Wonderful story, excellent world building, lovable characters - I enjoyed this very much!! Wonderful story, excellent world building, lovable characters - I enjoyed this very much!!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC for an honest review

Heists? Magic? Politics? This was interesting from the first page, and yes this was. It took me a while to get past the information dump, I believe that stories especially with magical systems should have a show, not tell. The information felt like an afterthought, and for the rest of the story, there is very little mention afterwards . I liked how packed it was for a shorter book, there's a lot to think about as you progress. I just wish the worldbuilding was properly distributed.

Not a big fan of Cemmy's attachment and relationship issues. Maybe just Cemmy in general and the way she treats those around her. Every character has their own flaws, and I think self-centeredness is one of her biggest flaws.

Besides the main girl herself, there were some decent plot twists, fairly predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. The scenes were well paced, no one moment is dragging, not too much action. A lovely short YA read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an ARC of Until We Shatter.

The magic in this world is so interesting, and I wish there was more time spent on the different shades and how they worked. I had a hard time remembering everything and had to scroll back a bunch of times.

I am blown away by the diversity in this book. It is handled so well and my heart is so full. I do wish the characters would've gotten a bit more time too, because they weren't very distinctive to me.

Overall, I think Kate Dylan tried to do a lot with this book, but with a new, extensive, magic systems, quite a lot of characters and a whole heist, it could've easily been twice as long and still interesting. I hope there will be a second part, because I'm very invested.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I enjoyed this, always have been a sucker for colour based magic ever since reading Warbreaker many years ago, although I did feel that the magic system could have been a little better explained, I would have liked a little more in regards to the side characters and the book does use mis/non communication which I am not the biggest fan of, but overall I would recommend if you like fast paced YA with found family and heist troupes.

I am a huge fan of Kate Dylan's books and so far she has yet to disappoint! I was so excited when her fantasy debut was announced and the plot of this book sounded right up my street. It took me a while to get to grips with the world and the magic system, which would be my only downside of this book. Once I'd figured out what was going on it was a rollercoaster of emotion and action from there and I could not read fast enough. Well worth a read!

Kate Dylan's Until We Shatter is a captivating fantasy adventure that weaves a thrilling tapestry of magic, danger, and forbidden love. Cemmy, a young woman living under the constant threat of both the Church and the Council of Shades, finds herself thrust into a desperate fight for survival. The story immediately grabs the reader's attention with its compelling premise: Cemmy, burdened by her ambiguous magical abilities, is forced to resort to theft to save her ailing mother. The stakes are high from the get-go, and Dylan masterfully builds tension with each turn of the plot. Cemmy's character is deeply relatable. She is a young woman navigating a world that feels stacked against her, constantly having to fight for a place where she can simply exist. Her struggles resonate with anyone who has ever felt misunderstood or trapped in a system that doesn't value them. The introduction of Chase, a mysterious and alluring figure with secrets of his own, adds another layer of complexity to the story. Their relationship is fraught with tension and attraction, creating a dynamic that keeps the reader guessing.
The world-building is both intricate and imaginative. Dylan crafts a believable society with well-defined factions, each with their own motives and agendas. The realms of shadows, with their inherent dangers, are described vividly, adding to the overall sense of wonder and suspense. While the plot is fast-paced and action-packed, Dylan also takes the time to explore the emotional depth of her characters. Cemmy's journey of self-discovery, her struggle to accept her powers, and her search for a place to belong are all compelling aspects of the story.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of fantasy adventures with a touch of romance. Dylan's writing is vivid and engaging, and her characters are both complex and captivating. With a thrilling plot, a rich world, and a heroine who is both resourceful and courageous, this book is a must-read for anyone looking for an immersive fantasy experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC!

This was such an interesting read! The first few chapters are a little confusing with trying to comprehend and remember all the details of the magic system, but once you get the hang of it, it just flies by.

The plot is fast-paced and thoroughly engaging, drawing me in from the beginning. I appreciated how the magic system is gradually revealed alongside the main character, Cemmy, as she discovers more about her powers. However, Cemmy's character was somewhat frustrating, as her "woe-is-me" attitude persisted despite repeatedly endangering those around her. Although I wished for more extensive world-building, I still found the book to be an enjoyable read, filled with action from start to finish.

