Complex magic systems, beautiful and humorous writing, dual POVs, witty heroes and a tyrannical leader made for a great read! The pace is very slow in the beginning as you wrap your head around the magic, the world and its inhabitants but the payoff is so worth it- I was rooting hard for the protagonists and found myself more invested in them than I’d expected! The writing is beautiful and descriptive and I am eager to see where this story leads. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Two rangers, Lovelace and Gunnar, seek those that have the gift within the Grasp to grow up in the dying ancient brotherhood of the dactyli. A rogue dactyli named Alev creates his own army of the Burned Ones and seeks out the same, but murdering many in search of the white flare. Lovelace and Gunnar are in a race to thwart Alev and find the white flare themselves when they come across Cora, a feral woman who has the gift. Meanwhile, a young woman named Kylene is suddenly on the run after her father, a printmaker, is sought for sedition and leaves her family behind. Trying to figure out his secrets, she picks up where he left off and seeks out a tribe within the mountains he was working with. As their paths intertwine, they have to deal with tyranny, the threat of a mad dactyli and realizing their world may not be what it seems.

My initial reaction to starting this book was what is going on?! Like all great fantasy books, you are thrust into the middle of a story into a world where you are trying to grasp names and language and it can be confusing. And yet, I was intrigued and found this world fascinating. Lovelace is a strong willed and skilled character whose compassion really made me like him. While fearless, strong and smart, he still cares for the victims of the powerful. I even like Gunnar, a great curmudgeon secondary character. Kylene’s story drew me in immediately. I kept wanting to know more of her story and her journey to find answers. Her strength is incredible.

I will say, thought there would be more with the Alev after the buildup to meeting him, but I truly enjoyed this world and this story.

I’m not sure if there will be more in the future, but if so I will definitely be ready to jump back into this world and what the future holds for everyone.

Considering the elemental gifts and the white flare, it gave me Avatar the Last Airbender vibes so if you have an interest in that story, I think you will love this book!

Thank you to Maressa Voss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 star rating for this amazing book. Loved everything about it. But it's not 5 stars for me because it isn't perfect like I thought It was.

Atmospheric fantasy with a superb world-building and elemental magical system. Interesting characters and storyline. The writing is very eloquent with a lot of similies and metaphors beautifully woven in creating a very poetic story with great descriptions allowing the reader to visualize.

The feel of the book is close to The Witcher and LOTR/Hobbit.

Lovelace and Gunnar are Dactyli (those born with magic) and a true yin and yang duo that are rangers hunting for Dactyli children, hoping to create a bigger force to fight the growing evil of Osbert and Alev. While doing their duties they're notified by the Brotherhood that there's a massive white "flare" indicating a child with unheard-of powers.

Along with Lovelace and Gunnar's story, you have Kylene whose father is a bellringer (a person who opposes Osbert's rule) who has gone on the run leaving Kylene to find his secrets and eventually creating an explosive arc in the storyline when her path crosses with Gunnar and Lovelace.

A great debut book for Maressa Voss and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.

I really wanted to like this, I was drawn in by the synopsis saying it had elemental magic and a dual pov but this just fell flat for me. I loved the first few chapters, but there is little to no world building and I felt like there were some key things that just weren’t explained so I had a hard time keeping track of what everybody was doing and where they were at. Pif was definitely my favorite character, and I enjoyed Lovelace’s pov the most but ultimately had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters. I do feel like this was well written, I think my main issue came down to a lack of world building that I just couldn’t get over because thats my favorite part of reading! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this!

What a great read! The narrative is masterfully crafted, keeping a brisk tempo while intricately fleshing out the characters. The construction of the setting is exceptional, offering a plethora of captivating adventures to embark upon. Kylene is a delightful companion throughout the journey, and her clever banter consistent throughout. The magic system is nuanced and plausible, grounded in elemental forces.

Highly recommend!

When shadows grow tall is interesting to read for me. It has a good beginning for a fantasy series and I can’t wait for more books to come out. The book follows two storylines that later on merges together. It shows how the characters actions leads to the stories coming together. The characters I found ti be very likeable and made me feel a bit of connection to them by the end of it.

