me and I am not in the mood to try and power through it.

If I had to guess, I think this would end up being a solid 3 star read for me: good but not great.

I’m sure a lot of people will love this, it’s just no longer for me!

** Review will be published April 15th on my site and socials**

NOT WHAT I HOPED FOR.

I very much enjoyed book one. So much so, I jumped at the chance to read this early. And now I'm a bit bummed because I was hoping for more.

There was a lot of good political intrigue and the story line did progress. I liked seeing more of those aspects and watching this found family come together. I think the audiobook is superb and plan to listen to the next one too. The narrator does an incredible job of bringing this story to life.

I felt like the romance took too much of a backseat, and practically anytime they were together it seemed to turn to some kind of physicality and I wanted different lines of connection to be happening too. There was a big betrayal, where's some extensive groveling?!

Keera is a great flawed heroine and I do like her. She has her struggles and her triumphs and there was some good character growth for her too. I do have plans to continue the series and see what happens next.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 2-3 open; mild-high explicit
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, murder, near death experiences, alcoholism, loss of a partner (recounted)

A Shadow Crown is the second book in Melissa Blair's Halfling Saga. This is an excellent follow up to the first book A Broken Blade. Keera is a strong protagonist dealing with the trauma of her past and her previous life as the King's assassin. I love stories with found family in them and this is a great example. I was so thrilled to get to read this after loving book one. The world really expands and you can see the beautiful examples of Indigenous culture. I can't wait for the next installment!

I also highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator is exellent.

Great second book. That is not often said about a second book in a series. The world building was great, more back story to some characters, questions from the first book were answered, a small dash of spicy times, characters had growth, the story and pacing moved along nicely. The narrator was great. The only complaint I had was the nearly very end when Keera got a wild hair up her ass and did not think it all the way through and forced everyone’s hand. Other then that I really enjoyed this installment of the series.

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.

I liked this book SOOOO much better than the first. And maybe it's because I already knew who the characters were, but it felt slightly less "I'm not like other girls" and more like what it should be: a poor girl who has been left behind and has always had to fight for survival so she never knew how to open up to others until now.

Keera's search to find where she comes from and who she truly is held my attention, but I'm not going to lie: I'm tired of the mate trope. It was good in ACOTAR because it hadn't been as widely used, but now it's getting old. Also... I don't care about Riven in the slightest. I DON'T KNOW WHY. He's sweet and understanding, his reasons for holding back the truth from Keera make sense and didn't make me mad, and he's protective; I should love him!! And yet... I don't. I'm a Killian girly through and through, and I literally could not tell you why.

Nikolai may have been my favorite character in book one but I have a new favorite: VRAIL!! My sweet, tough, smart girl! She and Gwyn are the best and no one can tell me otherwise.

Overall, very good and now I'm actually excited for the third book!!

Rating: 5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

WOW, what a sequel. This book did not disappoint me at all, it had everything that I loved about the first book and more.

When you pick up this book it will start off right where book one left off and hold on to whatever you can because it does not stop with all the action, drama, life changing information, romance, and magic.

I loved that in this book the plot became more and more clear, yes, I still have a few questions that need to be answered, but all my questions from book one got answered, but I love a good fantasy that will answer the questions but leave you with more. I really enjoyed that we got to learn more about magic and how everything came to happen. Be aware that there are parts of this book that might make you “Wait, what!” but I loved all those twists and turns that the author added to the plot. I found this book to be the same fast paced, yet easy to follow along.

In book 2 you will get more characters but mostly it’s the same ones that you come to love or hate in there. I still think that Keera is one really badass character, and she has now been added to my favorite female characters in books. She kicks butt when needed and is there for her friends as well. I enjoyed getting to know Riven more in this book. I still wish we had a little more about him, but I can understand his character enough to see that we might not get to see all of him until later.

I received the audio of this book, and the narrator once again did an amazing job. I loved how I felt that she was just as invested in the characters as I was. She really knew how to open the world up and drag you in. I loved all the love and heartbreak moments to make it feel like I wasn’t reading a book but hearing someone’s life story. I will be adding this narrator to my favorite female narrators list.

I really need book 3 to come out, and soon. That ending was horrible for people like me, ones who hate/love cliffhangers lol.

I want to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

Wow, Book 2 was another GREAT addition to the Halfling Saga. Filled with world building, lots of political intrigue, more relationship development, and plenty of twists and turns! The audiobook was great and I really enjoyed listening to it - the plot kept me on my toes and that dang ending... another major cliffhanger!!

I am still not sure I fully understand all of the different magical groups, but that could just be a me problem lol

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would def recommend to any fantasy romance lovers!

Thank you to Blackstine Publishing-Audio for the chance to listen rage and review this arc which is available April 9,2023!

Oh this was gut wrenching! The trauma Keera has gone thru as The Blade to what she goes through to make atonement was gut wrenching. Again I dig the way it is written which is not the linear way of western writers but the lyrical way of Indigenous authors. It added a nuance to the story that you won’t find in anything but indigenous storytellers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The narrator Kyla Garcia was freaking brilliant. She did the pain and angst so beautifully and the funny parts were funny. Accents were good.

I am buying all versions of this book like I did the first. It is that good.