A Touch Of Shadows by Jessica Thorne is a good read for readers just getting into high fantasy books. Stories where they must learn a new world and new rules. It was a good introduction to those types of stories as there was good worldbuilding at the beginning of the book but it wasn't too complicated or anything too overwhelming to pick up easily.

I do think the world-building could've used a bit of work as the story went on, specifically the magic system. I felt the magic system felt a bit weak logic-wise as the characters started to use their powers more. While we did get a bit of history and some explanation regarding the magic early on in the book, it still felt a bit vague. I do hope there is a bit of expansion on that in the second and third books.

Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of romance. The insta-love took the "instant part" to a whole new level. I think the author tried to compensate by tying their immediate connection with the magic but I don't think enough development was done with the relationship outside of that. So when the characters started to act a bit intimate I was quite confused as to how we got there.

I quite liked the idea behind Wren's mother and her history. Without giving away spoilers, the idea of her feeling restricted by her position and her eventually being "trapped" by her love is quite interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Second Sky Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the author (or the author's team) for this copy.

A touch of Shadows was the first book I had read by this author and I throughly enjoyed it. The writing style and how the world is complex without being complicated was great.
The characters, I felt could have seen more of their personalities or something ... but I also am aware this is the first book in a series, and so I am super eager to see where this story goes.

The Touch of Shadows by Jessica Thorne kicks off The Lost Queen series with an addictive mix of forbidden magic, tension-filled romance, and high-stakes adventure. Fans of fantasy romance, especially those who enjoy authors like Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, will find themselves swept up in Wren and Finn’s captivating story of passion, power, and looming darkness.

Wren is a compelling heroine—quietly powerful and living in constant fear of being discovered for the shadow magic she possesses. Her magic is not just a hidden gift but a dangerous curse, one that destroyed her kingdom and forces her into a life of secrecy in a remote village. This duality gives her character depth; she's someone who yearns to do good, healing those around her, while knowing that exposure could mean death. Wren’s internal battle between embracing her powers and hiding them from the world makes her easy to root for, and Thorne does a great job making her feel relatable, despite her extraordinary abilities.

Then comes Finn, a noble knight whose sworn duty is to hunt down those who wield the very magic Wren harbors. Finn’s character is introduced at a moment of vulnerability, as he is attacked by dark creatures in the forest and nearly dies. Wren’s decision to save him, despite the risk of revealing her powers, sets off a series of events that tie the two together in ways neither could have predicted.

The chemistry between Wren and Finn is palpable from the moment she saves his life. Thorne’s writing captures the tension and desire between them in a way that feels both electric and dangerous. Their connection goes beyond physical attraction, as Wren’s magic pulses through them both, making you question whether their growing bond is real or simply the result of the shadows tempting them. This uncertainty adds a delicious edge to their romance—one that keeps you guessing about whether they can truly trust each other, or if the darkness will ultimately tear them apart.

As much as this is a love story, A Touch of Shadows is also packed with action and adventure. The looming threat of enemy soldiers, the dark creatures that haunt the woods, and the shadow magic itself create an atmosphere of suspense that keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace. Thorne builds the tension effectively, as the stakes grow higher with each chapter. Both Wren and Finn are caught between duty and desire, and their journey feels all the more compelling as they grapple with whether Wren’s magic, seen as dangerous by both of them, could be the key to saving the kingdom.

Thorne’s world-building is immersive without being overwhelming, focusing on the key elements that draw readers into the story: the mysterious shadow magic, the fallen kingdom of Asteroth, and the complex political tensions that drive the plot forward. These elements lay the groundwork for what promises to be an intriguing series, but it’s Wren and Finn’s evolving relationship that truly holds the spotlight.

The novel strikes a balance between steamy romance and dark fantasy, making it an ideal read for those who love the mix of heart-pounding passion and epic adventure. Wren and Finn’s bond feels organic, and the twists in their story will keep readers hooked until the final page. There’s also a great sense of mystery surrounding the shadow magic—where it came from, what it truly wants, and how it could either save or destroy everything Wren holds dear.

In A Touch of Shadows, Jessica Thorne has crafted a romance that burns with intensity, set against a backdrop of magic and intrigue that will leave readers eager for the next installment. It’s a thrilling start to a series that promises plenty of heart-stopping moments and emotional depth, perfect for anyone craving an addictive fantasy romance.