The author presents the story with a lot of action from the prologue, which is in itself heartbreaking. From then on we discover the characters and each of their paths, each one more interesting than the other. The story is not gentle but engulfs the reader in the violence of its world with every word.
The worldbuilding is exquisite and the magic system is very original and interesting. The details provided when describing a sequence or a landscape make you feel part of the book and forget that you are reading.
The two stories are very different but equally interesting. And the moment when it all comes together and culminates was a big surprise for me that I still can't get it out of my head.
Kaylene struck me as very real and human, her growth throughout the book is impressive and clear.
On the other hand I found Lovelace and Gunnar to be the most dynamic, their chapters are full of tension and action and they were my favourite of the story.
I definitely want to know how this story that gripped me so much and that I found so original continues.
It's a completely amazing start.

As I delved into this book, I couldn't shake the sensation reminiscent of "The Name of the Wind." Perhaps it's the eloquent prose reminiscent of classic literature, or maybe it's the immersive ambiance that truly transports you into a magical realm. . Such experiences are rare for me, and this narrative effortlessly whisked me away into its world, ensnaring my attention without ever dulling or tiring my senses. The story itself deftly blends both showing and telling, ensuring that you remain firmly ensconced within its grip.

The characters you journey with are undeniably entertaining, though I found the villains to be somewhat clichéd, in my humble opinion. Don't misunderstand; the heroes aren't entirely novel either, but they possess a depth and complexity that the villains seemed to lack.



4.5/5

A near perfect fantasy!

Absolutely loved this fantasy read. The characters are well written and face several quests that make up the plot. The main character is fantastic to follow on their journey.

It is clear that Voss has great skill as a writer- her descriptive prose is beautiful and she really paints a picture for the reader. The world she builds in this novel is fantastic and beautiful. That being said, I found the exposé in the beginning to be very long and tedious. There was unnecessary details of small irrelevant pieces like a tree, a disgruntled face, or a very slow and detailed description of a person's reaction. This made it very difficult for me to be invested in the story as I struggled to connect with the actual characters and plot through this forest of prose. Additionally, I found the politics of the Grasp to be a little dull and simple- with talk of Osbert as this dictator ruler and Kylene's father the head of this rebellion, I would have expected more whispers of frustration as our characters went on their journey. There was only two moments where we truly see the peacekeepers, the government's soldiers, acting in a malicious way and this did not completely paint the picture to me of a government worthy of a complete upheaval. I did really enjoy Lovelace and Gunnar as a duo, and appreciated their banter and balance in personalities. Kylene was also a really intelligent and wonderfully developed character. However, I did not like that when Lovelace met Kylene, he referred to her as more of a girl than a woman, when at that point she was already at least 20 and had clearly had a wealth of experience. Nothing in Lovelace’s past portrayed him as misogynistic, so that felt a little artificial. Overall, I probably would not recommend this to someone, as I have much more entertaining and exciting fantasies I have read. That being said, it is clear Voss does have great talent as a writer, just maybe not within this genre.

Thank you for this arc to give my honest review. I had a difficult time following the story line in this one. The first half of the book was extremely slow to me. I did enjoy the story and relationship between gunner and Lovelace. I wish there was a little more action in here. It really didn't pick up for me until 80% in. I'd be interested though.to see where this story actually goes in the future.

Sadly and I'm really sorry for that, I end up DNF the book, I've really tried but it was hard for me to connect with the characters and the story I thought it was a lot going on and happening at the same time

This was a great start to the series. The author does a great job in introducing and immersing the reader in this unique new world. The elemental magic system was wonderful and the characters were well written and engaging. I look forward to more from this world and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a romantasy book.

ARC received through Net Galley

TLDR: Doesn't break new ground, but is comfortably familiar and has some promising ideas.

