3.5 Stars.

This was a good book! I will absolutely include it in my YA Fantasy recommendations moving forward. That said, I am NOT an instalove fan and found the immediate draw between Jude and Kiara a little confusing. I also wish there was more world-building. I just wanted to know more. That said, I kept wanting to read it and really loved the ending, even though it hurt! I'll be very excited to read book 2!!

Thank you to Entangled for the eArc!

This one looked really promising, but unfortunately I found it to be lacking in character development, worldbuilding, and plot. I didn't really like any of the characters, I found the first part of the story to be rushed and not fully fleshed out, although I did like the romance, and the magical forest setting was nice.

ANOTHER GREAT ONE! Strong female characters from the get go are rare in the fantasy world so I was happy to see this from the start. The dynamic between our two main characters is what really shaped this story and made it feel like I was there.

Couldn’t put it down! The main characters are so easy to love and writing was wonderful! What a cliffhanger!! Can’t wait for the next one!

To Kill a Shadow is another disappointing case of great idea, poor execution.

In theory, I should have loved this book. It had all the right ingredients for me to - enemies to lovers, shadow/light magic, yet another war plot!

Unfortunately, I didn’t find myself majorly connected to either Kiara or Jude. I liked them both, don’t get me wrong, but there was never a time reading when I was really rooting for them. Either independently or as a couple. I liked their banter together, but at times felt it was a bit much and repetitive, and I could see some chemistry between them but couldn’t really feel it.

I didn’t have any connection to any of the side characters, so events throughout the book that occur to them had little to no impact on me as a reader.

I’m fully aware this may have been because I wasn’t a huge fan of the book, but I felt that the plot moved super slowly at times. This book felt LONG. And to be fair, it’s not the shortest, clocking in at around 450 pages.

The world building was also sparse. We’re not told much beyond the fact that there’s some deadly mist and an evil King, with some sprinkles of information about Gods from the epigraphs. Though I appreciate the plot doesn’t span much of the world, and it will likely be expanded upon in future books, I still would have liked to see a little more.

Overall, I was really disappointed by To Kill a Shadow. I could see a lot of elements throughout that I would normally love, but the execution fell flat for me, and so I didn’t. There were reveals at the end that I found interesting, as well as somewhat of a cliffhanger, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this series.

Thank you to Entangled Teen for sending me an eARC via Netgalley!

↠ 2 stars

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- the book sounded amazing in its description, but while i was reading, i found a few things lacking. mostly, it was the characters and their personalities, which were lackluster and annoying, and the world building didn't have enough for me to be fully engaged, though it was the most interesting part of the story. overall, i wish there was more to this story, but what was there was not enough for me while i was reading.

I have heard some amazing things about Katherine Quinn, this was my first toe dip in her world and I can’t wait to read more!!

I appreciate how strong Kiara is! And Jude is just perfect for her. They both have so much going on with their pasts.
Honestly this whole book took me all over the place and I really can’t put it all into words other than to tell you to read it.

There is nothing more horrifying than a mysterious mist, but combine that with a never ending darkness and you have fear like you’ve never seen. With an evil king hellbent on only making himself more powerful, the two main characters are sent on an impossible quest through the mist. Both armed with more secrets than thought possible, they realize there is more to live for than just duty to their people.
With an ending I didn’t see coming- in more ways than one- I have so many questions and can’t wait for the second installment.

Wow. I’ll be the first to admit it’s been months since a high ya fantasy romance has grasped my attention so distinctly but To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn wouldn’t let go. From the first few chapters I was immersed into a dark, deadly world where a group of special knights seeks a way to bring light back to the land.

So this story centers around skilled fighter, Kiara Frey and the leader of the group of knights, Jude Maddox. These two were ADDICTIVE. Omg, the best tension. From the moment Jude sees Kiara he’s drawn to the fierce young woman. This is NOT a slow burn, y’all. These two know life is short and they don’t waste it beating around the bush.

The Mist was a fantastic plot point. The creatures inside were unique and deadly. The ending was sooooo good! I’m not a fan of cliffhangers but I enjoyed the storytelling and romance so much I loved the ending and can’t wait for more!

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for one of my favorites arcs this year!

If you’re looking for a book that’s going to transport you to another world, this is the one. I was slightly confused around the middle of the book and thought it was getting muddy but the ending explained everything. Excited to see what’s in store in the next one.

This fantasy story was one that I can not wait for book two. I loved the characters and the world building. And the start of each chapter was so good. It was like a story within a story. I need more books by this author!!

What an amazing book. I cannot wait until the next one! I was fully engaged with the characters and the story and it was so well written.

My favorite fantasy books showcase strong willed women, unafraid to fight for themselves and those they care about. Kiara in To Kill A Shadow is one of those characters.

In a world fraught with death and darkness, she has the fighting skills to challenge any male around her. As she's chosen to join the King's Army and replace her brother (who wouldn't have survived) she takes on the challenges of being a female warrior like a champ!

Throughout the story she starts to realize there's more to her than she realized, as things within her begin manifesting. The scars on her hands that she hides, may mean even more than she ever realized!

Filled with magic, lots of fighting, an amazing female MC and a steamy hot male MC, this book has it all and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect story!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Sometimes the best way to cure a fantasy romance book hangover is to find yourself a new romantasy to dive into. Thankfully To Kill a Shadow was there to fill the void left by finishing Iron Flame, and I am so glad I was able to dive into this book. The story centers around a kingdom whose residents have not seen the sun in fifty years. They live in a land of darkness that is surrounded by a land of mist and shadows, and a small ground of knights must venture into the mist to try to restore the sun.

