Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows meets The Black Prism.

Cemmy is a thief, trying to keep afloat in a city which is on the brink of shattering amidst a civil war between the Council of Shades and the Church, both of which hates her kind. A Hue. Half a Shade, only able to dip in and out of the shadow realm by anchoring herself to the In-Between.

Cemmy and her friends of fellow misfits, hunted by both sides, are blackmailed to steal the most securely guarded artefact.

Cemmy makes a lot of bad decisions a lot of the time. But she is always fuelled by mostly good intentions. Protecting her friends, caring for her mother’s sickness, dealing with her own fear and trauma of a previous job gone wrong.

For this reason, she can be an incredibly frustrating character to follow. Wrapped in secrets like a security blankets leads to more and more problems (and betrayals).

I don't want to talk, or go home, or act sensible. I want to burn.
The problem with a burn is that it's wont to blister. And when it inevitably does, the pain only screams worse.

It is fascinating that a lot of the issues the crew runs in to is a matter of false information by people who control the flow. How altering what people know can shape their prejudices, fear, and sense of self.

“A perfect soldier is a Shade they can predict and control," Chase says, jaw tense, voice bitter. "And when power is afraid, you can always trust it to make the most morally bankrupt choice."

The magic system was hard to grasp to begin with. A lot of colours and their aligning powers and attributes and weaknesses, yet so long as you get your head around the main crew, it is easier to follow.
However, I do think a glossary at the start might have helped.

Bonuses:
- Bi-sexual representation
- Deaf and signing representation

Thank you to Hodderscape for sending me the physical arc in exchange for a review!

this is such a hard review to write. Whilst I enjoyed Dylan’s writing in this book, I just did not get on with the story and the world.

I read and loved Mindwalker, so I was very much looking forward to this one and was delighted to receive an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this really let me down.

I genuinely don’t feel like I understood the world enough to be able to write a summary, and what little I did understand felt convoluted. The magic system of shades and hues and their powers was overly complicated, which left me feeling very confused throughout. We do get some explanations about 40% in, but this felt too little too late and in all honesty left me none the wiser.

I thought that the friendships between our main characters were underdeveloped and therefore unbelievable. I would have liked to have seen more of our main character Cemmy with her friends Novi, Ezzo and Eve.

I also felt that the “romance” sub plot between Cemmy and Chase was underdeveloped, unnecessary and I just couldn’t get on board with it. I would have done away with this and just had more time devoted to explaining the magic system.

It’s been 24 hours since I finished this, so I’ve had time to think about it, and I’m still coming away confused, disappointed and frustrated.

I *think* I can see what Dylan was trying to do, I really do love her writing and I appreciate the effort. The execution however, was disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the eARC.

Super tricky to write this review because honestly I still don't understand this book... I felt like I just kept waiting for everything to be explained and it never really was. So here's the best synopsis I can offer; Cemmy is a Hue which means she's the child of a typic (a powerless human) and a Shade, a human with a power based on a colour. Each colour has a different power but don't ask me what they are because I have no idea. The world she lives in doesn't like Shades, but REALLY doesn't like Hues. She and her friends (who are also Hues) are abducted and forced to help this evil bloke Savian to rob the Dominion (don't ask me about this either) and steal the Siphon which is like a power sucker thing that will take away everyone's abilities (I think). They don't want to do it but kinda have no choice. Cemmy is trying to look after her mum so she'll do anything to help her. Additionally, there's this guy Chase who works for Savian and he's maybe not quite so bad? And he's also pretty which always helps. I feel like I've done a terrible job of explaining the plot but that's as good as I'm going to manage (sorry!)

I really wanted to love this, I adored Mindwalker and can't wait to read Mindbreaker. Those books have a really well described and established world that this book is severely lacking sadly. I just still don't understand the powers and the Grey and the In-between and all the Hues and Shades and what it all means really - they're just sort of meaningless words that keep being repeated without every being truly explained. Even after reading the whole book I have no idea what power Cemmy had as a Bronze. There's also magic too but that's never expanded upon so...

It's a strange one because the world isn't explained nearly enough, and the only detail we get is about 40% in which is too long to wait in my opinion, but it's not necessarily badly written. It could have been so much better if it had been simplified a little and maybe edited a bit more. Alternatively it could have just been explained again (I'm someone who needs spoon feeding when it comes to fantasy so maybe that's a me problem).

