Why do I let Kate Dylan keep doing this to me?! I honestly cannot take much more of these amazing stories with so much heartbreak but there is also so much fun too. On top of that we now have impossible heists, amazing queer and disability representation and found families with a group of misfits. It’s like Dylan is purposely drawing us in to break us and then rebuild us or should I say shatter? No I shouldn’t because I am still emotionally shaken from this book after four days of finishing it.

Needles to say I loved this book so much. The characters are perfect but also imperfect in the sense that they are very, very human. Cemmy is a dream and I loved her so much. I always seem to love Dylan’s heroines because they are so badass but also have moments of fragility and nearly always have imperfections that make them all that more likable. We don’t get the perfect chosen one trope with her heroes and this makes them perfect to me.

On top of a fantastic and memorable cast of characters and their amazing found family dynamics we have a magic system that I adored and a world that you can’t help but get hooked in. It was clear this world, story and the characters have been lovingly created and crafted to make the perfect tale.

As always with Dylan there’s a bit of heartache along the way but I think, after recovering from it, this makes the story all the better. You feel and realise how dire the world and situation is, how impossible the odds and how badass the characters for continuing on regardless of this. If you love heists, found family, magic and unforgettable characters this is for you.

Is found families, impossible heists, queer and disability representation, and magic your thing? Me too, and Kate Dylan is here ticking my boxes. Ticked my non-reader-partners boxes too, as he asked so many questions and needed updates on the plot as I read.
Really enjoyed this read, loved guessing what would happen next throughout and got it spot on a few times too.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Dylan and the publisher for this ARC. Desperately hoping for a pretty special edition in the future as this is too wonderful a story to stay on my kindle in pdf form!

To simply say I LOVED this book is an understatement. It took over my world for the entire duration of time it took to read it, which ended up being very little and entirely not long enough. We were promised a magical heist, and boy, was it delivered. I want to be in-between the pages again!

Cemmy is a complex character, if a little daft at times. I did not mind following her though the story at all. She's a Hue, the illegal offspring of a Shade (magic user) and Typic (human) so she doesn't have the full capability and ease of magic that her mother would have had, as an Orange, whose power is to strengthen/fortify. Instead, Cemmy is classified as a Bronze. Her special power in the Grey is physicality so she can touch things in the magic side of the world. This makes her very special as a thief, and she would be a good one, if she wasn't terrified of the Grey after an incident that caused her friend to shatter. So when this fear compromises a solo lift, Cemmy and her friends get dragged into a bit of a predicament.

Overall the world building and magic system were well done. The Shades and Hues concept, the mass scope of color power, and how the Grey was powered by a state of in-between were thoughtful and consistent. We were presented with the big picture of powers and assisted in its potential uses along the way, I think this helped to not only clarify some particular uses of the broad powers, but also acknowledge how much potential each had. I appreciated the thought that went into just how a half bloods' power might manifest in more than just less of the same power overall, but how it very specifically got diminished and presented as something singular (physical speed, touch, etc).

The main plot is the heist itself, broken into tension cycles throughout the book and leading to the big reveal. In short, it is never a dull moment. You get the big picture over smaller missions and the whole picture came together quite fluidly in my opinion. There were a few moments where you may predict at what was going on, but I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and revelations that were presented. I had many an AHA! moment right along with Cemmy. For fear of spoilers, I will leave it at that.

This works amazing as a standalone, but I would be in a desperate state to get my hands on any other book following this world. Spinoff or otherwise.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton (Hodderscape) for access to the ARC. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Great story and characters.

The world building takes a bit to understand and can be quite confusing, but once you get to grips with the Shades and Hues etc, the story takes off.

The heist including the Grey was fun to read along with all the characters and what they could do. The romance was also great to read. I liked how the book ended too.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

I wanted to love this book. It had all the components that would, in theory, make me love a book: a unique magic system; underdogs fighting an oppressive regime; found family; QUEER found family; a complicated queer relationship; multiple, on page, explicitly stated, bisexual characters! However, what this book didn’t have— that is critical for a novel like this that is trying to set up so many complicated and unique conflicts— is worldbuilding.

The author states at the beginning of the ARC that originally this story had been set in NYC, and honestly I wish it still was. This felt like a classic case of trying to do too much at once, and as a result not getting a chance to give anything the attention it deserved. For a story that focused so much on how the characters interacted with the world religiously and politically, I felt like we did not get nearly enough religious or political information to carry us through the novel. There were times when I honestly wondered if this was the second book in the series and I’d just missed some crucial context somewhere.

