Jessica Thorne’s A Touch of Shadows (The Lost Queen Book 1)* is like stepping into a magical blender set to “chaos.” You’ve got light magic, dark magic, good guys, bad guys, and a heroine who’s just trying to figure out who the heck she is amidst all this. It’s a wild ride from start to finish, and honestly, I couldn’t put it down.*

Our leading lady starts off with an unknown past—because why make things easy, right? As she tries to untangle the mess of her life, she encounters characters who are as morally gray as they come. And trust me, you’ll love (and sometimes hate) every one of them. Whether they’re dishing out cryptic advice or dropping major bombshells, they keep the story buzzing with tension.

The plot is full of twists and turns that’ll make you question everything you think you know. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, Thorne throws in another curveball that leaves you flipping pages faster than a wizard in a spellbook. The battle between light and dark magic is more than just a backdrop—it’s woven into the characters, the magic itself, the love interests, and even Elodie’s tumultuous past. The constant theme of good vs. evil manifests in every aspect of the story, from the conflicting emotions that Wren grapples with to the moral complexities of those around her. It’s like a high-stakes game of magical tug-of-war where the lines between right and wrong are constantly blurred, keeping you on your toes and deeply invested in the outcome. Is the darkness the evil after all or are the shadows neither good nor evil but influenced by the person wielding their power?

Emotionally, this book packs a punch. You’ll laugh, you’ll side-eye, and you’ll probably yell at the characters to get their act together (they won’t listen, but it’s worth a try). Luckily the characters and the world-building were very well done.

Thorne’s writing is immersive without being overly flowery. The story unfolds in a medieval setting where two neighboring kingdoms, locked in a bitter feud for years, create a backdrop brimming with tension and intrigue. The setting mainly takes place in an ancient forest where the shadows tell of conflict and power struggles. The forest acts as a divide so to speak between the kingdoms where the evil from long ago still resides and is lying in wait. Elodie reminds Wren often to focus on the light to prevent the shadows from forming, as Wren secretly is drawn to the shadows. The long-standing rivalry between the kingdoms adds depth and complexity to the plot, making the world feel both expansive and intimately connected to the Wren and Finn’s personal pasts.

One aspect that occasionally had me groaning was Wren’s naïveté. I get that she’s dealing with a lot, but there were moments when I found myself wanting to shout, “Wren, connect the dots!” She is definitely giving “deer in headlights” kind of vibes multiple times as she makes questionable decisions. It’s particularly frustrating because her mother, Elodie, is aware of the dangers lurking in Wren’s past but doesn’t provide her with crucial information. A little advance warning about the magical chaos would have been helpful, right? While Elodie’s overprotectiveness is understandable, it sometimes feels like it does more harm than good. It’s a classic case of ‘if only they’d communicated better,’ leaving me wishing Wren had been more prepared for the upheaval in her life.

As Wren navigates this complex world, she finds herself entangled with two brothers, both connected to her mother’s past but with very different backgrounds. Leander, the prince of the neighboring kingdom, is drawn to Wren because of her unique magic and has his own reasons for pursuing her. On the other hand, Finn, a seasoned knight, meets Wren under unexpected circumstances—he intervenes when a local boy is bullying her. As Wren travels with Finn, she discovers that he has a deeper understanding of the shadow kin, a contrast to her limited knowledge as she was mostly trained as a hedgewitch or healer growing up. The real question is whether Finn can help Wren unravel her past and tackle the conflicts she faces, or if his own troubled history will hinder their connection.

If you’re into epic fantasy with a side of moral complexity (and who isn’t?), this book is for you. Fans of Sarah J. Maas Throne of Glass series and Leigh Bardugo Shadow and Bone trilogy, consider this your next read. Plus, Thorne has a knack for slipping in quotes that’ll make you stop and think, like: ‘In a world of shadows, even the brightest light casts a darker shade.’ Deep, right?

In short, A Touch of Shadows is a fun, fast-paced read that’s perfect for anyone who loves a good magical mystery with characters that aren’t afraid to get a little messy. Add it to your reading list, and prepare to be hooked!

And yes... It does end on a cliffhanger.