I couldn't really tell you much about any of the characters which meant I just wasn't impacted by the dramatic things that happen to them, and I didn't buy into the romance at all (despite being a romance girly through and through).

Overall, I didn't love it and I didn't hate it but I certainly wouldn't pick up a sequel if there ever was one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Books for the eARC.

3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I want to talk about is the world building, I really struggled with it. It felt like we really got thrown into the deep end with this book without really knowing what is going on. From the beginning it talks about the ‘Grey’ and never really explains what it is, yes they can switch between the normal world and ‘Grey’ but like… what is it? A different reality? I couldn’t tell you.
The magic system felt very overcomplicated and was very hard to follow. I would definitely recommend adding in a magic chart at the front of the book - I think this could’ve been done even with everything that happens in the book.

This book felt very rushed and I never say this but I think this book would have benefited from being a duology. This whole book loves the miscommunication trop, so keep that in mind if that’s something that annoys you.

I really like this author, however this book just didn’t work for me. I’m excited to see what else Kate writes.

Loved it, loved it, loved it! What more can I say? I loved the world, I loved the characters and loved the plot twists.

Until We Shatter is a wild ride from start to finish. Kate Dylan’s writing is absolutely beautiful, and extremely readable. This was very hard to put down, the book is fast-paced and full of thrills. I absolutely loved this plot. It is just -brimming with themes of forgiveness, grief, and trust. The book definitely demands your full attention for at least the first 100 pages. It’s easy to get lost in the magic details but the magic system is fantastic. The characters are perfect in that they’re both likable and unlikable depending on the circumstances. I truly wanted all of them to succeed no matter what their differing motivations were. It’s refreshing to read fantasy with a FMC with explainable and plausible flaws that don’t make her unbearably annoying. All six core characters have distinct personalities and I’m just so happy that they don’t all blend together. The diversity is also incredibly impressive!!

I can't wait to read more of Kate Dylans books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Dylan and Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

This was a solid read for me.

The magic system was very original, unique & not something I’ve seen before. The very beginning of the book was a bit intimidating because it was a huge info dump on the magic system that was a lot to try to take in. It does get explained more as the book goes on, but it was just a lot right on the front end without any other context.

The story was quick paced & action packed. There was never a dull moment. The characters were well-developed; however, I was not really a fan of Cemmy. She worked my nerves.

Overall, this was a great read that I’d be happy to recommend to other readers who enjoy fantasy.

First of all as always thank you so much Kate and publishers hodderscape / hodder and stoughton

Oh my gosh I think I've found one of my favourite book with the best heist init ever .
The plot to the story I thought was perfect I was totally gripped from first page and my heart was pounding with was we was getting next from the moment you start the book kate chucks you straight into the action which I was screaming with excitement. I loved it .

I love the magic system where the characters powers are based on their colours ( the are know as shades )

Kate writing has my eyes stuck to the page , with world building I normally get bit feed up but I can happily say Kate so clever how she works around this and made me very excited for what is to come .

I have fallen in love with sifi all over agian and now Kate added more fantasy I enjoyed every moment.

Can't wait for everyone eles who loves Kate books to read this .I definitely had my heart in my mouth at times .

I'm giving the book a gripping edge of your seat 5 stars 🌟

A Roller coaster of e.otiin.
Very unique and enticing characters and plot.
Loved the world and the writing.

Until we shatter

The first few chapters were a load of information thrown at you about the magic system, the lands, politics and names for things that I found difficult to digest.
Even as the book went on, although I'd been told the information I found it difficult to take it all on board and I was left feeling confused and so uninvested in the plot at times.
"The grey" didn't make much sense to me, it's existence wasn't really explained and so the stakes at play when you think about it no longer existing weren't there, so I didn't particularly care.

The book wasn't really for me but I'm sure others would enjoy it, it's a young adult/adolescent read

Main characters are 19/20

Cemmy is a young woman whose life is endangered due to her precarious position between two powerful factions. The Church wants her dead for having magic, while the Council of Shades wants her dead for not having enough magic. Cemmy takes a high-stakes heist job of stealing a powerful relic hidden by the Church. She must team up with several other magic thieves to complete the job, one being Chase, a mysterious and dangerous individual with hidden motives. Success would mean safety for her mother, but failure could bring down the city.

