I absolutely loved the magic system in this book. It was interesting and just fun. I also absolutely loved the chemistry between the characters. I also just always enjoy a good magic based heist.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

"Until we shatter" was advertised as a Six of Crows fantasy heist story. While that is true, I kinda missed everything that made Six of Crows so compelling: likeable or at least convincing, complex characters, unpredictable(ish) storylines, a decent world building, novelty, fun. I did see semblances of it in Dylan's book but I guess my hopes were too high. I found our protagonist as well as her groups of friends, her love interest and the antagonist terribly shallow and unconvincing. I did not get into the book with ease, the world building was elaborate yet confusing. The majority of the plot did not surprise me and I was quite annoyed reading vast parts of this book. But maybe this is because I was reading it on my phone whilst interrailing through Scandinavia and I couldn't really immerse myself. So I might be unfair in my rating of this book. And yet the main character is so annoying, naive, unlikeable, I don't think reading the book at another point in my life would've changed much. I finished the ending at home and I was glad it was over and I could start something else. Sorry! 3 stars max

This fell a little flat for me unfortunately!

I loved the dynamic between the characters, the chemistry was great and the unique magic system was really intriguing to read!

However what I struggled with was that there was a lot of information thrown at me and it was a little overwhelming; I feel like the book should have been longer to compensate for this! The ending also felt a little quick for me and not properly fleshed out. It was an enjoyable read however!

Until We Shatter is an intriguing YA fantasy with a really interesting and unique magic system. In this world magic is banned/heavily regulated by ‘The church’, colours (magic wielders) have been hunted to near extinction and hues (their children with non magic partners) are all that remained and are ‘diluted’ colours. I really loved Cemmy, the main character, and her unique voice which told the story in a conversational tone. Cemmy is a hue, taught to fear her abilities, yet she is part of a heist crew who use their powers in ‘the grey’ to pass through worlds and steal for money. It turns out that Cemmy needs the money to help her sick mother, making her motives a little more moral. She meets Chase and her world gets more complicated. There are more heists, found family, romance, betrayal and quite a few twists and turns that were quite gripping. Overall I really enjoyed this book

3 stars

Until We Shatter centers around a heist with some nice prose that isn't too complicated! I found the romance and banter to be really fun and cute, however it felt like there was actually more chemistry with the situationship rather than with the main love interest. I would have liked more depth with the side characters, I thought they felt a bit one dimensional and were only there to further the main character's plot - I prefer being able to root for side characters and also getting a little invested in their stories.

I really enjoyed the unique magic system and was really interested to learn more. I did however find it to be pretty heavy on information dumping, which some will not like and felt like quite a lot in 300 pages. I thought it could/should have been a longer book to mitigate this, it felt like it ended a little abruptly which made me wonder if there was a sequel on the way but it appears to just be a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Whilst I loved the premise of this book and the style of writing was so beautiful I found the magic system so confusing and still not sure I get it fully. I was a little disappointed that the romance shifted from Novi as I though that was such an interesting relationship at the start.

I enjoyed this one more than I was expecting. It did get off to a slowish start and the magic system is a little over complicated but the plot got me hooked. I love a good heist plot. I would have liked the characters to be fleshed out a little more and I didn’t need the love triangle drama but there was some nice twists in the plot that kept me invested. I really enjoyed the idea of a shadow world and the unique magical abilities the colours represented. Overall a decent standalone YA fantasy.

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Until We Shatter is a standalone fantasy novel in which we follow Cemmy, a young thief and magic-wielder, as she is offered a job that could solve all of her problems.

Before we get into the review, can we just appreciate the beauty of this cover? The title is really fitting, and I love the shattered glass effect.

As opposed to some reviews, in which the fact that this book is perfect for fans of SoC was the selling point, I did not read this book for this reason. In fact, it actually made me not want to read it, but the synopsis depicted an interesting and unique magic system, so I decided to request it on NG.
Speaking of the magic system, it is… complicated and confusing, to say the least. Cemmy lives in a world divided between magic-wielders (the Shades, represented by the Council of Shades) and non magic-wielders (the Typics, represented by the Church)... and she is a half-shade (a Hue). In the midst of all that, there are seven types of Shades, like the colours of the rainbow, hence seven types of magic. But each Shade has three variations, and that just made everything very confusing. I would have appreciated a simpler magic system, or to have a chart representing all the different Shades and Hues at the beginning of the book. Nonetheless, it was a great and unique idea.
The plot is filled with alliances, deceptions, betrayals, lies and secrets, but that is what makes me not want to put a book down and keep on reading. It was really interesting to see how the mission evolved as the chapters passed and the dynamics between all the characters.
The female main character was okay, but I felt that there were too many characters at one point and forgot all the names. My favourite character was definitely the deaf Amethyst girl, Lyria, because I love a good deaf representation in books I read (and I love her name).