✨ Magical creatures
✨ Dark and light magic
✨ Forbidden Love
✨ Lies and deception

I enjoyed this new romantasy, A Touch of Darkness by Jessica Thorne. I read this both on the kindle and audiobook.

I am giving this book 4 stars because I very much did enjoy this book, but felt the short length impacted the plot. This is a quick read, which almost feels like a prequel or Part 1 of a larger book. You start to see some world building and character development just as it ends. However, there is a lot of potential for the books to follow. I like Wren and look forward to her story in particular. Elodie had me rooting for her, but it was hard by the end. The bond between Wren and Finn, however, has me in a chokehold. I hope the next book explores deeper in to their relationship.

The story is fast paced, but almost too fast paced. I would have liked a little more descriptions of the magic and the history. I would recommend this for fantasy romance readers.

Wren has been in hiding her whole life, it seems. Elodie, the woman who has raised her, has always encouraged her to reach for the light and admonished her never to let the darkness in. But the darkness has always beckoned to Wren, even as she has tried to resist it, to keep her magic hidden. This is sometimes challenging, as she and Elodie live apart from everyone in a forest where remnants of dark magic – the Nox – are known to linger. When the small village they call home is invaded by Ilanthian knights clearly looking for something, and their tower is aflame, Wren flees into the dark forest. A knight of Asteroth, Finn, seeks to protect her and in so doing, is attacked by dark forces himself. Wren does the thing she’s been told not to do and saves Finn, but at what cost to her and to him? Now they’re somehow bound together, and drawn almost irresistibly to each other.

This is a pretty good fantasy read, although it doesn’t quite live up to The Bookbinder’s Daughter (which I loved). We’ve got a pretty clear matchup of good versus evil in Asteroth and Ilanthia. Asteroth, the kingdom of light, with an eternal flame that supports their magic system that now kind of exists in limbo, not really active, but still existing. Ilanthia, seeking to restore the Nox to its former glory and use it for their ends, sounds like a truly awful place. But Wren and Finn seem to be some combination of both light and dark (at least sometimes), and this feels like it’s laying the groundwork for the two of them to somehow bring the two kingdoms together and restore balance. That, or they’ll burn each other to a crisp with forbidden dark magic and everything will go down in flames, I’m not sure which.

Thorne gives us a strong character in Elodie. She is clearly more than the hedge witch she presents herself as, and I hope she was somewhat in the background in this story because we’ll see much more of her in other books in the series. She isn’t invisible, but I get the feeling we haven’t nearly seen her tap the depths of her power yet.

The attraction between Wren and Finn felt a lot like insta-romance to me, and that really isn’t my favorite. I prefer enemies to lovers that takes time to grow. But given the spark that lit the romantic flame, I can see why their relationship unfolded in the way it did. I hope we see something deeper blossoming between them in later books. There was some explicit on-page spice – not a main focus of the book, but it is there, so be mindful if that’s a deal-breaker for you.

The story kept me interested, but it felt a bit underdeveloped. I know it’s the first of a trilogy, and I’m engaged enough to keep reading. We’ll see how the next book goes!

The Bookbinder’s Daughter is still my favorite Thorne book, but I’m hopeful this series will get better with each successive book, and by the end of it, I’ll love this story almost as much!

I liked a lot of the elements in this book, but I felt that it could have gone a little more in depth with the characters and world building. The magic system was intriguing but not touched on as much as I would have liked. It was a fun, pretty quick read, and I would like to see what the author does in book 2. I think there's a lot of potential here.

This was cute. It’s great for someone just getting in to fantasy. But as someone who has consumed fantasy at an alarming rate the past couple of years, I will agree with some other reviewers that say that there is still quite a bit to be desired. I’m also not a huge fan of insta-love, which is how this came off. It’s a very quick read though, so I definitely think anyone looking for a short and sweet romantasy read should give this a try! I’m interested to see how the authors writing style develops in the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.