I truly loved the idea behind this series and the twist and turns it took along the way. The main characters and their relationship with each other also drew me in from the first few chapters and kept me engaged all the way to the end. Kiara Frey is the only woman chosen to join the nights, and she is fierce, loyal, and completely likable as a main female character. She is feisty, strong, and stubborn when she needs to be, but her heart shines through time and time again. She is the perfect contrast to her commander, Jude Maddox, who is the very definition of tall, dark and broody.

Jude’s backstory is tragic and every time there was even a hint about his past in the header of a chapter I found myself desperately picking it apart to learn more about the mysterious commander. I also loved how he slowly opened up to Kiara throughout the book, allowing them to build a level of trust that was truly beautiful. For a romantic fantasy he was simply the perfect leading man.

I only really had two critiques about the book:

Jude tells Kiara that he's nineteen years old. While I loved that he and Kiara were only a year apart in age, I had a difficult time believing he commanded the respect of the older knights under his command.
I feel like the book sets up more of an enemies to lovers type romance between Kiara and Jude then what we actually got on the page. Jude is grumpy and moody, and Kiara has more of a sunny personality. I think that a bit more banter and tension would have developed their relationship even further.

Ratings:
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️

Overall, I really liked this book, and I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I will certainly be looking for the next installment to see where the story goes as we’re left with a bit of a cliff hanger. If you love romantic fantasies like those by Sarah J. Maas or Jennifer L. Armentrout this would be a good read for you. While it’s relatively low spice it leaves lots of room for more in future books. Be sure to check is out now and thank you so much to Entangled for an ARC of this book.

Now this was good! I was drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover but it was the description that really sold me. I was hooked by this story almost immediately. I couldn’t help but like this group of characters and couldn’t wait to see how things might work out for them. I found this book to be incredibly entertaining and hard to put down.

I liked Kiara right away and couldn’t wait to see how she would handle the challenges thrown at her in this book. She is a strong and determined leader. Jude was also great, although a bit more mysterious. I knew that his backstory would be interesting and it certainly was. I thought that this pair was well-matched and liked the connection between them.

The story had all of the action, excitement, and romance that I had hoped for, and more than a few surprises worked into the plot as well. I loved that this story was able to keep me guessing and there were times when I was really worried about what might happen next. I liked that the world that this story was set in was rather unique and thought that it added an interesting element.

I will definitely be recommending this book to others. I thought that this was a really well-done book filled with excitement and likable characters. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

I received a review copy of this book from Entangled: Teen.

I went into this book blindly and I’m so glad. I adore Kiara. Everything about her is just pure and wholesome but she’s got bite. She is fiercely loyal. Jude was revealed to us layer by layer. They both have so much to work through and overcome in books to come. It’s an adventure that I will impatiently wait for.

Brilliantly written!!!! I can't believe how
fast I found myself liking Kiara & Jude.
They were so unpredictable, and the
chemistry between them was through
the roof. I loved how slowly we learned who
was friend or foe. That cliffy was unexpected, I
didn't see that coming. I can't wait for book 2.

The Realm of Asidia has been cursed for 50 years by a surrounding mist and needs men to find a cure. They request families to send a child each to The Calling to join the brotherhood of the Knights of the Eternal Star to venture into the mists and find this cure. The Knights have come to Cila where they are taking away Kiara’s brother Liam to join the knights, when a fight breaks out between Kiara and Adam, another boy chosen for the Knights, and after Kiara knocks him down, the Commander, also known as The Hand of Death, selects her to join the Knights instead of her brother.

Okay this is officially my favorite reads this year. This book is stunning! It’s dark, gritty, and yet has that hint of light and hope throughout the story and you just are rooting for the main characters to make it!

When I first started this book and learned about these Mistlands, I immediately thought of the video game Valheim. Valheim has Mistlands and they’re terrifying. And so reading this book and then venturing into the Mistlands with our main protagonists, it was scary 😅

I will say the twists in this book were wonderful! Kept me guessing the entire book. There’s little notes and letters at the start of each chapter that are slowly telling you the truth about things and helps you discover some truths, but that one truth at the end, I admit, got me and I was so shook that I wasn’t sure if I should be angry or just sad 😂

There are quite a few adorable characters in this book. There’s a sweet found family that grows in this book. Jude has his small family, which I found just adorable and made me want to cry for him, and then Kiara just drew people to her and her little band of men 🤣 was beautiful, especially as they grew to know one another.

Kiara I loved. She is this fierce female character with a temper, and has a hard time holding back that temper, but she cared, A LOT. She was willing to help strangers because it’s the right thing to do. It was so admirable of her, and I loved how, although she had a temper, she also had a more logical mind at thought and rather than make assumptions, she thought about the actions of someone and could see it was coming from a place of love and care. I appreciated she never created unnecessary drama, there were spats yes, but she was a very understanding person, and I loved that.

Jude. Ahhh Jude, how I adore this brooding and broken man. From the get go, I knew I would love him. I have a thing for brooding men, and to see him open up because of Kiara’s fieriness and fierceness was beautiful to see. This poor boy and what he went through, broke my heart and I just wanted him to get everything he wanted and deserved!

The romance is filled with all the angst and slow burn I love! Gosh it made me so frustrated and so happy, and I loved every second of it!

And then that ending. That ending ripped me apart and I need the next book now. I also have another theory that I need answered!

I really don’t think I can explain how I felt when I finished this book. I had to take a moment to collect my thoughts, but wow, this book is so good and highly, HIGHLY recommend it!

I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kiara is a character that makes you wanna keep close so she won’t get hurt. She’s a bit too trusting for me. The story premise was interesting but in the middle the pacing slowed a bit. But thankfully it picked up pace and I was hooked again while the group was in the forest with the weird creatures. It was creepy but the mystery revolving them intrigued me and I was hooked again till the very end. That ending tho!! Whew. I cannot wait to read the next one!!