When I read the blurb for this book I was expecting a fantasy based adventure story akin to LOTR’s but Stone definitely could be the next Pratchett with this series! A hilarious read with the right amount of mystery and suspense. Very enjoyable with some unique and intriguing characters and the perfect theme of good vs evil. Can’t wait to read the next instalment!

Received arc from Kingsbrook Publishing and Netgalley for honest read and review,this review is my own.
The blurb of this book made me try for arc and ,as previously stated,is set for a bit younger audience than myself. But that said it was a fun, witty and fast paced book that a lot of you will like, so it is definitely worth a read.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one .

The good: the plot has elements of mystery and adventure that work well together. Some of the characters are interesting and there are some humorous points.

The bad: the humor does become tiresome. A few characters are a bit two dimensional.

The results: three stars. This is not bad for a tale with a younger (non-adult) audience. I do enjoy comedic elements interspersed within a good story, but this reads almost like a Keystone Caper. I also prefer characters to have more depth. While this book isn’t bad, neither is it good. Average overall.

My thanks to Kingsbrook Publishing via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

#KingsbrookPublishing #Netgalley #Illmoor #IfCatsCouldRead #Rescuedismyfavoritebreed #kindlesallthewaydown #fantasyfiction

Pacey, quippy, reaches for farce, but only achieves 'well, at least it was over quick.' The book feels a little like it's attempting to appeal to the Pratchett readers--all the characters are urban ne'er-do-wells of one sort or another--but fails utterly in making anything humourous, sympathetic to the characters it's poking fun at, or adding any actual emotional depth or societal commentary to the plot. There were a couple of fake-out character deaths towards the end, but I didn't ccare in the slightest whether anyone lived or died. It is an undemanding read, at least.

NB: I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. Inasmuch as I can be sure of such things, I believe that this has not affected the content of my review

I’m new to David Lee Stone, but a long-time fan of the genre so when I saw the very interesting cover for Shadow of the Shapeshifter I felt this would be right up my alley. Even the blurb was appealing. It suggested more of a mystery than fantasy. Still it sounded good so of course I just have to read it.

The book is listed as a Sci Fi & Fantasy, however, it felt more fantasy and less Sci Fi. The characters were likeable, and their dialog held a humorous note. Didn’t feel the story was very suspenseful so while there is a mystery to solve, it wasn’t one I felt needed puzzling out. There was a good build-up as they work through all the clues to find the missing viscount. It wasn’t an overly complicated story and I really do feel book would work more for a younger audience versus adults. Overall, it was at the very least, entertaining and a fun way to pass the time.


Stars: 3
I received this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for the book other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I went into Shadow of the Shapeshifter expecting adult fantasy/high fantasy but was pleasantly surprised by the story's greater resemblance to middle grade fantasy in terms of writing style.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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I went into Shadow of the Shapeshifter expecting adult fantasy/high fantasy but was pleasantly surprised by the story's greater resemblance to middle grade fantasy in terms of writing style.

Although somewhat jarring, it was nevertheless an enjoyable read with great characterization.

The plot was a little too simple and could definitely use some plot twists and mysteries that were more difficult to figure out.

Overall, this was a fun read and I'm sure a lot of teenagers would enjoy it a lot!

Rating: 3,5/5 stars

I haven’t read anything by this author before and was at first a bit confused at who the target audience was: the cover looked like an adult fantasy novel, the synopsis read like a fantasy crime noir, but the story itself was a middle-grade fantasy comedy.

Once I got that figured out and shifted my expectations, I did enjoy this book and the characters involved. It put me in mind of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series and I would recommend this book to younger teen readers as a gateway to his work.

My only major critique would be that the plot was too simple and linear, and could have been done with a few more plot twists and red herrings to lean more into the mystery/crime angle of the story.

Overall 3 stars.

Interesting read I have to say. Good plot. I like characters and interactions between them. Nice writing style. I think this novel will be good read for teens, young adults.

Shadow of the Shape shifted is amusing and fun to read. I particularly enjoyed some of the creative cursing. Original characters and names enhanced the experience.

I really enjoyed this book. its my first read from this author. his style of writing reminds me of terry practhett another author love. i have since followed this author on goodreads and amazon. thats how highly i think of it. will try read more books in future..thanks for the opportunity of reading