Until We Shatter is an imaginative YA fantasy about a young woman trying to survive in a world where the shadows and the church are both bent on destroying her. Cemmy is just trying to support her ailing mother and protect her friends from danger when she's forced to participate in a seemingly impossible heist that could save her and all other half-magical Hues from annihilation.

Filled with twists and turns and overflowing with romantic tension, Until We Shatter is perfect for fans of fantasy heists, found family, closed-door romance, and queer normative worlds.

I honestly can't be mean about this, however much I'd like to because this book, in essence, is not that bad. It just lacks a bit of organising, actual sense, and, oh, a better main character. (I think this would've been better if sapphic, but that's only a personal preference).

First things first, the plot literally led nowhere. The characters themselves notice that nothing has changed at the end of their adventure. So, you saved the world only to go back to being the most hated shits on the continent??? I would call this book action packed, even though the actual heist took place in the last 80 pages. Basically, the characters did some random things, apparently helpful to their goal (or rather the villain's goal????) and argued. Or kissed, as kindly reminded quiet often by Cemmy. For all the church's might, these halflings with no real knowledge of strategy fooled them so fucking easily. They fooled everyone, after all. So fucking convenient. The whole book i was like: Where's this fucking Council you keep mentioning? Why don't they do anything. They didn't have a single appearance in the book, though they should've been the ones to act, not a band of inexperienced, actual reckless chikdren. Betrayals took place, to which I honestly did not see the fucking reason. The male love interest betrayed the group, then the villain, then the group, then the villain, and so on. It felt like a thing added only to be appealing for Booktok. Again, this started nowhere and ended nowhere.

As to the characters, I wanted to strangle Cemmy so bad. She was the shittiest, winning bitch I've ever read about. Thinking herself the it girl one moment and then the other going to cry on our love interest's (who's also a stranger and the one threatening their lives) shoulder about the guilt she feels after continuously fucking up. That was her whole dynamic. Fucking up and then bringing some smart idea to 'solve' the problem. There is nothing to her character. Absolutely nothing. What seems to baffle me is how she steals so fucking much and despite that, she's not able to pay for anything? Girl, either you're robbing the wrong people or your town is fucking poor. Don't even get me started on her mother. Such a pain in the ass. After your daughter takes care of all the bills (this is disputable) by stealing, of which you were aware, you dare confront her about it once you're better as if you're some righteous bitch. The male love interests had potential, but ended up being a confusing, typical fantasy guy. Nothing actually special. He wanted to appear so cool, changing sides like that. If we're to talk about the rest of them, there's literally nothing to say. They were filler characters with bland personalities we didn't even get to discover. Novi was the one to attempt something close to a nicely done character, reason why I'm glad she's got someone better than Cemmy.

I WOULD'VE BEEN SO HAPPY IF THIS WAS SAPPHIC!!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA. THE CHEMISTRY WAS MAKING ME COMBUST AND YET SHE CHOSE THE BORING GUY.

Lastly, I would like to hand the award for the most confusing and senseless plot to this book. The magic was, safe to say, a huge mess. The actual full-bloods seemed to be weaker than the halflings and the whole system was a mess I barely got the hang of. You could say the same thing about every part of this book. It feels like an overthinker spilled their thoughts on paper. Instead of being a balanced book, there always seemed to be a battle between who should be dominant. It was either too much plot, or too much world building or too fucking much character analysis. The more you advance, the more confused you get. As I said, the ideas are nice and unique, and yet it's clear the author was excited, I'd say a bit too excited to give them to us.

The reviews I read seemed to praise the writing and I cannot disagree with that more. For me, the plot, no matter how many holes it had, was the best feature of the book. It was really intriguing to read about their powers manifesting (that until I got to the actual heist, which I skimmed a bit cause damn if it wasn't just the characters trying to become martyrs).

I'm saddened, truly, because this book, this world especially had so much potential and the author's love for the story was noticeable throughout the book. I don't regret reading it, but coming from a reader who likes to analyse everything, this was a headache.

I think there will definitely be some very specific type of readers who will enjoy this. The potential is absolutely there.

Stay with me here…

I have to be honest, I started this book months ago and just couldn’t get into it. I stopped reading after the first chapter and that was that.

Except that wasn’t that. At all.

I tried again a few days ago and what do you know, I was instantly into it and thoroughly enjoyed it!

I found that I had to really concentrate to keep track of the storyline and stay on top of what was happening, particularly once ‘the council’ and ‘the church’ were introduced. I worked hard to figure out who / what was good and / or bad.

Overall, the characters are very likeable and there was more than one ‘gasp out loud’ moment and enough twists and turns to keep me hooked. I was instantly drawn into liking Chase, even though he’s initially introduced as a ‘bad’ guy. Cemmy, the main character, I found frustrating but still likeable and was definitely rooting for her.

