Slow start, hard to grasp. It took awhile to get into this one.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I always enjoy experiencing new authors and since this was a science fiction book compared to Firefly, why not give it a shot?

I enjoyed the book for the most part. I really liked Qole, Arjan, Eton, Basra and Telu. I thought they were an interesting cast of characters all with their own special gifts and I loved how close knit they were.

I struggled with Nev at times, who is basically the male lead as this book is told from his and Qole’s POV. For someone so smart, he could be a bit thick at times when it comes to reality. I guess it isn’t completely his fault as it was how he was raised, but even in the end I still struggled with him a bit.

I think I am struggling with this review a bit also.

It’s about this world where they use Shadow to run things. There is a group of people that go out of their way and Shadow fish. Unfortunately, because of what the shadow does it eventually drives people mad and it’s a bit unstable when it comes to running everything so Nev believes his family can fix that. He needs Qole to submit to some testing, but all of it is for the greater good of everyone, as he assures.

I found the world building lacking at times. I did not understand how they used Shadow to run the things they did. (Maybe I fell asleep during the explanation?) I get it’s science fiction, but I found the explanation lacking. Interesting concept, but it felt a little weak without a supporting argument or explanation.

I wanted to know more about the world.

I felt the book was also a bit too long. The chapters weren’t quick and I found myself bored or falling asleep half the time. The pacing was way too slow at times. It picked up at the end, but I found myself not really caring. I also had a hard time with the ending because it did not seem plausible to me that 5 people can take on that many people.

Overall. I thought it was a decent read. A little long. The pacing a little too slow at times. But, Qole and her team were fun at times and the loyalty between them was heartwarming.

Shadow Run is a young adult science fiction novel. It's the first in the Kaitan Chronicles. It's also a book that I almost gave up on, and ended up loving. I was to the point where I was going to DNF it because it just wasn't drawing me in. But then somehow, within the space of a few pages, something changed and I was hooked. I can't even pinpoint what it was, but everything just seemed to click suddenly.

One of the things that I loved about Shadow Run was Basra, and how the author handles their gender fluidity. It was accepted by everyone in the novel. Sometimes the character was masculine, sometimes feminine, but always Basra, the one in a relationship with the Captain's brother. There is no drama surrounding the character related to this, no stereotypical bigot to cause a scene. Most of the other characters in Shadow Run are forgettable for most of the book. They only come into their own in the end. Watching Nev grow up was kind of heart-breaking, but well handled.

It's hard to make sweeping statements about Shadow Run, because of my differing reactions to the beginning and the end. The plot was nothing new, the dialogue not particularly snappy. But the fight scenes were extremely well executed. The author does a fantastic job in the last half of the book at building up tension and drama. When everything kicks into gear, I was completely invested in what was happening. It went from being a book I could barely pay attention to, to one that had me on the edge of my seat, cheering the characters on. Especially Nev and Eaton.

Shadow Run is a young adult novel, so of course, there is romance. However, the author does a decent job of developing the relationship slowly. The fact that it didn't involve large amounts of hormonal thoughts and eyelash flutterings made it much more tolerable. Everything that the characters go through make the base for the relationship feel more sturdy than most portrayed in this type of novel.

Overall, it definitely has its issues, but Shadow Run does end up being worth the time and the money. I honestly believe this is one of those series where each book is just going to keep getting better.

The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced adventure in space with some cool world-building ideas, but with too much of an emphasis on the romance, it lost me in the second half.

Color me conflicted. I read lots of enthusiastic reviews of Shadow Run before I dove in, and based on its high ratings on Goodreads, I was fully expecting it to blow me away. Unfortunately, while there is plenty to love about this story, Shadow Run was missing that sparkle I was hoping for, and it ultimately left me a bit cold.