Until We Shatter is YA fantasy heist with a pretty cool magic system. The first 20% is slightly confusing as there’s a-lot to absorb about the way magic works in this world (but to be honest if you aren’t confused at the start of a fantasy book it’s probably not going to be a good one).

The plot is fast paced and really sucked me in. I liked how we learn more about the magic system alongside the main character Cemmy as she slowly discovers more about her powers… even though her character was questionably enjoyable. She was very ‘woe-is-me’ despite the fact she endangered everyone several times over. I would have liked to see more world building but I still enjoyed myself with this book! Action packed from start to finish.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes YA’s with younger protagonists and some cute queer love!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I rated this book 4/5 stars and really enjoyed how unique the magic system is. I also love the representation throughout. This story has friendship, romance, action and a mystery to solve, with some plot twists I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the character development as well. My only complaint about this book is that some scenes about “the gray” were a little confusing, I understood more and more as the story progressed. I would recommend this book to fantasy book lovers! Thank you for Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to be an arc reader.

I received an early e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a delightful read! The world-building and magic system were captivating, with the unique abilities and limitations of the shades and hues adding an intriguing layer to the story. Although the concepts of the Gray and the in-betweens were initially a bit confusing, I quickly got the hang of them as the story progressed.

The eclectic cast of characters was another highlight. Cemmy, the main character, is wonderfully complex. I appreciated how she, Cassiel, and their group of friends were morally grey yet still relatable and easy to root for. The heist plot added an exciting twist to the narrative.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from this author!

UNTIL WE SHATTER

“I am the violence the world made of me”

In a country torn in two by the anti-magic Church and the pro-magic Council, Cemmy’s existence as a Hue –the daughter of a magicless human and a Shade—is reduced to hiding and stealing money for her mother’s illness. But when her and her Hue friends are forced to commit a heist against the Church by a rogue Shade and his alluring Hue partner, Cemmy knows she will either find the solution for all her problems or die trying.

“Until we shatter” made me feel 13 again, when I first read a 2010s urban fantasy. If you remember fondly Clary and Jace’s dynamic in the first Shadowhunters book, you’ll enjoy Cemmy and Chase’s banter, their teenage angst, their secrets and betrayals.
This book features plenty of representation: my highlights would be our chaotic bi main character, wavering between her ex girlfriend and her new romantic interest, and Lyria, a deaf side character. I really appreciated how the hearing characters were so accomodating towards her and always made a point to show how the issue wasn’t her disability, but them not knowing sign language.
So much of this book was centered around ‘middles’: from the main characters, Hues, not typics but also not Shades, and being set in a world where people were either with the Church or with the Council, to the way the characters phased into the magical realm—by creating middle spaces from observing their reality. “Until we shatter” is a book about the grays, the not-here-but-not-quite-theres, those who don’t fit into two defined categories but go beyong the black and white.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an eARC of this book**

Instagram: @librisinetenebris

I so wanted to read this one, but unfortunately it wouldn't load on my ereader (it freezes every time I get to the second page). Due to problems with my eyes, I can't give it the proper attention by reading it on my phone, but did manage at least the first chapter until a headache settled in, and that was highly enjoyable and super well written to me. I'll just have to buy the book once it comes out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book!

A standalone fantasy heist with great characters and an incredibly intriguing magic system, what more do you want?

I went into Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan pretty open and not sure what to expect, but I absolutely loved this book. From the writing style, to the characters and world building, it was such an enjoyable read. We follow Cemmy along with her friends and some new characters in their journey to doing a heist. I loved seeing the dynamics between the characters, they really felt like people if that makes sense. The magic system — that being a color magic system — was a little overwhelming to get into at first, as it is very detailed and thought out, but as you grow accustomed to it, your understanding deepens and it truly is interesting. The pacing of the book was great, as well as the writing style. There was not a single moment where I felt bored!

As the ending neared, I was unsure if the conclusion of this book would be a satisfying one, as I’m used to the fantasy books that I read having at least two books, but this was done incredibly well and I would definitely recommend Until We Shatter to anyone looking for a great fantasy heist with an interesting magic system. It makes you feel all sorts of things, from happiness, to anger, to sadness, i was completely shattered (ha ha pun intended I’m so funny / sarcasm) at some points. Also, the cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous, props to the people who worked on it because it looks amazing.