Overall: (4 out of 5 stars): ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed reading the 1st book of the series. It captured my attention and I ended up reading the book in 1 day. I cannot wait to see Wren’s growth in book 2!


Review will be live on Amazon and GoodReads.
Goodreads review is currently live online - 9/1/24.
Amazon - I will add after the book is released 9/5/24.

I really struggled to get into this one, the book was feeling too similar to some other books in the genre

I loved this magical fantasy. The world building was great, I loved the connection of dark and light. Poor Wren doesn’t know where she belongs, but she has such powerful magic and she just wants to learn about herself. Finn is such an amazing MMC, the way he protects Wren, at all costs, he loves her with his whole being. It ends on a major cliffhanger and I need to read the next book!!

Thank you to Jessica Thorne, Second Sky, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

This book was a definite easy read without extensive world building and without a complicated magic system and it was pretty short for a fantasy book so it was also a quick read. It is the first book in an incomplete series, and the remaining books have yet to be written or released at this time.

Since this book was short, I do feel like that affected the plot and romance aspects of this story. The romance was very quick, a kind of love at first sight romance story, and it seemed like there was not enough time for the two characters to really form an actual bond and that fell flat to me, especially when this book is marketed as a romantic fantasy. I also wish that some of the characters were explored more. Elide was such a great character and it seemed like she had a lot of depth due to what we saw and I loved her as a character, I just wish we got a little more. I think that this was all due to the short length of the book, and that could have been improved if the story was just a little bit longer. Especially since it is the first book in the series, it is when the readers are first learning about the characters, and it would be the best time to give more details about the characters and their back stories. The rest of the characters, like Wren and Finn, were also great. They had many layers that were peeled back and explored more as the story went on, and it really added to the story as a whole but once again could use with some more exploring.

Speaking of the fantasy aspect, I did like the idea of the dark magic, but I feel like it wasn't as explored as I would have liked. Like I mentioned above, it didn't have a complicated magic system, but the book didn't go that in depth into the magic system, so it may actually be more complicated than was stated in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. I would recommend to any lovers of fantasy books, with a romantic twist, without the unnecessarally long world building.

This book was a page turner! I found myself deseperate for answers and reading till 3am learning about this incredibly interesting world. I loved that Wren got to be her own shadow daddy and I loved the twists and turns she took learning who she is.

The world building was slow to start and a little bit confusing. It took me awhile before I understood the 2 different kingdoms and how it worked but once I understood I couldn't put it down.

Action, adventure, secret love, betrayals, and of course a bit of magic. Great world building and tons of court intrigue - solid fantasy read!

ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ: A Touch of Shadows
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: Jessica Thorne
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: Fantasy
ꜱᴏᴜʀᴄᴇ: e-ARC
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Thank you Second Sky Books and NetGalley for the gifted review copy!

A Touch of Shadows by Jessica Throne is the first book in the new series.

The author captivated the readers from the first chapter, carefully threading the plot to be captivating for readers to ask for more. I was enthralled from the very beginning and could not put it down.

The plot is a mystery itself because the story is moulded with so many twists and secrets that you get captivated to follow the story regardless.

The book is very atmospheric and there's a lot of purple prose used. I was almost immediately hooked from the first chapter where the mystery had begun.

The word building is heavy on the first book with a unique magic system that is easy to understand and follow. I think that the author has given great detail to the word building and naming.

I think this is a very good start to a snee series. The atmospheric setting, the way it hooked me from the beginning and was easy to follow.

Wren, our FMC is a witch living with Elodie in the forest and they support a small community as a healer. She has always felt magic but had to keep it a secret.

The book is not YA as there is one open door scene. However, there's a lot of adventure and mystery lurking everywhere!

Overall, the book is a perfect read for those who wantthe world-building mild in fantasy. It has piqued my interest enough to pick up the second book.

🌑✨ 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼 𝓞𝓯 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓻𝓮: 𝓐 𝓖𝓵𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓼𝓮 𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓸 "𝓐 𝓣𝓸𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼" 𝓑𝔂 𝓙𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓬𝓪 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮 ✨🌑

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮. 𝘞𝘳𝘦𝘯, 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘯, 𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱? 🔥🖤

This book had me hooked right from the start—the glossary alone was a game-changer! When I was just 88 pages in, I was already desperate to pick up the next installment. The story practically read itself, with an addictive pace that pulled me right in.

