Shyshade by Alex Aster was everything I hoped for and more! This third installment absolutely nailed the love triangle, leaving me torn but firmly Team Grim. The tension and romantic stakes were perfect—Grim’s devotion is unmatched. “I would burn the world for you without question.” Swoon!
The story had some amazing discoveries, revealing more about the island’s mysterious history and finally diving into the backstory of her parents, which was so thrilling to uncover. I loved seeing a darker side of the main character emerge, and the new villain brought an exciting twist to the plot.
And that CLIFFHANGER! My jaw is still on the floor. I’m already counting down the days until book 4—this series just keeps getting better!

Um ok I was not expecting that ending, I thought there were more chapters!! I need the next book nowwww. I really liked this narrator and was entertained throughout the story. The one thing I don't like is that Isla just cannot pick between Grim and Oro and goes back and forth between the two. I know we're probably supposed to feel this way and pick a side (if you don't pick Grim what are you doing), but I personally just don't love reading about love triangles, so that took away from the story. Despite this, I enjoyed the plot and will be waiting for the next book! 3.5 stars!

I was so excited for this book!! And while I enjoyed it I also got very annoyed at how back and forth it was and thought we would be getting a conclusion this book! I will still rate it 4 stars as I think my review depends on who you want the FMC to end up with. As far as the audiobook I thought the narrators did a good job and I was pretty immersed in the story. Will be recommending this whole series but with a warning it drags on!

I have mixed feelings about this one. I would give it a 3/5 if I had to rate it on a scale. Frustrated that this will longer be a trilogy? At this point the love triangle is beyond drawn out. It shouldn’t take 3 books to decide on a man. Grim > Oro. Grim is PASSIONATE and Oro is giving off bland. To me, an obvious choice. I enjoyed this book other than the “love triangle” and the fact that this is now a longer book series.

First, a huge thank you to NetGalley and RB media for an advanced audiobook copy of Skyshade.

I really love this series so much and think that this installment did wonders for the world and character building. It was amazing to see Isla come into her own and discover not only herself but her true strength. She is far from the young, naive girl we met at the beginning of the series. I also really enjoyed getting to see more from Grim and learning more of not only their backstory but his as well. Some of those twists and revelations left my jaw on the floor!

As far as pacing, I never at any point felt bored or as if the story was dragging. If anything, some parts may have felt a little rushed but not enough so to detract from the story or leave readers confused.

I was surprised at the continuation of the series beyond this book and feel that this will upset some readers who were expecting a certain resolution.

As far as the audiobook goes, I think the Narrator was great for Isla and did a great job keeping me immersed, but her masculine voice really took me OUT of the story. I would prefer either the narrator just speak the male lines in a regular voice or for it to be a dual narration.

Overall, I enjoyed to book. I liked the general direction of the plot but am slightly disappointed in the lack of resolution and parts of the narration. I do look forward to the next book(s) and can't wait to see where Aster takes us.

The further I go in this series, the more I am hooked!

After the twist at the end of book two, I could not imagine being convinced to feel any differently than I did about Oro and Grim or who Isla was meant to be with. But I was wrong, and conflicted and as it turns out, Isla is too.

I can’t wait to see where the series goes with the next two books recently announced!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook.

Alex Asher WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US?! Absolutely love this series so far but realized this is no longer a trilogy but will be five books! Book 3 continues as Book 2 ends with a love triangle between Grim and Oro. I mean how can Isla choose?! Well I want them all! It’s very difficult for us as readers to choose a side, because honestly I love them both. Oro is the muscular, empathetic, kind, great ruler of Lightlark and will always love Isla, but Grim is this sexy, strong, killing machine who only yields to Isla. This love triangle is giving Aelin, Dorian, Chaol Throne of Glass and Hunger Games vibes! Also Linx is still my furry best friend. We find out more about Isla’s heritage and her parents, answering more of our questions!

In this book you meet Lark, an undying witch who is ridiculously powerful and will take over if Oro and Grim do not unite their kingdoms. So that’s fun- and we are left with yet ANOTHER cliff hanger! Ahh the age old question WAS who will Isla choose, but I’ve made my decision she gets both and eat cake too! Forever love Oro like a contemporary romance novel, but also Grim like a morally grey MC who loves to make love. Loved this book and can’t wait to see what adventures or trouble Isla will get into in books 4 and 5!