Overall, I loved Until We Shatter, and I cannot wait for its release!

A little bit disappointed overall. The premise was so intriguing but I found myself overwhelmed and then exhausted by the magic system and worldbuilding. Many characters were flat and I didn’t find the book as action-packed as promised. However, a late game twist genuinely surprised me and the incredibly high quality of the writing elevated this for me.

In one word: intense! It starts from the very first chapter pretty much throughout the whole story until the last page.

From rainbow magic fairies as a kid to rainbow magic heists as a teen, I think I've finally come full circle in my rainbow magic reading.

YA fantasy heists are usually my favorite kinds of books, so it comes as no surprise that I also really enjoyed Until We Shatter. My favorite part, though, had to be the magic system and the worldbuilding. I'm a huge fan of religious themes, especially when they deal with zealotry, so I was vibing with the themes in this book. I also LOVE magic systems with pretty visuals and aesthetics, so I adored the color-coding systems and also the visual of shattering.
This story takes place in a world where there are shades (basically full-blooded magic people) and hues (half-blooded magic people who everyone hates). Cemmy is a Bronze hue who works with a team of other hues to steal a mysterious object from the clergy. I thought the pacing was pretty quick, and while there was only one major heist, I appreciated the tiny tension scenes throughout. I predicted most of the main plot twists, but I was mostly guessing from vibes and I think they were still well done. My only issue is that the slower pace in the middle left me a little bored, as did some of the misunderstanding tropes, but I still enjoyed the story.
I also appreciated the found family vibes in this book. Cemmy's complicated relationships with Novi, Chase, and her mother made her an intriguing character, and I enjoyed her narration. Novi wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed seeing her interactions with Lyria. Ezzo and Eve were cute too. As far as Chase goes, I was intrigued by his backstory, but I wasn't a huge fan of his personality (just because he felt a bit tropey), although I still liked him. I thought the villain was interesting as well, and I'm kind of sad that this is a standalone because I think his evilness would have been very intriguing to see in a series.
Until We Shatter is a fast-paced YA fantasy novel filled with found family vibes, colorful magic, and plenty of plot twists that will appeal to fans of heists of all kinds.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.75/5

After hearing one of my favorite authors talk about this book, I became curious and requested it on Netgalley. I always love me a good heist fantasy. Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this eARC!

In Cemilla’s world, magic comes in the form of colors. Those exist within the blood of magicians, which are called Shades and are being persecuted by the Church. This makes life harder for Cemmy, who was born as an illegal Hue from a Shade mother and a normal father, which means she has to stay hidden from the church and other Shades at the same time. This is why she has to steal in order to buy the life-saving medication for her mother, even if it means risking death by shattering while she uses her magical gift. Then, out of desperation, she accepts a highly dangerous job: a heist so impossible that it seem to be a suicide mission for her and her friends.

This is certainly a very unique heist story. The setting itself is enough to become a fascinating backdrop for the plot. The world-building, especially the concept of the Gray, the shadows and the shattering, are introduced early on and illustrate how this complex world works well enough. I did lose the overview over all the colors and their gifts, but that wasn’t an issue, fortunately. All the important bits were emphasized enough for me to follow along.

The characters all seem well built. It did stand out to me that they tend to make stupid decisions, but I was always aware that they are traumatized teenagers, and I can easily forgive them for that. At least to me, the characters’ and especially Cemmy’s shortsightedness felt natural. Cemmy also starts out with an anxiety disorder that she tries to overcome. I appreciated the way it was depicted and handled!

In the middle of the character constellations stands the found family of Cemmy’s friend group. Every character there has complex relationship to the others, which felt very authentic and a bit messy in some cases. These friendships are put to the test through the plot, which creates an interesting groundwork for the heist.

Aforementioned heist doesn’t take place until the end of the book, but the plot does not become boring because of it. The preparations for the main theft come with lots of action, intelligence gathering and smaller cons. On top of that, Cemmy tries to break off from their employers, which is hard because of her attraction to one of them. This romance is full of mistrust and the baseless hope that their relationship could be real and not just part of all the mind games. I surprised myself by liking it and the effect it has on the main story.

