A big thanks to NetGalley and Sungrazer Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book doesn't hold back any of it's punches.

A Trace of Something Stranger by Allison Giordano is a YA fantasy novel about Tempest, who thought losing her parents would be the worst thing to ever happen to her—until Jet Delancey, a young officer with an enforcement agency in charge of protecting a supernatural world Tempest had no idea existed, reveals to her that her parents were actual murderers, and that a fanatical splinter group of this secret world Jet has sworn to protect won’t rest until Tempest is dead. Ever since he can remember, Jet had always wanted to help safeguard the secret world of shapeshifters he proudly belongs by joining the ranks of the League of Protectors. And when fate has him meeting Tempest, Jet sees it as the perfect opportunity to put his training into practice. But what he doesn’t realize is that he’s stumbling onto his world’s most dangerous secrets, and that the greatest threat to it, may be right under his nose.

As pretty and cool as this book was, the romance was so cringe. Like it was instant love, in not in a good. This book reads like a classic 2010 YA fantasy novel. Yet, it was still a decent read.

"A Trace of Something Stranger" is an intriguing YA fantasy that follows Tempest as she uncovers her preternatural heritage after losing her parents in a tragic accident. Thrown into a world of magic, shapeshifters, and danger, she faces threats from rogue werewolves and unravels mysteries about her past. The story has dark academia vibes, with a hidden magical school and eerie forests, which makes it immersive and fun to explore.

While the romance aspect felt a bit over the top for me at times, the slow-burn dynamic will appeal to many readers. The book also touches on themes like grief and mental health, adding depth to Tempest’s character. Though it wasn’t perfect for me, there’s definitely potential, and I’d recommend it to fans of fantasy, dark academia, and slow-burn romances.

I'm really excited to learn more about this world, as this is a very interesting concept I haven't seen in the YA space for a while. The story includes some of our favorite romance, fantasy, and paranormal themes and tropes, while still feeling fun and new. For instance, you have friends to lovers, a girl who finds out her world isn't what she thinks it is, she is also a very rare form of supernatural, there is a magical school, political intrigue from royal families, paranormal governments, and rival groups. I love how this had so many interesting elements to the hidden paranormal world within our own, while still remaining appropriate for teens. It has plenty of character and world building without being gritty and rated R.

While I'm an adult now, I enjoyed reading this and finished it within a few days. Very rarely do I finish YA books so fast. I found Tempest to be very relatable to my own teenage self struggling to fit in with everyone around me. I found Jet to be a good love interest for her, who appears to be interested in his studies and dedicated to a life of honor and service.

I know this review isn't well written, but it is because I have too many thoughts about how great this book was that I struggle to organize them. This just hit everything I needed to help a reading slump I was experiencing.

3.5 Stars (rounding up coz I wasn’t bored)
One Liner: Good but not a standalone

Seventeen-year-old Tempest is just surviving as the days blend into one another. She had been grieving her parents’ death and struggling with it. However, it soon turns out that she has a lot more to worry about when the truth of her parents’ identities is revealed. Some people out there want to kill Tempest.
Jet (19) is a young officer of the League of Protectors (LOP), an organization that acts as a force to keep supernatural creatures from being harmed by humans and vice versa. His life ambition has been to join the higher ranks of LOP. When his talents uncover Tempest, he realizes the danger is much darker and more ruthless than expected.
The story comes in the first-person POVs of Tempest and Jet.

