🌬 BOOK / REVIEW 🌬

Well, my entire world just exploded at the end of #tokillashadow by @katherinequinnwrites 😫😫😫

Thank you, @entangled_publishing, beyond words for bringing this gorgeous book into my life! Everyone in their private Facebook group was raving about it, so I figured it would be the next #fantasy read for me!

All I can say is: what.a.story. I adored it from the very first page. My favorite thing about fantasy books is how strong, brave, resilient, and badass all of their main female characters are written. I wish I had found this genre as a younger reader because I adore these women as role models.

The imagery and atmosphere jumped off the pages for me. I loved each and every scene and found myself dreaming of the book when I wasn't reading it. And while there is zero spice, the love story between Kiara and Jude was BEAUTIFUL.

I was not prepared for the whiplash that was the final chapters in this book and audibly gasped at the last page. I am DYING for a sequel!! Bravo, Katherine... this book was everything!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

"The twisted side of me enjoyed this part the most; the seconds before the k ill, when anticipation heated my blood and sent a thrill of adrenaline down my spine..."

Highly recommend it for those who enjoy their fantasy reads a bit more complex with lots of action, mystery, misguidance, and light romance.
Superb world-building.
I felt the cold wrap around my bones, the eyes that followed me

"Being alive is chaos, and living in it is half the fun"

Loved the cast.
Each character brought so much to the storyline.
It was primarily focused on Kiara's journey, yet the other characters were just as front and center and IMO as important to the storyline
I was surprised by Jude and how he developed as the story progressed
I have a feeling Kiara's brother will play an important role in the future. I could be wrong though.
There were so many misleading breadcrumb trails.
I was totally blown away by the revelations during the climax.
So did not see them coming.
Oh, I had my suspicions about some things but the truth
HOLY CRISPY CRACKERS

So this is a series -
It is to be continued...
As in you will be left with all kinds of questions eager to get your hands on the next in this must-read series

Highly recommend it to those who enjoy high-action fantasy with light romance with an engaging storyline and a relatable cast

This is a masterpiece !!!! I have no words just wow. The last 10% of this book was just me gasping at everything that was happening, it was mind blowing.
The plot was really interesting, I loved the gods’ story, the fact that there’s no sun anymore and the mist situation. It was pure genius to put extracts of letters and books at the beginning of each chapter because let me tell you that my brain was fuming with all the foreshadowing, it was so thrilling.
I’m so obsessed with the characters especially Kiara and Jude, my parents, but I must say Jake holds a very special place in my heart.

This book was perfect, a must read for any YA fantasy lover. It will give you all that you ever needed in a book : found family, romance, amazing fight scenes, powerful mfc and dark moody mmc.

Tropes:
• forced proximity
• commander/recruit
• knife to the throat
• found family

Thanks to Entangled Teen for the copy of this book!

Reminiscent of Shadow & Bone, To Kill a Shadow is heavy on the romance and horror side of YA romantasy reads.

Kiara meets Jude when she goes from being an outcast in her village to being selected as one of the recruits for the Knights of the Eternal Star. Their forbidden romance is instantaneous as they face the perils of the mist, and I thought their chemistry was really well done. There are quite a few battles in the name of trying to save the kingdom, but overall I would’ve liked a little more background on the gods and the mist. Katherine leaves us with quite the cliffhanger at the end, so put book two on your radar, too!

When there wasn’t a choice, all one could do was fight or die. Besides, I had been molded into a warrior, and a warrior I would be.”

To Kill A Shadow is a YA Dark Fantasy set in a cursed world without sunlight. The cure is said to be found in the Mist, but those who enter rarely survive the madness and monsters lurking within. This year, there's a mandatory recruitment of soldiers, where families are required to send their sons to serve the King. Enter Kiara. Kiara has been trained to fight for years. She gets noticed when The Hand of Death, aka Commander Jude Maddox, watches her fight a bully picking on her brother. Instead of her brother being selected during The Calling to serve the Knights of the Eternal Star, Kiara is chosen. And girls are never chosen…Then Kiara's close band of befriended recruits is selected to journey into the Mist without her., a journey no one is expected to survive…

Let's just say that the journey didn't go as you'd expect. And it's not over yet. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I literally couldn't stop reading. It's packed full of thrilling action, suspenseful mystery, and romantic angst. There's twists and turns you don't expect coming and losses you don't expect. I feel like only a part of the world has been built for us, and I'm eager to uncover more secrets behind the darkness and Mist. And after that ending, I need the next book, STAT! If you like any of these tropes, you'll love this book too!

