4,5 ⭐️
I was so absorbed in this book that I finished in the same day I started!
It was an amazing time, I felt connected with all characters and I fell in love with the love e and care Elodie gave to Wren.
The mystery that surrounds both kept me so focus I lost track on time.
Already dying to read book 2! This is definitely one of my favorites.

A twisty Rapunzel-esque tale that made me feel like how listening to One Dark Window and Daughter of No Worlds made me feel. The magic system is complex and the family saga is dramatic, with a gothic tone and witches and knights. The narrator was great and I enjoyed the story a lot. I can't wait to see what's next in this trilogy.

I received an advanced copy for review. This is my own opinion.

A Touch of Shadows would be a good entrance into the romantasy genre for someone interested but unsure where to begin. It’s pretty short and low stakes, with normal names and not a lot of moving parts to keep track of (I love romantasy but come on sometimes I need a guide to keep up!)

AToS is a Rapunzel retelling, and I’m interested to see how that plays out. There is insta-love romance that i’d like to see a bit more fleshed out in upcoming books, and a magic system that I’d love to learn more about as well. Looking forward to the second book!

3.5 rounded up.

I enjoyed the narrator as well.

Thanks to Netgalley, Second Sky, and Jessica Thorne for the ALC.

Starting off with the part of the book I enjoyed, I loved the narrator I thought she did a great job and conveyed Wrens loneliness and isolation well, and the overall sadness of the story, the book also had good pace and I enjoyed the worldbuilding, and the slow burn romance between Wren and Finn.
I did however, find the timeline strange, overall the timeline for the book was a few weeks and in that time Wren and Finn fell obsessively in love, I’m not sure if this was the magic involved or just a part of the plot but it was a bit much. I also think having two female main characters was confusing, the plot was more from Wren's POV and we see her as a 20-year-old coming-of-age character, but as soon as her mother Elodie turns up, Wren is transported to a 12-year-old whiny, petulant child. I did feel more attached to Elodie rather than Wren and felt that her ARC was left out, especially because she had a more interesting backstory, and so much was missing. Also, what's with the hair? Is it necessary to have magical hair, what does it add to the storyline?
Would I buy this for myself? Probably not, but it was an ok read.

A Touch of Shadow

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audiobook
Speed: 1.25

Our story begins with Elodie escaping with baby Wren. Elodie is a powerful witch on the run. Years later, adult Wren feels isolated and alone; she doesn’t feel she is as good a healer as Elodie, nor does she fit in with the local townsfolk. Finn, a noble knight, has his path cross with Wren, who saves him using her magic. Passionate desire mixed with wariness are the budding elements of their relationship, but they are pushed aside as Finn and Wren have to try to escape with their lives when enemy soldiers are lurking nearby. Readers will be taken on an epic romantic quest that will put everything Wren knows to the test.

Highlights:
⭐️Multiple intersecting chapters from different characters’ POVs
⭐️Narration was beautiful! The narrator read the book with emotion that kept me engaged as a reader.
⭐️The backstory. Not only do we have this main story unfolding in present time between Finn and Wren, but we also have the backstory of Elodie as well.
⭐️Slow-burn romance.

Pitfalls:
❌While the audiobook was amazing, I don’t think it’s the best version of this book. There is a lot of information being thrown at the reader (i.e., world-building, character details, background, etc.), and I feel that as an audiobook, I missed a lot of details (or there are potentially plot holes). If I were going to recommend this book, I would suggest trying the ebook or physical copy instead so readers wouldn’t have to backtrack as much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
*Social media post will be posted closer to publication date.

Rating: 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of this book. I found A Touch of Shadows really enjoyable. It was a great easy, shorter read and was great as a break from more intense and lengthy books. I really enjoyed the story of this book, the magic system was great and the characters were likeable and fun. The characters don’t see a ton of development throughout but that definitely fits with the shorter nature of the book and I think we would get to see more of that in future books in the series. We didn’t get too much information as a first book in a series but I think that worked to keep the reader engaged and wanting to find out more however the ending was quite abrupt and seemed to be in the middle of the story but didn’t quite give the cliffhanger feel. However I would definitely continue with the series and think it would be great as either a physical or audio copy for those looking for a quick and easy but fun read. I really liked the narrator and found them really engaging.