My Thoughts:
I don’t remember where I saw it mentioned this was first in the series but I’m glad I didn’t forget that point. The book ends in a cliffhanger in many ways. I prefer a standalone series, so this is a little disappointing but at least I knew this would be a series.
The dual POV is done well. I liked that both voices are easy to distinguish and neatly labeled at the beginning of each chapter. The story progresses with the POV shift, so the pacing is steady as well.
This is an urban fantasy about shape-shifters of all kinds who have their own universities, monarchy, police system, and obviously, extremists who want the purebloods to retain supremacy.
The fantasy elements belong to different religions (this is clearly mentioned by the characters). So, there is a naga, a mayura (peacock), dogs, cats, panthers, snails, magi, succubus, etc. I was quite tickled by the choice of making the Indian Deepti a nerdy succubus. I hope she has a meaty role in the coming books.
The main characters are pretty decent. Tempest’s arc is better and feels more aligned with her backstory. Jet is a younger version of the brooding dark and handsome hero with intense feelings and a tragedy in his past. I liked him enough but felt the protective instincts came out a little too early.
There is some romance (clean enough with just one kiss) and pining on both sides. It may seem slow burn in a way but not really. The saving grace is that it doesn’t dominate the plot. Tempest spends more time with the side characters than the MMC, so the angst is more internal and feels a bit too much (they even really know each other).
I liked some of the side characters. Some weren’t developed yet, so can’t say much. The setting is well done. My favorite is the magic library. I need a membership!
While a couple of questions get answered, we are left with many more. This can easily be a trilogy (I hope it won’t drag on to six or eight books). However, please do not bring love triangles. I’ll handle the rest but no triangles and quadrangles!
To summarize, A Trace of Something Stranger is an intriguing YA fantasy and is well done for what seems to be a debut novel. Another round of editing would have tightened it up a bit. I look forward to the next book.
Thank you, NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Sungrazer Publishing, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

***
P.S.: If the queen is a mayura, she should be a peahen; not a peacock.

“I feel like I’m stuck in quicksand. Drowning in a life that I’m not supposed to be living.”

“A Trace of Something Stranger,” by Allison Giordano

I loved this book. It was a good magic-school book with teenagers learning to use their abilities in order to protect the supernatural world. I liked the characters and their internal struggles. I liked the story plot and how it ended, loved all the twists and turns. A solid 5 out of 5 stars.

-Magic
-Shifters
-Magic School

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Sadly dnf’d relatively early into the book, I will give it another go another time to give it a stronger chance as I loved the concept

I think this is a pretty strong YA shifter fantasy. It follows the classic form with strong writing, especially at the beginning. It does fall off a bit towards the middle/end, and because it does follow the genre standards it can be a bit predictable, but I don't think that cut out the enjoyment, especially for a YA reader. I know this book isn't for my demographic, so I try not to rate based on that. In my 30s I still found it enjoyable, I've just read enough to know how most twists will end up. I'm looking forward to seeing what the author does next - there is a lot of potential here!

Okay, okay, okay, I need to stay calm about this book. I absolutely have to stay calm, but it was a FANTASTIC read! The suspense in this book is something sublime—perfectly woven into the context, emerging at just the right moment in an intensifying build-up of moments and emotions, with tension that grows page by page before flooding the reader's soul like a raging river. The protagonist's journey (Tempest) is intriguing and exciting, unfolding through vivid and calculated descriptions, featuring standout secondary characters who each have their own defined personalities, peculiar quirks, and a realistic impact on the plot. I absolutely loved the author's style, her ability to tell a story and maintain peak attention, even when diving into details that aren't necessarily crucial to the plot but without which the setting and story wouldn't feel as vivid.

The author's style is undoubtedly a strong point: it allows her to talk about anything with the assurance that the reader will follow and be captivated. A few low points here and there only serve to enrich the story and demonstrate the author's skill, as she still manages to pull it off and deliver a book that comes close to perfection. Without a doubt, this was the best book I had the chance to read this summer!

I'll be discussing it soon on my blog on Medium (medium.com/@inabookhole).

ATOSS is a really engaging read that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing, and the characters feel real and relatable... and it was so nostalgic to read a great YA novel! I also loved the suspense that made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. It's a great mix of mystery and emotion, with some surprising moments that I didn’t see coming. The only thing irritating me (as a science major) was that certain descriptions weren't scientifically correct but I guess the majority overlooks that so no worries. If you enjoy a good and nostalgic suspenseful story, this book is definitely worth reading. I certainly cannot wait for the next book to come out!