Wren has been brought up by a woman who she assumed is her mother. They never called ach other mother or child so she was never sure. They got seperated and Wren ended up meeting with Flynn.
Magic has been outlawed and Wren and her mother use it for healing powers.
Finn was brought up in one kingdom but is helping another kingdom. It seems that Wren and Finn's destinies are interwoven.
There is also spice n this book.
I enjoyed the banter between these 2 and the kingdoms.
I received this from NetGalley and Second Sly for the ebook to review,

2.5 stars

A Touch of Shadows by Jessica Thorne is a relatively quick read with an interesting magic system that drew me in. Wren is a character with a mysterious background that even she is not privy to beyond the strange, dark magic she can call upon which has more control over her than she does over it.
 
The start to this story was a bit slow for my preferences so it took me a while to really get into it enough to be interested to continue. I did struggle to stick with it because of this, but it eventually opened up enough to convince me to see it through as more interesting characters were introduced and backstory of these characters began to unravel. It wasn’t my favourite read of the year by any means, but it was enough to have me wanting to learn more of the world and to potentially pick up the sequel later on.
 
The characters were OK, though didn’t necessarily engender enough attachment in me that I was truly concerned about what might happen to them. Their backgrounds were the part I most wanted to know more about, though in Wren and Elodie’s cases they ended up being relatively predictable. Wren’s dangerous connection with the shadows was the most interesting part about her, and the fact that this was somehow tied to the length of her hair did intrigue me. Otherwise, I could have taken or left any one of the main characters and not been terribly affected by it.
 
I was initially drawn in by the promise of witches and magic, but in the end, I don’t think it quite ended up being what I was expecting. As a result, it didn’t quite land with me the way I was expecting it to, though it was a decent enough read once I got going with it. It still didn’t overly suck me in and I found myself at times annoyed with characters’ decisions which took me out of the experience.

In the end A Touch of Shadows was a decent enough read, though perhaps not fully for me as far as meeting my expectations. I may or may not continue with the series.

2.5 stars but rounding up!

This was not my favorite book that I've read but it was definitely one of the fastest books to read! This was a fast-paced magical story about a girl hidden away in the woods for her own protection and the knight that saves her, kicking off a big adventure crossing worlds and learning the differences between light magic and dark magic.

I thought the characters, their connections, and the magical mystery surrounding them were very interesting, but I found myself wishing that they went a bit deeper. The strongest relationship was between Wren and her mother (?) Elodie, and even that needed a bit more depth to it. Wren and Finn had the insta-love that wasn't founded on an emotional connection level as much as a magical level.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jessica Thorne for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ok. It had the premise to be really good but I felt like I was reading more of someone's initial draft that was written after they created a rough outline versus a completed story. There was very little world building, or character development and I often felt confused about what was happening. Our main character made bad decisions that you knew were coming but even as she was making the decision I kept thinking "I'm missing something" because while I KNEW it was a bad decision, the plot was so vague that it was almost like it was counting on the reader to draw conclusions as to what was happening.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

elodie and wren and arrived in the village many years ago.... they were the hedge witches in the forest and many of the villagers sought out elodie for help

but the day the village was invaded was the day that changed everything...

wren met the man that was to change her life forever

elodie was about to have her past thrust back at her

was the dark magic about to come back....

what a read and what an ending...cant wait for the next book in this series

A Touch of Shadows is a nice book for someone who wants to read a romantic fantasy novel for the first time. It's fast paced, the magic system is not complicated and the book is well written. However, for me, there was a lack of world building and the main characters needed a bit more fleshing out. I wasn't able to pick up exactly their personalities and traits - they felt a bit bland. Excluding Elodie, who stole the show, in my opinion.
The romance was too quick for me and a bit out of the blue, but I am a slow burn kind of girl.
The cliffhanger at the end was really nice and left me wondering what will happen next! All in all, this was a nice and quick read.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



✨ Fast Paced
✨ Cliffhanger
✨ Sci-fi




✨ Eloise was the main character of the story.
To be honest, it’s my first time reading a scifi series and I’m struggling at first.
But knowing the author, have some handy tips on the first few chapter I can actually read it lightly even though it’s a struggle.

✨ Cliffhanger is a huge part of this book so you may keep an eye out on the second book.



✨ Overall, it’s a good read. Lots of things to learn about. Not the greatest fan of sci-fi but this is a great start of the journey.



