'Until we shatter' is a quickly moving book, with an original worldbuilding. I must admit I had forgotten it was YA (my bad, really !) and so my expected enjoyment was a bit tempered, since it is a genre of fantasy I tend to like less. There was quite a bit of lenghty explanation about the world, something that annoyed me a bit, especially with the first pov narration. I also had a bit of trouble connecting with the characters because their psychology and reactions felt a bit too much sometimes, but it is probably my tendency to prefer more mature characters talking. Still, I think the author managed to create and convey what she wanted, with good and varied representation, high stakes heist and a romance. It is a good bookn I just didn't have the right expectations.
This book should delight readers of YA looking for a fast moving plot, morally grey characters and an original magic system and worldbuilding !

This was amazing!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book what a unique world this was to read!

It did take me a little time to adjust to the unique magic system but all the best fantasy books do, and once I did I could not put this book down, yes I did read it all in one sitting.

There was no slow start to the book, readers will be immediately thrown into the plot so be prepared the stakes are high and so exiting to read.

I loved the morally grey family characters especially little grumpy Cemmy and the representation was amazing!

There are honestly hardly any criticisms for the book and I really recommend this if you’re looking for an intense heist!

Thank you NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Kate Dylan for the eARC!

“I am the violence the world made of me.”

Phew. Kate Dylan never misses. I was so excited to read Until We Shatter after loving both Mindwalker and Mindbreaker, and now I’ve finished it I might just have to read it again?

Until We Shatter has anything but a slow start - you’re thrown straight into the action with Cemmy, our stubborn, quick-witted main character who has both a forbidden dilution of magic and a desperate need to save her mother’s life, as she tries to pull off a heist of her own. And that’s where things go pear shaped.

I adored the unique, intricate magic system where characters’ powers are based on their colours (known as Shades), from which the forbidden Hues (half-Shades) have their own dilutions. The worldbuilding was really nicely layered into the storytelling! I also really enjoyed the similarities to the Mindwalker world, replacing sci-fi ‘mods’ with fantasy ‘glamours’.

One thing you can always rely on with Kate Dylan’s writing is that she will keep the stakes high, and it’s as brilliant as it is nail-bitingly terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat for basically the whole book.

Until We Shatter is a heist story but of course more than a heist story - it’s truth and lies and the complex webs we weave to protect the people we love. I loved it! Maybe the real heist was the friends we made along the way?

Thank you NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Kate Dylan for the eARC!