On the whole, a very enjoyable book and I would recommend to others who are into this genre.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review and I wish Kate Dylan success with the release.

Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan is a super exciting heist fantasy. The story is all about Cemmy, a thief who’s always in danger. When her mom gets sick, she has to pull off a risky heist to steal a powerful relic from a shadowy realm. She teams up with Chase, a mysterious and dangerous guy, to make it happen.

The book for its fast-paced action, has a cool magic system and the characters are fun, easy to root for, with some romance and a sense of found family thrown in. It’s a great mix of action, magic, and a bit of love.

If you like heist stories with a lot of excitement and magic, this one’s for you!

In a world of in betweens, will you find a sanctuary, or will you shatter? I have stunning @goldsborobooks special editions of Kate Dylan’s first duology but have not gotten to them in my physical tbr, and yet I couldn’t resist asking for an advanced reader’s copy of this book when I read the description. And I must say, I am definitely even more looking forward to the other two books now.

With a color-based magic system that also bears a desaturated, and often threatening parallel plane, this world is both familiar and very unique. It hits a lot of typical fantasy beats, but it never felt like it was slow or boring. The heist aspect gives the feel of popular TV shows like Leverage and series like Shadow and Bone, while the stark and hateful divide between a fanatic religious sect and the often equally harmful magic wielders draws clear connections to reality. Overall, a very fun read that I would recommend to most fantasy readers.

The way Dylan writes kept me captivated and interested in this book. However, I found the book to be a bit confusing to follow along with and the beginning info dump didn’t really help with that.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in Until We Shatter For and the relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

Cemmy, our main character, is a very desperate thief, trying to keep herself and her mother afloat in a city which is on the brink of a civil war between the Church (anti-magic) and the Council of Shades (pro-magic), both of which hates her kind: A Hue, Half a Shade, able to dip in and out of the shadow realm by anchoring herself to the In-Between but not able to survive there without an anchor. But she is not alone, she belongs to a small group of misfits, hunted by all sides.

In her desperation, Cemmy is caught in a bad situation that ends up with her and her friends being blackmailed by a rogue Shade to steal a very secure and heavily guarded artefact since the Church though to create all protection systems to catch full Shades, but not Hues. Queue in the crew of blackmailed misfit Hues, using their colour-specific magical talents, in a life or death heist. Of course we are also served with a side dish of romance.

This book promises a lot for its relatively short length. The world building and the magic system were complex and missed some more explanation and development, since I often got confused about the different colours or metals and their powers and had to go back to where it was explained in order to follow the story again. I liked the concept of the magic system overall, even if I’m missing some depth in it, and I’m a sucker for a good found family story.

It’s worth to mention that this story also features bisexual and disabled representation (a deaf character).

I had never read anything by Kate Dylan, but the writing and pacing of this book was perfectly achieved. I felt, however, that it promised more and ultimately didn’t deliver. The story would have benefited from either from simplification, or a lot more depth being given to the world building and the magic system, as well as the already formed relationships between the characters.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read with good prose and a good old heist.

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape and NetGallery for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan

✨️ YA Fantasy
✨️ enemies to lovers
✨️ heist
✨️ unique magic system
✨️ found family


It was a quick, fast-paced, and action-packed read that I finished in a day. The world-building and magic system were complex but refreshingly unique. It's a YA Fantasy with no spice, but the story was so captivating that I didn't miss it at all..I initially found it challenging to connect with the main characters, but they gradually grew on me. They were likable despite their flaws, which made them feel more human to me. Cemmy was a compelling lead and I enjoyed the dynamics between her and her friends. Her journey of overcoming trauma and mastering her magic was beautifully written and I think she and Chase had a great chemistry. I was truly surprised by the twists at the end of the book. Even though it's a standalone, the ending felt somewhat open-ended. I hope we might revisit this world, perhaps through the perspective of a different character.

I really enjoyed the writing and loved the concept of magical heists. Though what I found is that there was a lot happening and I did find it confusing at times. The main problem I found while reading was the magic system was very over complicated and I had to back go back for reference a lot of the time. I will say the magic system is very unique and different to what I have read before but I just wish it had been easy to understand.

It does pick up in the second half and I found myself enjoying that part a lot more.

Kate Dylan delivers and unique and explosive fantasy story..
There's a lot to hold on while reading cause it feels very differently from the other fantasy books out there, but once you figure out whats happening everything will become clearer..
Magic, heist, love , friendships, deceptions, lies, secrets, it what you'll be expecting from this story
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Read if you like
Fantasy
YA
Enemies to lovers
Heist
Action packed
Complex world building
Unique magic system
Twists and turns
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Thanks to Netgalley, the Author and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc

Not sure where to start with this one. Huge disappointment. I’ve read (and LOVED) KDs previous books but this was just confusing.

