Can you believe that this is my first plus-size novel? Hmm, we all have to begin somewhere and I am so glad to start with this adventurous tale. Though the blurb doesn't mention it, I found this story to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling in an entirely different world with its own set of rules.
Alesta lives in an island country where beauty is considered a virtue and ugliness an abomination. Every three months a youth is tithed off to the monster lurking in the sea to appease its wrath and it could be Alesta's turn any day. She is an orphan, fat and does not meet anyone's beauty standards. All she can offer is her sharp mind and the inventions it creates. When her latest creation goes awry, she seeks Kyr's help to take the blame and it results in him being the next tithe.
With the assistance of Kyr's cousin, Mico, Alesta embarks on a mission to kill the monster who took her closest friend. She finds Kyr alive only to find him transformed. Together they travel through hell finding that everything is not as they are taught to be.
The story was predictable but that doesn't make it any less engrossing. The deepening bond between Kyr and Alester as they face dangers together was truly heartwarming, all thanks to the dual POV. A compelling and engaging read, showcasing the strength of true love and the power of perseverance in the face of adversity.

I sooo wanted to like this. The first couple chapters were intriguing, but then the beginning just dragged. It seemed like it took forever to get to the tithing ceremony, and then there was just more waiting. There was too much description and plotlines that I just did not care about at all. I thought Alesta and Kyr were cute, but their obliviousness to each other’s feelings went on for far too long and I couldn’t even stick it out for them. Super disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had fun reading this but it wasn’t my favorite book ever read. I was drawn to this book because of the amazing representations in this story. Being a plus sized queer person, it makes me happy to see myself represented in young adult novels. But, I went out of my comfort zone with this one because fantasy is not my genre at all. I still did enjoy it though. I thought the friends to lovers trope was done well and felt believable. If fantasy is your thing I highly recommend it!!

This was a lovely cozy fantasy YA novel with an amazing list of representation - plus sized rep, autistic rep, and LGBTQ+ rep. The beginning was a bit slow but once she got to the island things really picked up! I loved the romance between the FMC (Alesta) and the MMC (Kyr) - I’m not always a huge fan of the friends to lovers trope but thought this one did it well. I also really enjoyed the found family angle with Rina and Lor (and Mico but… that’s all I’m gonna say about him). While there were some plot twists that I predicted, there were plenty that I didn’t. I had a really good time reading this and definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review

3.5 rounded up to 4

This is fun! It read like fanfiction, in both positive and negative ways, but mostly you could feel the author's delight in the story. The first 20% is a bit slow, I think some extra editing may have been needed, but overall it's a solid story with solid characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publsuhing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I had a lot of fun reading this book and I enjoyed it more than the author's previous work, which I also enjoyed. The relationship between the two main characters was great, especially since I'm a fan of friends-to-lovers stories. However, I found the middle section of the book, where they were travelling through hell, to be a bit repetitive. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the beginning and end. I was pleasantly surprised by the Lesbian Moana reference at the end of the book, but I thought it was a nice touch!"

Words are my thing. I'm a writer and a voracious reader and a former professor and... I am at a loss as to how to describe this wonderful book.

Full, I think. It's full of action and friendship, tension and sacrifice, duty and devotion and feelings spoken and unspoken. Full of thought about religion and mythology and their origins, and the uses--good and bad--to which they have been put. It's full of questioning things you have always been taught to believe about right and wrong, about yourself and your world, about monstrousness and who deserves a decent life. It's about a willingness to learn and change and to do what's right, even if you think it might kill you. And finally, it's about the importance of letting people be who they are and love who they love, and the horrors that can result when the world tries to deny that love.

I knew, going in, that To a Darker Shore was about a young, fat, autistic woman who goes into hell to rescue her best friend/beloved, who is the autistic heir to the throne. It quickly became apparent that those two loved each other and that this would be a love story, but there was SO MUCH MORE to it. The internal struggles of the characters are as obvious as the external dangers they face in a world Schwartz describes so vividly I can still see it behind my eyelids. Many times I wondered whether/how they'd be able to overcome the seemingly impossible challenges thrown at them, both on their home island and on the island of the monsters. Alesta and Kyr were each so determined to save the other that I feared one or both of them would die.

At one point Schwartz threw in a plot twist that caught me totally off guard, and then I was able to see what the next twist would be, but not any way that the characters could survive to learn the truth about their world, much less keep the promise they need to keep to prevent the devil from destroying everything.

To a Darker Shore is beautifully written and even more beautifully thought out and plotted. I write this knowing that tomorrow (April 30) is its publication date. I hope EVERYONE gets their hands on a copy, so that I won't be alone in thinking about it way into the night.

11 stars, rounded down to 5 because stupid inadequate rating system.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for granting me an Advance Review Copy of this book. I will be seeking out more of Schwartz's writings! These opinions are entirely my own.