The near constant confusion about what was going on undercut the story that the author was trying tell. The book was interesting and unique for sure, I just wish we’d been able to learn more about the world it was set in.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I want to start this review with the magic system, because it's so unique and unlike anything I've ever read. Unfortunately, I feel like the way it was explained was very confusing (information would just pop up when it was convenient) and I only got it about 20% in. And although the concept is incredible, I missed some depth and wish it could have been further developed.
Another thing that wasn't executed very well was the plot twists. The ideas were great but the execution made them either too obvious or like they came out of nowhere, which made the ending very rushed.
The writing was fine. She did an amazing job with the more action packed scenes but the dialogue was lacking for me. There would also be some really fancy words once in a while that felt completely out of place.
And last but not least, the characters. I just didn't care about them (or their relationships) at all. They each felt like they had one single personality trait and the main character made some very contradictory decisions.
Unfortunately, Until We Shatter simply did not work for me execution-wise, which is a shame because I absolutely loved the premise and had high hopes.

This cover is gorgeous. I’m surprised it isn’t being offered with a fancy sprayed-edge first edition.

The kindle version is broken so leaving 5 stars. I didn’t actually get to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the ARC.

This was a wild ride of a read, high stakes magical heist, blackmail, found family, romance. I had a great time reading it, it also broke my heart once or twice but I couldn’t put it down.

I really liked the magic system was new and innovative with the shades and hues, so I’m looking forward to being able to dive into the world more as the trilogy continues as it absolutely has to continue after that ending, if I didn’t value my kindle quite so highly I would’ve thrown it. I liked how all the little breadcrumbs throughout the book were brought together as I read through but in a manner so that I felt like I was able to just about come to the conclusion myself - when in reality I really didn’t - but not having them thrown in my face.

Highly recommend for those who like fantasy heist books and books with a sub-plot that includes romance. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Until We Shatter is really classic YA fantasy, in a great way. It brings me back in time to the height of the genre. So while it’s not perfect, I think this is a fantastic read. It did have some of the pitfalls of early 2010’s fantasy. Cemmy made some honestly silly choices.

This book doesn’t have a lot of world building, but it can be confusing in the first 40%. And there is an in-story reason for you not understanding a lot, but I did find it frustrating at times. I think I could’ve done with certain revelations just a little bit earlier.

I really enjoyed the ride once the world building solidified in my mind. But I wish this wasn’t marketed as a heist story. When the actual heist doesn’t start until 75% of the way into the book, and wraps up within a few chapters, I feel like that’s a little misleading.

The characters really grew on me. Her clear main love interest felt a little flat and off at times, like they’re we’re going for an enemies to lovers but the dynamic never really came to life? He fell a little flat for me, but the further I got, the more I did like him, and the rest of Cemmy’s little group. (I don’t know why, but I do really dislike the spelling of Cemmy.)

Solid 4⭐️!

This book sounded really promising and did certainly deliver on some points- fast-paced action, cool magic system etc. However, something about it wasn't for me- the nicknames for all the characters got on my nerves, and I found the main character annoying. The world and magic system, although interesting, were also info dumped at the start of the book, making that section quite dense, and this is coming from someone who usually loves complicated magic systems and plots. 3.5 stars overall.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was more than a sci-fi romance, it was an emotional ride. The setting was amazing and romance just as fantastic, if not more. Seriously, I couldn’t help but root for them, the whole time I was reading this book.

The concept of Until We Shatter really drew me in and I’ve loved Kate Dylan’s sci-fi books. Overall, it didn’t disappoint. The concept of colour magic was fun, but in the beginning I did struggle to remember what the difference between a Hue and a Shade was, and what every respective colour did. I think this would be clearer with a glossary at the back of the book.

However, Dylan’s writing really brought the world to life and about 25% through I had most of the terms nailed down and I was whipped up in the high-stakes story. Cemmy and her friends must complete a heist like no other. They make many discoveries about their own magic and the world they live in. There’s intrigue and double crossing, people barely trust anyone.

It’s an action packed YA fantasy and I would recommend it.

I was really excited to read this book, loved the description but have to say I was disappointed. I felt as though I had joined the book half way through and therefore just couldn’t get into it. I am going to have another go as perhaps it just wasn’t the right time for me and will keep you updated

This book is overall not a bad read. But i did struggle to get into it. I just felt meh at the end wanting more it felt to bear

Hrm, well objectively it’s a pretty good book! The story is very unique and one of a kind. I did have some trouble at first grasping the whole magic theory, but it worked out in my brain in the end. I did want more information on it. It had good bones but needed more fleshing out. The story is good, but again there’s just not enough of it. I needed more background on the politics, the magic, the world. It was a pretty slow paced book for me. I had trouble connecting with the characters. Cemmy just felt so immature, naive and at times even a bit stupid (I know, I know there were reasons for it, but it was still annoying). The way she operated in the world was strange and I couldn’t grasp her motivations. I liked Chase, but I didn’t feel any real chemistry between them sadly. Or any of the characters really. The little twist at the end was interesting though and really helped me finish the book. I’m rating it 3.5 stars based on the story and the unique magic system.