Cemmy is a relatable character who highlights the lengths one will go to for survival and the sacrifices made for loved ones. Her actions are driven by the need to protect her mother. Cemmy's courage and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds emphasize the importance of determination. I wish some focus were also on the other characters to help build deeper connections and relationships.

The prose effectively captures the tension and urgency of Cemmy's situation. This issue lies in the magic system. It needed to be explained better, and I got lost. The concept was interesting but could be flushed out and better explained, which is hard to do in a short standalone. It was still enjoyable, and I'm glad I read it.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape.

The first one or two chapters confused the hell out of me. So much is going on with no explanations whatsoever. We have no idea how the magic system and the world building work, we don’t know the characters or their relationships. We don’t know what or who is important.
I always struggle with books like this. By now, I simply keep reading without thinking. If it’s important enough, it will be explained. And if that doesn’t happen, the book has already lost me.

Luckily, in this case we got the explanations. It took some time, so at the end I didn’t care as much as I would’ve, if the book had started out with better pacing, but after a while, I did start to enjoy it.
The world building was actually really interesting! Not very complex and the magic system of dividing powers by colours isn’t that innovative, but it was well done. Simple enough to make sense, but with just enough thought behind everything that it wasn’t boring.

The plot could’ve been explained better. It was a heist. Good enough, but I would’ve liked more information about the why. By the end it makes sense that we don’t get that much information, but while reading the book, this frustrated me.
But at least the plot wasn’t overly complicated, so even with not that much information it was easy to follow along.

The characters also didn’t confuse me for long, but I would have liked more and deeper characterisations.
Cemmy was well fleshed out – kind of paranoid, traumatized and trying to ignore her past, but being deeply influenced by it in her actions and relationships. It was fantastic to see her development. Not too rushed or forced, but slow and realistic.
Chase was also interesting. I changed my opinion towards him multiple times, as we got to know more about him. He really had more depth than I would’ve thought. But some of his actions didn’t really make sense for me. There were explanations, but those weren’t good enough for me.
And the rest… I could barely keep them apart and the ones I recognised were basically just simmered down to a single character trait. The ex. The deaf girl. The whole heist is not a one-person-act, all of them could’ve played bigger roles. There were so many relationships I would’ve loved to explore. Why was Savian doing all of that? What exactly did Lyria feel when meeting so many other Hues? What did Novi think about Cemmy’s secrets? We get answers to these questions, but I wanted more.
Give me more details about the politics with Council and Church, tell me everything! This could’ve been made into a duology and I rarely advocate for making a series longer. It was good, but everything felt rushed.

In total – still quite a nice book. Almost got 4 stars. I really loved the idea, the characters, everything. But the pacing seriously needed work and it was too much crammed into a single book. There was way too much of everything at the beginning. It would’ve worked so much better, if everything had been slowed down slightly and if we had the opportunity to actually understand what was going on. Stretch everything out, give the reader time to understand and fall in love with the characters.
If it had been a debut novel, I would’ve been very happy with the way it was written, but for an already established author, I would’ve expected more.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Until We Shatter , I think it is quite safe to say that I am obsessed with Kate Dylan's writing. I have loved her previous books and this one was no different. There is a certain charm about the writing that just draws you into the story and keeps you with the characters as you follow them on the very dangerous journey they are going on. Without spoiling, the magic system (based on colours) is so unique and so well-crafted that you understand it from the get-go.

At the centre of this heist story is an amazing cast of characters, at the front of which is Cemmy. Cemmy is sharp and clever, but also carries the weight of the world around her. From hiding her magic to caring for her ill mother, she has a lot of burdens to bear. Over the course of the story, we see how these affect her and how she eventually pushes forth. Her character arc feels so complete and her development was perfectly executed. We see her go from keeping her magic in hiding, to not being afraid to take massive risks using her magic. She's a total freaking badass for me.

As for Chase? I don't know how much I can say without spoiling, but personally I found him very enigmatic and charming. It was so easy to fall in love with him and the mystery surrounding his motives. Hm and Cemmy have a really interesting dynamic and that was really fun to see play out on the page.

