Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica Thorne, and Second Sky for providing me with this ARC.

This is the kind of romantasy where you can definitely tell we are in book one that is leading into a bigger series. I enjoyed the backstory with Elodie and Wren that seems to be a bit of a rapunzel retelling with her hair needing to be cut to keep her powers at bay. I found into be a quick read that was fast paced. The characters were enjoyable and I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here. I thought that the narration was well done as well.

**I received an Audio ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review**

A girl with a mysterious past, dark woods that have sinister forces lying within, a cryptic note left in a journal, a scorching romance. This book has literally everything you would want within a unique fantasy romance. There are so many questions you have throughout the book and of course some questions are answered but others are definitely left as a cliffhanger at the end. I truly can't wait to continue with this series!

This is the first 5 star I have read in a LONG TIME. In the style of some of the best epic fantasy novels, the story immediately immerses you into a realm of magic and darkness, that feels as recognizable as an Arthurian tale. The book is told in multiple POVs: (1) the FMC, Wren, the bastard born daughter of the local (and indomitable) hedge-witch/midwife, who is plagued with an inherent ability for shadow magic but strives to be a follower of the light; (2) Elodie - the mysterious and powerful witch, mother (we think) of Wren, on the run from her past and determined to protect Wren from powerful and unknown enemies; and (3) the MMC, Finn, the noble knight, who stumbles upon Wren in the dark wood and is instantly drawn to her and her power, though if by destiny or dark enchantment weighs heavily on both of them…

The story moves at a quick pace, taking the reader from a tiny forest village, to the capital city of the Kingdom of Asteroth, and everywhere in between. There is a heavy sense of racing against time and prophecy, reminiscent of the Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones - and Thorne does a wonderful job of weaving history, prophecy, and folklore into each chapter to give the reader just a little glimmer of the larger stakes game being played between the forces of good and evil. The romantic tension between Wren and Finn is not only believable, but leaves you rooting for them as more and more elements try to separate them.

The ending does leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger, but one that gives you the sense that this world is so much bigger than you have seen so far. It is a perfect first novel in series, and fulfills that longing I have had for a true fantasy story in a market saturated with “romance plus.”

It was entertaining, intriguing, and oh so satisfying in the way that I have not felt since finishing the Shadow and Bone Trilogy or Throne of Glass. A MUST READ for fans of fantasy, romantasy, and good old fashioned epic story telling!

A touch of shadows is the first installment in The Lost Queen series. It is a fairly short book, so the plot and the romance element moved swiftly. There was also little world or character building. I'm hoping that as the series progresses, more will be revealed.

The main character Wren is a hedge witch in training, who has been very sheltered by the woman who raised her. She also hides a dangerous secret, that the she has the ability to wield shadow magic. She meets Finn, a night sworn to hunt down shadow wielders, when he saves her from a confrontation in town. They have an almost instant connection. Soon they find themselves on the run, not sure who to trust.

The plot is full of twists and turns. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Dark fantasy, with a love at first sight which is sure to bring pain. I listened to the excellent audiobook. Just remember if you keep secrets from your child you have to expect some problems when those secrets are exposed. Some problems is an understatement for Wren, as her life is totally changed when she saves Finn’s life. A fight between light and dark then explodes for your listening delight. The story started slowly, but by the end had me wanting more. Thank you to Second Sky and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Review as posted on my Goodreads account.

Thanks Netgalley & Second Sky publishing for providing me with this advanced readers audio copy.
3 stars, very average:


A touch of Shadows is an easy readable, quick paced romantasy story about two kingdoms at war for centuries, the battle between light and darkness, a lost queen, and two people from oppositie sides falling in love.

The book starts with Elodie seeking refuge with baby Wren from the dark power that ravaged their home of Astaroth, but the shadows always keep whispering to Wren, singing her lullabies, trying to lure her in. Elodie tells Wren to keep her magic hidden, because discovery of her gifts could mean death, but the magic is tied to Wren’s very core of being, and it’s almost impossible for her to stay in the light.

Finn, a knight who has sworn to serve Astaroth by hunting down those who use shadow magic, people like Wren, is passing through her small town when he gets attacked by terrible creatures. Their paths cross when Wren uses her forbidden magic to save his life. As they touch Wren’s magic floods through Finn and it intertwines their fates forever.

Finn and Wren have to navigate this new bond between them, trying to figure out their feelings about each other, and having to learn to trust eachother even though they're on opposite sides, while they make discoveries about the long lost queen that could change everything.
In the mean time the shadows are gathering strength and an old darkness is threatening the kingdom of Astaroth again. Will Wren and Finn be able to save their kingdom?