Qole Uvgamut is the captain of the Kaitan Heritage, a “fishing” ship whose quarry is an elusive substance called Shadow, a potentially powerful energy source with extremely volatile properties. Hunting Shadow is a dangerous but profitable business, and Qole is one of the best Shadow hunters out there. When the story begins, Qole has just taken on a new crew member, a young man named Nev. Unbeknownst to Qole, Nev is actually Nevarian Dracorte, a member of the royal Dracorte family and heir to the throne, who has been sent by his father to bring Qole back to his home planet of Luvos. Nev believes that Qole is the key to unlocking the mysteries of Shadow in order to use it for the good of civilization. Its untapped potential as an energy source could save lives, and Nev is determined to succeed in bringing Qole to his father.

But Nev isn’t the only one who knows how powerful Qole’s affinity to Shadow really is, and before he can formulate a plan to explain to Qole who he really is and how she can help the world, their ship is attacked, and Qole and her brother Arjan are captured. Qole unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a power struggle between two warring families, her life in grave danger. As Nev and Qole grow closer together, Nev must decide which side he’s on: standing with his family and the people of Luvos, or helping Qole and her crew escape a terrible fate.

First of all, Shadow Run has some pretty cool world-building, and it’s a world I’d love to learn more about, because I don’t think this story was sufficiently long enough to really dig deep into some of the authors’ ideas. I loved the concept of Shadow, a glowing substance that “swims” through space, hard to catch and dangerous when it is caught, but with so much potential for helping humanity. Then on the other hand, it’s extremely dangerous, and it causes plenty of trouble in this story. I enjoyed the comparison of Shadow to schools of fish and the idea that it has to be netted. Fishing in space! I also loved that Qole has Shadow inside her, and that her planet’s legacy is that the people who hunt for Shadow are literally becoming that substance. It’s an idea that I’m sure the authors will expand upon in future books.

Like many YA science fiction/dystopian novels, Shadow Run has a wide gap between the “haves” and “have nots” in the form of a ruling family steeped in wealth and tradition, living lives of ease and plenty, while the people of planets like Alaxak struggle to survive on an ice-bound planet, with Shadow as their only marketable resource. One of the most intriguing parts of this story—for me—were the mining drones, huge monstrosities that were programmed long ago by the Dracorte family to mine riches from the soil. Now, however, many of those resources have been plundered and are gone. Unfortunately, the drones don’t know this, and they continue to do their thing, digging deep into the earth even when nothing is there. No one knows how to shut them off or reprogram them, so the drones are a both a nuisance and a threat. The authors kept bringing up the drones throughout the story, and I kept thinking they were going to be important at some point. But even though they are finally used for a plot point near the end of the story, it just wasn’t enough for me.

Strickland and Miller have created some fantastic characters, and added a fair amount of diversity if you’re searching for diverse reads. One of my favorites—and the character with the most surprises—was Basra, one of Qole’s crew members and a gender fluid character. Basra is mostly in the background, but near the end he/she turned out to be so much more than I was expecting. There was a sweet and understated relationship between Basra and Arjan that I shipped, and believe me, I don’t usually “ship” characters!

Strangely enough, I enjoyed Nev’s character more than Qole’s, and I’m not completely sure why. Qole is really a wonderful character at first glance, a badass captain with plenty of secrets and a unique hidden weapon. But she turns out to be a bit wishy-washy after she—surprise—falls head over heels for Nev. The romance between Qole and Nev was one of my least favorite parts of the story, and once Qole realizes her feelings for Nev, they completely take over her focus.

Nev, on the other hand, kept surprising me. At the end of the story, he’s presented with a moral dilemma that tested his beliefs, and I thought it worked really well. His mission to bring Qole back to Luvos was called his “Dracorte Flight,” and I loved how it reminded me of the Amish Rumspringa.

Once the crew makes it to Nev’s planet of Luvos, however, the story started to fall apart for me. We’re introduced to a host of new characters, most of them vile. Qole clearly does not fit in with Nev’s royal family, and she makes blunder after social blunder before she decides to turn tail and get the hell out of there. It didn’t help matters that Qole and Arjan are continuously described as having “dark skin” and “weird accents,” alluding to the fact that they are different from everyone else in the story. Some readers are not going to take kindly to this clumsy attempt at adding diversity.