As for the heist itself, no spoilers from me, but it was amazing!! I loved the way it was introduced and how things were planned, and how things went. One thing though...Chapter 24?? Yeah that crushed my heart into dust. It was intense, not the way I was expecting things to go...and I loved every single second of it. Sometimes, you just need that soul-crushing, heartbreaking moment, you know?

Until We Shatter is an incredible heist novel, jam-packed full of action and moments that will leave your heart racing. I don't know if there will be a sequel, but if there is, I'll be first in line to read it!!!!

Still kinda speechless, this book was nerve-racking!
First I was a bit swamped by this color magic (I mean, 7 colours and all with different powers) and then there were the Hues with gemstones instead of colours 🤯 but while reading, it came all clear and now I think I’m a pro in this magic world & I think I understood this world faster than Cemmy did, haha
Cemmy is a strong and stubborn character and I loved everything about it! She caused a lot of trouble without knowing what she’s doing (one time it’s so heartbreaking, still have not recovered from chapter 24!)

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s how to ignore the impossible. (…) You find ways to bend it. Evade it. Delay its inevitable bite.”

I really loved the dynamic between Cemmy and Chase, I could feel the tension between them, the sparks flying and yet it was slow burning (and I’ve to say, sadly without any spice); but the best thing for me was, that the two together were so strong and capable and I often wished they would’ve been honest, they could’ve been unbeatable!

“That in a different life, a stubborn Bronze and an arrogant Gold might mix.”

It’s a perfect book for anyone who loves magic! I really recommend reading it and I hope that there’ll be a sequel, pleaaase it’s the perfect world for a whole book series and I’m not ready letting go 🥺

Taste the Rainbow 🌈

Until We Shatter is an upper ya, coming of age, realising you don’t know everything and everyone is just doing their best fantasy book.
I personally think it’s perfect for a younger audience and will hit them right in the feels. Where you are trying to take ownership of your life and stand on your own two feet but still looking to appease your parents.

The magic system is based on colours and to be honest super confusing for a, what I am assuming is a standalone, book of 336 pages. I did wonder why it wasn’t clearly laid out at the beginning for ease for the reader. Turns out that is for a reason, however the ‘full’ colours of the full-blooded magic people definitely could have been laid out easier for readers.

Basically full-bloodied magic people are shades and their colour magic is the rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet

If you had a kid with a non magical person your colour is half and you are called a Hue… and that is bad. And those colours are based on metals and stones. Like Bronze or Amethyst.

If we had just had it explained like that I swear it would have made 50% of this book easier to understand.

In our setting we have the council of shades (magic) vs the Church. The battle of the colours vs the Church was very much giving the church forcing christianity on everyone. And did make me wondering if the concept came from a metaphor for church hating pride month and then let’s split up the colours 🌈

Then our little Hues take on a Heist. Perfect for Six of Crows fans and the magic system did feel akin to Shadow and Bone in a lot of ways but less clear and thought out because again I am pretty sure this is a standalone and not a series covering different spin off stories, which needs to have a stronger magic system.

Characters had some good moments of representation that I really liked. Especially everything surrounding the deaf character. 10/10. Also some queer representation in a way that felt authentic and not forced. I say some just because it is Ya and while there is a romance side plot, it is a side plot and not romantasy so it’s not the focus.

Do not expect spice. I would call this upper ya in the way it covers heavy topics and yes characters do have sex but it’s a fade to black sort of situation not smutty.

This is going to be a featured book in the Illumicrate subscription box and I am excited to see what they do with the customisation. I imagine it will be very pretty and hopefully full of colour.
Despite being confused by the magic system for about 50% of the book. It was actually a really easy and enjoyable read. I do think a younger audience would like it more just because of the themes feel so specific to that age, as obviously a lot of YA can be enjoyed by an older audience but there is a nativity to the characters and especially the main character that I think people with life experience struggle to related too and not feel she is an idiot making obvious mistakes 🫣

I feel like this book was short on pages. I liked the premise and found the magic system interesting and novel, but there is a lot to digest in terms of the world and not enough pages to do it.

To start with the positives, the prose is really ice. I was afraid it would be too flowery since the book has a lot to do with colors and that opens the posibility to write in a poetic way that could end up being too much, but no. It doesn't fall into purple prose or into simplicity, for me there is a good balance.