This cover! Look at this cover! How insanely beautiful is this cover? This book was nowhere on my radar, but I scrolled through Netgalley and the cover immediately grabbed my attention. I had to request a copy. Especially because the summary promised me a supernatural, political and interesting story. Luckily the author granted my request and last week it was finally time to dive in. I was really curious about what was waiting for me!

The book started really promising. The first chapters were a nice mix of mystery, questions and a few answers. The author does an amazing job introducing the characters to us, coming up with a way for them to meet and showing us that something strange is going on. I also liked the writing style. Although the book was an easy and quick read, the writing really fitted the characters and the kind of story being told.

However, while the start was interesting and gripping, the rest of the book lost a little of its steam. Partly because the story was quite predictable. Normally that's not much of an issue for me, but in this case the story really followed the classical pattern of these kinds of stories without adding much of its own. I was also disappointed that quite a lot of discoveries and lore was not eventually leading somewhere. I assume it comes in the sequel, because I'm pretty sure there is one.

I think the part that disappointed me the most, though, was the romance. The first few chapters of the story are really promising, there is chemistry between these characters. However, they're not really spending much time together during the story. They don't have many conversations. Our heroine is doing all the exciting stuff, like learning how to fight, with someone else. Which is fine, but not what I expected from this book.

So, the book is good, it just wasn't what I had expected after the first chapters. I'll see when the sequel comes out whether I'll check it out or not.

If you are craving a 2010's -esque YA Fantasy, definitely pick this one up.
I think I am slowly outgrowing these kind of stories but I still enjoyed this one!

Tropes:
Found Family
Shape Shifters
Dual POV

I found this story to be a little slow for me at times, but for Allison's debut I think it was a good read!
3.5 rounded up!

I really wanted to love this more than I did. Everything about this book had so much potential to be great but was just okay. The story line was generic and the start of this book did nothing to really pull me in. The world building was good but the story was just uninteresting. I found myself zoning out a lot while reading. The characters were okay just didn't envoke any real connection.

A Trace of Something Stranger is a thrilling young adult fantasy that combines supernatural intrigue with a deeply emotional narrative, making it a must-read for fans of Josephine Angelini and Cassandra Clare. The story introduces us to Tempest, a young woman who finds herself plunged into a hidden world of shapeshifters and ancient conflicts after the sudden death of her parents. What she thought was the worst moment of her life turns out to be just the beginning of a terrifying journey when Jet Delancey, a dedicated officer from the League of Protectors, reveals that her parents were not who she thought they were—and that she herself is now a target.

The novel expertly weaves together elements of mystery, action, and romance. Tempest’s character is relatable in her shock and disbelief as she is thrust into a world she never knew existed, only to discover that she is at the center of a deadly conspiracy. Her struggle to reconcile the love she had for her parents with the dark truth Jet reveals adds emotional complexity to the plot, making her journey not just one of survival, but of self-discovery.

Jet, on the other hand, is a character driven by duty and a desire to prove himself within the secretive League of Protectors. His initial intentions are clear-cut: protect Tempest and uphold the values of the League. However, as he delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding Tempest’s family and the world he’s sworn to protect, Jet begins to question everything he has been taught. The growing connection between Tempest and Jet is charged with tension, as they both grapple with their own loyalties and the dawning realization that the greatest threats might come from those closest to them.

The author does a fantastic job of building a world that is both mysterious and captivating, filled with supernatural beings, ancient secrets, and a brewing conflict that could change everything. The pacing is tight, with each chapter revealing new layers to the complex relationships and hidden agendas at play. The balance between action and introspection ensures that readers are not only entertained but also deeply invested in the characters’ fates.

