A YA fantasy with an original and interesting magical system. The world of this novel in set in a society which identified people as either Shades (those with magical abilities) and typics (those who do not).

It follows our main character Cemmy - a talented thief, in a group of Hues (the offspring product of a union between a shade and typic) as they are brought together for a heist while simultaneously avoiding political factions that believe their existence to be a threat to them.

I love the found family aspect that comes with the group of 'misfits' that are brought together for a heist. The world building is complex and intriguing, while there were different paces I never found myself tiring of the narrative.

I do love a good heist story, and this was no exception. While things started off seemingly quite straightforward, with a few twists I thought I could see coming and a little intrigue besides, I found myself quite pleasantly surprised that there was a lot more to the story than there first seemed. The reveals were, for the most part, set up quite elegantly so that, in hindsight, the path towards them seemed inevitable, and I really liked the layers of secrets and how they were handled.

The first few chapters I felt were a little heavy on the exposition, but not off-puttingly so, and once enough details had been shared to give a working understanding of the world the book was set in, the narrative ran a lot smoother. I absolutely loved the magic system, even if I found myself a little confused by it at times - I didn't realise until it was explicitly laid out that the child of a Colour (person with magic) and a typic (person without magic) had the potential to develop one of several different powers, depending on the colour of their parent. The idea of the different realm that magic-wielders could phase in and out of I thought was brilliant, how Hues (mixed Colour/typic children) were restricted by in some ways and freer in others because of their nature. The idea of needing an 'in-between' to stay anchored in the other realm, the Gray, I thought was really interesting, especially as it was explored in a lot of different ways: midnight and noon being in-between times, a graveyard being the in-between of life and death, and a rooftop being the in-between of the earth and the sky existing as natural points for a Hue to shift into the Gray and remain unharmed, while they could also create their own in-betweens by picking points between which to anchor themselves. As long as their in-between held, they were safe, but if it broke, they would shatter.

I liked the heist and the premise behind it, and how the specific magics of the characters' Hues made them uniquely suited to carry it out. I was a little surprised about how confident they were that they could pull it off, given that they had a week of prep time and half of that was used up by Cemmy how to safely anchor herself in the Gray, and a lot of the rest of it was spent very boldly manipulating some of the most powerful people in their city, who hated anyone and everyone who used magic. In fairness, it seemed like a reasonably good plan, and I liked the way that everyone's abilities neatly tied into it (except Ezzo, who, no offence, I completely forgot existed half the time). Knowing that some of the characters were hiding things from others made the buildup to the theft itself compelling, because in amongst all of the plotting there was the space to wonder what exactly we didn't know and how it would affect the result.

What I did find a bit frustrating was how very, very slow on the uptake Cemmy was a lot of the time. I don't think it's exaggerating to say that probably at least three quarters of the problems the characters encountered could have been resolved or never would have existed if Cemmy had a slightly more sensible head on her shoulders, and I found it a little odd that she didn't, given that she's been thieving to make a living for over a year. There were certain points in the story - which is narrated from her first-person perspective, so it's not like the reader knows anything she doesn't - where I really just wanted to shake her for missing the incredibly obvious clues right in front of her. To her credit, she does acknowledge how incredibly stupid she's been by the end, but at times her naivete did get a bit much.

I felt like the more obvious aspects of the many secrets in the story were perhaps a little too obvious, but they didn't detract from my overall enjoyment and I found the book very easy to lose myself in. This is definitely a great book for fans of heist stories, as well as fantasy with unique magic systems, found family and screwing over the establishment.

I loved the premise and had high hopes. I was intrigued by the unique magic system. I feel it could have had more depth throughout. Maybe longer? I felt the focus was not highlighting what I wanted to read about so it took effort to stay committed until the end.

Until We Shatter

4.75/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book!

Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan is a pretty standard YA fantasy. However, the magic system is so incredibly cool that I can’t stop thinking about in. The magical population in this story, known as “Shades” and “Hues”, have powers classified by different colors in their blood. These colors allow them to phase to and from intangible version of the physical realm into what they call “The Grey”. The way the characters utilize the two different worlds, along with the ways Dylan explores the history and boundaries of the powers, makes this book so interesting. I could honestly tell Dylan put so much time and thought into her world’s magic system. I can’t say too much without spoiling major plot points, but I think it really paid off.

The story is from the first person POV of Cemmy, a Half-Shade who has turned to desperate means, specifically thieving, to provide for her sick mother. It’s with this thievery that things turn south for Cemmy and her crew, setting them on a mission to complete an alarmingly impossible heist.