The last part of the story is fast-paced and exciting, and the authors put just about every character in mortal danger. I appreciated the fact that there isn’t a cliff hanger, and that most of the threads are tied up by the end. Strickland and Miller have a good thing going here, and despite some of my issues, I’m looking forward to continuing this series.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

This book is a fun space adventure with witty banter and a team you want to cheer for, I loved Qole's strength and stubbornness and her crew each had individual personalities that made their loyalty to her all the better. While I didn't quite care for the romantic aspects of Qole and Nev's relationship I still enjoyed and liked them.

ay Kristoff described SHADOW RUN as “kinda like FIREFLY had an illegitimate lovechild with DUNE.” and I knew I had to read it. Kristoff was right, SHADOW RUN could be their baby. I enjoyed this sci-fi fantasy that took us deep into space and placed us aboard the starship Kaitan Heritage. Action, suspense, a brilliant crew and a splash of romance had me completely engaged.

Welcome aboard the Kaitan Heritage, a starship cargo loader captain by Qole. I loved the worldbuilding and concepts created by these authors in SHADOW RUN. Qole, the youngest person to command a ship and perhaps one of the greats. Qole and Arjan her brother hail from Alaxak and infected by shadow. Their crew consists of one of Qole’s childhood friends a hacker named Telu, Eton the bodyguard, and Basra, the merchant. These secondary characters are fleshed out and full of surprises, so be alert. Barsa is brilly and a favorite already. Also on board is their newest crew member Nev, a royal prince searching for highly functional shadow people. Disguised as a cargo loader he is about to alter the course of the ship and their lives.

Strickland and Miller deliver this story in dual narratives alternating between Cole and Nev and it worked brilliantly. The story is fast paced with the world building slowly laced throughout the story. I loved their show not tell approach. Kristoff was right in his description, and I loved the whole FIREFLY vibe of the ship and worlds. The snark, subtle romance and kick-ass crew made me feel right at home. Nev and Qole are strong, likable characters allowing me to become emotionally connected as I rooted for them.

There is a subtle romance that I hope will continue throughout the series. We did have a little triangle at one point that had cliche elements, but it is quickly withdrawn allowing readers to breath knowing we won’t be saddled with that drama.

From dual-wielding Disruptor Blades, drones and purple flames shooting from fingertips, SHADOW RUN will feed your inner geek. However, the tale is light enough to attract fans who don’t necessarily dabble in science fiction. The friction stems from resources and political power and while the story isn’t overly complex, the action scenes, kick-ass characters, and imagery bring it all to life.

The ending resolves their current issue and hints at things to come, leaving the reader in a good place. Fans of SIX OF CROWS, ILLUMINAE, and FIREFLY will enjoy time aboard the Kaitan Heritage.

Nev is the newest crew member aboard the starship Kaitan Heritage, a ship that "fishes" for Shadow, a volatile energy harvested from space. The crew is a ragtag collection of misfits, and their captain, a teenage female named Qole, is the youngest ever to pilot her own ship - she's hard as nails because she has to be. She's from a desolate world where Shadow poisoning killed her family, except for her brother, Arjan, a member of her crew. Nev has his own secrets: he's a prince from a world that wants to examine how Shadow binds to organic material, ostensibly to make the galaxy a better place - and help their own interests, naturally. But Nev has to get close to Qole first, before he can reveal who he is and convince her to come back to his homeworld with him.

Nev isn't the only one who knows about Qole and her ability to channel the Shadow inside her, though. A rival royal family is onto them, and they're not nearly as concerned with the greater good as Nev is. As Nev tries to win Qole's trust, and the trust of everyone aboard the Kaitan, he must navigate the rough and tumble spacefaring world and the world of privilege he's grown up; he may also learn that not everything on his home world is what it seems to be, and his own family's intentions may not be as honorable as his are.

