WOW! This book grabbed my attention right from the very first paragraph!

During the first couple of chapters in the book, it felt like the story line would rise and fall. Meaning, it feels like the author gets into the writing, then takes a break, then has to get back into it. you can feel, in the book, when the author is into her own story and when she's not.

Overall this book is very detailed. A tale of fantasy/romance. It is so easy to fall in love with the main characters because of how detailed and well formulated the characters are. This author truly brings this realm and these characters to life. This book is an example of how a woman can truly awaken a man's masculine side. A fantasy novel that can easily sweep you into another reality with ease.
There are some "hot and heavy" scenes in this book, (where are my erotic genre girls at?! This book is for you!) so if you're a shy person or that just isn't what you're looking for in this book I wouldn't pick it up.

5/5 stars in my book for this book. I could not stop reading. Bravo to the author.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who may be interested in fantasy romance novels.

Overall this book is a a beautifully written fantasy novel involving Casimir, a lonely man, who's known nothing but pain, desperation and loneliness his entire life and Rowan, a woman who's been abandoned by everyone she knows. They ultimately go on a question to discover more about themselves, all the while falling deeper deeper in love. If that doesn't sound like a banger of a novel, I don't know what does.

You guys, this book is a hit. I hope that there's another one coming out!

Romantasy adventure filled with action, secrets, vampires, witches, and magic hiding everywhere. Good versus evil in quite the battle while a healthy simmer boils beneath the surface and keeps things moving. A HEA awaits, and quite the journey to get there.

Shadow Legacy by Colleen Mitchell is for fans of dark fantasy romance with minor spice.

This was a quick, fast-paced read. I would put it in the novella category. Because it is so short, the love story is quick and the action jumps from one quest to the next. I would have enjoyed some more detailed world-building and character development but it was an enjoyable read.

You will find:
-Slow burn
-Spice 2/5
-Vampires
-Witches
-Broody vampire knight
-Mostly single POV

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC!

This story of a strong hearted girl, Rowan, who comes face to face with her deepest fear and discovers more about herself than she could ever imagined before.

Interesting read and I really liked the elements of a chronic illness which I really resonated with, the reason for low rating is because it felt like something was missing and the writing style was quite immature, definitely more aimed at YA

I really, really wanted to love this book. To be fair, I think the premise was very strong, and there were promising flashes of character development. The writing style and pacing just didn't suit my preferred kind of storytelling, so I struggled to feel immersed in the world or the characters, especially as the book was rather short for the content and the worldbuilding and romance were lacking overall. I also feel like the end of the novel and its solution to FMC and MMC's conflict was a overly convenient. However, there is something to be said about a conclusion that doesn't require suffering on the part of the characters or the reading.

To my understanding, this is Colleen Mitchell's debut. I think with additional editing and worldbuilding, her future work could be excellent, and I would be willing to read another one of her works. If you are looking for a chill, uncomplicated read with a brave and fierce FMC and an MMC that would do anything for her, this may be for you! It just wasn't for me.

Cover and description drew me in but the story lacked any world building and some things just didn’t make any sense to me. I did not connect with the characters because it all just moved way too fast.

I really wanted to love this book. I was initially drawn to it by the cover as well as the description. I read quite a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and romantasy so as soon as I read the synopsis I thought to myself “this sounds like it could be fun!”

Unfortunately this was incredibly hard for me to get through. I almost stopped at multiple points but I really wanted to give it a real shot so I powered through.

I do think it has the bones of a story that could be intriguing but as is it fell flat for me. The writing felt a bit juvenile for my taste. I also felt like I wasn’t given enough world or character building to really route for anyone. The romance side of things felt rushed for me as well which made it feel forced. Overall if there was a second book after this one I don’t think I’d take the time to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book immediately drew me in with its flowing, unpretentious narrative style. The exposition of the main character, Rowan, the setting, and relationships all unfolded naturally through believable interactions. The author did a great job revealing Rowan’s personality and motivations from the beginning through show-not-tell interactions between her and other characters. I liked her right away.

This was a quick, fast-paced read that was more like a novella than a full-length novel. So the insta-love made sense. I think this book would be even better if it was fleshed out into a longer novel with more detailed world building as well as character and relationship development. But it was a fun and cute story.