Overall impression:
I enjoyed this book, but it’s not great. It’s very easy to read, but there’s very little world building and the characters fall a bit flat. For me it’s always hard to connect with insta-love scenarios, and I noticed the same with this book. I just don’t buy it.

What I do like is the glossary in the beginning of the book. I like that it’s there, and I also like how complete it is and how easy it makes it to start the story.

Another thing I very much like is that the story is from the perspective of a mother and her daughter. It’s original.



Characters
They are underdeveloped, which makes it harder for me to feel for them. I hope this is a ‘first book of a series-problem', and gets solved in the rest of the trilogy.

Plot
Also underdeveloped, which might also be a ‘first book of a series' problem. For me it felt like the story had a lot more potential, and I hope we get to that later in the series.

It’s a quick paced and easy readable story, which is really nice, especially when you're new to the fantasy genre or when you need a palet cleanser.
I'm planning on reading the next installments, and I will overlook the underdevelopment of both characters and plot in this book if it gets better later on.

Magical system
I found the magical system both original and unoriginal at the same time. I liked the rapunzel/samson element (with the magic tied to the length of Wren’s hair), I also liked the shadows, and I want to find out more about them. I am however a bit bored by the good vs evil trope.

Romance
Underdeveloped. I wanted it to pull at my heartstrings so bad, but it didn't.

Spice
Maybe half a pepper. Nothing special.

I think that sums it up best; The book was ok to read, the narration of the audiobook was pretty good, but overall it was nothing special.

I recieved this audible as an arc from Netgalley, Jessica Thorne, and Second Sky publishers! Thank you!!
Possible Spoilers.
I really enjoyed this book as an audible. Having a glossary in the beginning of any fantasy book is also (I feel) a smart play 😉 Rating it a 3.5⭐️ (rounding up here to 4)

This book gave Rapunzel vibes for sure! Loved it. Magic hair, handsome male to save her... We have witches, magic, lost heirs, etc. The making of a great fantasy.

Romance: If you are an "enemies-to-lovers" lover... this may not be for you in book #1. There was INTSA love for the main characters. Not my fav, but didn't bother me too much. Who's to know what the next book will hold though!

Plot: I felt a little lost as to where the story was taking us. We have rival enemy lands, secret magic, and a lost/hidden sorceress that are at play, and I felt the world building left something to be desired.

Overall: This book was a very interesting read. I enjoyed the characters, Wren, Finn, Elodie and Roland. There were times I started to feel a tiny bit lost, only because I felt there were parts we rushed through. This would be a great starter series for those who are newer to fantasy! I enjoyed it, and will definitely read the remainder of the series once out!

I loved A Touch of Shadows as both a romantasy and an audiobook. The world building is simple yet intriguing, the (main) characters are few yet well thought out, the world is mysterious yet beautiful.

This book was so good I just couldn’t put it down so finished it quite quickly. I really enjoyed the fact that the story was told not just by Wren and Finn, but also by other important characters which made the story feel a lot more three dimensional. I think the one negative I have about this book is that I felt like there could have been more description of the Knox and the shadowkin but I’m hoping that might happen in book 2, which I cannot wait to read/listen to.

Audiobook review: I think that Helen Keeley did a great job narrating this book.

Summary: Wren tries to resist and hide her dangerous shadow magic in Asteroth while noble knight Finn hunts its users. Their fates collide when she saves him and their fates become entwined.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a ALC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

I found it really hard to connect with this book. I can't pinpoint the exact reason.
I just couldn't grasp the story, I was more confused whilst reading than anything else.

I'm sorry this one was just not for me.

A great beginning book into the world of romantasy with easy to follow characters, some simple world building, and a bit of passion. I loved the main character Wren, and her new found journey.

The cover is gorgeous and definitely captured my attention.

Narrators did a great job as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub date: 5 Sep 2024

Soooo, access to NetGalley feels a little like a superpower. Like, oh my gosh, now I can read books before they are released! And, one might initially make a mistake like requesting a book after only skimming what it was about and liking the cover. Mistakes like this could lead to listening to a romantasy when you don't like it when a romance even starts to overshadow the plot.

So, before I get into what I didn't like, let's start with why people could enjoy this book. If you're looking for a quick romantasy, that's a nice intro to fantasy without a complex, hard-to-understand plot, this book might be for you!

Now, onto what I thought.