However, I did find myself wanting more from the world-building and magic system. It’s an easy fantasy to fall into, but I wish there was a bit more depth. The romance, while intense and electric, leans into insta-love, and I couldn’t help but think a slow burn would have made it even more captivating.

Still, A Touch of Shadows is a spellbinding read that will leave you craving more. Fantasy romance fans, you won’t want to miss this one! 🌘✨

📅 This book will be published on September 5, 2024.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Thorne, and Second Sky for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Touch of Shadows by Jessica Thorne is an new adult fantasy romance full of danger, family secrets and devastating magic. The story is fast paced and captivating. You are instantly immersed into the plot but it does not take away from it. I have been enchanted with this wonderful tale, and
I can't wait to carry on with the rest of this series.

A must read for fans of fantasy, romantasy, and good old fashioned epic story telling

"A Touch of Shadows" by Jessica Thorne is the inaugural book in the Lost Queen series. This Fantasy/Romance novel is notably light on world-building and is relatively brief for its genre, offering a swift reading experience. It appears to be the first installment of a trilogy, with subsequent volumes expected in the coming months, and I am eager to see the story's conclusion.

Wren is drawn to shadow magic, yet she must conceal her abilities to protect her life. Finn, a noble knight, has vowed to serve Asteroth by pursuing users of shadow magic. He has not forgiven his father for his heinous acts, and serving as a spy for Asteroth is his chosen form of retribution. During their travels, a creature assaults Finn, prompting Wren to use her magic to save him, risking her own life. Their touch ignites a fiery passion as Wren's magic surges between them. However, they cannot afford to delve into their newfound connection, as enemy forces are breaching the borders. Bound by fate, they must cultivate trust to safeguard their realm.

The characters are engaging and accessible, making it an ideal read for those new to the fantasy genre due to its straightforward narrative and minimal world-building. I anticipate the release of the next book with great interest.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Second Sky for providing this Advanced Reader's Copy in return for an honest review.

A captivating fantasy romance that enthralled the reader from the start. The plot is filled with unexpected twists, and the character dynamics are particularly impressive. The unique magic system, featuring light and dark magic, adds depth to the story. The author's beautiful prose brings the world to life, with rich world-building and complex court politics. Overall, it's an exceptional start to a series that leaves the me eagerly anticipating the next installment.

2.5 stars - romantic fantasy

Wren grows up isolated with her mother elodie who is the local villages hedgewitch. Elodie has light magic where wren has dark magic that is tied to her hair that her mother regularly cuts to stop her magic growing. After an attack on the village wren and Elodie are separated and Wren meets knight Finn and uncovers some secrets about Elodie.

This book was ok but there was more things that I didn’t like about it compared to other romantasy books. I found the magic system confusing and the world building lacking. I thought it was YA until the spicy scene near the 70% mark and for me it just didn’t feel right very insta love due to the short time period it’s set over.

Overall I found it a bit meh and found myself skimming to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Thorne, and Second Sky for a copy of this book!


This was a quick and easy read, it was very short for a fantasy novel. I think it being short though actually took away from the story for me. I didn’t really get or understand the relationship between Finn and Wren- to me it literally made no sense because there really wasn’t any background for it. The magic system didn’t make a ton of sense to me either. I think just more information and world building needed to happen for those last 2 stars. I hope more information comes in subsequent books.

4.7 / 5.0

A Touch of Shadows by Jessica Thorne is a dark fairytale fantasy about a girl with magic hair, living in a tower, raised by a witch, who meets a knight named Finn and goes on a fantastic adventure to learn who she really is and where her family is actually from…

Sounds like Tangled, well, it’s not but it is.

This story takes the Disney version of Rapunzel and flips the narrative entirely. I won’t give spoilers but the plot of the book is twisted and entertaining. Thorne is a master storyteller and exceptional writer. She has created a detailed world and populated it with a unique twist on the magic we would expect, all with a believable cast of characters that develop nicely through the story.