Man, I'm always sorta sad whenever a book doesn't quite live up to its amazing premise.

The first part of the book - Paradiso - was a solid set up, where we get into the book's premise and the inciting incident, but things got incredibly sluggish and bloated after Alesta went down into hell. Normally, books become great whenever characters go down to hell, but Schwartz's version of hell in this book is a bunch of inflated paragraphs describing caves and underground settings. It got so boring; I just started skipping them some time after the 200 page mark.

The characters were fine, I guess. The main leads had the potential to have intrigue and depth, but the narrative was constantly circling around their problems, and they kept trying to be over-protective of the other. I'd usually be all for this, but the repetitiveness just got irritating to the point I couldn't care less. There were some side characters that didn't contribute much to the overall story, but there were two near the end that were apart of the main plot twist that should have been great if it wasn't revealed in a exposition dump.

Overall, Schwartz's books, at least her debut and sophomore, have fantastic premises but lack in execution. I saw another review mention the tight release schedule between Schwartz's works could be a fault, as it barely leaves room for editing, and I found myself agreeing with it. I don't know if the same will apply to her adult romance releasing this fall, but the fact that the author has had releases back-to-back is worrying. I just hope she takes care of herself and slows down on the releases after this year is done.

*review will be submitted to Amazon after publication*

y'all, this was one of the books that i have been most looking forward to and i loved it! a fat autistic girl travels through the literal circles of hell to save her also autistic best friend and possibly her entire country as well, featuring accidental friendship and queer rep (demi main character and sapphic side characters). there are monsters and demons, mutual pining, and a badass heroine who just can't quit.

and there is also discussion of good versus evil and what we allow to dictate our worth on that scale.

of purity culture and beauty standards that are wielded for some to obtain power.

and of discerning who the real monsters are that benefit from the oppressive systems they create.

it’s ultimately a story of rebellion and true love (the romantic kind, yes, but also of self) conquering all.

i needed this story ten years ago and i needed it today. it can seem like a never ending process to accept yourself, to allow yourself to be seen outside of the conformity you folded yourself into for so long to stay safe. but then stories like this one are a light in the dark while on that winding journey of self-discovery.

To a Darker Shore follows Alesta, an outcast shepherdess inventor who is ostracized for being fat, and autistic--though her culture doesn't yet have a word for it--who thinks she can prove she's useful if she can finally make an invention to catch the eye of the artificers, and avoid the tithing--ritual sacrifice to the devil as part of a deal with the land's god. It also follows Kyr, a lord on the brink of being named the king's successor who feels he has committed an ultimate sin, and has forced himself into the royal society where he never quite fits, also being autistic. As best friends, the two are inseparable--as being secretly in love, neither will ever admit it--until it's too late.
Schwartz weaves a vivid, heartfelt tale with dynamic, complex characters. Some of the worldbuilding was heavy up front, a lot to digest, but as it all culminated during the journey Alesta and Kyr take, the breadth of information felt natural. The prose didn't shy away from visceral, brutal descriptions--the novel really speaks to the "darker shore" of the title, while the pair battled monsters, both outside and within.
I loved the main dynamic between Alesta and Kyr, their hesitate, cusp of adulthood affections blossoming naturally. It was wonderful and refreshing to see not just love but also desire for Alesta and her fat body; I think it's extremely important to show that all bodies can be attractive, can be wanted. Alesta's journey was as much about saving the things important to her as "saving" herself--recognizing all facets of herself are good, are important, are beautiful.
The ending was satisfying, though again packed with a lot of information and just barely fitting into the last ~5% of the book, which felt very fast.

To a Darker Shore was bold and exciting and so romantic! Our two protagonists were the star of the show – they were both so flawed and realistic, but they also learnt from their mistakes and always had good intentions. The miscommunication kinda killed me at times… it would swap POVs (which was wonderful), but both the protagonists were so wrong about the other’s opinion of them and ahh it was brutal!! But so satisfying once it was sorted out – they were such cutie patooties.

“something deep down inside Kyrian had finally refused to let go of what was most precious to him, had growled and snapped and clawed back at the idea of Alesta being taken away.”

I will say that I wasn’t all that shocked by plot twists, everything was easy to see coming, but I still enjoyed the reveals. The novel definitely had a lot of exciting plot adventure – from travelling to an island of monsters, to freeing gods, to taking down the government. I really liked the overarching theology and the almost Hunger Games vibes, with a child being sent to a monster infested island as a sacrifice every few months – a child picked by the gods for sinning. Super fascinating!

“But she was an island of enduring grief, and met them with a force just as fierce.
Alesta roared back. She broke off pieces of herself, charred dark and half-shattered, and dug them into the monster’s face. Dragged them down with all her might.”

