this was a one sitting read for me! If you were an Avatar the Last Airbender fan who also shipped Zutara…. then this one’s for YOU.

we’ve got warring kingdoms & tribes, divided by their elementally based magic, all led by a powerful Queen attuned to that specific element, an assortment of unique and lovable animal-human hybrid side-characters (I’m looking at you Mal and Ouro!), and a sweet, HOT shadow/demon MMC. I was in heaven.

Harrow, our Elemental FMC, is the last of her kind — a Seer of the Water. she’s survived the massacre of her people at the hands of the Fire Queen’s assassin’s, and she’s been hiding with the circus ever since. until she meets a mysterious shadow man with no memories of who his or why he can’t remember anything. Harrow defies all logic (and maybe some severe red flags, but I can’t really blame her when RAITH is the reason) and not only befriends him, but vows to help him recover his identity. she senses that her future is tied to him. she’s never been let down by her Element before, and everything is pointing towards Raith. he, on the other hand, wants nothing more than Harrow’s safety. he’s drawn to her just as much as she’s drawn to him, but he knows he’s no good for her, memories or no. I simply loved watching these two become unable to fight this pull! their chemistry was electric & had me blushingggg and giggling!

although we get plenty of moments of tenderness between Harrow and Raith throughout the story, naturally the forces that be can’t let them live in happiness. the history and tensions throughout the kingdom add nuance to their story in such a fun way. there were moments I wasn’t sure who to trust, and a few where I was biting my nails and worried for our couple! and boy was I not expecting these twists, but thankfully this story ends beautifully for our characters.

This was a pretty fun read. It started slow for me but picked up. I was hoping for more involving the circus. The dual pov was okay but sometimes it was hard to distinguish who it was until a few paragraphs in.
Harrow is the last of her kind, a water seer that is keeping it a secret while working for an elemental circus.
Raith is a tall, dark amd mysterious elemental who has no memories and ends up at the circus Harrow works for. She and him have a connection and plan to escape.
Romance, spice and fated mates for Harrow and Raith.

Thank you Red Tower and Netgalley for providing this ARC for me to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is such a stunning, well written book. If you like romantasy this is the book for you. I was intrigued by the characters from the very beginning and the plot, loaded very well. The world building was tremendous and it’s one of those books that you can’t put down once you read. It’s also a book that I will be recommending to everyone I know.

Sanctuary of the Shadow is the latest novel by Aurora Ascher. When Red Tower revealed this book, the synopsis immediately caught my attention, and the stunning cover and edges were the cherry on top.

This book ticked a lot of the boxes for what I love in a story: magic, a mysterious and powerful male protagonist, the uncovering of difficult truths, a painful past, overcoming the odds heartwarming moments and a spicy romance, add to that a circus setting,

The two main characters, Harrow and Raith, face many challenges from the very beginning of the book. Harrow was orphaned when she was only ten years old. She's an Elemental with magical powers - the last Seer alive. To avoid being killed, she hides in a supernatural circus, posing as a human fortune teller. Meanwhile, Raith wakes up in a desert with no memories or knowledge of who or what he is. Everyone he meets (after waking up) seems to fear and hate him, thinking him an abomination. A group of flesh traders capture and sell him to Salizar, the Fiend Collector, and the circus owner. It is here that Raith and Harrow's paths cross, and their journey begins.

Since I don't want to spoil any details. I'll just say I really enjoyed this book. The story doesn't drag anywhere, and it is engaging from start to finish. The struggles of who to trust, what to believe, the process of learning the magic system and the (painful) past of our main characters were what kept me turning pages one after another. We switch between multiple POVs, and besides our main characters, there are interesting side characters as well - hybrids, oracle, enchanter, elemental queens...

IThe romance and chemistry between Harrow and Raith were also great, with all the spicy and heartwarming and heartbreaking parts. (Raith is the newest addition to my list of book boyfriends for sure.)

If you're looking for your next read or want to add a book to your TBR list and enjoy all the elements I listed above, look no further. Sanctuary of the Shadow is the book for you!