All in all, once I readjusted to reading for a teen audience, I enjoyed Until We Shatter immensely. It is an excellent fantasy novel with creative world-building, complex characters and a suspenseful heist with lots of twist. I couldn’t recommend it more!

"A wise man will happily live in a house built with magic; a jealous one would rather light a match and burn it to the ground."

Thank you to NetGalley & Hodderscape for having provided me with a digital ARC of this much awaited book, coming out this October.
I started reading "Until we shatter" by Kate Dylan expecting a heist fantasy targeted to a YA audience, with predictable exploits and already-seen relationships between the characters.
Boy was I wrong.
Narrated in first person, we follow the ordeals of Cem, a Half Shade - meaning she was born from a Full Shade and a typic, someone who bears no magic. In this universe, magic depends on color: seven shades, seven powers, and a lot of mixing up with atypical conformations when a Hue and a typic come together and have a child: something the Council, those who are responsible for the magic beares in a city where the Church goes to extreme lenghts in order to eradicate magic itself, is extremely against, since it's believed that Half Shades will drain the Gray - the source of magic - of its power and weaken all magic users.
Cem and her friends, a found family of Half Shades, will be caught against their will in something bigger than them: a power they have never encountered, all of them reunited in order to steal something from the Church, blackmailed by a Rogue Shade who has plans - evil plans - for whatever it is they're going to steal, and his assistant, a fascinating Gold who looks all to familiar to Cem.
Then come the revelations, the secrets, the twists and turns of friendships and love and trust, all written and described with extreme expertise: I never had the impression the these characters, all more or less in depth, were acting differently from what their age would expect them to act. They are irresponsible, they make mistakes, they hold grudges and forgive themselves: initially I was afraid the MC would be the usual girl who trips on her own feet and does everything wrong for the sake of cute clumsiness, but no. Cem is hiding something, but she also does everything she can, with some help from her friends, to overcome her trauma not only in order to heal herself, but mostly to become an useful asset for her friends as she once was, before everything went wrong.
The worldbuilding in this story is not that original: magic and colors have always come in pair, and the setting of outcasts fighting against bigotry and power is also something fantasy readers are all to familiar with.
BUT, and this is a big BUT, guess what? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because the characters are imbued with the worldbuilding, the powers, their feelings against the authority, and their thoughts and consequent actions are what really make the story move forward with such a natural, pleasant, challenging pace that it doesn't really matter if the worldbuilding isn't something you've never read about (which, I mean, is it still possible in fantasy? To write something 100% new and fresh and original?). Cem is sometimes fun, sometimes insufferable, sometimes naive, as all of the others are, even the one character you believe to be unbreakable until the end.
The writing in first person shows a nice balance between inner monologue and action, never dwelling too much in Cem inner turmoil and doubts. The heist itself is fast paced but not rushed, I mean, what can I say: I think this book is almost perfect, and it will be a huge sensation when it comes out, I just can feel it.
The ONLY thing I couldn't quite wrap my head around was the magic system: I found it to be sometimes too convoluted, kinda hard to follow with the discourse around the Gray and its workings, the different abilities conveyed by the colors and their other atypical formations, but this might be because English is not my first language (I pride myself to have a good grasp of the idiom but hiccups can always occur) and also because I tend to read at night, and being tired is not a great state to be in if you to keep focused on the page.
Well done, Kate Dylan! I can't wait to catch up on your other works and for your pen to dip once again in the fantasy world!

"I was so afraid of losing them, I forgot that love isn't a blaze you feed only by kindling your strenghts. It demands your insecurities, too. It demands faith."

I was gripped from about 10% in until the end. The beginning was an issue for me. I don't like having an onslaught of information from page one. Especially when I'm learning a completely new magic system.
The magic system was explained clearer a few more times so it was unnecessary from page one. I wish I had been eased into this world instead.

I love the concept. I love all the side characters especially Nova. I love the friendship between the group. I hope there is a book two as it feels like the ending isn't concluded.

I thought the romance between her ex was more realistic and passionate. I don't want to give names in case I spoil it. I would have like more romantic scenes between the current romantic interest to build that tension. There seemed to be an equal amount of romantic build-up for the ex and current romantic interests.

This is a book I would buy and read again. The magic system is unique and shows what fear can do to people. I love the way this book can relate to the real world. I would definitely be looking at this authors current books.