Patrice Caldwell's Where Shadows Meet is a darkly romantic fantasy debut that explores the enduring power of love, the crushing weight of loss, and the complex journey of self-discovery. Set in a world scarred by a war between vampires, humans, and gods, this story delves into the lingering consequences of past choices and the potential for both destruction and redemption.

The narrative weaves together the stories of Favre, Thana, and Leyla, each grappling with the echoes of love and betrayal. Favre's sacrifice of her wings for love, only to be met with Thana's pursuit of power, forms the emotional core of the story. Their millennia-spanning history adds a layer of epic scope to the narrative, hinting at the long reach of past actions. Leyla, the vampire princess, is thrust into the heart of the conflict when her friend is captured, forcing her to confront not only external threats but also the secrets and complexities of her own heritage.

Caldwell's world-building is immersive and atmospheric. The island of Nekros, the land of the dead, is vividly depicted, creating a sense of both beauty and dread. The intricate history of the war and the roles of the various factions are gradually revealed, adding depth and intrigue to the story. The interplay between vampires, humans, and the gods who created them creates a rich tapestry of conflict and power dynamics.

The emotional resonance of Where Shadows Meet is its greatest strength. The pain of loss, the sting of betrayal, and the struggle to forgive are all explored with sensitivity and nuance. Favre's longing for what she sacrificed, Thana's regret and ambition, and Leyla's search for her place in a fractured world all contribute to a powerful and moving narrative. The romantic elements are woven seamlessly into the larger story, adding fuel to the already high emotional stakes.

While the plot is engaging, it's the characters and their internal struggles that truly drive the story. Caldwell has crafted complex and flawed individuals whose choices resonate with the reader. Their journeys of self-discovery are fraught with challenges, forcing them to confront their pasts and make difficult decisions about their futures.

Where Shadows Meet is a compelling and emotionally resonant debut. It's a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading, prompting reflection on the nature of love, sacrifice, and the enduring power of the past. Fans of dark fantasy and intricate character studies will find much to appreciate in this captivating tale.

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell is a lush, atmospheric fantasy that weaves queer romance, vampire lore, and intricate world-building into a gripping tale of love and power. The story thrives on its star-crossed lovers trope, delivering high stakes and emotional depth as its protagonists navigate a world shaped by myth and betrayal. Caldwell's writing is immersive, with vivid descriptions and a well-developed matriarchal society that sets it apart from typical vampire fantasies. However, the pacing occasionally falters, making some sections feel slower than others. Still, the novel’s rich themes and compelling characters make it a standout read.

I received a copy through netgalley and am offering my opinion freely.

The synopsis caught my interest immediately. I wish I could say I loved this book, but I didn't.

There were a lot of names and info dumping that just couldn't grab my attention. I found myself rereading pages more than once because I started daydreaming while reading.

I read so many words, but would fail to tell you what I read.

I'm still convinced someone will love this. That someone just isn't me.

I am not a huge vampire fan, so I do adjust for that in reviews. I don't think that preference means that the book itself was bad. Now if I remove that component and look at just the romantasy and the character development, I think this is a pretty good book. The worldbuilding was really interesting and the characters were well-rounded and complex. The timelines were a bit difficult to get use to, and I think they could have been better used, but in general I think it came together fine. The timelines interrupted the pacing, but the pacing of each timeline separately was pretty good.

a bit disappointing. Favre was a very generic character and none of the others felt that much better, and the worldbuilding was so intricately planned as to be incredibly hard to remember, even after setting it down for 10 minutes. still, i can see the vision. 3 stars. tysm for the arc.

3.5 stars rounded up. Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Where Shadows Meet follows three women on their journeys of love, and learning its true cost.

This concept was fantastic. I loved everything about it. However, for me, the delivery didn’t quite work.

While I appreciate the note from the author at the start of the book stating the world will be more explored in book two, and that questions will be answered there, I also question if that’s a technique I enjoy? Would I have enjoyed this story more to have things a little better outlined in book one? Probably. The story just did not grab me because I had little reasoning as to why or how things were even happening. This “in the next book I’ll world-build more - promise!” note having to be included in the first place has me wanting to see the editor notes…

I look forward to seeing what comes next and having the story ideally fleshed out a bit more.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, St.Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. Where Shadows Meet comes out April 1, 2025.

Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell is a dark, gripping sapphic vampire romantasy that blends love, sacrifice, and the complexity of fate. The story follows Leyla, the crown princess of a vampire nation, on her dangerous journey to Nekros to rescue her best friend. Along the way, the novel delves into the pain and sacrifice of the past, with complex characters like Favre and Thana, whose choices and love have shaped their fates in haunting ways. The tension between love and power is palpable, and the eerie journey to the Island of the Dead had me hooked from start to finish.

The world-building and shifting timelines can be a bit tricky at first, but Caldwell's immersive prose and deep character development made it an emotionally rewarding read. The dark romance at the heart of the story is tender yet intense, pulling you into the characters' struggles for self-discovery and redemption. If you're a fan of intricate fantasy with high stakes and emotional depth, Where Shadows Meet is an unforgettable journey that lingers long after the final page.

Caldwell, as an author, has such bursting creativity when it comes to worldbuilding and lore for their characters held within Where Shadows Meet. The rich, vast history of the setting paired with the braided timelines of royal families lends to a dramtic story of queer, sapphic romance involving my personal favorite: vampires. That all being said, there were moments that the information was shared in a manner that one could describe as an "info dump", and the pacing would drag and then suddenly catapult in development.