✨ Thankyou #secondsky #bookouture for the opportunity to read this arc for a honest review.





🫶🏼shaye.reads

Well, this is the first in a stunning new fantasy series. One that was left on a cliffhanger!

So I LOVED the narrator of the book, and I listened to the book, but I think, for me, this is one I would have been better off reading. I feel like I missed out on some things because of the detail that Jessica has put in. It didn't all completely sink in for me - so next book, I am reading! Although, I might re-read this one! The detail is not a bad thing, you need this detail but because my brain floated away, I missed things.

For me, Elodie was the shining star. There is something mysterious and endearing about her all at the same time. I need to find out more about her and Roland!! Their love, their story I need more!

This is going to sound silly to say, but this book was magical. I love the magic, the world-building, the characters but it was just something special. I loved the easy way you found yourself with the characters as if you had always been with Wren from the beginning. And yet, there is still so much we don't know about her and the shadows. Why does the darkness want her? I know we see a snippet of things, but that's just it, a snippet. I want more - and I have 2 more books to find out my answers.

It was free-flowing, easy going, but with some sizzle and some battles and a whole lot of magic and I can't wait for the next instalment.

I was very fortunate enough to get an arc of this. Loved the cover and the premise. It was an enjoyable read and the magic system was interesting as the first book in a series. I am excited to see how it develops further on.

Found my new favorite series! I couldn’t put this book down! The great world building and twists and turns keeps you hooked until the end. I can’t wait for the 2nd book in this series to be released! Thank you Second Sky for providing me an ARC!

One-word review: wonderful-escape
Emojis: 🤔😳🫣
Rating: 4 🌟s

Favorite Character:
My favorite character was not Wren—at least not in this first book in the trilogy—but Elodie, who is the mother or mother figure (that's one of the mysteries that needs to be solved) of Wren and a powerful wielder of magic. She is fascinating and powerful, with a past full of mystery and a power that can change the fate of everyone she comes into contact with. She is a supporting character with definite main-character energy.

My Top-Five-style Review:
5. The world-building, while in need of more development, holds great potential. With two books to go, there's a sense of anticipation. The basic introduction was sufficient to prevent confusion or frustration, leaving room for more to be unveiled.

4. The romance, though rapid, is a whirlwind that worked for me. In a fantasy story like this, the concept of insta-love is easily believable and can engulf you like no other emotion, adding to the immersive experience.

3. The story pulled me in from page 1 and thoroughly entertained me from start to finish. Its entertainment level is perfect for an afternoon read.

2. I'm never a fan of a cliffhanger ending, and boy, did this have one. Fortunately, I will be delving into book 2 in just a few days, making the impact not as bad as it would have been otherwise.

1. I loved the story's pacing, which is enhanced by loads of high-stakes situations such as life-threatening battles and intense magical confrontations, and plenty of tension. The fast pace kept the pages turning rapidly, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️

For readers who are new to the fantasy genre - A Touch of Shadows might be a great introductory book. Short, fast paced with an interesting and engaging magic system - A Touch of Shadows hits all the right notes without being overwhelming.

For more experienced romantasy and fantasy readers like myself - A Touch of Shadows may be something you want to tackle after more books in the series are out. I loved the magic system that Jessica built. It felt unique and played on the trope that two sides of the same coin must exist in balance with one another. The characters leave you wondering who is up to what and who you can trust which led to me devouring the book in less than 24 hours because i had to know what was going on. However, the story left way more questions for the reader than answers and given the story’s brevity the world building and character development was limited which I think added more questions than it answered. I’m also not a huge fan of the insta love trope but the way Jessica structured it within the magic of the universe made it more palatable then I expected - I just wish we would have had more of a slow burn outside of the magical bond between Finn and Wren as it came across a little unbelievable and rushed at times.

Overall I think if the book had been a little longer and we had a bit more character development this would be an amazing series and I would have rated it a little higher. However, if you’re a reader new the genre I think this would be a great entry point without being overwhelming.

I need the second asap really.. Oh I loved this book very much easy 5 stars for me I also made a proper review on my Booktok about it and it's an easy recommendation from me to be honest, I loved seeing the different perspectives and I loved Wren and Finn together