I honestly had to think about this book for quite a few days now, before I could post about it. I went into the book, thinking it would be the third and last in a trilogy and that we would finally get an answer to this love triangle.

Therefore I was kinda shocked about another cliffhanger ending, because the author hadn’t yet made her announcement about two more books when I finished it. Up until the last minutes, I somehow thought we would get THE ending😅 My poor heart…
Although this did confuse me a bit, it didn’t take away the joy of listening to the story overall.

I am - and always will be - a Grim girlie. So the fact that this was a very Grim heavy book, made me super happy! And boy that man can groooovel 🧎🏻 I feel like the series gets spicier with every book, not me complaining 😈 However, I had a hard time rooting for Isla in this one. Not because she became darker and morally grey, I really liked that for her. But the back and forth between Grim and Oro was not my favorite in this one.
I would‘ve loved for this to be a trilogy, because I feel like I needed the conclusion to this love triangle NOW… But I will bravely continue the series and hope for the best for my baby Grim 🖤

Overall I enjoyed listening to the story. The narrator did an amazing job and I really loved her ‚Grim voice‘.

This story was everything I wanted in the series! I am craving the next book! As a team Grim I was so happy to see this story develop especially off the back of Nightbane

I don't know why I thought this series was a trilogy, but I'm glad it doesn't seem to be now!

This book was a little slow for me to get into, possibly because it has been a bit since I read the prior 2, so it took a little bit for me to catch up.

I feel so conflicted about how I want this to end, I feel like I can't even say anything.

It was really good and I can't wait for the next one!

Book Two was a thrilling rollercoaster, Book Three felt like a confusing roundabout I couldn’t quite exit. I had high hopes diving in, expecting all my favorite plot points to escalate, and maybe some juicy answers, but instead, I found myself rewinding, confused at times throughout the book. Perhaps it’s because I’m a visual learner and audio just didn’t work for me.

The author’s signature style is still here—beautiful prose, clever twists—but this time, it feels like the story got tangled in its own ambition. There were shining moments, but many threads left me scratching my head, wondering if I’d missed some hidden chapter that would tie it all together.

Alex Aster does it again!

I loved Lightlark and Nightbane, and I loved Skyshade as well. I loved being able to learn more about Isla and her self-discovery. It was also nice to be able to learn more about the lore of each of the lands, as well as some of the history that has been touched upon in previous books.

The way Grim was written was fantastic and I enjoyed being able to see a bit more of the relationship between him and Isla.

I will admit I did not see the twist coming and I enjoyed it. I also liked that we learned a bit more about Isla's parents.

The narrator of the audiobook was fantastic and I thought she captured Isla perfectly.

Can't wait for the next book!

Skyshade is the third installment in the Lightlark saga, and I was excited to jump in where we left off in Nightbane. Skyshade picks up almost immediately where we left off in the previous book. While I don’t typically care for love triangles, this one sucked me in, and has kept me hooked.

The narrator was great. Had a great voice, but I did not care for the way she portrayed Grims gravely voice.

I gave this book a 5 star because I feel the author has done a great job of describing this world and these characters and I still think about them! I really hope there is a fourth book!

I was soooooo excited for this book but I was severely underwhelmed first the plot didn't progress in any way yeah towards the end we got some action but the whole book felt like nothing I loved the islagrim moments don't get me wrong but the love triangle irrated me so bad like clearly there is only right answer like every other chapter she is like I love grim but I love oro too like girl stop being dramatic and just pick one and also I thought this was gonna be a trilogy and I think it should have been like this cuz plot wise this series doesn't need +3 books I feel like this is milking it so yeah I am really disappointed I expected better but I will probably read book four still.

Perfect in every way. Loved the story. Loved the narration. Perfection. I will always be Team Grim.

Thank you NetGalley for this early audio ARC.