I initially was intrigued by the characters, but pretty dang quickly I was put off by the insta-love! Out of all the romance tropes, insta-love and love triangles are my least favorite. I mean, there wasn't really a love triangle, but she did kinda start kissing another guy in her dreams at one point, that was strange. But, I disliked how quickly the characters were saying they were in love and that the other person was their whole world. The time passing didn't even feel like two weeks to me. That all sounds pretty unhealthy and obsessive to me, but what do I know?

And, then the magic system and plot didn't even make up for it. The magic system could have been cool, but, for some reason, it didn't feel that great. I didn't feel like I was given enough information to understand it. The worldbuilding was nonexistent, and the plot felt pretty basic, nothing avid fantasy readers wouldn't have already read in some way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 from me, this was a really easy book to listen to and enjoy. The world was quick to immerse yourself in and I thought the story was easy to follow. It was nothing groundbreaking but sometimes you need a break from the in-depth fantasy books. If you liked the Witcher tv show but couldn’t get into the books I think this is a good read.
I think when the next in the series comes out I will read :)
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

As a romantasy, I loved it as the fantasy part was penned nicely and the romance part was so lovely 😍 I absolutely loved the characters as each was given sufficient scope to contribute to the plotline.
The plotline was well written and executed too.
The narration was smooth and it was fast paced too.

This is a good romantasy book. Such a great audiobook. I enjoyed listening to the narrator. The book was easy to listen to and the story has great plot and I loved the romance. A good slow burn romance. Will definitely look out for book 2!

"A Touch of Shadows" spins a captivating tale of long-standing rivalries, forbidden magic, and burning passion. A noble knight sworn to exterminate her kind and a hidden sorceress burdened by the shadow magic that once destroyed her realm, Wren and Finn are a pair whose fates become entangled in a way neither could have predicted. Wren and Finn's relationship felt like intsa-love, and I personally am not a fan of insta-love. The world-building of the story is was minimal, but Asteroth and Ilanthus provide an interesting setting for the story. This book would be a great beginner series for those that are interested in fantasy romance books. For the more seasoned fantasy readers, this story lacks the world building, character development, and slow-burn romance elements.

Overall, this was a quick listen and an enjoyable experience.

Thank you Netgalley and for the audio-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a pretty quick and easy romantasy read and I liked it, but I have so many questions! I want to know more about Wren’s parents, the magic system, Finn’s background, why Wren and Finn are so drawn to each other. What the heck is the Knox? Shadowkin? I’ll definitely be reading the second book I search of the answers I’m looking for!

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Thorne, and Second Sky for providing me the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I think this story has a lot of potential and I will be in the lookout for the second book but feel like it’s missing something. Very fast-paced and interesting twists and turns. I wasn’t entirely sold on the romance. Maybe I need more of a slow burn and not an instant love trope.

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher.

Wren hides the dangerous secret that she possesses shadow magic. To protect herself and her small border village, she only uses her powers to aid those in desperate need since magic is feared and hunted.
A noble knight, Finn is sworn to serve Asteroth by hunting down those who use the very magic Wren possesses. Their paths collide when Finn passes through Wren's village and is attacked. Wren uses her magic to save him. With the threat of war looming and enemy soldiers crossing the border into Asteroth, Wren and Finn must decide whether to trust one another to save their kingdom.

Wren's desire to help others often puts her at risk. This softness and compassion are rare in her world because of the danger it would cause someone to know her secrets. Her possession of shadow magic is an untamed power that would make her a terrible force to control. I enjoyed this balance of Wren's character. Fin was the opposite of Wren. He is complex and torn between his anger for his tyrannical father and the desire for his love. Everything he knows is upended by a girl that would change his heart. This conflict makes both characters question their beliefs and their ability to trust one another. You will fall in love with both characters.

The author successfully creates a world steeped in mystery and high-stakes adventure. It is a captivating fantasy book that will appeal to fans of epic romances and explore complex themes, making it a standout. The world-building will continue to grow with the other books of the series. Usually, I'm not too fond of cliffhanger endings, but I was devouring the end of this book. I hope the next book will be available soon. I received the audio version of this book, and the narration was terrific. I was engaged and enjoyed the character's voices.

I received an ARC audiobook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Second Sky.

This was an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you.



I read up to 35% I honestly couldn't continue. It was all over the place and I just couldn't get into it. I'm a big fantasy fan and this just wasn't what I was looking for in a book.

I liked this book and the narrator was nice. This book was a good romantasy for me to read and fulfill my current need to read romance books and fantasy books.