I really really LOVED this book! I don't think you can go wrong with a heist book done well, and this was definitely that. The characters are fantastic, and I think the care and thought that has gone into them comes across so well. I can't wait to recommend this to everyone

A fast-paced fantasy read with an intriguing and original magic system. Dylan's cast of diverse and lovable characters and smooth, accessible first-person prose make this a fast read. I adored the twists in Dylan's earlier books (including Mindwalker, a sci-fi fave!), and the shocking twists in Until We Shatter still destroyed me. Recommended for anyone looking for an enthralling new fantasy!

This is a fun YA fantasy heist.

As with many heist media, we follow a large cast of characters. The whole book is told from our main character’s POV, Cemmy. I found Cemmy to be a little annoying sometimes since she lacks a some critical thinking, and is quite self absorbed. Luckily I enjoyed the other characters more, and the diversity within the cast was wonderful to see. I also loved how sign language was used in the book, and Lyria was definitely a stand out! My other favourite character was Novi, though I wish the side characters were more development and had a bit more personality.

As for the plot I found the pacing to be a little jarring. The build up feels slow at times and the actual heist quite short. I found the training scenes and meetings before the heist a bit repetitive, and I think it might have helped if the side characters were more involved. I will say, you really felt the gravity of the situation, and I always applaud actions having serious consequences.
As for the magic system, I thought it was original and well crafted. I would have liked a more seamless integration of the shades and hues powers into the story, it felt a little info dump-y at times. Overall though, I found the shades and hues to be very interesting.

The prose was easy to read and the book flows swiftly along. It’s not a challenging read and great for those who might be dipping their toes into YA fantasy.

Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy with incredible world-building and unforgettable characters. The story dives into a tense, divided society filled with magic, danger, and intrigue, keeping you hooked from start to finish.

The writing is sharp and immersive, balancing thrilling twists with emotional depth. I loved how the themes of identity, resilience, and found family are woven seamlessly into the narrative. The representation—queer, disabled, and more—adds layers of authenticity and heart.

If you’re looking for a gripping standalone fantasy with rich world-building and a dynamic cast, this one’s a definite recommendation!

Cemmy is a thief by necessity. She’s a Hue, the product of a relationship between a human and a Shade (a human with magic), and thus her very existence is illegal. But her rare skill as a Bronze Hue makes her a target for a terrorist who threatens her friends if she doesn’t comply.

There’s a lot of promise to spark my interest here with heists, bisexual characters, a deaf character, romantic tension, and interesting magical powers. Some readers, especially younger YA readers, might really enjoy this, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. It felt lazy with an over-reliance on tropes and shoddy world building. More details:

Exposition and world building. Magic users are divided into two groups: Shades and Hues, the latter being the product of reproducing with a human (or typic). Every Shade and Hue has a power associated with a color. For example, Reds can control people. Shades are pure colors (or “hues” to use the technical term in design/color theory, to make things confusing) and Hues are permutations or combinations of colors (garnet, turquoise, etc.). The powers have no obvious connection to the powers with the possible exception of Greens being able to heal. Yellows (and Bronzes like our main character) can enter into the Gray, a parallel shadow world of sorts. There are seven colors associated with Shades, and it seems like around 3 Hue variations within each Shade. All of this is plopped on the reader in several enormous exposition dumps rather than slowly revealed. The political structure of the world is similarly poorly scaffolded.

The main character Cemmy. She makes a lot of bad decisions and puts people in danger. While she’s always well-intentioned, the writing isn’t strong enough to make her relatable or give me empathy for her. She just comes off as pretty stupid and short-sighted.

Names. This is a small quibble, but multiple characters have several names or go by a nickname. Rough when I’m already trying to keep this magic system in my head. Notably, the enemies-to-lovers antagonist’s name is Cassiel, but he insists on going by Chase, which sounds like a fratboy.