Until We Shatter also stands out because of the stacked cast of complex characters. Cemmy is one of the most irrational, aggravating, worst decision makers I’ve truly ever read about. And although she had me wanting to pull my hair out just about every chapter of the book, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by her character. Which is saying something great about Dylan’s writing, because typically those exceedingly impulsive characters don’t slide with me. Cemmy, though, is not the only character who shines in this book. With a lovable found family dynamic, along with an arrogant, pretty boy newcomer who nobody takes to trusting to easily, the characters in this book are truthfully what made me want to keep reading.

I thought the representation in this book was also really nice. It was refreshing to see queer, POC, and disability rep in such a complex world.

My only complaints about this book was that it got confusing for me at times. I wouldn’t blame this entirely on Dylan’s writing, because there’s a good chance I just read a little too fast to understand. However, especially as the book was getting started, I had a difficult time figuring out what was going on with the magic system. There were also moments with the actual heist itself that I didn’t quite understand. Additionally, I was able to guess a lot of the important plot twists. However, these grievances ultimately didn’t hinder me too much, because I loved the book anyway.

If you’re a fan of heists, star-crossed love, betrayal, and themes of grief, trust, morality, I implore you to pick up this book. I know I surely won’t stop thinking about it for awhile.

I really wanted to love this book, but there were several aspects that fell short for me.

Firstly, while all the main characters are well-written and feel rounded and cohesive, I never liked the main character, Cemmy. This disconnect made it hard for me to engage with the story fully.
Understanding the magic system was another struggle. It took me until about 40% through the book to grasp it because I always felt like I wasn’t given enough information. This lack of clarity made the plot a bit confusing and less enjoyable. There was a slight reason for the withheld information but it didn't make sense to me to leave the reader in the dark for so long. I also never understood why people "shatter", which is literally the title of the book.
The world-building was lacking. I had a hard time picturing the characters and the city where the book was set. Though it's not an epic fantasy, the lack of description for small details like houses or feelings made it hard for me to visualize and immerse myself in the story.
I was excited about the concept of a magical heist, but when it came to the actual heist, everything happened very fast and, again, wasn’t explained in much detail, especially the setting. This rushed execution diminished the thrill of the heist for me.
Additionally, I would have liked more romance in the story, but I appreciate the representation of Bi characters.

Despite these issues, I liked the overall story. It just felt like it could have been fleshed out more. Perhaps if the book had another 100 pages, they could have been used to better develop the characters and the world they inhabit.
The concept of the story has a lot of potential, though I wasn’t particularly hooked by the "plot twist." It felt quite predictable.

In conclusion, while the book has some strong elements, it ultimately left me wanting more depth and detail to fully enjoy it.

Ocean’s Colour Scene

The walled city of Isitar is home to those who have magic, and those who do not. Pretty much the only thing they can all agree on is that any children born of a mix of both are unstable and bad news.

The magic system in this world is very well realised and built around colours. The practitioners are known as Shades, and each shade of colour denotes a different kind of magic. Greens can heal, Blues can hasten, and so on. It feels somewhat like character classes in an TTRPG, and not in a bad way. It would not surprise me if Kate Dylan had worked out all the rules in enough detail that she could practically write one.

The subversive half-Shades are known as Hues, and their half-magic is a bit on the broken side - much like most of the Hues that we meet throughout the story.

There is the regular world, and a parallel world layered directly over it known as the Gray. Shades can happily phase in-between the two, but Hues not so much. If they spend too much time in the Gray, they will attract the attention of the shadows that live there, and end up literally shattered into pieces.

Cemmy is a thief, a Hue, and a frequent disaster. She steals to support her ill mother, and makes a string of bad decisions that end up with her trapped into pulling off the heist of a powerful relic. Worse, her friends get dragged into the plan too, including her ex-girlfriend-with-benefits.

The book is a pleasing mix of fantasy and heist tropes, with a healthy measure of smouldering bad boy on top. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that things don’t exactly go according to plan. In the months leading up to the release, Kate Dylan has warned readers about a given chapter in the book where things go off the rails. I misremembered the chapter number and thought it wasn’t actually too bad. Some poor decisions on the part of the main character, sure, but on the whole not too bad. And then I kept going and hit the actual chapter. Reader, I was not ready. But I forgave her, eventually.

I was already a fan of the author's excellent cyberpunk series, Mindwalker and Mindbreaker, but I think this is a step up. By the end of the book all the pieces of plot slide perfectly together with a very satisfying click, much like the locks that are picked along the way.

Recommended.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the review copy.

This was a great read.

I really loved the idea of people being able to shift into an alternate dimension. It reminded me a little of Six of Crows with the characters performing heists, or lifts as they call them.

I found Cemmy to be a little shallow. She expected everyone to just accept how she is and she wasn't the greatest friend to Novi. True they'd had a relationship before but she was exploring something with Chase and then getting angry over the possibility of Novi moving on with someone else. You can't do one thing and then get mad when someone else does the same.

I felt like a lot of things that happened in the book were as a result of Cemmy's actions and I'm glad that the characters reacted the way they did at the end of the book due to Cemmy's actions once again.

Huge thanks to the author and publisher, for the chance to read this ARC, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Until We Shatter is an electric, intelligent, high stakes fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope there’s more from this series.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Kate Dylan and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc ebook copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was sooo good, it was hard to put down!

The magic system in this book was amazing! It takes a minute to understand how it all works but it all makes sense after a couple of chapters! You get thrown straight into the action with the main character, Cemmy, who is in desperate need to save her mother life by pulling of a heist on her own but ends up getting into something bigger. The world building and character building was all done really well!


I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to others!

Definitely 4.5 stars!!

This is a fun, pacey title that for me hearkened back in many ways to the old school 'golden age' YA fantasies. Stylistically it's not quite in the vein of YA fantasy that I prefer; that being said, I did have a good time reading, and I think for the readers who are its target audience it will hit just right. My favourite part of the book was the complicated relationships Cemmy had (see: struggled through) with both Novi and Chase, and extra particularly enjoyed how the Cemmy/Chase dynamic hit on the crowd pleasing, tropey EtL, 'broody and dangerous boy with a messy past' beats while also feeling like it put a fresh twist on it. Big shout out to Chase being blond, we love to see it. I also enjoyed the ambitious magic system, though did feel it plus the slightly convoluted worldbuilding elsewhere got in their own way a bit sometimes.

In summary, Until We Shatter is a solid YA fantasy title with a lot of thought and care in its construction that gives a fun spin to a lot of familiar narrative building blocks. If you liked Shades of Magic you'll probably like this; I'd actually place it closer to the Schwab on a shelf than Six of Crows as while it's definitely a book about a heist, it's not really a 'genre heist' in the way SoC is.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the eARC in exchange for my review!

“Until We Shatter” is a ya fantasy standalone written by Kate Dylan. A book full of action, deceptions, lies, secrets, alliances and betrayals, which revolves around a highly risky heist and a group of thieves who are as skilled as they are misfits. A quick, gripping and engaging novel that kept me glued to the pages and highly satisfied!

The story takes place in a world in which the population is divided between the Shades, those who possess magic, and the typics, those who do not. In terms of politics, beliefs and rules, the society has two factions: the Council of Shades, which represents the wielders of magic, and the Church, which considers magic evil and as such to be eliminated. And then there are the Hues, or half Shades, born from the union of Shades and typics and considered a threat to be destroyed or punished by both sides. The Hues possess only half the magic of the Shades and require additional efforts to gain access to the Gray, a kind of incorporeal magical dimension of the real world, where the Shades dwell. A general situation difficult, tense, which is on the verge of erupting in the city of Isitar, where events are focused. What can I say? I found it an extensive, complex and super fascinating world building, delineated with great care and attention. The book provides numerous explanations, especially in the first part, which sometimes risk slowing down the narrative, but in my opinion are necessary to better understand the context. The concept of the Gray intrigued me a lot, as did that of the In-Betweens and the correlation between types of magic and colors. I was pleasantly surprised, especially because I don't often read standalone fantasy books with such a structured and solid world building. Seriously, I can't express anything but kudos!

The story proceeds quickly, alternating between more eventful scenes and quieter ones, with a stimulating pace that kept me glued to the pages. The narration convinced and satisfied me from beginning to end, although I admit that I guessed the various plot twists in advance.