I really liked the character of Cassiel (because I refuse to call him by a name as common as Chase). You think he's going to be the typical mysterious and dark protagonist, but he isn’t. Obviously he has his secrets and we discover them little by little, but he also shows humanity from early on; fear, anxiety, rejection of the things he is forced to do to survive.

In general the premise is good, but I feel that it was poorly executed. A story about a heist and magic will always catch my attention, but the heist itself happened very quickly.

I don't like to compare (and even less with this author because us fans have a reputation for being annoying) but I was thinking a lot about Mistborn, not because the plot is similar but because the type of magic is similar in the sense that both are this-does-this type and there are certain variations. In Mistborn it's metals and in Until we shatter it's colors, the thing is that Allomancy is pretty well explained throughout the book without being too overwhelming (I'm only focusing on the first book to make fair comparisons). In Until we shatter, in the FIRST CHAPTER we have a lot of information about the magic system and the way society sees blood colors before we are even properly introduced to the protagonist, and throughout the book more and more about magic is explained in overly dense paragraphs that try to cover each of the colors and the ramifications, and it was overwhelming (another thing I didn't understand is why some half-bloods were named as gemstones and others as metals but anyway). Mistborn is a longer book (around 200 more pages) and that is precisely what this book is missing, in my opinion.

And not more pages only to better explain magic, but also to go deeper into the characters and group dynamics, which many times felt more like the book was telling me that this group are very good friends, but not showing it. Not much is known about the secondary characters. We know more or less their stories but not much about what they are like outside the group. The only one that has a bit more depth is Novi, who I found interesting but occasionally said things that, to me, were OOC.

I'm not saying I didn't like the book, but it was disappointing because it had so much potential.

If you’re looking for vibes similar to Six of Crows & The Mortal Instruments, this quick, YA fantasy standalone is a good option! This was one of the most unique magic systems in a fantasy book I’ve read in a while! While it was confusing at times, especially in the beginning of the book, I still loved the concept. The plot was really interesting - I quite enjoyed the storyline. I do think the characters lacked some depth though & I had a hard time feeling connected to any of the characters. I also wish there was more world building as I felt like I didn’t really understand the context of the world the story was set in. Overall, I loved this plot-forward read & it is a great YA fantasy standalone!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the eARC!!

I found the magic system and plot intriguing, but the logic and main character infuriating.

The plot was a heist story where the main character's flaws are constantly causing issues. The fear was understandable, the lack of trust was understandable, but the poor communication was infuriating. There are several things that stand out as plot conveniences (the main character's mother for one) or there to make the situation seem dangerous.

I thought the magic was interesting, but confusing. It seems that a Shade would have all of the abilities that a Hue would have, instead of Hues having abnormal abilities. The Shade that we see the most displays powers that are not a part of that Shade's power, which does not make the magic system feel consistent. The ease of counteracting a Shade's binding also felt like something the binder's of said power would be aware of.

2.5
This was….disappointing? The prose was good enough to keep me excited for other books by this author but this felt not As good as I hoped it to be. I didn’t like the characters and that’s usually the part of a book that keeps me reading but I just couldn’t like them. There were quite a lot of plot holes but I’m still hopeful for the authors other books

A fast-paced book with an extensive world-building that while fascinating have bogged down the reading process and was hardly suitable for the YA audience. This book would have much benefited from marketing it as an adult.

The characters fell flat and the chemistry between them was non-existent and I couldn’t connect with none of them.

The comparison of the book to Six of Crows did both books a disservice, as SOC had a much better and more diverse cast with well-thought out backstories and setting up the high standard for Until We Shatter that the book has fallen short of.

⭐ 4 stars

Heists and magical powers? Yes please! My first impression was that there was a lot of information tossed out at you all at once, which makes sense considering the page count and the story the book had to tell, but that does not make it less of an obstacle. Although the beginning of the book slogged a little from how much world-building was thrown your way, it didn't impact the fun once everything picked up and the world was established. This was about 10% of the way through, in my opinion. Then, it was genuinely a blast. I really enjoyed the narrative, the cast of interesting characters, and immersing myself in the atmospheric writing. And who doesn't enjoy a heist? I highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC