Member Reviews

This book has been on my feed for a bit now and I'm thrilled to have finally gotten into it.

The world is dark and a cure is needed. This means going into the mist - which is deadly by itself, and not just the creatures that live within it. Jude Maddox is a commander responsible for training troops to go into this mist to find a cure for the land. And Jude's life hasn't been easy, which makes him the best man for the job.

That is until Kiara is drafted in place of her brother and everything starts to reveal itself.

I found this story to be unique in it's own way with the lore. A lot of the time, I forgot that the world was without sun but the author did a good job reminding me of so. The first half of the book is pretty much Kiara training with her selected troop under the command of Jude. Then the second half dives into the main mission within the mist itself. The story did take a bit to get into at the beginning but for the character building - it was necessary. I only wish during that time, the lore itself was explored a little more. At the end of the book, I had to back up a couple of times to try and truly understand what was happening. It was definitely a unique world building and the story that went along with it.

Kiara and Jude were the main point of views - dividing the book between the two of them. I really liked the dual point of view for this book and it definitely worked to really understand the characters. There were some elements, which I will not name due to spoilers, that I really enjoyed about them. It's different than your normal hero fantasy books. The angst and attraction between the two characters was undeniable and worked perfectly. I cannot wait to see what happens to them next.

Overall, To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn was an interesting read. I enjoyed the unique story telling and the characters within it. While the beginning was a little slow - it didn't take long for everything to pick up and the action to begin. The dual point of view between Kiara and Jude worked perfectly to truly understand the depths of the characters. I would recommend this book for any who enjoy a dark world (quite literally), found family, and strong main characters.

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To Kill a Shadow is the first book I’ve read by Katherine Quinn. The world exists without sunshine and the entire kingdom is on a mission to bring it back. The goddess of the sun was betrayed by her human lover for power, so when she disappeared so did the sun.

The world is dying, the Mist is spreading, and deadly beings are rising against those looking to save the world.

What it’s got:
☀️ Grumpy/Sunshine
💜 Forbidden romance
💪🏻 Strong female lead
💔 Betrayal
🧟‍♂️ Zombie-vibes
📜 Prophecies

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Looking for a new Romantasy?
I loved everything about this book. The characters, setting, and plot. I was so excited that I was able to get the Owlcrate edition for my shelf. Can’t wait to read book 2!

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To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn is a great first book to a new fantasy series that left me anxious to read more. I enjoyed the characters of Jude and Kiara.

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This was an action packed, unique read with some great world building and intriguing characters. I love found families and this was a great example of that, with a group of boys totally in over their heads sent on a dangerous quest and the girl who wanted to fight beside them. This is another book with no ending so be prepared to need the next installment in the series to get answers!

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I dnf'd this at 22%. I don't think there's good character development. Everything just seems choppy to me.

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Kiara and Jude are one of my favorite book couples ever! Kiara, with her fierce determination and fiery red hair, and Jude, the broody, growly knight commander with a tragic backstory, are impossible not to root for. Their connection is magnetic—a slow-burn romance full of tension, forbidden love, and those "touch her and die" moments that leave you breathless.

The world is dark and unique, shrouded in a deadly Mist that hides terrifying creatures, and the plot unfolds with twists, betrayals, and surprises that keep you hooked. The last chapters had me feeling *everything.* From political intrigue to magic and found family, this story has it all. I devoured this in a day and immediately started book 2.

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Why did I love this book so much? Why did the ending hurt so much? I thought I was going to be ok, I thought I was prepared for the ending, but I wasn't prepared at all. I absolutely fell in love with Kiara and Jake's characters. Kiara is a strong, badass FMC who kicks some major ass and stands up for and protects her friends and those she loves and cares for. Jake is her grumpy commander who has closed himself off from feelings and emotional connections with people, but upon first meeting Kiara, his heart starts to thaw. They have this great connection and playful flirting, and banter going on throughout the first part is the book, then a much deeper meaningful connection in the later part. This book has found family, a dangerous quest, secrets, mystery, adventure, and romance. You will be turning pages until you get to the very end, and then you will immediately pick up book two because you need to know what happens next!

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To Kill A Shadow has a mysterious mist, secret magic, quest vibes, ✨romance✨, and action!

I loved the fast-paced story and eerie forest vibes of this story! I am really excited for book two, especially after that ending!

I am head over heels for the OwlCrate edition, and I love that it features one of my favorite fantasy tropes, the tension-filled knife to the throat. 🗡️

Thank you to Entangled Teen for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“Everything I’ve done has been to help you , Kiara. EVERYTHING.”

This was a fantasy escape for sure! I enjoyed reading this story’s. It definitely kept you guessing what would happen next.

Kiara is a warrior. She has been marked on her hands and made an outcast in her town. When the soldiers come for annual recruits she is taken in place of her brother.

She is to be trained as a fighter. There she meets the commander Jude. Jude is known as the Hand of Death; he is fierce and a killer of many. He is taken with Kiara and her lack of following the rules or catering to anyone.

Kiara and her friends get picked to go into the mist and try and break the curse. This is where the real adventure begins but also the mist is merciless and takes more than it gives.

I cannot wait to see what is next in this journey of adventure.

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This book started strong for me but ended up crashing about 30% in. It didn`t hold my attentiont and I was actually not even motivated to finish it. To me the characters were a bit confusing and the MCs attraction was so instant it just wasn`t believable to me. The story started a bit more fast paced then felt like nothing was happening. I wanted to like this book so much but I think it just wasn`t my cup of tea.

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This was a very good book that really drew me into the Romantasy world of Jude and Kiara. This story just called out to me and held me fast from the beginning of the story till the ending and has left me craving to know more and needing to get to Book Two. Dark and tragic, this YA novel is must read.

Note: this book may garner another star from me after I read Book Two because I have so many unanswered question that may be part of the books sequel, but which now left me feeling a little unfulfilled

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I absolutely loved this story. The way Katherine writes pulls you into the world and makes you really feel the emotions is a talent in itself.
I love Katherine's writing style and the characters are brought to life

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I heard such great things about this one and was so excited to read it! I was drawn in immediately to this one and couldn’t wait to know what was going to happen! I adore Kiara and her big heart. And watching Jude soften towards her. The ending of this one surprised me and made me immediately want book 2! I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

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I got completely lost in To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn! The blend of fantasy, romance, and just the right amount of darkness made it such an exciting read for me. The world felt so real and eerie, and I loved following the characters through all the twists and action. Some of the magic was a little complex, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story. If you like fantasy with a darker edge, I think you’ll love this one too!

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This was a good escape to a Ya fantasy world. I love how brave the main characters were, even if they were scared. It started a little slow for me, but then I really got into it. I can’t wait for the next one, like I’m ready for it now! I’m so excited to see what happens with the story line and character development, especially between the main characters Kiara and Jude - who are both badasses! I could not put it down at the end, and I loved seeing the relationship between Kiara and Jude grow, and how they both slowly let down their guards that they have always had to have up their whole lives

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“You are what I imagine the sun to be like.” “Fiery. Beautiful. Damning.”

This was a good and interesting start to an upper YA romantasy and I enjoyed the read. I love how easy to read this book was and the characters. This book has shadows, assassins, monsters, and gods. The mmc Jude is a commander of knights who needs to go to this nightmare land. The fmc Kiara is an outcast who can fight and is strong af. They are instantly attracted to each other and are so cute. I thought the world building was done well and I was able to picture the gritty and mysterious world. The ending was surprising to me and I'm glad I have an arc of the next book to read.

Tropes/themes:
- Upper YA
- Romantasy
- Instant attraction
- Grumpy sunshine
- Shadows and mists
- Found family

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To Kill a Shadow is easily one of my favorite books of the year! The story started off a little slow for me but once I got hooked, I. WAS. HOOKED. Kiara Frey is a harboring a dark secret of a curse that has caused her and her family to become the town pariahs in a sense. When it is time for her sickly brother Liam to be chosen to fight for the king in the Knighthood of the Eternal Star, Kiara's warrior training kicks in to defend her brother getting her chosen in his stead. Commander Jude Maddox has a dark past and secrets of his own. When the two are sent on a suicide mission into the mist along with other recruits of the the knighthood to find the keys to breaking the curse of the realm, all secrets are revealed with devastating results.

This story has all the elements to make it a well rounded novel: broody and dark MMC, strong and fearless FMC, found family, magic and curses, enemies to lovers, ancient lore surrounding temperamental gods, and so much more. The ending leaves us on a cliffhanger with anticipation of what is to come but does not leave you reeling. I can't wait for the sequel and to see what happens in the fall out from the events in this book.

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I have been provided with a review copy of this title from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

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A friend recommended this book and I was very happy to receive an ARC copy. I love the cover. It took me a while to finish, I read several other books instead. It was just hard to hold my attention. I'll try again before the 2nd book comes out - it interested that much where I want to read the second one.

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