Welcome to the Grasp! A peninsula where the tyrant Osbert, his Fingers (secret police) have total control, and few dare to stand up to their rule.
We follow two stories: two dactyli - outlawed magic users from who collect the memories of the world - who are looking for a potential new dactyli, and an inquisitive young girl named Kylene who is trying to uncover her father's secrets.
The story itself follows predictable paths, and if you expect something to happen, it most likely will. The world also lacks a strong personality, as the author doesn't spend much time fleshing it out beyond a few tidbits here or there.
But. But, but, but. This is a debut novel. This is the first in a series. The story gives us enough to have a sense of familiarity with what the world looks like, and there is one spicy idea which, if developed as the series goes along, could be taken in interesting directions.
The spicy idea is this: sgeuls - the magically collected memories of the world, drawn and collected from trees and people by the dactyli. This connects with an underlying theme of memory, and the value of history which is thread throughout the book.
Looking forward to seeing how the next part turns out, and I can recommend this to people who want light fantasy read.

the perfect start to a fantastical series (I hope it is a series).
this is such an epic slow burn, from the beginning, i knew this was one of those books that you have to be patient with to really enjoy and i was right. from the writing, the language used, the atmosphere (felt like i was watching movie becuase of how vivid the descriptions were), the banter, you're truly transported to a whole different world.

the pacing was so perfect, the characters were interesting and kept me so hooked that I finished the last 60% in one day. i was captivated by Lovelaces's sarcasm and wit, Gunnar's stoicism and mystique, Kylene's courage and strength and even Ailwyn and Pif who also had and impact, and especially Alev's whole Voldemort-y vibe.

truly a 10/10 experience, this is a book that once you start, you just think "this is fantasy". truly impeccable, perfect writing, and very deserving of 5 stars and is a book I will totally recommend to everyone once it is officially out.

thank you netgalley and Roundfire books for this arc in exchange for an honest review💞</i>

some of my notes:

this book is giving harry Potter mixed with game of thrones and a bit of the hobbit

OMGGG Kylene reminds me soo much of Arya from GOT

Lovelace is so funny and sarcastic🤣love seeing the dynamic between him and Gunnar😂😂it's giving grumpy- sunshine

3/5 ⭐


This was actually a really good and engaging debut! However, i found the story a little too predictable and yet, it didn't stop me from reading it as i enjoyed the bits of magic. When it comes to the writing: i did need to get used to it but it was beautifully and competently written in general. I think this story would be great for those who seek captivating world building and those who love having a book with more than one perspective. (yes, we have two POVs which is what i appreciated the most:))

4 ⭐

Slow burn fantasy, dual POV, elemental magic, in-depth world building, and off-the-bat amazing start to the story!

This book was more than I expected
Gunner and Lovelace are fantastic MCs that had me absolutely absorbed in following their adventure - I loved reading about their dynamic together. I recommend this book to anyone who would like an in-depth fantasy, with a good vs evil and elemental magic theme.

Title: When Shadows Grow Tall by Maressa Voss
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Pub Date: August 1, 2024

"You must never stop asking questions, my darling. If you don't go about asking questions, no one has to worry about the answers they're giving you."

🔥 Elemental Magic
🕯️ Ancient Secret Societies
⚔️ Growing Rebellion
⏳ Dual POV/Timelines

Voss utilities personification and metaphor heavily throughout. It's beautiful to read, but can quickly become difficult to comprehend (there are a lot of big words that aren't necessarily used in normal daily speech). There are also long descriptions of actions that were pretty and well written, but maybe more than necessary?

Ex: He sighed, a great heaving thing that made his bones press against his skin. And then, from deep within his belly, a strange gurgle rose. Laughter, in spite of himself. It climbed up and out of his throat, escaping his lips like a wild thing that would treat with no taming. It poured from him in an endless stream and soon deep hoots twittering chirps, tinkling bells and faint wheezes joined the rumble of his utter surrender to the path that lay before him.

As you can see, the writing style is beautiful but it's just a lot lol

I struggled to grasp things at the beginning, finding that world building/explanations of powers/etc is done later in the book. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but I felt pretty confused until about 50% in when things were explained in the form of "info-dumping" dialogue between characters. This is also where the story began to pique my interest.

For a debut novel, it was good. I personally prefer my world building sprinkled in the beginning to avoid the confusion, but now that I understand I have high hopes for the next book, and now I know I need to read this author's work when I'm in the mood for a lot of poetic language.

⭐ 3.5/5

Thank you so much NetGalley and Roundfire Books for the review copy!

A story of magic and quiet rebellion, this started a little slow but has set the stage for future tales. While the world building was excellent, much of the magic isn't clearly explained, so it was a little confusing until farther into the book. In addition, it wasn't very clear when parts of the story took place in the past and then jumped to the present. The band of characters that came together by the end did draw me in. I'm looking forward to their future adventures.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.