Thank you Entangled and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book disappointing. The writing was awkward, stumbling through the story. Despite the main character being 60 in Elemental years, she felt like a teen. The plot seemed secondary to cringe-worthy spice scenes.

It was marketed as "Avatar: The Last Airbender" vibes, which is very misleading - it only shares the Elemental powers concept and lacks all the story. They also raved about a circus theme - that’s also minimal (about 15% of the book).

The MMC, Raith, has amnesia, as mentioned by Harrow, which kind of renders him childlike. Yet they get the insta-love trope and in comes the spice between them and it made me super uncomfortable with the non-con vibes.

Last is the abysmal world-building and character development. Everything considered - this was a miss for me. As you can see in other reviews, some do enjoy it.

Thanks to Red Tower Books and Entangled Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first time I have read this author, and the blurb for it was really drew me into wanting to read it. Some follow their destiny. Others fall for it. For humans, Salizar’s is a place of mystery and wonder. For Harrow, it’s a place to hide from those who slaughtered her entire clan. A haven where she can disguise both her abilities and who she really is. Until he arrives. He has no recollection of who—or even what—he is. He only knows that he’s a monster, with wings and powerful abilities never seen before. But beneath the layers of rage and isolation, one glimpse into those inky black eyes reveals a soul that calls out to the loneliness in Harrow. And so she chooses him. She is drawn to the mystery of him, her unquenchable need for his kiss. And as powerful enemies align and conspire against them, Harrow knows their only hope is escape. Now, with every secret she unlocks from his past, a shadow from her own whispers free—luring enemies who will stop at nothing to get their final revenge on Harrow. And she’s given them the perfect weapon…because her winged beast is not what he seems. But maybe it’s time they finally learn—neither is she.

So the writing itself is pretty good. I loved the main characters and the things that they are dealing with drew me in and are what kept me reading. Raith is everything in this book and I absolutely loved him. I was iffy about whether I truly liked Harrow, but she did grow on me by the end of the book. Here was my issues with the book, it seems to be more young adult at the beginning. Or at least that was how it felt to me and then all of a sudden there are some seriously spicy scenes that I would in no way call young adult. And they didn't seem to fit the beginning of the book. I also was confused as there wasn't the biggest amount of world building, so I didn't really understand some portions of the book as to what they were talking about because it was never explained or gone into in enough depth to get there. Now on a whole, it wasn't a bad book. I did enjoy reading most of it. And the ending left me intrigued enough to know that I will be reading another book in this world, if there is one.

I received this book as a digital ARC. I really enjoyed the story. It had a fantasy feel with characters who are animal hybrids, or who have magical powers. It is a romantic story about overcoming adversity. I gave it four stars because I would have like to see a little further world development and character background.

3.5 -⭐⭐⭐💫

"I'm thinking that I would do unspeakable things to protect you...and that frightens me."

Sanctuary of the Shadow is the first interconnected standalone novel in the NA Fantasy Romance series, Elemental Races. In this novel we follow Harrow and Raith. Harrow is a fae in hiding, spending her days telling fortunes at a circus. Her clan massacred years ago with only her remaining, she fears her secrets to be revealed. Yet, when a stranger is brought into the circus as the latest (unwilling) attraction she is drawn to him. Secrets are abound as the past, present, and future collide with each day these two choose each other; now the perfect weapon against Harrow may be the most powerful as he is not what he seems, but two can play that game.

The book started with a lot of promise but ultimately I felt the second half was very rushed.

Harrow is an inquisitive character who's compassion and love is felt throughout. Raith is in many ways lost and confused and yet his need to protect and his loyalty stands throughout. I felt their romance was sugary sweet and surface level in many regards but it reminded me of Romeo and Juliet. The instant connection, the need to fight for each other against all odds...and the miscommunication that ensues. Though, this ending is much happier.