Shadow Run is the first book in the science fiction series, Kaitan Chronicles. There is a lot of solid world-building here, but the first half of the book just didn't catch me. Once the story hit its stride, though, it was a solid pulse-pounder, loaded with diplomatic intrigue, betrayal, and action. The characters are well thought out; revelations happen throughout the course of the book, so it's worth sticking with it.

Shadow Run's been compared to both Firefly and Dune. I see more Firefly than Dune; the rivalry between the royal families is the only facet tying it to Dune. This is more space opera/western, like Firefly, with a diverse crew of characters that have much more going on than meets the eye. I liked the chemistry between Qole and Nev, and I liked the relationships that each of the supporting characters had to Qole. Their reactions to Nev were honest, visceral, and I appreciated that; no "magic friendships" or melodrama popped up here and I respect the writers for it. There's gender fluidity that truly brings this novel into the 21st century and beyond, too. Stick with Shadow Run: you'll be happy you did.

I'm going to be honest. This book wasn't on my radar until one of my Twitter friends messaged me and told me and I needed to request it because it was "like Firefly and Dune had a book baby that has MURDER DRONES!". Yeah. I requested it real fast after that.

Shadow Run is a fun read from start to finish. It's more heavy on the Firefly than the Dune which made me love it even more. I loved the action which was pretty much non-stop.

The thing that made this book for me was the characters! They were all so amazing! I quickly fell in love with this small band of misfits. The crew really reminded me of the crew from Firefly in how diverse and tight knit it was. It is surprising how much character development actually made it into the story considering that they were in crisis mode most of the book. The diversity in this book was SO refreshing and well-done!

I will say I didn't connect with the captain, Qole, until the second half of the book but I loved that she was a young female captain of a spaceship that collects an energy called Shadow. The worldbuilding combined with Qole's abilities was intriguing. Nev kind of annoyed me from the moment he stepped on the page. He stuck out like the sore thumb when he joined the crew which is to be expected from a prince among orphans and thieves. He acted like a spoiled rich kid most of the time but he did have some likeable and redeeming moments. I will say that I did not like how the crew treated him for the majority of the book. My favorite character though was Basra and I want more. I haven't read a lot of books that feature genderfluid characters like Basra.

The story alternates between Qole and Nev's points-of-view each chapter and I'm not sure if I liked that. There are some noticeable cliches in the book but I overall I didn't mind that much. I did have a few issues with the "romance". Mostly it wasn't there which made the kiss towards the end a bit awkward. Thankfully, it was easy to ignore thanks to all of the action. The story did feel overly wordy and it made the flow of the story feel a bit choppy in places. Also, if violent books are not your cup of tea, I wouldn't recommend picking this one up.

This story overall was okay and I had a good time reading it. In my opinion, Shadow Run is a decent start to a new series but it's not going to be a favorite book. I'm intrigued to see where the authors go from here.

This one had me sold when it said that it was a mash-up of Firefly and Dune. I really hate it when books do this because they tend to fall flat. I'm so sad that I didn't like this one since I was so excited to read it. This one fell very flat for me and I ended up DNFing it. It was confusing and lacking in that spark to make it an amazing read for me.

Oh, this book was disappointing. I had hoped so badly to love it. Because I adore everything space. Books, movies, shows. And this one sounded pretty exciting. But hah. I had big issues right away. But I thought it would be getting better. Sadly, it never did. This book only got worse and worse for me. Very disappointing.

There were times when I liked the writing. But those times were not often. For the most part the writing in this book annoyed me a whole lot. I didn't care for any of the characters. And both main characters had such weird ways of thinking. And the whole book was more telling than showing, which is annoying and not good.

This book is told from the point of view of Nev and Qole. Sadly I cannot say that I loved either of them. I liked Nev at times. But most of the time the way he behaved was silly and just cheesy. And Qole was not a good person at all. I so wish she had been better. But she wasn't. I hated the way she treated Nev for most of the book. It wasn't okay. They claim she is the best pilot there is. I didn't see that at all. And hahaha. That summary. It sounds like she has a big crew of horrible but loyal people. Again, not true. And the way they are described isn't correct at all. There is Qole, her brother, a girl, and two other boys. Only five people on this ship. And five very badly written people at that. Her brother is overprotective, in a real silly and stupid way. I felt nothing.

The other girl is a hacker, and with no personality at all. Then there is this boy or girl, who knows, which is written so badly, and the characters are always wondering if he is a boy or a girl. It wasn't done well at all. He seemed interesting, but cared not one bit. At the end he was such an awful person and it bothered me greatly. Not a character for me. And the final boy, okay, man. He was huge and so strong and whatever. And he was so protective of Qole. Was stupid and silly and all he did was hurt aka beat Nev, all the time.

Just, yeah. This crew of hers was just not for me at all. They were written so badly and I did not care for any of them. Didn't see how they were a family at all. Ugh. It was just stupid. And I'm so disappointed in it. Sigh. And oh, Qole. I wish I could say I loved her. But I did not. She was always rude towards Nev. And she hurt him too. She didn't understand him at all. Or his feelings. Yet she keep claiming that she cares for him, and hah. I didn't get that. She also wasn't an interesting person, sadly. I wanted to love her. Sigh.

And oh, Nev. I didn't love him either. Aw. Spoiled rich son of a king. Yet he was very gentle and kind and pretty fierce too and great at fighting. Yet I cared for him very little. He starts liking Qole right away when he meets her. For no reason. So silly. This boy is a prince. And after lying to this crew for 24 hours, they find out the truth, then they all beat him, sort of. And I just. They all treated him horribly all the time. Even after he saves them so many times. They still treat him badly. And yet he considers them his friends. Ugh.

The plot is about Nev wanting to kidnap Qole, because of something in her blood. This book is about Shadows, or whatever. Something dangerous that ends up killing people after years. Don't know nearly enough about this, so didn't really care at all. Qole is supposed to be full of this Shadow thingy. And so she is special. And has some kind of power. Sigh. It was a little bit of interesting, except when she killed hundreds of people and didn't care at all. For real. I'm so upset about it. None of them cared. Not okay.

Anyway. The plot. It wasn't really interesting at all. They are just on their ship, trying not to get killed by other people. Then they return to Nev's home, and his family are rich evil people and hahaha. Oh, and he's engaged. Which he didn't mention. Engaged to such a spoiled rude girl and it was so so typical and I hated every moment of it. Such a stupid book, sadly. His family were awful. I could have liked his sister, but she was awful too, yet he is so kind and so different, and hahaha. Yeah. They weren't a good family.

Oh, romance. There wasn't any. First kiss happens on the second to last page of the book. And it was the most badly written kiss I have read. Ugh. It wasn't good at all, which makes me so sad. And there wasn't any romance in the book. Yeah, Nev and Qole are supposed to feel for each other the whole book. But it was silly and stupid and I didn't care for it one bit. Ugh. Then that ending. Yeah, I hated one torture thingy, but only that. Did not excuse that they all killed so many people and didn't feel bad for it at all. Not okay.

Ack. I have only written negative things about this book. Yet I'm giving it two stars. Sigh. I didn't fully hate it. Though it do seem that way now, lol. I just had so many issues with it. I liked some parts. But I still kept reading, but I loved nothing. And I just wanted the book to be over. And yet it wasn't the worst book I have read. But it was really, really bad. And I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. Sigh. I felt like this book could have been so much more. But it just wasn't. And so I'm disappointed. Wish it had been better.