This ends on a cliffhanger but at an acceptable break in the plot. Going by the blurbs for all three books, the story seems like it will write itself back to Rapunzel being locked in her tower again, but with her full arsenal of magic and maturity to see her free.

I am extremely excited to read more of this series and more from this author in general.


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to this eARC.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

A fast and engaging read, I would recommend A Touch of Shadows for anyone wanting to venture into the NA Fantasy genre.

Focusing on Wren, our FMC who is a witch, living with her mother in a forest and supporting a small community with healing. Wren’s life is turned on its head, when unexpectedly a knight becomes magically bound to her.

The magic system is simple (light vs dark) yet this makes it easy to follow with no complicated explanations or concepts to understand. This makes the story also easy to follow, yet the world building was immediately pulling me in.

Unfortunately, the book lacked a little bit of finesse. It could have been fantastic if the characters had been fleshed out better, and more time spent on each of them in turn. There were multiple POVs which I felt gave plenty of opportunity for this, but sadly this wasn’t utilised enough. This is particularly disappointing around Wren and Finn’s relationship. I’m normally not a fan of ‘insta love’ in fantasy, but the premise of ‘magically bound’ really intrigued me. This could have been SO good if the two main characters had some more time dedicated to their feelings around this bond and how it was affecting them.

Overall, A Touch of Shadows has peaked my interest enough to see how the story plays out and I’m looking forward to book 2!

I want to thank NetGalley, Second Sky and Jessica Thorne for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. The review is my own opinion and I have given this freely.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 stars, rounded up)

First off, thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Thorne, and Second Sky for the ARC of "A Touch of Shadows"! As someone who loves romantasy, I was excited to dive into this one.

This book is a quick, engaging read, perfect for those who are either new to the fantasy genre or just looking for a fast-paced adventure. The story centers around Wren, a young witch with a mysterious dark power, and Finn, a knight on a mission who becomes magically bound to her. Their romance is pretty central to the story, but the magic and world-building elements are what drew me in. One thing I really enjoyed was how easy it was to get lost in the world Thorne created. The magic system, while not overly complex, has an intriguing dark versus light dynamic that kept me turning pages. The writing style is straightforward, making it accessible to readers who might not be as familiar with high fantasy tropes.

That said, I did feel that the romance between Wren and Finn was a bit rushed. Their connection seemed to happen almost instantly, which made it hard to fully invest in their relationship. A little more time spent on character development and exploring their bond would have made the romance more believable and satisfying. Additionally, the world-building could have been fleshed out more. There were hints of a larger, more complex world that I hope will be explored in the sequels.

Overall, "A Touch of Shadows" is a solid start to what could be an intriguing series. It's not groundbreaking, but it has enough charm and potential to keep me interested in seeing where the story goes next. If you're in the mood for a fast-paced romantasy book with a touch of darkness, this book is definitely worth a read.

Can't wait to see what happens in the next installment!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc. This book was a quick read and a great option for someone looking to see if fantasy is for them. The development and details of the story drew you in quickly but I felt like the first book could have been longer, more time to explain the background of things without giving too much detail and more development of the love interest. BUT overall really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what happens next!

This book was a maybe for me. There were sometimes where I was so consumed with it that I couldn’t get enough and other times when I was waiting for the story to speed up. Overall not a bad read. I could see this being a good book for people that are new the the fantasy genre..

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc and listen to the audiobook.

I started with the audiobook, which was narrated fantastically and then moved to the book.

A Touch of Shadows was a decent romantasy read that had some unique magical elements and interesting characters. It may be a good starting point for those new to the fantasy genre, however those who are more experienced may find it lacking in originality and depth. The romance felt a bit rushed and could have benefited from more development, and the plot points sometimes felt blunt and fell short.

Overall, while enjoyable, the book didn't quite hit the mark for me in terms of world-building and character connection.

Ugh. This one had potential. There was little to no world building. No background on the characters or the magic system. We were thrown in. Normally I like insta love books. But the way these two characters came together and were each others “hearts and souls” so quickly made no sense. We get nothing from anyone and I lost interest pretty quickly.