The spice in this book is about a 3 spicy pepper out of 5 spicy pepper. The romance is fast burn with spice beginning at around the 30% mark. I will add the characters meet very soon into the novel and the do build a connection over time so the spice made sense. It was well written and I was happy with it. There is a part to the spice/romance that I felt was rushed in the second act after the character reunite but no spoilers - just that I felt more time was needed to rebuilt relationship ties after what happened prior.

"He decided he could go anywhere, do anything, as long as he continued to have those blessings. If he could always be Harrow's protector, he could always find happiness. Maybe that feeling was love after all. What did it matter who he'd once been when he had a new identity now? As far as he was concerned, the past could stay buried."

Now the story and world starts of interesting with the fae queens fighting, the power of the wraiths, and the secrets galore. The first half focused on building the connection and romance between Raith and Harrow which was instant connection. Yet the coming fight fell apart for me. I didn't get the sense of that big moment during the climax and the solution to everything felt like a cop out; in addition to an abrupt fast forward in time that rushed the romance for me. The epilogue is sweet and cosy but I went into this story expecting more world building and intrigue which it never quite delivered.

Overall, I feel if you want a super sweet romance with fantasy vibe this book is good but go in with no expectations except vibes.

Thank you Red Tower for the arc!

3.5 stars

This book had a lot of potential, but it really fell flat for me. The premise was intriguing, but the circus backdrop didn't get enough screen time, and frankly, the MCs had no chemistry.
I mean, it makes sense why Raith had no personality. He was literally a blank slate, but Harrow's insta-lust being based on her magic telling her so did nothing for me.

The plot felt rushed, and the graphic smut had no romance attached to it. I probably can't adequately describe the difference between romantic smut and unromantic smut, but that's what this was. And hey, that's what a lot of people want, but to quote Julia Roberts, "I want the white horse."

The cover is beautiful (plus the whole painted edges) but I probably won't read anything else from this author.

Thank You Brittany at Entangled for the e-ARC!

3.75 rounded up to 4 ⭐️

All of the books Red Tower has released have been great so far. Sanctuary of the Shadow was good, but it wasn’t my favorite. I was very excited to read it, but I just wish it could have been a little… more.

Pros: The map is beautiful! I have become a map nerd, and this one did a great job breaking up all the different territories. Harrow and Raith’s bond truly runs soul deep, so the immediate love here makes sense and didn’t put me off at all. The concept behind the characters and the world was new and different to me. It was intriguing with the different magic systems and drew me in right from the start! Both the main characters and side characters are wonderful- Mal is my fave!

Cons: Like I said above- I just wish this book was a little more. More world building, more development, more depth to the characters (I know that sounds contradictory, the characters were wonderful, but they came across a bit too immature). The book is also written in third person, which I don’t mind, but having chapter headings or some kind of marking so it flows a little better would have been nice. I often found myself going back to reread so I knew which character I was looking at.

Overall the book was good- I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. It was original and had a lot of potential to be amazing. I will most likely read the sequel to see to see where the author takes it, and if things are built upon more

Talk about morally grey characters and villain gets the girl! We have a tortured MMC and a FMC who’ll stop at nothing to save him. I could feel their desperation to find a way to stay together pouring through every page. Once the story picked up, I could not put it down until the end. My heart hurt so much for Raith and all he endured at the hands of selfish, heartless rulers. I loved Harrow’s unconditional love for him and how, once she knew all the facts, she didn’t hesitate to support him. It did feel like insta-love, but it worked for the story and these characters. And this one has a fast-burn, spicy romance 🥵. However, the actual villain and secondary characters, like Darya, needed more fleshing out. Especially Darya. Her change in motivation seemed to come from nowhere. As for the true villain, we barely even see her. I did enjoy the strong female friendship between Harrow and Malaikah.

Sanctuary of the Shadow focuses more on romance than plot and world-building. I couldn’t visualize the circus in my mind or much of the world. It felt very surface-level, though there was potential for so much more fantasy. I hope we get a more in-depth exploration of the setting in the next book. This one is a standalone but sets up for a sequel focusing on different characters. And boy, I am so excited for Malaikah’s story!