Lazy characterization. As an example, I'll use a particularly obnoxious bit used for characterizing the villain. I loved the presence of Lyria, a deaf character, and how the hearing characters take pains to learn sign language. But the villain is described thusly as he expands on his email plans:“He makes no effort to ensure Lyria can read his lips, nor does it seem to bother him that the rest of us are in no position to interpret”, and it just felt like a lazy to signal to the reader that the villain is bad and wrong. For example, if Cemmy had then spent a sentence or two reflecting how this was the last in a series of behavior that identified how the villain had just wanted to use them as tools and obviously would betray them, it would have worked a little better.

A standalone magical heist, count me in!
The world is divided in Council and Church, and our main character fits into neither of these groups. Cemmy is a theif and a half shade, and with an unwell mother, must embark on a mission that has danger at every turn.
Cemmy turns to a group of fellow misfits, most of whom fit in neither group and are hunted by both. They are blackmailed to steal an artefact under intensely high security.
I loved the writing style of this, and it was easy to read and the pages flew by, much like Dylans other work.
Cemmy was a complex character, like many of us is driven by the desire to do good but sadly, often ends up making the wrong choice and many mistakes that land her more trouble than she was in to begin with. I think it could be frustrating to read but it fits with her characters arc so well.
I really liked the layers of misinformation and misdirection adding to the story, and while I maybe wasnt as invested in the charcaters as i should have been, the variation in representation was a nice tough .

I really enjoyed this book so much so I went and bought the special edition version from a book subscription box and I love having it on display on my bookshelf x

A unique, colour-based magic system.
A heist in the shadow world with everything at stake.
Queer found family.
Super messy characters.
Secrets, lies, betrayals and twists.
Evil organisations on both sides.
“I am the violence the world made of me.”

Gripping, unique and high stakes, a great read.

Having absolutely adored Kate Dylan's sci-fi novels Mindwalker and Mindbreaker, I was eager to see her branch out into fantasy. And the comps with Six of Crows and Master of One had me instantly taking note.

Until We Shatter definitely delivered on its promise of an edge-of-your seat heist, and I absolutely loved the world Dylan created. Religious fanatics regulating the use of magic and the magical council opposing to anyone not purely magical made for an intriguing setting. I loved the concept of the shades and hues being able to access a parallel dimension, the grey. And while I struggled to keep track of the magical abilities of all shades and hues, this didn't impact my reading experience (and I frequently consulted the overview).

There's a nice element of found family to the cast - with an established group consisting of Cemmy, her ex Novi, Eve and Ezzo, adding new elements to the mix brought a shake-up and a need for new dynamics to form. I loved how Cemmy's relationship with her ex was portrayed and enjoyed seeing her overcome her jealousy of Lyria. Chase was definitely morally grey territory, but I loved how our perception of him shifted as the story progressed. There were plenty of unforeseen plot twists, and some heartbreaking moments. Until We Shatter takes a critical look at society and class privileges, as well as at the relationships in families and the families we chose, and what we are willing to do to save or protect those we love.
Until We Shatter has all the elements that I love about Dylan's writing: diverse representation, intricate world-building, high stakes and an action-packed plot. Dylan has definitely made the list of auto-buy authors form me!

Having loved Kate Dylan’s sci-fi, I was really excited to see her first try at fantasy and I have to say I am not disappointed! The idea of the magic of inbetweens and the different powers the Hues had were really fun and interesting ways to use magic. I loved they were used to such effect.

A lot of the themes that appear in Kate Dylan’s sci fi have travelled across to the Fantasy genre with her. In this book we see another corrupt society, though this one is on the brink of war with ever rising tensions between it’s people. I was really happy to see that the particular spin she puts on her books is still there, even in a different genre.

I also loved the representation in this book. Cemmy is bisexual and has both male and female lovers. I loved the fact that both relationships were pretty balanced. There wasn’t any emphasis put on one or the other. Her romantic journey in this book was partly to move on from her former lover and into the hands of someone new, and I feel like this was done effectively. Often in romance the emphasis is put on one romance lasting forever, so it was nice to see a book that accepts that sometimes relationships have to end and that new ones can be formed without one party being the “evil ex”.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what Kate Dylan does next.

This might be the most beautiful book I own. The cover is STUNNING.
And the story is as well. I read it in one go and love the characters. But especially the magic system will stick with me for a long time. For fans of Sanderson and Samantha Shannon - you'll like the complexity of this one.

I struggled with this book and didn't end up finishing it. I don't think it was necessarily the writing or the story itself, it just didn't grab me and I couldn't keep going with it. Unfortunate because I was really anticipating it and have heard excellent things about this author.