This is my first queer romance fantasy and it did not disappoint. The women in this book are incredible strong determined capable and strong. I did find it a little difficult to keep track of characters with the multiple pics. But it gets easier as you read you notice differences in the characters and their tone.

A fantasy world with gods, vampires and humans all trying to survive after their world gets flipped upsidedown feyre is strong and desperate to save them all. There is a lot of world building and back story to get through but once you do it's amazing!

This was my first book by Patrice Caldwell. This was an interesting read! I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more books in this genre.

Where Shadows Meet is a really fun, creative, and emotional YA (maybe even "new adult"?) fantasy. The world-building and the different factions of vampires got a little confusing at times, I would have liked to read the paper version so I could flip back and forth to the compendium that is in the front of the book, I think. The characters have depth and their motivations are clear. I would have like a little more backstory on Najja, and why she is so committed to her people and their "duty" even though they have caused her so much harm, and why she is scared to reveal her true self to them. I also found the flipping back and forth between the same character but sometimes past/sometimes present got a little muddy.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and will probably look for the sequel when it's available. If you're a *~vibes~* reader and willing to leave a book with a lot of questions, you might like it, too!

Wow wow wow! This book is so refreshing and amazing! A totally unique world, history and story wrapped around readers favorite things, like vampires, war, cliffhangers, and love. I think I fell hardest for one of the villains from the first chapter because the author did such an amazing job making you feel for her. The light build up on romance between Leyla and Najja was so sweet - I loved the tension and especially loved when the slow burn ignited a bit. I want more of Favre. I want her to get her wings back. It's a fantasy world right? Am I asking for too much? haha

I flew through this book. The world did not feel too big or overwhelming. And give me more queer-centric x queer-NORMALIZED fantasy worlds. This was perfection!

I loved the dark, romantic atmosphere of Where Shadows Meet—a gripping vampire fantasy filled with love, sacrifice, and destiny. The rich prose and immersive world-building pulled me in, and the tension between past and present choices made the stakes feel real. The journey to the Island of the Dead was eerie and compelling, and I was completely invested in the characters’ fates. A haunting, beautifully written tale that lingers long after the final page.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 🧛‍♀️ Vampire Fantasy | 💔 Sacrifice & Love | 🏝️ Epic Quest

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this one! I am not the best at writing reviews sometimes, but sometimes books take you by surprise and this one did just that. I got invested a few chapters in and couldn't put it done. It was so good! I highly recommend this one.

This just wasn't the book for me. I tried to get into it several times but the world felt rather info dumpey and I wasn't particularly draw to any character's story.

This was not the book for me. Normally, any books with sapphic vampires are, but I was most interested in the first three pages of this and it was all downhill from there. I felt like everything was moving too fast and the characters were very surface level.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

While I did mostly enjoy Where Shadows Meet overall, there were some aspects that fell flat for me. There is a solid foundation of the world and the characters and I liked how the story unfolded between past and present, as well as the new take on vampires and the other mythology of the world woven in. However, I had a difficult time staying engaged in this book, especially in the first half. There is a lot of info dumping that becomes overwhelming at times with everything there is to keep up with. I also didn’t feel as much of a connection to the characters as I would have liked. We do go deep into their backstories, but it doesn’t feel like we get to spend as much time with them in the present or actually get to see their character arcs unfold. Particularly with Leyla and Najja. I liked their friendship turned relationship, but I just wanted more from it. We don’t get to see them learn to trust each other despite being made to hate the other’s kind their whole lives. We don’t get to see the friendship develop into feelings and a relationship, it is just suddenly there. As far as the plot, I liked the idea of these two going an adventure to save Leyla’s friend and the complications of Najja being able to know part of the future, but we don’t get to this part of the story until halfway through the book, and a lot of the back half feels rushed. I am still looking forward to the sequel in the duology, as I am invested enough to care about what happens to the world and these characters, but I wish this first book could have had a better balance between world building, characters, and plot.

Patrice Caldwell’s Where Shadows Meet is a lush, atmospheric fantasy that seamlessly weaves mythology, romance, and destiny into a spellbinding tale. Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and gods, the novel follows Leyla, a vampire princess who embarks on a perilous journey to Nekros, the island of the dead, in search of her missing friend. But as she unravels long-buried secrets, she risks awakening an ancient force tied to a tragic love story that has shaped the world she knows.

At the heart of the novel is the devastatingly romantic and hauntingly tragic relationship between Favre and Thana—a love that led to betrayal, sacrifice, and an unending thirst for redemption. Caldwell masterfully crafts an intricate world where fate and free will collide, exploring deep themes of loss, identity, and the lengths we go to for love.

With rich prose, breathtaking stakes, and a dark, immersive setting, Where Shadows Meet will captivate fans of The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri and Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. It’s a heart-wrenching and evocative debut that lingers long after the final page.

What an amazing read.The author brought to life incredible characters and a world rich with history. The more I read, the more I was pulled into the story. The characters felt real and their journey was full of twists. The world she created is full of secrets and magic that kept me hooked from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down, and I’m still thinking about it.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

An absolutely amazing debut fantasy!! The worldbuilding and lore was to fun to read and was so well explained. And it's sapphic, so it's obviously awesome.