I received Sanctuary of the Shadows in return for an honest review from the publisher as part of a advance read-along.

Harrow is living among a supernatural circus which is traveling from town to town. After losing her entire family she's keep her ears hidden pretending to just be a human but who she really is she's keep secret. When a handsome stranger shows up at the Circus everything changes. Raith is more than he appears and Harrow knows that she can't leave him at the hands of the circus.

I love Harrow she's such a great character and after everything that has happened to her it just makes her stronger willing to risk it all for those she loves. Raith is interesting I wasn't sure at first but the more time Harrow spends with him the more I loved him for her. They have this connection that the more time they are together the more steamy it gets. I just felt I was really able to Harrow.

I'm hooked I really enjoyed Harrow and Raith's story it's a beautiful sweet love story with just the right amount of spicy blended in. I found the world that they live in fascinating and while we get just a taste of the circus it's really unique. We are introduced to a few characters like her best friend Mal who I can't wait to see show up in the next book. I'm glad that each book is going to be set in the world with the characters overlapping but with new couples.

This is my first book by the author and I'm obsessed with her storytelling style she's created a captivating story that tugs at the heartstrings. With engaging characters, a magical world, a steamy romance and darkness looming around it was perfect. I devoured this book over a couple days even though I tried to stay with the read-along I had to finish it and see how it would all play out. I'm so glad that I had the chance to read this one it was lovely.

This is the first time I have read anything by this author and I thought it was a unique story. The story made me think a lot about what forgiveness really means and the power of love. Harrow and Raith were written with a lot of depth and had amazing growth. I loved the connection between Harrow and Raith and Harrow's relationship with Malaikah. I really enjoyed this book. It kept my interest and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I liked that it was steamy, but didn't just focus on the physical relationship between Harlow and Raith. I am looking forward to Malaikah's story and learning more about this world.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Read if you like:
▫️dual POV
▫️magic
▫️female friendships
▫️anti-hero with a mysterious past

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Red Tower, and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book sounded right up my alley. A magical circus? Check. An intriguing magic system? Check. And most importantly, the hero is a damaged, winged shadow daddy who gives hardcore “touch her and 💀” vibes? Check, check, check.

This is a romantasy book. If you don’t want your romance front and center and the main focus of the book…then this is not for you.

I love romantasy, so I devoured this book, mostly due to Raith. He is tall, dark, dangerous, and tragic. I loved him, and the chapters from his perspective were my favorite! We also got three very intriguing side characters in Mal, Ouro, and Salizar, and I hope to get books from their perspective in the future.

However, I would have liked more explanation of what Elementals are (the different kinds and what magic or physical traits they have, etc), more about the magical circus, it’s performers, and Salizar, and a more fleshed out history of the war between the queens.

With a little more world building, a deeper explanation of the magic system and Elementals, and more of the crucial action taking place on page instead of off, this could have easily been a 5⭐️ read.

I enjoyed this one! The book started rather slow for me but after a few chapters things picked up. I liked Harrow and Raith. Their instant connection felt very real and I couldn’t wait to see how things would develop. This book was a bit spicer than I expected, which wasn’t a bad thing, just unexpected. Overall, I found this to be an entertaining read.

Harrow has spent the last 50 years telling fortunes with the traveling circus, keeping the fact that she is the world’s last Seer a secret. When she sees Raith, she is drawn to him and knows that they need to leave the circus to keep him safe. Raith has no memories of his past but he feels the connection to Harrow and wants to keep her safe. There were a few twists and turns that I could guess pretty early on but that didn’t impact my enjoyment.

I thought that the chemistry between Harrow and Raith was well done. They both felt a connection to each other and I thought that it felt very real. They both go through a lot in this book and I liked that we get quite a bit of excitement before the story wraps up. I thought it was interesting to learn more about each character’s past as we worked our way through this story.

I would recommend this book to others. It wasn’t a perfect story but I found it to be a lot of fun in the end. I liked a few of the secondary characters quite a bit and hope we see more of them in future installments in this series.

I received a review copy of this book from Red Tower Books.