This was a solid romantasy, nothing groundbreaking but not bad either. It was a slow burn, but the attraction/feelings started rather quickly.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Helen Keeley. She did a great job, it was very easy to listen to her. I just didn’t like her ‚male‘ voice, but I never like this in any audiobooks…
The plot was pretty straightforward.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for the ALC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and the author for the opportunity! I’ll start this by saying I received the audiobook version of this title. That can have a much bigger impact on the story than just reading it. I do a mix of reading and listening to books and feel I’ve listen to enough that I have a good idea of when a book is good but the narrator is bad or the book is bad but the narrator is good.
I will say I liked the narrator over all. However, I didn’t love her male voice or the voice she chose for Wren. I felt it made her more whiny than she already was. The book was relatively short and easy to listen to. The plot was pretty straight forward, however the romance I was not sold on. It was like obsession at first sight? And there was a lot of pining but no reason for it. I was also unsure about Wren’s hair. I was getting a tangled vibe with the magic hair.
For the most part I think the book was fine. I think true overall idea was good and there was some good imagery. I just felt like it was lacking on the world building and character development. I would rate it 2.5. I think if you want an easy read and something not too confusing this would be a good book. Just don’t expect too much explanation of magic system and lore. And the romance is kind of just there and doesn't convince me totally. Though, maybe that will come through more in the next book!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator was great, her voice is nice and easy to listen to! The story was fast paced, and had an intriguing world. . The romance/feelings started rather quick, but the actual relationship was a nice slow burn. There was a little spice but nothing too crazy or detailed. I really enjoyed these characters, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator was great, her voice is soothing and easy to listen to! The story was fast paced, and had an interesting world without being to complex to follow. The romance/feelings started rather quick, but the actual relationship was a nice slow burn. I really enjoy these characters and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book!

This book is an easy romantasy read. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Helen Keeley who did an amazing job.

I had some difficulties entering the world as there was much information in a short time at the beginning then there wasn't a lot of character building. I was confused as to why Wren and Finn were so drawn to each other as well as what drove the villain.

What this book did have though was spice and bewitching magic which I am a sucker for

It could be even better if the characters had some more structure, like Wren and Finn I need more to really believe in them even if I am rooting for them. I also would have benefited to know why the queen left her kingdom more than her baby girl. I also would have really hated the villain if I had known more what motivates him. It's a good book but it could be great

I think this book is one you'll really love or just not connect with. I sadly was one that just didn't enjoy the story. Overall I do think the author's writing is good, and the world-building was decent. I personally just couldn't get into any of the characters. I was rooting for anyone or eager to see what would happen for them next so the book just wasn't right for me.

This was quite fun and easy to read. It's very basic in regards to world building and characterisation, but it's entertaining and moves quickly.

The romance was quite instalove-y, but I actually didn't hate it, which is unusual for me in this genre.

I can imagine this series developing as it goes on, so I would definitely continue the series.

Helen Keeley narrates the audiobook flawlessly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ALC

A Touch of Shadows is the first in an upcoming Romantasy trilogy 'The lost Queen.' Centuries of war creates the back drop as two Kingdoms, Asteroth and Ilanthus, clash. Wren is an aspiring hedge witch, like her mother, residing in a forest of Asteroth, but is she all that she appears? Finn is a knight of Asteroth, who's lineage is that of Ilanthus. When Ilanthian witch hunters destroy the town that Wren has called home, she finds aid in Knight Finn as they run from the hunters and other dark entities of the Darkwood.

A wonderful first instalment to the trilogy, the characters are complex and mysterious, revealing little snippets of themselves as the story progresses. The close proximity, slow burn romance, is well executed, with just the one scene that i would class as spicy. The world building is not too intense, which i often find vast amounts of detail in a short space of time can often slow my progress when reading, this book appeared to have world building and plot progression balanced well.

I look forward to the next instalment, especially given the cliff hanger ending.