I'm not going to lie, I am always so delighted when I find a Science Fiction novel that is accessible and exciting! I had high hopes for Shadow Run, and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. The Kaitan Heritage is a ship after my own heart. Cobbled together, barely holding on, and full of the most loyal and intriguing set of people there ever was! I remember seeing somewhere that this book was likened to Firefly and Dune. Yes, friends, that is entirely accurate. A little bit of love, a dash of danger, and a whole lot of sarcasm and wit. That's what you'll find between these pages.

First off, massive kudos to the authors for crafting as captivating a character as Captain Qole. At just 17 years old, she's the best Shadow fishing captain in the Universe. But that's not where her intrigue ends. Qole is also poisoned by the very thing that both makes up her livelihood, and makes her such an excellent captain. It's a compelling double-edged sword. What I loved most about her character though, was how self-assured and bad-ass she was. Qole doesn't need your admiration. She's strong, loyal, and full of a kind of fierce love that made me fall for her instantly. I love seeing forceful women in positions of power. Qole doesn't disappoint.

Better still, Nev's entrance into this story didn't dim Qole's light one bit. In fact, Nev is a beautiful contrast to Qole's dark and resolute personality. See, Nev is ever the optimist. He's both tough as nails and has a heart that is fit to burst with pride for his family. His quick thinking and kindness make him the perfect opposite to Qole, and watching them interact is honestly a lot of fun. I never felt like the tension brewing between them was overbearing and the little romance that may have existed just felt like it belonged. Color me impressed.

The absolute only reason I wasn't able to give this a full five-star rating is because the climax felt a little rushed. The first three-quarters of this book are perfectly paced. There is world-building galore, time for our characters to grow and understand one another, plus even the perfect amount of action to keep things fresh. As the book neared the end, I felt like it was rushing to push everything still left undone in order. Which, to be honest, I can totally understand. It makes me happy to know that there's another book coming after this one. I absolutely cannot wait to read it!

You need to meet the ragtag crew of the Kaitan. Plain and simple. If Shadow Run isn't already on your wishlist, put it there.

Shadow Run fits into the category of Romantic Sci Fi rather than Sci Fi with a touch of romance. Depending on your preferences, that distinction will become important since the focus really is on the romance rather than the sci fi aspects. But Shadow Run is a very enjoyable read that never feels insipid or overly melodramatic: a trap into which so many heavy romance sci fi fall.

Story: Nev is undercover - trying to recruit Qole, a freighter captain with a secret, to help stabilize his family's empire. But things will soon spiral out of control as his past soon endangers both. Getting her trust will be the least of their problems, however, as Qole becomes a hot property in the galaxy - and wanted dead rather than alive.

As noted, this is very much a romance. The cliches are there: main female character is a 'speshul snowflake', gets kidnapped and needs to be rescued multiple times, thinks about the guy all the time instead of her mission/reality/danger, love interest guy is a 'prince'/in touch with his feelings/thinks about how beautiful the girl is all the time, lots of characters sniffing each other and thinking how nice they smell, one or another character walking in and finding the other underdressed and thinking how sexy they are, characters with supposed tough pasts but very well adjusted, black and white evil and good characters, a ball where our heroine gets to wear a fancy dress and dance with the 'prince', etc. etc. I like romance in my books as much as the next person but I also prefer to avoid so many of the cliches. Especially that our supposedly 'tough' female character is continually rescued/saved by the guy. But there are also some frustrating sci fi/adventure cliches as well: the ship's crew being full of people with perfect abilities to push plot points: ultra talented hacker, super-navigator, super skilled pilot, mysterious person with amazing connections, etc. etc. So those are the downsides that keep this from being a 5-star read.

Ultimately, what is most rewarding about Shadow Run is that these are characters that you want to root for as they go through their trials. It lacks the grittiness of a Firefly since the character alignments are blatantly obvious and twists are well telegraphed. But we don't have the endless amounts of plasma weapon descriptions and space technical terms to slog through either, which is a relief. So while this is not as strong as a Tanja Huff or Jack Campbell book, I'd say it is definitely on par with a Linnea Sinclair. There's a nice mix of conflict and adventure vs the romance.