•YA Fantasy
•Dual POV
•Fierce, protective FMC
•Brooding, morally grey MMC
•Cursed, dark world
•Forbidden romance
•Hidden identity
•Secrets & suspense
•Twists & turns
•Action & adventure

This book is out today! Seriously, run to the store and check out To Kill A Shadow! Thanks so much to the author, Entangled Teen and Netgalley for the ARC!

In a land cursed to never to the sun again, Jude and Kiara, along with a troop of soldiers that soon becomes more like family, set off the subdue the shadows and bring back the light. But all is not as it seems, and as death follows their every step, Jude and Kiara must hold fast to each other as they uncover the truth of the ancient prophecies. This is a romantasy at its finest!

I loved the characters of Jude and Kiara, both fiercely loyal and stubborn to a fault. They are both amazing individuals but together, whooo those were some sparks! But more than the romance, which was so well done and laden with tension, there was the actual plot. A mission into the mist, followed by betrayals, death, loss, and grief just on repeat. But it never felt stale. This book was such highs takes and those last chapters! That ending killed me. Katherine Quinn how dare you. I'm going to need the rest of the series ASAP because you simply cannot leave us with THAT!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

I’m really hoping that we get more world-building with the second book in the series – or at least an expansion of our knowledge so far. I am a firm believer in fantasy maps (or any genre to be honest) and I think that one for this series would be beneficial. I like seeing where things are in comparison to one another, and Asidia is a kingdom… but what surrounds it? Especially curious are those from the north and the warriors of the Rine. I am really interested in seeing more of the lore, learning more about the gods/goddesses, and a list of them and their abilities would be helpful.

This book wasn’t too terribly dark until around the second half, I was not expecting the gruesome scenes but I’m definitely here for it. Asidia has become brutal and it is dying – it was really nice that the story reflected that. Fair warning – it’s sneaky about it too. The second half of this book is definitely the star of the show – the pacing picks up substantially and it more than made up for the slow beginning. I guessed a couple of the plot twists but some of my guesses weren’t quite right.

Kiara’s character was a nice change – a strong FMC who is confident, snarky, and doesn’t fall into an internal monologue about how she isn’t good enough. On the flipside that internal monologue was very much Commander Maddox. Their reaction and relationship cozies up to insta-love but is relieved (for me, at least) by their snarky banter. If you love found family, this book has it in spades – I LOVED the side characters, especially Jake and Nic. The friendship that blooms between Kiara and the boys is like a hug – their banter just makes it even better.

"All of our jagged pieces might not have fit together perfectly, but what a beautiful, disastrous mosaic we made."

I had to laugh at myself for initially thinking that this was a standalone novel. Towards the last quarter, I had to look and make sure it wasn’t just to save my sanity. I would like to thank Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book – I can’t wait to see what book two holds. All opinions are my own. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

Thank you to @entangled_publishing @entangledteen and @netgalley for my advance copy of @katherinequinnwrites new release To Kill a Shadow in exchange for my honest review.

I am firmly in my gothic fantasy era and this new series fits perfectly into this genre. I immediately connected to the heroine, Kiara, with her determined and loyal personality offering herself in her frail and ill brother’s place when he is conscripted into the guard. Commander of the guard, Jude, (aka The Hand of Death) has been honed for violence since a child and leads the King’s forces to try and combat the deadly mist that is shrouding the kingdom. Both Jude and Kiara have strange scars and hidden secrets and are magnetically drawn to one another. Could they be the key to finally dispelling the mist and bring back the Sun?