I loved Cemmy, the protagonist with her only first person pov! Cemmy is a Hues, who became a thief to help her gravely ill mother. Extremely skilled at what she does, she lost some of her grit following a particularly traumatic experience. Cemmy is a complex, troubled girl, willing to do anything to help those she cares about. Determined, courageous and sarcastic, she harbors deep sorrows, doubts and fears, which she allows herself to release only when she is alone. During the reading I found myself rooting for her, suffering for her situation, and wanting to hug her! I also enjoyed the secondary characters, the other members of Cemmy's gang, with whom she has a wonderful relationship. I loved the queer representation in this novel, the disability representation (one of the characters is deaf) and the wonderful found family that is developed. However, my heart goes out to Chase, a super complicated character who completely won me over!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. It had a lot of promise and some of the writing was really enjoyable, but I felt on the most part like I was being told more than shown what was going on within the story. There was a ton of world building, BUT I do believe that this book will find its audience and it was just not meant for me. There was a lot of representation that I think should be celebrated, hence the three stars instead of less.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I loved Mind Breaker and Mind Walker, so when I saw the author had a new book out I jumped at the chance to read it. I loved it!! This magic filled heist story is set in a sort of apocalyptic fictional historical setting, with a backdrop of rebellion against the corrupt Church and ineffectual Council of Shades. The world and magic system are well conceived, though it took me some time to completely grasp. The main characters are majorly flawed by their past and personal circumstances. Lots of humour in exchanges of banter. There are also a number of romance stories between the characters. Summing up - highly entertaining, as I’ve come to expect from Kate Dylan. Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I enjoyed this! Thank you for the ARC.

Overall, this was a fascinating book. The magic system was complex and did some time to understand, but the overall story had some great plot points/twists.

The FMC was definitely interesting, and I appreciated that all the characters felt pretty believable in their actions and emotions.

Will be recommending for sure!

This was an amazing book!
The world and magic system Kate Dylan built was so unique! I have to confess that it took me a while to truly understand the gray and the in-betweens. But once I did, boy, I was in for a ride!
The writing flows, the characters hook you from the very beginning, and the heist, the betrayals, the secrets... it had me on my toes and I just couldn't wait to finish this book.
I loved it!

"But didn't anyone ever tell you? We're always in between something".

Couple of editing issues chapter 24 and on page 304 it says "saym", just wanted to bring to your attention


Overall I really enjoyed this story, the magic system is new and exciting with twists to keep you on your toes. The main character Cemmy is sometimes so relatable it hurts with complex relationships that strain against one another.

At its core this book is about a hiest the crew is first and foremost blackmailed into, until they realise not going through with it will also kill them. The ending twists were carefully built up to with this crew stuck in between the warring bodies of the Church and the Council (full of Shades who have full magic).

The magic system is fresh, the idea of Shades and Hues is very interesting and though it took a while to grasp what the different colours meant it was very compelling and made the plot all the more intresting.

I don't think I have ever enjoyed side characters so much since Six of Crows. I especially loved the representation of a deaf character. Each member of the crew are equally distinguishable from one another, with a different and intresting Hue ability that makes them incredibly engaging.

In a world where colors are power and shadows are deadly, Kate Dylan created a world full of spellbinding characters and adventure. This was such a fun read! It's been so long since I've read a YA adventure book and Kate Dylan did not disappoint. This book was so well written and the world this author created was so colorful (literally) and vibrant. If this book were a thousand pages long I would still read it, which I believe would have made this story even better. I think there's so much areas of this book to explore and can be expanded on.

Cemmy, a "desperate thief," and her misfit friends are being threatened to use their gifts to pull off an impossible heist while trying to navigate the shadow realm and survive. This adventure is full of blackmail, betrayal, and many twists and turns that are somewhat predictable, but is very well executed. While Cemmy works side by side with Chase, he challenges her to face her biggest fears and helps her overcome them. In the midst of an already stressful predicament, Cemmy also has to work through putting her trust in this new comer and risk her relationship with her friends.

I would have liked to read more about the bonds and the relationship between Cemmy and her friends. I felt like there wasn't enough time spent getting to know her friends and their stories. Cemmy talked a lot about how her friends were like her family, but it wasn't shown. From the beginning, there was already a rift in their friendship and Cemmy was already so distant and we don't get to know why until half way through the book, but instead of confiding in her friends she confesses her secrets to Chase in an effort to gain his trust.

I believe this is going to be the next best YA fantasy book because of the author's creativity building a world full of magic you can escape to. There's so much potential and so much to explore in this world that it could be a whole series. And if this were to become a series, I will definitely be reading every single book!

This book had everything. Colour magic, messy romance and high stakes drama.
The whole way though this I was warned time and time again that there were messy girls and boys who lie and not once did I remember to heed the warning. Some of the chapters hurt so good and had me audibly gasping to myself and having to frantically reread parts.
The pacing was really good. It was fast paced and gripping that kept me in the loop with all the actions happening on a tight deadline.
The connections between characters were all palpable and I enjoyed as snippets revealed more about them along the way.
I enjoyed the immersion in the world and everything was wrapped up nicely I just wished there had been a little more.
Overall a great world and an amazing magic concept. I would love to read more.
Favourite Quote - "No one is going to shatter. I promise."
Favourite Character - Cemmy

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊.