In summary, A Trace of Something Stranger is a compelling read that will keep young adult fantasy fans hooked from beginning to end. With its richly developed characters, intricate plot, and the looming question of whom to trust, this book offers a satisfying blend of suspense, romance, and supernatural adventure. Whether you're drawn to stories about hidden worlds or tales of personal growth in the face of unimaginable challenges, this novel delivers on all fronts.

I gave this book 4.25 stars!!
I loved this book and all the vibes it gave. Kind of dark academia and magical academy vibes. I loved the way it's written and the magic system is done fantastically. I hope everyone goes to read this the second it comes out!!
I like the summer camp start to it as well. It was very easy to read and a super fun experience :)

Ok first off, this cover is actually so stunning! This book sounded super interesting and it definitely hit the mark for me. I love the campy vibes, the shifting, and all the characters. It made me want to go tell ghost stories around a campfire! So fun and full of adventure.

"A Trace of Something Stranger" by Allison Giordano is a captivating and immersive read that will leave you spellbound from start to finish. Giordano's masterful storytelling weaves an intricate tapestry of mystery, suspense, and the supernatural that grips the reader's imagination.

TRIGGER WARNING: Death of parents, death of a young person, violence

The protagonist, Tempest, is a complex and relatable character whose journey of self-discovery is both heartbreaking and empowering. As she unravels the mysteries surrounding her family's past and the loss of her parents, the narrative takes unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat and glued to the pages of this book. Giordano's vivid descriptions transport you into the atmospheric small-town setting, making you feel as if you're right there alongside Tempest.

What truly sets this book apart is the way it seamlessly blends elements of the paranormal with the emotional depth of the characters. The exploration of themes like grief, identity, and the power of family ties and deep friendships during life's most difficult times is both poignant and thought-provoking. "I'm certainly not a stranger to how quickly life can change, but it's almost alarming how fast all of this is starting to feel normal. A strange normal, but normal nonetheless. For a moment there it just felt like I was on my way to grab food with a friend before class, as if everything I have ever known is not being rewritten."

The overall reading experience is immensely satisfying - it is not a book you can easily put down! The plot twist is intense and at times had me in tears, especially as one character proclaims, "All I've ever wanted is to be a hero, Tempest. Thank you for letting me be yours."

"A Trace of Something Stranger" is a must-read for fans of young adult fantasy fiction with a supernatural twist. Giordano has crafted a truly spellbinding tale that will linger in your mind long after the final page. Looking forward to book two!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #AllisonGiordano, and #SungrazerPublishing for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and flew through it pretty quickly! The two main characters are relatable and interesting and it seems to be heading toward at least one more book or maybe more. I’m definitely intrigued and wanting to see where the author takes Tempest and Jet’s stories!

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.

Do you miss those 2010s YA books? Are you nostalgic for things like the Mortal Instruments, Twilight, The Uglies, Percy Jackson? This YA fantasy might hit that spot for you.

I think personally, I’ve grown out of this now. The romance was too sudden and intense for me to truly enjoy it, but I think that’s because I’m a slow burn lover at heart. While I enjoyed the characters, I struggled with the prose at times. (It went on and on at times, and honestly probably needs slightly tighter editing.)

Overall, a fun and very fast read!

This was really good YA fantasy, the unique magical creatures and names for said magical creatures was new and interesting.

Our FMC deals with a lot in this book from losing her parents to discovering a new world with mythical creatures, magic and secrets. Her journey will help her discover the truth about herself and why her parents were killed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC.

This was a fun refreshing read that felt more like YA magical realism than romantasy. While the concepts were not brand new, the author put a unique twist on the types of magical creatures and how they interacted with the human world.
Magical concepts were masterfully "showed" rather than "told", which was nice in a world of authors spoon-feeding the reader everything.
There were some interesting mentions of ethical/existential concepts such as fate vs choice in a magical setting.
I appreciated that the ending really went against a lot of tropes and made me want to read the sequel. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a YA magical realism story with a romance sub-plot.