This book is packed with dangerous action, suspense, romance, and found family. I loved the dual POV and the tension between Kiara and Jude. The mist and the nightmares it contains was a uniquely dark magical world and I was captivated in the mission from start to finish and cannot wait until the next installment 🙌🏼.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

Wow, when I requested this book, I didn’t know how much I would love it. I truly did not want this amazing YA fantasy to end, and can we talk about those ending chapters. Gosh just kill me now because who knows how long I have to wait to know more about this amazing story.

This was my first Quinn book, and it won’t be my last. I loved how the world building was done; it wasn’t an info dump, but it was a little bit throughout the book. When reading this book, you will find yourself learning more about the plot and getting to understand the characters more and seeing what is really going on. I liked that if you paid attention to small details, you would get hints to what was going on even if you really didn’t piece it all together until the ending chapters. You find yourself saying “now that makes sense.” I liked the fact that the plot was clear and didn’t drift away from the book, but you will find action, romance, mystery and of course a magical curse of sorts. I thought the pace was done well, I found myself still invested in the book from the start to the ending even though I didn’t want it to end.

I liked those characters in this book a lot and I found them to be well developed. I really liked that the characters were easy to relate to and found them likable… Well, all but Patrick. I found Jake and Nic to be amazing friends to Kiara, someone that she didn’t know that she needed. Kiara herself, at times I wanted to like her then she would do something, and I was like why you would not do that or why did you do that, but at the end of the chapters I still liked her and found myself understanding her more and more. I liked that with Kiara and Jude they both had horrible traumatic childhoods but together they found a way to accept their past and move forward with understanding that their trauma has helped them a lot of hardships and helped them with their minds getting stronger. I enjoyed getting to see their bonding throughout the book and seeing the small glint of hope and love that they had for each other shine brightly.

I know I said earlier that the last chapters in the book were hard but honestly all I can say is that I felt a lot of emotions while reading those. This tells me that the next book will be just as amazing or even better. This is a must read for anyone who loves YA fantasy, romance, great plot, well-paced, great characters and is okay with emotional endings.

I want to thank NetGalley and Entangled publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

This book. TAKE ALL MY MONEY. I will legit buy a whole paperback, hardback copy of this book because when I tell you that this was an enjoyable read, I MEAN THIS IS A FANTASTIC, AMAZING, GORGEOUS MASTERPIECE OF A BOOK.
Hence meaning, READ IT.

There was angst, JUDE, romance, WHO DID THIS TO YOU, magic, suspense, and more!!

This is such an erratic review because honestly, honestly, this book is one that has me so excited!

YA Romantasy with a heartbreaking jaw dropping ending. I cannot wait to read more from Katherine Quinn’s new world. Very intricate world building without being overloaded and throwing lots of information at the reader in one go. I can’t wait to see what is next for this couple

Jude Maddox is one of the Knights of the Eternal Star. He's out searching for new recruits when he meets tough girl Kiara Frey. There's something about her that's different and it makes him take notice. Jude is focused on his job to bring the sun back to their kingdom, but they'll have to go through a whole lot before that can happen. There's a mist that is full of monsters in their way!

Kiara becomes a recruit and their relationship dynamic becomes commander-recruit which I thought was interesting as well as straddling the forbidden. In spite of the "insta-attraction" their relationship is slow burn which I love. It really works in this YA fantasy / romance.

The author has created a harsh world in the Mistlands and there is quite a bit of world building as one might expect in such a fantasy / romance. Sometimes things get a bit bogged down, but overall, the story moves at a nice pace, and the ending is really terrific. You will want more of this unique world and its characters. The ending will leave you wanting more.

Imagine a world where the sun hasn't come up for fifty years. The Goddess of the Sun disappeared, and night is a constant 24/7. As if this wasn't bad enough, there are also Cursed lands with a sinister Mist, where all kinds of monsters and creatures live - whoever ventures here never comes back. ..... Welcome to the Realm of Asidia.

Jude Maddox, The Hand of Death, is a feared commander of the Knights of the Eternal Star. His task is to find promising recruits during The Calling and train them to become skilled Knights who will venture into the Mist and find the key to break the curse of their realm. He's cold, closed off, and feared by the most with a reputation that precedes him everywhere he goes.

Kiara Frey is an outcast in her village. All because of the accident that happened ten years ago. She's honourable, fiercely protective of those she loves and a very skilled fighter thanks to the training from her uncle. On the day of the Calling, she's chosen by Jude to join the recruits, which is the first time a girl has ever joined the ranks of recruits to become a Knight. And that's where it all truly begins....

These two are completely different, yet the more time they spend together, the closer they get, and the undeniable pull between them uncovers they are not so different after all.

Jude's background story was interesting as well as tragic. I love him so much - the poor guy went through a lot (he deserves a hug), and I can't wait to uncover more of his history in the next book. As for Kiara, her life wasn't exactly a walk through a park either. The scars she has are a constant reminder of her past, and that’s why she tends to keep to herself. She's reckless, acts before she thinks most of the time, and follows her own rules, which drives Jude mad. I enjoyed their interactions, banter, and the growing chemistry between them.

I also loved the worldbuilding - the Mist is practically a character of its own, and what lurks inside it is something from a nightmare . While the beginning might feel slow to some people, I haven't minded it at all since the story picks up fast after the first 30%, and after that milestone, it's hard to put it down. I had so many theories!! I guessed right some of them, some changed to different ones and back again, and some still need answers. But even then, there were still a lot of surprises for me. And the last few chapters?? That really hurt, I felt the pain along with the characters. The author doesn't spare anyone. Thinking about some scenes brings me to content warnings - expect the death of a loved one, murder, suicide, description of parental violence toward a child, description of torture, some gory scenes, vomiting, blood, spiders, and hallucinogens.

To sum it up, To Kill a Shadow is one of the books I was very excited about this year, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I think it's an amazing start to a new series, it has everything I love - romance, high stakes, surprises, and betrayal. I can definitely recommend this to anyone searching for a thrilling YA fantasy with dark elements.

To Kill A Shadow is a YA romantic fantasy and is a great first book in this new series! It took me a little bit to really get into it, but once I did, I was completely drawn in. The world building was great and the characters strong. It is a slow burn with adventures, betrayal, suspense, and all the emotions. It does end in a cliffhanger, and that last bit HURT. But also, I needed book two like yesterday!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review. As always, you’ve given us a wonderful Fantasy Romance book!

He falls first
Broody commander
Headstrong female lead
Action
Fantasy
Romance
Slow burn
Mystery

I went through so many emotions while reading this book. It had a very interesting world-building. I was able to visualize the “misted shadows” because of the clear and captivating writing of Katherine. The book alternates between Jude and Kiara's POV. Reading about their perspectives and how each of their past shapes who they are today was insightful. On the romance part, it gave me an insta-love vibes but their interest with each other grew and their interactions were fun to read. I have to admit, while I already anticipated some parts, the twists and the ending still shocked me.

This is a first in a series and I believe it could pair well with other well-known YA romance fantasy books.

This was such a fun read I loved it so much I couldn't put it down and was completely hooked from the first page

First, thanks to Entangled Teen for a chance giving me this eARC! It was a good wonderful read that I've read in YA genre.

Second, there were alot of things happening in this book, however, I didn't want to say any major spoilers that would ruin others' reading experience! I like Kiara's character who is one of the main dual POV, what ever she do is meant for herself independently and protecting whoever the people she cares about. That's the most main point what I see from her.
Jude's character is a different perspective, I wasn't really sure about his interest with Kiara that probably is a star-crossed lovers trope? But anyway, he is an assassin and the commander of the king's elite guard to follow the main mission against darkness. I do think their dynamics is good though I was expecting more development (that's just me!) Overall, the plot is somewhat interested but hopefully in the second book it gets better to keep holding on to the hype!

I am blown away, this is by far my favorite book of the year it is mesmerizing, immersive, mind-bending, everything I want a book to be and so much more.

I'm sitting here thinking about what I just read, going over it in my head, wondering how I missed some of the things that I missed, how we got to where it ended, and where on earth we go from here.

Kiara is my favorite kind of character, one who has a chip on her shoulder, wants revenge, and isn't afraid to break the rules to get what she wants.