I am so so glad I got approved for this one. I started drafting this review thinking I’d give the book a solid 4 at the 50% mark, but now I’ve spent an entire day reading this, seemingly unable to stop. Oh, if only this would never end…

Until We Shatter is a wild ride from start to finish. Kate Dylan’s writing is absolutely beautiful, and extremely readable. Hard to put down, the book is fast-paced and full of thrills. Despite that, the romance and the heist preparation are entirely slow burn, reading like a rollercoaster of successes and failures. The author’s storytelling ability has easily placed her among my favorites. I absolutely ADORE this plot. There’s nothing shallow about it - brimming with themes of forgiveness, grief, and trust.

The magic system is fantastic. It’s kind of Wheel of Time-esque, maybe I’m just thinking that because of the colors though. It’s complex, well-thought-out, and unique. The book definitely demands your full attention for at least the first 100 pages. It’s easy to get lost in the magic details. I appreciate that the author is very obviously devoted to this world and these characters - fleshing out an entire system in so few pages is impressive. I was going to comment on my confusion about how the city was laid out because I guess it was hard for me to imagine, but it’s not even fundamental to the plot, and the world-building, characters, details, and pure effort outshine any of my potential complaints.

The characters are perfect in that they’re both likable and unlikable depending on the circumstances. I truly wanted all of them to succeed no matter what their differing motivations were. It’s refreshing to read fantasy with a FMC with explainable and plausible flaws that don’t make her unbearably annoying. All six core characters have distinct personalities and I’m just so happy that they don’t all blend together. The diversity is also incredibly impressive.

If you can’t tell, I love this book. I love how engaging it is and I just absolutely love when an author is dedicated to a story (which is so obvious here). This story needed its own world and I’m so glad that the author decided to build one.

I enjoyed the fast-placed plot and the magic system was really cool — I love the idea of half-bloods vs full-blooded magic people and people with no magic at all. I think the friendships/relationships were a highlight; there is a misfit cast of characters with some wonderful dynamics. However, I think there was too much world-building crammed into the first third of the book, which made it feel dense and hard to get through. I think the premise was better than the execution, unfortunately.

In an imaginary kingdom, magic is real. ‘Hues’ wield different colours of magic, against the rule of The Dominion, a theocratic state. Cemmy has an ill mother, so she falls in with a gang of thieves to pull off a heist that could change society.

Although there is enough to tempt the fantasy reader, the book is earthbound by an all-too familiar narrative. Cemmy’s mother suffers from a ‘disease of the blood’, her gang are the lovable rogues you’d find in the average crime novel. There’s also the trope from most police procedurals, that our hero is pulled back in for one last score.

In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it is what makes the narrative a little too familiar. See also: not as expansive/ imaginative as a fantasy book could/should be. Cemmy is an engaging character and it’s nice to see one in a fantasy book that is queer, not one that is seen as heteronormative or sexually available. The ‘hues’ is a cracking idea, see also the idea that overuse of one’s powers will kill you, hence that arch title.

But I found the lack of flair, the infodumping and the genuine absence of the fantastic to be a let down. It’s published by Hodder And Stoughton on October 17th and I thank them for a preview copy.

I've been a fan of Dylan's work since Mindwalker and was super excited to try her foray into fantasy. Until We Shatter continues the trend of her brilliant writing style, everything runs so fast paced it's like watching a film.

The main characters anxieties really set this apart for me as it's rare I read a book where a character has an established fear of using their ability and couple with the super expansive magic system this proved to be a really nice & unique read. The limitations on the powers of hues and the complexities behind that were really fascinating and it really sets this book apart.

A fantasy heist comparable to Six of Crows with a diverse & lovable bunch of characters was just the icing on the cake for me! Overall, a fantastic read!
Thanks to Netgalley + Hodder & Stoughton for the arc.

I have loved each of Kate Dylans previous books so I knew that this was going to be no exception even with a genre switch in the mix.
I thoroughly enjoyed the unique magic system, found family and enemies to lovers aspects of the book as well as Dylan's usual pacing and storytelling. I will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen and look forward to reading whatever Dylan has for us next.