Shadow Run is a fairly quick read that doesn't bog down anywhere and with good pacing. It has a definite arc in this first book in the series and ends on a satisfying note while also leaving enough intrigue to look forward to the next book in the series. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Every ounce of this book is what I love about reading. Space, incredible characters, interesting abilities, hilarious lines, heartfelt moments, and more. I adored every insane moment and I am already ready for the next book. This has become a new favorite series already.

Meet your new favorite series.
There is a little bit of everything including political intrigue, action, romance, adventure, magic, and the most incredible characters. Seriously, you will fall in love with these characters. They are so well-written, I guarantee you will feel an attachment. This only raises the stakes on the adventure because things aren’t all rainbows and butterflies. Our characters are in real danger and I found myself glued to the pages because I truly cared what happened to them.
Told in dual POVs, we get Nev and Qole’s perspectives. Nev is the prince in disguise on Qole’s ship, Kaftan Heritage. He is on a mission to get Qole to his home planet. This gets out to a rival royal family and they want Qole too, but aren’t concerned with her safety. Now it’s a high stakes adventure full of action that is literally impossible to put down.
The authors work together flawlessly. The story flows beautifully. The world-building is outstanding. There are plenty of twists. I fell in love with all of the characters, especially certain secondary characters. This book would make one hell of a blockbuster! I’m going to have quite the hard time waiting for the sequel. Fans of the tv show Firefly or the movies Star Wars or Dune will want to check this out. And if you enjoyed Illuminae. It’s right up your alley!

At 17, Qole is the youngest starship captain from the frozen planet of Alaxak. She and her unique crew fish the systems for Shadow - sort of described as radiation. It is a hazardous job and those working closely with Shadow die young. Qole is unique in that she can actually harness the power of Shadow and use it as a weapon. Nevarian Dracorte is a prince and heir to a huge part of the galaxy. He is in disguise and on a mission to convince Qole to come with him to his home planet so they can better understand and exploit her abilities with Shadow. Rival royal families also want Qole and are not above human experimentation to further their studies. Capture, torture, escape . . . happens a lot in the story.

There is nothing new here. The theme, plot, setting, and characters are all quite familiar to the avid reader. Every crew member that Qole has gathered has hidden abilities and a mysterious past and are all quite likeable. The reader will likely root for Nev as the well-meaning hero, but will shake their head at his naiveté and manipulation. Chock full of fighting - hand to hand and all out war, this is best for readers eager for destructive action.

I am not a sci-fi nerd. I dont think I ever have been.
And Im not saying this book converted me per say, but I am saying that I am looking forward to book 2 in this series.

Im in love with all the characters in this story but most especially Arjan and Basra.
I ship them. Very very very much.
I did not like...
[ the introduction to the fiancee.. that part threw me off with this book and I didnt like that.

A very great story overall! The main characters were very well written and easy to read about. I'm not the biggest Sci Fi fan, but for some reason I keep on reading books that take place in space ahaha. I do really love Qole and the Space Team. This was a great book and it is filled with a lot of action and a lot of keep you on your toes moments!! Not going to write a long review, because there isn't much to say about this one, other than that it is really good!

4 stars!

*
Shadow Run is a delightful YA Sci-Fi novel with an engrossing plot, great writing, and developed characters. It is the kind of novel that hooks you in right from the start, delivering a story filled with action and witty dialogue as well as twists and turns that leave you on the edge of your seat.

AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller are a duo definitely worth keeping an eye on. Their writing is engaging and easy to follow, and the action scenes are exciting and very well-paced. The dual shift in POV from Nev to Qole in this book also works wonderfully, with each character having an unique voice and layered personalities.

The very beginning is a little slow, but things pick up with a twist, a reveal, and some amazing action scenes right in the first few chapters. The world-building also takes a little while to fully understand, but it’s done in a way that we get information little by little, without it overwhelming the rest of the story — no info-dump!