Thank you to netgalley, publisher, & author for this arc!

✅almost entirely single pov fmc with only a couple from mmc
✅vampires witches and supernaturals
✅vampire mmc
✅touch her and 💀
✅protective mmc

A very pretty cover and 260 something pages. It started off slow and I almost dnfed but got into it more around 50 pages in and by the end enjoyed it more. I liked the world building and mythology it was unique to anything I'd read prior and I read a lot of supernatural books. The writing style wasn't bad and I didn't notice any typos or grammatical errors. While I really liked the MMC his ultimatum pissed me off and was even more ridiculous at that the point in the story.

This biggest pro was the mmc's protection and devotion to fmc. The biggest con of book was that it was basically single pov of fmc which I always hate and it was slow at times.

3.5/5 ⭐️ ARC read- releases February 18, 2025

Rowan needs a way out of a bad situation and Casimir, a mysterious vampire, gives it to her. They embark on a journey together that starts as a search for the truth about Rowans heritage but ends with newfound relationships, magic and a very bloody battle.

I had fun reading this book. The descriptive writing does an amazing job of helping the reader picture the scene. The plot is interesting and had me wanting more. I did see the twists coming but I wasn’t upset about it. I will definitely read whatever Colleen comes up with next, I had a good time reading Shadow Legacy and I wish it had been longer of a read.

A few issues I had:

World Building: I found that while the descriptive writing made it very easy to picture specific places, I was really lacking world building. I know little to nothing about the world and its rules, how it’s laid out, who rules what parts, or the magic system. There are little bits of information here and there but I often found myself confused about the world itself and wishing I had more information.

Timeline: I desperately needed a timeline. I was constantly questioning how long Rowan and Casimir had been traveling together, I kept thinking that they hadn’t known each other long enough for Rowan to have such intense reactions to a few things. As far as I knew they had literally known each other for a few weeks at most. This book desperately needed some kind of verbal marker for how long they had been together because Rowan and Casimir’s relationship felt so rushed without it.

Dialogue: I did find it hard to connect to the characters, especially with how short the book is. The inner monologues were interesting and well written but the actual dialogue felt really scripted or too formal a lot of the time. The conversations sometimes didn’t flow like a real one would and felt very “fill in the blank”-ish (if that makes sense).

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC- I received this eARC for free and all of my opinions are my own

I dnf’d around 30%. I think this book has good bones and the potential for a great series, but from the beginning it lacked world building, and it was difficult for me to really accept the world the characters we’re experiencing.

"The path to self-discovery isn't easy or linear. Understanding oneself is a journey, not a race, where you continuously learn and unlearn things."

The cover and description of this book immediately drew me in! Shadow Legacy is an interesting adventure featuring a strong and compassionate FMC who is finding her way in a part of her world that she had never known existed. I loved Rowan as a character and saw her growth throughout the story. I think this is a good debut for the author. Her strong moral compass and love for those closest to her really shone throughout the book, making her a very well-developed character.

All of that being said, I did struggle at times to understand the relationships between the two main characters because the progression seemed disjointed at times. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, which I think was part of that issue for me. I wanted more from Casimir, and the events of the story felt robotic or predictable at times.

All in all, I enjoyed this book! I wish that it was a little longer to allow for more character and plot development that could have really sucked me in.

**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced reader copy of this book! All opinions are my own:

Rowan is an orphan who has been forced to work at the orphanage after her time spent there to “repay her debt” for the “privilege” of being housed and fed as a child. Soon after we start our story, she is saved by a vampire named Casimir. All she has known of vampires has been from old folktales and she is skeptical to leave with him but decides to go and try to figure things out from there.

This. Was. FUN.

The action kicks off fairly early in this book, which I love. The beginning chapters set the scene well but avoids being a slow read at any point, which I think is something a lot of books struggle to do. Mitchell was able to set the scene excitingly.

Occasionally, the dialogue felt a little cliche here and there but that was rare and the story and characters more than made up for it. This is just personal taste though I suppose.

Overall, this book was engaging on every page and the ending was absolutely perfect. I hope this book eventually ends up in the same conversation as all the other massively read and loved fantasy novels out once it releases.

Shadow Legacy is so so good! I couldn't put this book down for a bit because It's so beautiful the storyline. I totally recommend everyone to read this book.