Overly complicated magic system and I felt like most of the narrative was spent explaining the mechanics of it rather than actually moving the plot on and telling the story. I persisted as others said the payoff was worth the trudge at the beginning, in all honesty I wish I’d quit at 10%.

I just don’t think it works. Overly complicated and quite unlike able characters.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, thanks!

All in all I really struggled with the world building, it felt overwhelming at times and in the end I was left without a clear sense for the world in which the story was happening. I did also struggle with the magic system and I found myself having to scroll back on my kindle to reference (though I do think this would be easier with a physical copy!) One thing I will say though is that the magic system is very unique and unlike anything I have read before, I just wish it had been explained a little clearer!!

I can see why this has been compared to six of crows with the heist element however I dont think they are comparable at all. I did really enjoy this but I got completely different vibes to six of crows and honestly the characters in this felt a little bit more 2 dimensional.

Once I got over the hump of the world building at the start I was hooked on the story from about 30% in until the end and I found that I couldn't put it down. I do think it is worth a read for lovers of fantasy.

“Until We Shatter” by Kate Dylan is a thrilling, action-packed heist fantasy that will captivate fans of “Six of Crows” and “A Darker Shade of Magic.”

The story follows Cemmy, a desperate thief whose life is constantly under threat from both the Church and the Council of Shades, with both factions warring over the control of the people.
When her mother falls ill, Cemmy is forced to take on a life of crime. She meets Chase and is put in a position where one dangerous job could solve all their problems. She must team up with him, an enigmatic and dangerous character, to steal a powerful mysterious object.

The book excels in its world-building and magic system; which is both unique and intricate. It revolves around Shades, which are colors that represent different types of magical abilities. Characters’ powers are derived from these Shades, and there are also forbidden Hues, which are dilutions of these Shades.
The found family characters are well-developed and engaging, with Cemmy’s relationships adding depth to the narrative. The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, especially in the later parts of the story.

Overall, “Until We Shatter” is a vibrant and explosive fantasy novel that combines high stakes, a compelling heist, and a richly developed world. It’s a must-read if you're looking for a fresh and exciting adventure caper!!
Thank you to @thekatedylan and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing Arc

Cemmy is a Hue, the child of a magicless human and a shade full of magic based on color. Being a half-breed, she has been hunted her whole life due to her existence being illegal. In order to make ends meet for herself and her dying mom, she uses her gifts in the Gray to steal from those around her. But when a lift goes terribly wrong, she and her other Hue friends must team up with the enemy to save the Gray and the world.

This is an interesting book to review. The concept was so unique and I loved the magic system. However, it felt so convoluted for how short this book is. The reader is constantly thrown all these colors and their associated powers. The beginning of the book provides a basic index of the shade colors and their magics, but not the hues. This is purposeful due to information revealed later, but it made it very hard as the reader to keep up with all the info dumping.

My other issue was the characters are felt very flat. We’re told of their relationships and how close they all are, but rarely did I feel it true. This could be another by product of this being a 300 page book, but I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of the characters. I felt like too much happened off page and I felt like an outsider to the story.

All this to say, I found the book just okay. There was nothing that kept me from wanting to pick it up, but nothing that kept me wanting to come back for more either. I think a lot of people will enjoy the mystery and heist, both of which were my favorite parts of the book. The second half of the story is definitely where it shines, so if you can read the first half in quick succession I think you’ll have a must better experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had an arc of this book, and i struggled to finish it. However I did enjoy the story it was a bit confusing at times or too slow paced.

A book of magical heists - usually right up my alley. The writing itself is well done. What really hindered this book for me was the FMC and the overcomplicated magic system that was introduced a little too brashly and bluntly. In theory, using the colours and such as a base for the system is a great idea, but there are too many holes and lacking structure to support the book. It is a writing style that implies the reader already knows the world and then tries to backtrack and explain it. What also hurt this book for me was the e-copy received was very poorly structured/formatted, which made reading it awkward. I would be interested to read another of this authors work because the writing itself is good, but the story and world were not for me,

Absolutely amazing 💙 Kate has done it again, and how is it possible to love this book even more than her first one I do not know…but I do!! If you loved Mindwalker you are going to have this on your favourites shelf as soon as you finish the last page (after you have a mini rant of emotions to whoever is closest).

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read the ARC of this book.

I had a great time reading this one. The characters were fleshed out and had great dynamic with each other. The story also had me hooked from beginning to end. The only thing that was a minus for me was the magic system. I had a hard time understanding and following the powers and the Gray area. But that is only a me issue. But other than that I was entertained throughout.

Definitely one of my favorite fantasy of 2024!! The world building and the magic system were super well done and very different from most things I've read. I really liked the characters and the found family trope was very well developed too, the romance didn't really win me over, but honestly everything else made up for it. Also can we NOT talk about chapter 24???? it hurt!!!! 😭