The first thing I'll say about Until We Shatter is that it has an incredibly cinematic, visual sensibility. It flows between two dimensions - one of colour (the world typics/non-magic users are most at home in), the other monochrome, built of shadows, and liable to shatter you to pieces if you outstay your welcome.

The magic system itself is based around different shades of colour, with half-Shades known more commonly as 'Hues'. They have been hunted to near extinction because full Shades believe they steal magic from their shadow dimension and, naturally, those that covet power don't like it when such power is t̶h̶r̶e̶a̶t̶e̶n̶e̶d̶ shared. It takes a hot minute to learn about what the different colours and hues mean in terms of magic variation, but once it clicked I thought it was a well-realised and inventive take. I was reading on kindle, but a colour-magic glossary in the front would be a win.

The author has described Until We Shatter as a 'witchy heist' narrative, but witches for me summon up notions of the eldritch and gothic (though I suppose cosy potion brewing is also A THING). This feels must more contemporary (though still in a classic fantasy world devoid of technology and all that jazz). It would make an awesome graphic novel or animation. But don't go into this thinking it's about witches in the classic sense. It's not. Though I suppose you still have persecution, forbidden magic and 'hunts' abounding - and bigots within religious groups that fear that which they don't understand - so parallels could be made to the old witch trials. Anyway, I digress.

If we're talking tropes, it's all about heisting, found-family and forced proximity. All comfortably YA. No spice. Not all that much romance, generally, to be honest. Unless manipulative flirting counts? We must seduce the enemy!

I did slightly struggle with how the big reveals played out. When we're experiencing everything from a first-person perspective, when breadcrumbs become plot-twists that catch you by surprise, there's nothing better. You're right there piecing everything together with your protagonist. Here, however, those breadcrumbs were entire loaves of sourdough. So when the protagonist failed to notice them, you couldn't help but think they're a bit of an idiot. The plot-twists weren't twisting. It meant I was in a near-constant state of despair over the FMC's lack of critical thinking skills. She's pretty chaotic as far as main characters go... but they're often a lot more fun to hang with.

Overall, this was an enticing YA adventure, and the author wasn't afraid to take risks, create rifts and deconstruct found-family dynamics. The visual realisation is by far the standout aspect for me, and I enjoyed how casually queer a lot of the characters were.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The entire book serves a very interesting plot which is why I was wanting to read this in the first place. It’s giving Six of Crows vibes in a way with its magical heist, found family and romance combined.

Cemmy, our main female character, is a hue, (a half blood within her magic system) and she begins stealing in order to help her mother who is ill after the loss of her father. Because of her ability as a Bronze, she is able to steal with much more talent. She is trying to keep her existence away from the Isitar’s Church who believe that hue’s, those with diluted power should not exist. However, Cemmy and her friends, all of which have different variations of magic, are forced into a heist in order to save those with diluted power from those wanting to destroy them.

This story is generally good. The magical systems are unique and the founding family element was written really well. The romance itself between Cemmy and Chase was kept minimal in comparison to what I expected, but I liked the slow burn and the enemies to lovers that is occurring throughout. I do wish there was a little more because I really wanted much more tension between them. The twists and turns allow you to be kept on your toes because something is always happening and I do like the writing style of the book.

However, the magical systems were quite confusing and there is a lot to remember, particularly with all the shades of magic that are presented, who hates who and who supports their cause etc. I don’t think I could remember the shades and their abilities off the top of my head which is a fundamental element to the storyline and even the characters in what they are capable of. With that being said, a lot of thought went into the development of the entire world building and systems introduced.

The characters are imperfectly great. Each character has their reasons to survive, traumas, to be the way they are with their own complexities and I think the founding family and the connections between the characters is what makes this story shine the most. There is also representation with bisexuality and disability (a deaf character who uses sign language to communicate) which is something I have not read about before so absolute props to Kate for some diversity in the characters.

Overall, I didn’t *love* the story the way I thought I would but I did enjoy it in parts. I feel if there was to be a next book in the series, I would 100% read it because I feel this world can be explored so much more than what it has and I really want to grasp at it so my confusion is sorted out. It’s fun, full of action and relatively fast paced with a dash of romance here and there.