4/5⭐️ this was all around a great read. This story follows Rowan and Casimir on a journey to uncover secrets about Rowan’s past and her identity. Rowan the FMC was such a badass and Casimir, MMC, is my new favorite vampire. The banter between them was perfect. The world building was so descriptive, yet easy to follow. The magic system was unique and described accurately. I was so entertained, I did not want to put this book down! Can’t wait to read more books from Colleen Mitchell in the future! Highly recommend checking this book out on February 18, 2025!!

ARC:
I want to disclose that I did not finish this book, reading up to 45%. Initially, I was drawn to the stunning cover, and the description sounded promising. The premise – a girl escaping her miserable circumstances and running off with the vampire Casimir – seemed right up my alley.
I genuinely enjoyed parts of the storyline, particularly the uniqueness of Rowans power and the ‘type’ of vampires, and her perseverance. The word choice was elegant, creating a vivid imagery as seen in descriptions like, “her feet whispering over the worn wooden floorboards.”
However, I felt the book was too short, which is not something I say often, as most books tend to be the opposite. Certain scenes lacked context and could have benefited from more detailed descriptions. For example, in one scene they were riding through the forest and the next scene the characters were making breakfast after, presumably, staying somewhere overnight – but where and how? Was it in a tent, a cave, or maybe a tavern?
Furthermore, I struggled to connect with the characters and understand their relationship. A lot of characterisation and relationship-building felt told rather than shown or happened off-page, making it difficult to root for Rowen and Casimir.
While this was not a good fit for me – largely due to personal preferences – I can see how others may find this a fun, captivating read.
I appreciate the chance to read this ARC and hope it resonates more with others.

Rating: It was okay.

This had all the ingredients to be a really good book (FMC with a past shrouded in secrecy, vampires, witches, magic, romance, a perilous quest), the prose just didn't live up to the potential of the overall plot. The writing is a bit juvenile and the flow a bit jarring, making it difficult to stay interested. The dialogue as well was a bit flat and weird at times. Romance wise, I believe the intent is a slow burn, but it does come off a bit insta love. Additionally. although the FMC is 21, her character feels child like, which made it awkward for me.

Overall an interesting story + plot, however execution made it a bit of a challenge to get through.

Vampires, a badass FMC and a world of fantasy and action.

This book definitely got better as you read on, I was dubious at around the 15% mark and I very nearly had to DNF, but gosh I’m glad I didn’t!

I’ll start with what I loved; the FMC was instantly likeable with fierce protective traits and an immense power that makes her formidable. The MMC is a vampire shadow daddy who has a ruthless dark side but also a kind and compassionate side that makes him extremely attractive. The side characters were also well fleshed out (erm Marcus? Swoon) and the storyline was strong towards the end with a great ending and final battle. The actions scenes and the world building was the stand out in this book (especially improving as the book went on) and by the end the scenes were action packed and satisfying. The spicy scenes be spicy but also heartwarming and not rushed.

Now onto the drawbacks; I found the first 15% of the book strange with the story progressing seemingly out of nowhere and the characters not really building their relationships. The dialogue towards the beginning was fairly cringy (I’m talking high school arguments) and the first few chapters didn’t flow well. I got to chapter 4 and thought that I’d gone back in time or that the chapters were out of order? I’ve read other reviews that stated they DNF and I can understand, but I’m glad I persisted as the book got considerably better!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

A fantasy romance book with various magical creatures such as vampires and witches.

Rowan the main female lead was dropped on the steps of an orphanage at a very young age. Although being told she was abandoned and unwanted, her sparse memories beg to differ. All she has left of her family is a small scroll parchment with a symbol on it.

Fast forward to present day Rowan is a young adult still working off her debts at the orphanage and helping to protect the young children from the eyes and wrath of corrupt men. She ends up fleeing for her life for a crime she didn’t commit, yet would have been well within her rights too. She teams up with a vampire who offers her his help and they uncover the truth about her family and her past whilst on the run.

The plot had potential but unfortunately the book just overall didn’t work for me. I found the dialogue to have an immature feel and it was just giving teenage vibes for me. It felt like the author was trying to Chanel snippets from TOG and it just wasn’t working out.

Thank you to the publishers for letting me give this one a shot..

Publish date; Feb 18th 2025