And the rep was truly phenomenal – our fmc was fat and autistic, and she was brilliant. I loved the dedication and perseverance of the character, and her absolute intelligence and creativity, she was so easy to love! Our mmc was equally wonderful – he was also autistic, and so obsessed with the fmc, which I love to see. Also I think he was demi? Loved it!

“For you, I’d do more. I’d write it in the blood of a thousand monsters. Their blood or mine. I’d burn it into the sky with my own charring body.”

Overall, this was simultaneously a fascinating adventure, gorgeous romance, and a story of truly gorgeous characters! Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the copy provided.

It’s hard to explain how much I love this book.

Leanne Schwartz’s TO A DARKER SHORE is a YA fantasy following Alesta, a poor, plus-size, and autistic inventor who journeys through hell to kill the monster who ate her best friend. Then she finds him alive – and monstrously transformed.

This book has had its claws in me ever since I first saw @schwartzwords Twitter pitch years ago, with its comp to Hadestown and two autistic leads.

So I’m incredibly excited to be part of the @coloredpagesbt tour! Full disclosure, Leanne has graciously given me writing and life advice before, but this review is based solely on the book.

And truly, To a Darker Shore is incredible. Despite the characters going to hell, this book is a tender hug that will warm you faster than the lava they encounter.

It’s a book that reassures you that you are enough. That you don’t have to sacrifice yourself or prove yourself useful to be worthy to live.

It examines the ideas behind what makes someone monstrous and the toll that struggling with impossible societal standards can take.

I absolutely adored both main characters. I loved Alesta and her curiosity, her cleverness. Kyrian and his gentleness, his ache for approval. They both have such powerful arcs, and it’s a treat to follow two nuanced autistic characters.

This is one of the greats when it comes to romantic fantasy. Alesta and Kyrian’s love and wonder for each other is palpable. I loved their dynamic – their teasing and banter, their steadfast faith in each other, how they can be themselves around one other.

And seriously, this book is wonderful, with its commentary on ableism, autistic masking, fatphobia, and religion. With its intricate worldbuilding. Its gorgeous prose.

If you love Emily Thiede's This Vicious Grace, or if you’re looking for a heartfelt, character-driven YA romantic fantasy, I highly recommend To a Darker Shore.

This was such a page-turner! I had so much fun reading it and just could not put it down. I loved this world and these characters so much so keeping this spoiler-free is a STRUGGLE. Just know that there is angst and monsters and they literally went through hell together. Swoon.

Bonus points for fantastic autism and body diversity rep. Additional bonus points for just being so beautiful. The cover is gorgeous and the internal formatting was done so well and added to the immersive experience of the story.

If you’re looking for the perfect weekend read with romance, monsters, and a journey through the depths of hell, this is it!

Thank you so much to Page Street YA and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

"May as well sin."
AND WHAT A GLORIOUS SIN IT IS. *CHEFS KISSES* This book has it ALL, an autistic fat girl descending into a hell, a hot almost-prince who is also autistic (at least to my knowledge he is? I could be wrong). Said girl professing her love for the now monstrous almost-prince! The almost-prince doing EVERYTHING in his power to protect her. *chefs kisses again* The world building in this story was immaculate. The religion that they follow and the rules of the Lia/holy objects was really cool too. Some of it felt like it was based off Greek mythos and also Catholicism but I could be wrong. That's just how I felt about things like the oil and the way they talked about sins in the book. The different circles/levels of hell was very interesting too!

I enjoyed how Alesta was this badass monster hunter/inventor who was always trying to prove herself and hide her love for her best friend. Kyr was very sweet and adorable and loyal. I love him so much. They paired together so well and their chemistry together was amazing. I also really liked the side characters too like Rina and Lor (MICO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID). I was glad to see the two girls together in the end as well!! And the ending for Lia and Aria GAH IT WAS PERFECT.

I'm definitely buying a physical copy of this story!

Alesta is constantly trying to convince the kingdom of her worth and it resonated so deeply and on so many levels. She rarely sees her own value as she tries to prove herself by caring for her ailing grandmother, and inventing useful tools. Her best friend, Kyrian, is heir to the throne, but neither seems to care about the impending appointment.

However, Alesta creates an invention which goes awry, injuring another noble. Kyrian takes the blame and is tithed to the monsters in her place. Alesta doesn’t even realize what has happened as her grandmother falls ill at the same time and she is not informed of Kyrian’s fate. .

There is so much going on with this book in so many great ways. The characters are complex and they develop and mature throughout the novel. Though this is YA, I think there are some mature themes even adults can resonate with and I am glad to see a neurodivergent main character take the monsters by the horns. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend and hope it continues to find its audience.

To a Darker Shore follows Alesta on an epic journey to save her best friend Kyrian.

I really struggled to get into this book, but once I made it through the first part, I was hooked in. I was really enjoying the premise and I loved the world. I felt like the dialogue was natural and well done and the twists were also really fun!

During the middle of the book, I was struggling a little and found things to be a somewhat boring. The fourth section of the story helped solidify the 4 stars. The ending really delivered!

I also love the plus-size MC and representation throughout the book! Overall, a really fun YA romantasy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Page Street for providing me with the ARC.

First things first, I saw a few people say that this had elements of body horror in it, and having just finished I don't really see that; so if that's something you're worried about I would not be. Now onto the actual review. Initially I wasn't sure I was actually going to finish this book, because the first 10-20% was a little bit of a slog to get through. It's not a long book but it felt like it took me longer to read than it should have, and I was actually confused enough initially that I re-read the first chapter in an effort to clear some things up. Personally I think it could have benefited from a glossary, because there were just enough things that were not real in our world that I lost track of what they were from time to time. So when you start this book, be aware of that. Once I kind of got past that hump it did flow smoother, but I still wouldn't call it a fast read. I loved the rep in this book; autism, fat rep, LGBTQ, all of it was excellent, and all of it felt genuine. The plot was also an interesting one, having a Dante's INFERNO feel too it, but including other elements. I have to say that some of the big reveals (most of them actually) weren't super shocking to me, but that didn't stop the story from being an enjoyable one. I also really appreciated the dual POV that we got. How Schwartz weaved her message of being who you really are is okay and not changing yourself for society was a great one. I think the main things that kept me from rating this a full 5 stars are 1) the slow start, 2) how quickly the last 20% seemed to go, and 3) the repetitiveness of some of it. I've already addressed my first issue, but along with the slow start I feel like so much just happened in the last 20%. Like SO much. I feel like at least a few of those elements could have been brought in earlier so that the back end wasn't quite so busy. The ending itself was also slightly abrupt. I don't want to give it all away, but the main conflict at the end seemed slightly rushed, and once it was resolved it was just done. I think the epilogue could have been expanded a little more too, because I did have some questions about things. As for my third point there were a few things we were kind of beaten over the head with; I know others said it was Alesta and how we were constantly reminded she was larger and unattractive, but for me it was Kyr and how he was such a monster and deserving of what happened to him. Even when he WAS a monster he didn't deserve it, and by the end while Alesta seemed to realize her "flaws" were not something that needed to be taken away I didn't see that from Kyr, which I felt kind of negated the message a bit. Despite those things I still ended up enjoying it quite a bit, and I hope that this book ends up getting more attention that I have a feeling it will. On my end I will certainly recommend it to anyone who I think will enjoy it (I think fans of Andrew Joseph White might find something they like here, even though the books aren't INSANELY alike), and I'm now curious to check out Schwartz's debut novel, as well as anything she puts out next.

To a Darker Shore expertly balances darkness—angst, societal ostracization, body shaming, and more—with light—a determined heroine, loving romances, and acceptance.

In this book, quite literally, you follow the protagonists Alestra and Kyr to hell and back. The two occupy very different social stratum, but their POVs reveal that both chafe against parental and societal expectations, the strict moral hierarchy imposed by their island’s religion, and their inability to fully understand themselves. From the start, I knew they would be childhood friends to lovers, but that didn’t damage my investment in their friendship, nor did it make their growing feelings for one another feel any less natural. That said, Schwartz does not neglect their other relationships. I particularly enjoyed Alestra’s bond with Rina, as it further proved the falseness of appearances in their world.

There were just so many cool facets of the story that I haven’t seen in YA before. Alestra is a headstrong inventor while Kyr is introverted and prone to self-consciousness; the hypocrisy of religion that physically manifests as monstrousness!; the underworld is a physical place with its own share of douches and shifty figures.

As with most YA, the plot itself wasn’t groundbreaking or unpredictable, but it didn’t distance me from the story. Overall, nothing is black and white in To a Darker Shore, and I admire the extent to which the story supports critical thinking and self-trust.

AAAAAAAAAH THIS WAS FANTASTIC

It was giving Hadestown x Florence and the Machine x Medieval romance x Hozier?????

PLUS SIZE AND AUTISM REP TOO.

I FELL IN LOVE. Everyone go read this ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley as well as my tour group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

The beginning was a little slow, but I love the world building here. The MCs of Lessie and Kyr were very strong. I loved the plus size and autistic rep. They were also just so cute together. This gives “love you to hell and back” a real meaning. Lessie would risk everything to avenge Kyrian and then bring him back when she knew he was alive. Even if he was a monster. They could be monsters together. It was so sweet. The side characters of Rina and Lor were also very sweet. The bad guy was obviously the bad guy but it didn’t take away from how much I hated them. I found myself becoming attached to everyone and hoping for their survival and safety.