I had very high hopes going into this book and in the end it fell flat. I loved the premise of it being set within a circus and felt like I didn’t get enough of it actually being about the circus. It was also very hard to differentiate between the POVs to the point where I would have to reread some chapters just to understand what I read. The writing was extremely choppy and detached most of the book; however, the quality was significantly better during the spicier scenes. The characters weren’t very likable and I didn’t connect to their love story. Overall this book was just very underdeveloped and underwhelming. It truly has so much potential if a little more care was put into fleshing out the details!

DNF, this book had such a good premise and I was so excited to read it! But, in the end I just couldn't get into it, it was super hard to follow as the POV'S weren't written at the top of the chapter and I just didn't enjoy the writing style as I felt so many details were left out. I started this book with high hopes as the publisher is the same that published Fourth Wing and I have had nothing but, good experiences with their currently published books! I knew this book wasn't for me within the 1st chapter but, stayed till 25% which was my mistake. Thank you to red tower and Brittany Kelly for gifting me an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an early review but, unfortunately, this book just missed the mark with me!

I've never read anything by Aurora Ascher before. I went into this book blind and found myself pleasantly surprised and looking forward to reading more from her and seeing how this series progresses.

The story is attention getting from the very beginning. It's very easy to like Harrow. She's one of a kind, and endearing. It was fascinating to see how committed she was to her principles and instincts and one can not dey the chemistry she has with the mystery man hinted in the synopsis. They were fiery and undeniable. They get spicy quickly and it's enjoyable, but I was surprised at how fast things went from zero to a hundred.

The world is complicated with many past events shaping the present. The magic system isn't confusing, but it was more understanding what past events between Queens had shaped the present and the predicament Harrow, her friends, and Salizar's circus found themselves dealing with.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it still felt like a little something was missing. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series because it features Harrow's ride or die bestie and I'd love to know more about her.

Enjoyable fantasy romance! If you’re looking for something with more romance and lighter fantasy/world building, then this is perfect! I was hooked from the beginning and read through this very quickly. Harrow is a seer who works at a circus but must keep her true identity a secret. She meets Raith, who has lost his memories, and has an instant connection with him. Together, they discover each others’ past and must learn to accept and forgive, both themselves, and each other. Harrow and Raith have a beautiful relationship. The only part of this that fell a little flat was the plot with the queens. I felt like it wrapped up really quickly but could have been explored further. The secondary characters, mainly Mal and Ouro, need to have their own book! This is a stand alone but I’m hoping the author writes more from this world with the other characters. Thank you Entangled Publishing for the arc!

Thank you, Entangled/Red Tower Books, for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
*Disclaimer-This book may have not been for me, but that does not mean it will be a book you will not enjoy. I believe many people who love more of a smutty romance will enjoy Sanctuary of the Shadow.

I was really excited for Sanctuary of the Shadow to release since I have enjoyed the books Red Tower Books has been publishing. But ultimately, I was not a fan of this one,

Sanctuary of the Shadow starts off feeling strong and promising. You have the allure of who Harrow is and their magic and once we meet Raith, it becomes intriguing on the possibility of who is he and what is his past.

The pacing starts off well, but by the halfway mark the pace really starts to lull and drag. It was at the 50% mark that I found myself sitting there staring at my kindle screen and wondering what this book is really about? There was no real threat or catalyst to boost the plotline/story arc and it felt like it was taking two characters and bringing them together using an insta-love and forbidden love trope to make this story. With the forbidden love trope there really was not much of an explanation due to the poor execution of character development and world building. All in all, there was stuff going on with the smut aspect, but when you pull back and think about the book in whole, you realize that not a lot was going on.

To the last quarter of Sanctuary, the pacing even got slower and it kind of felt like Aurora Ascher no longer cared about the story since the writing felt poorly done.

Sanctuary definitely had the bones of a good story, and it could have been a great story if there was more time spent fleshing out the characters and the world. There will still be those who will enjoy this, and I may try to read book two when it releases to see if anything changes.