Jude is an assassin and the commander of the king's elite guard known as the Knights of the Eternal Star and has a past more clouded than his eye after a certain evil King orders his goons to remind Jude of what his mission is.

One act of selflessness in trying to protect her brother sets Kiara and Jude on a collision course that will alter the very world they live in and make them both question everything they think they know.

Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for providing a copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

'To Kill a Shadow' by Katherine Quinn is a split POV tale that follows the mingled paths of a Knight Commander named Jude Maddox and Kiara Frey, a young woman from a poor village, whose decision to protect her brother lands her in conscription.

Jude, also known as the Hand of Death, is a brutally scarred warrior who is said to belong to the King. Marked inside and out, he's suffered greatly at the hands of those who should have loved him.. as much or more than he has from the enemies he has encountered. He's considered cold, hard, and unreachable, considering himself as much monster as the beasts he has felled.

Kiara is an outcast in her village. Her connection with anyone left beyond her younger brother, is tenuous at best. Defiant, she's quick to anger and quick to fight, relishing the adrenaline of the challenge.. and that's exactly what puts her in peril.

Though there is an overarching plot and clearly intentions for more in a series, I felt most of the book centered on the characters themselves. Quinn seemed to focus largely on the development of Jude and Kiara.. both as individuals.. and on the story growing between them.

Pacing was moderate.. seemingly to allow time for things to expand between not only the main characters, but the cast of supporting characters as well. As is often the case, for me.. that meant it dragged just a little. Not enough that I ever wanted to stop reading, just enough that it felt like it took me a bit longer to read than it needed to. That's just my personal preference though and in no way does it reflect on the quality of the writing.

That being said, I did feel there were moments the writing felt a little clumsy, but they were mostly brief and really subject to the same things 90% of modern authors seem to struggle with. Transitional moments in relationships and natural dialogue have got to be two of the most common I see. While these emotional transitions were a little off-balance, the dialogue here is largely pretty good.

My only complaint is probably the actual statement that Kiara 'isn't like others.' I mean, we get it. We get tired of it.. but we get it. You don't have to say it. Again, that's personal taste. On that note, Quinn does have a habit of repeating things she doesn't want the reader to miss, which irks me because I pay attention. However, seeing as most readers seem to lose the plot easily, I can understand her choice to do so.

Quinn did do a fantastic job on settings, in my opinion. From the grittiness of the small village, to the opulent, oppressive nature of the Knights home.. and later.. within the mist.. where all manner of vile and carnivorous thing might dwell, her descriptions are visually lush.

I really loved Jude though and Kiara is a pretty good co-lead. I found her to be kind and funny.. and she managed not to annoy me.. which is really what I ask most in a 'strong, female character' design. I do hope Quinn continues the story as I am hooked enough that I want to see what Jude has planned.. and there's a villain I'm waiting to find out about in-depth.

While I will happily recommend a read, there is a fair bit of violence and gore, and some subjects certain readers might find uncomfortable.. as it is a horror fantasy.

“𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥.”

I don’t even know where to start with how much I loved this book. The character development, captivating plot, eerie world-building, and mythos of gods and monsters were accomplished exquisitely. Kiara is a fierce warrior who isn’t afraid to make the first move, and I love her loyalty and devotion to her friends. Her banter with Jude was splendid, and I could not get enough 😂.

“𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘐’𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺.”

Speaking of Jude…please welcome him as the newest addition to my list of favorite book boyfriends. Because I am in love with his love for Ki. Boy, did he fall first and hard, transforming him from “Sir Tall-Rude-and-Growly” to a cinnamon roll for Kiara. He is such a tortured soul with much trauma, and Kiara’s unconditional love and acceptance of him was so heartwarming. The peace he found with her was beautiful to witness. The meadow scenes are some of my favorites 😭.

“𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦.”

The friendships also played a significant role in the plot, but that’s best discovered as you read through the story. The author did not pull any punches when showing exactly how cruel and dangerous the cursed lands are, which made the journey much more impactful. The plot twists left me gasping, and “one more chapter” became the last chapter before I realized. The ENDING!! I am so freaking excited for the next book and to explore more of Asidia!