Along with the spaceships, fights, and shadow, there is also royal schemes and intrigue. There are quite a few attempts at backstabbing and betrayal, and all contribute to the novel’s tense atmosphere. The focus of this story is very much on the adventure and action, but it also gives readers some wonderful moments built on friendship and families of choice. There’s also very little romance, but it’s done in a way that’s believable and sweet.

Qole, one of the main characters, is a badass and has no problem calling people out on their shit, which we see a lot whenever someone tries to control or patronize her. She doesn’t let people get away with their problematic behaviors, and it is amazing to read about her standing up for herself. Nev is also great, and his character development throughout the story is so much fun to read about, especially as he learns some very harsh lessons along the way.

As for others character, like I said above, everyone has an unique voice and is developed. Side characters are developed and provide some added mystery to the plot. It’s very interesting learning a little bit about them as things progress, and have secrets be revealed along the way. Even more so when said secrets directly impact the plot.

Overall, Shadow Run is a super fun read! It has lots of action and twists and amazing characters, all packed into some great writing. YA Sci-Fi fans should definitely pick this up!

The characters, especially Qole and the others on the Kaitan, were pretty great. A diverse and extremely loyal, strong-willed group, they made me root for them immediately. Nev was more hit or miss for me, though I did grow to like him quite a bit more by the end, in the beginning he really grated on my nerves.

The space adventure was certainly fun, and I liked learning about the Shadow, and the power- and destruction- it had over the people of space. The book was a bit slow to start, but then I became invested in the characters, the plot, even the politics of the universe. But then the excitement started to fade a bit again for me. There was a lot of unnecessary information, and I often found myself skimming a bit and not really missing anything. I felt like the pace could have been picked up, certain scenes could have been cut shorter or eliminated, and the story would have been the same- and more readable, certainly.

Will I Continue the Series? Maybe. I did like the characters enough to want to know what happens next, but I also don't know if I can deal with another long-winded book.

Bottom Line: While I enjoyed the characters and the story, I often found myself succumbing to periods of boredom.

The blurb for this book left me with some super high hopes and it did not disappoint. There is space travel, shadow, badass fight scenes, slow burn romancing, wickedly amazing characters. I count myself very lucky to have gotten my hands on this. I think this book is going to blow up BIG!
The characters and world building are fantastic. I felt like I was truly in these new places while reading this. The architecture felt so real. I could fully envision everything and that is hard to do in SCI-FI novel. On top of that we get to see a good amount of different places so there was a lot of world building being done.
THE CHARACTERS wow I have not loved every core character to the group in a book since six of crows! Qole is our bad ass female lead in this she is strong, smart, fierce, but she is also closed off from people. She has issues she is working through that have caused her to not imagine a future for herself. Watching her grow was amazing. Nev my sweet undercover prince! Can I just first say I AM HERE FOR HIM BEING SENSITVE! He was great bad ass dual blade wielding but also inherently kind. He wants what is best for his people and friends. Nothing could take the kindness from his heart. I really loved that he was the more heart on your sleeve character also because we seldom see men in the profile.
I loved the rest of the crew as well Basra and Arjan are life. I need to know everything there is to know about them! Telu and her bad ass hacking! I love a hacker it is my not so secret wish to be that amazing with hacking! Eton with his stand offish vibe but in the same sentence he is cooking dinner like a boss! Solara, Nev's sister. I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HER!
Lets's talk dual POV I loved them both! Usually I find myself liking one POV better and then dying to get back to the one every time it changes. With this though I was happy no matter what. I loved both characters so much I could have lived in their minds forever.
Romance in this is slow burning wonderful. ALL AROUND. Yes yes yes! That is all I am going to say about that. This book was so good. I loved it go buy it now please.
5 stars!

Favorite Quote
"Lights danced in the darkness behind my lids, and I thought I heard whispering-- beckoning me to oblivion."