This book was definitely different from the first two for obvious reasons; however I did enjoy reading it! The story picked up right where it left off from Nightsbane and it was done seamlessly. I once again enjoyed the narrators voice because I can always hear the emotion in her voice when speaking as Isla, Grim, Oro, etc. My new favorite character has to be Wraith the dragon! I loved that he became Grim’s bonded as a result of the aftermath from Book 1. His personality was amazing. I especially loved the scene when he went head on into fighting one of the monsters from the portal and didn’t back down. This book was really heartbreaking because I could feel Isla’s indecision towards both Oro and Grim; her feelings were very CLEAR. I could immediately connect more with Grim in this book as well because when he spoke you could feel/hear the sincerity, regret, and pain his voice. I immediately wanted to cry for Grim because he really loves her and would do anything for her. Isla in denial about her feelings towards Grim was absolutely hysterical. She was annoying at times because of that and all the secrets she kept, especially in the end! My favorite parts of this book was when Oro, Grim, and Isla worked together to try and take down Lark, it was such a pivotal moment. I can’t wait to see what they do together in the next book! Another favorite was basically all the lowkey spicy scenes, it was the PERFECT amount. I enjoyed the bonus chapter from Grim you could definitely feel the love he has for Isla in his POV. All in all I think this book was great but I wish it was slightly longer and that we had more Oro and Isla scenes. I’m Team Grim AND Oro unfortunately😭 I love both their relationships with Isla because they’re different.
Favorite Skyshade Quote “You said before, I don’t know what love is….but I do. I know it means us being infinite. It means our fates being tied together regardless of where we are, or whether we live or die.”
“I’m not sure of much in this world, Isla, but I am sure of this. My love for you doesn’t know reason. It doesn’t know limit. It doesn’t know death. In every universe, every timeline, I am yours… and you are mine.”
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!!

*The end had me banging my head against the wall*

The Lightlark Saga (note it’s saga and not trilogy- a distinction I didn’t make going in, damnit) has been a rocky road full of trials and battles and deep connections and earth-shattering reveals and major internet dramas and pretty damn enjoyable. Until now? This book is just a lot of internal struggle. Who can Isla trust? Who does she love? What can she do? We see more of the inner workings on Nightshade, including how Grim acts around other people…..which is sketch to say the least. She once again feels like a pawn in a man’s game. At least she has Lynx. (Anyone else always think it’s weird she has a damn panther?! No? Just me?) 🐈‍⬛

So let’s just say this. I was team Oro, now I’m less so. He doesn’t get much time in this book, and I think that’s a shame. He has barely been around these past two books, so his spark is dimming. I’m hoping that’s a calculation on the author’s part, but giving us a refresher would have been nice to keep the love triangle strong. I also don’t care about Grim much anymore. I felt bad for him when we had his big reveal, but in this book he hasn’t really proved his love and trust aside from telling her. We get some late plot steam and romance but little to no build up/rekindling. Mostly, I’m invested in Isla’s choice and seeing how she gets there, (especially considering the ending) but low key hoping it’s neither of these fools.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for gifting me this audiobook arc, in exchange for my unbiased review.

Spoiler free Review* i Devoured this audiobook, as the third installment to the series, whilst this isnt my favourite of the 3 it was the first one i listened to via audiobook. it gave a different feeling to the books and characters and i wish i had read alongside the audiobook in the first two. the themes and story continues following Nightbane. i can see a lot of care has gone into the writing and i really loved the build and slow burn ( lets not talk about the cliffhanger ending) Some of the themes and writing was a little repetitive but i personally LOVED it. its a must listen/read especially as we have two more books coming out 2025. thank you for the ARC listen to Net Galley and the publishers, i loved staying in the Larklight world a little longer! 3.75 stars rounded up!

This series just keeps getting better and better with each book! I just so love Isla and Grim, and the storyline is simply amazing!! This book continues the story that started in Lightlark, and Nightbane and is interesting from start to finish! This book is so well written, the action, the love has it all!! I can’t wait for the next book to release!! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

What a ride! Book 3 picks up exactly where book 2 left off! Secrets, lies, love, trust, and fight are bigger than ever. Who can Isla trust and who did you think she was going to pick?! Lots of loose ends and answers were revealed in Skyshade.

I really enjoyed this whole series and can't wait to continue it. I binged all 3 books in 5 days and really loved the audio narrator. I thought she was perfect! It flowed well and the way she was able to depict numerous characters really spoke volumes about her ability! I need the next book sooner, rather than later. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to ARC listen to the audio.