The second book is even better than the first. I can't wait for the conclusion of the trilogy. Shameez is an excellent writer with great characters and immersive world-building.

But there is no way you result in my end when you're the only reason I know what it feels like to be alive."

The Eternal Shadow by Shameez Patel Papathanasio

💜REVIEW💜

After being teleported against her will back to Selene for using her magic. Lochlan manages to save her and reunite her with the rest of the crew. Knowing that the King will be on the hunt, Lochlan and Rosheen teleport them to the Vineas realm. All is not as it seems as what awaits them is an evil magic hungry shadow.

I will say this again Shameez is a brilliant writer. I was deeply immersed in this story, it's characters, the romance and every aspect of it, so much so the ending left me shattered. The character development is incredible and the addition of new characters are done flawlessly. It is truly an action packed, edge of your seat, page turner (worth the hours I spent reading and not working)!

Rating
5⭐

Thank you @shameezwrites @flametreepress and @netgalley

Disclaimer
All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’m going to start this review by saying what I always say before reviewing a fantasy book- I generally struggle to read fantasy books. That being said, I (once again) felt that if you are a fantasy or non-fantasy reader, it does not matter- you will LOVE this book. The Eternal Shadow is as well-written as The Last Feather, and is so easy to read and follow that anyone can enjoy it. Say “Hello” to my first 5-star read for 2023.

As described in the synopsis, after returning to her own realm , Cassia continues to use the magic she discovered in Selene. She doesn’t know that this isn’t allowed, and, as a result, is kidnapped and brought back to Selene. Thankfully, Prince Lochlan manages to rescue Cassia, reuniting her with Lucas, Rosheen and the rest of the gang. They know that they need to fight the king eventually, but in order to do so, they need allies from other realms, and thus, flee to another realm to find them. However, the new realm that they have entered has problems of its own in the form of a shadow that lurks in the dark and feeds on their magic.

The Eternal Shadow is totally action-packed. The pacing is so well-done that, even with everything that happens in the book (trust me, there’s a lot), I sat on the edge of my seat and could not wait to grab extra minutes to read. The storyline is told in the third person, from the perspective of Cassia, Lucas and Lochlan. While I am not used to reading a three-person POV, Shameez does this so well. The switches are done at the best points to increase suspense or answer burning questions, and the storyline flows perfectly- in fact, much better than some dual-POV books I have read.

Naturally, the main focus of the book is Cassia, and how she comes to terms with returning to realms that are so unlike our world, and coming to terms with her powers. In addition to finding her place and understanding herself, we see how her relationship with those around her (especially Lucas and Lochlan) evolves as she tries to figure out what her role is in their lives and Selene. We also get to see how she feels post THAT KISS

If you have not read Book 1: The Last Feather, this will classify as a spoiler: After we got a glimpse into Lochlan’s thinking by the end of TLF, I was a total die-hard Lochlan stan. So best-believe that when I discovered that we’d get to read from his POV, I was absolutely DELIGHTED. I feel that that this is why the character development for Lochlan is probably the richest in this book. We do still get to see and experience more of Cassia and Lucas, but personally (and maybe I am bias) I feel that Lochlan stole the show. There are moments that had me feeling incredibly emotional and that was largely owing to Shameez’s ability to convey the biggest emotions with the smallest details (something I am a big fan of in books, in general). Also I don’t think I can ever look at a birthday cake the same way (IYKYK)

In addition to building on the characters, the world-building in TES is so well done. We get to discover new realms and creatures, and the imagery is absolutely incredible. I had multiple moments where I couldn’t help but think to myself “WOW! This would look AMAZING on TV/Cinema”. Adding to the richness is that Shameez took the time to outline customs, traditions and curses- and yes, there is a WEDDING (whaaaaat) but trust me, probably the best part of the wedding is the post-wedding “curse”. I literally laughed so much I had to gasp for air.

If you were a fan of The Last Feather, you will absolutely LOVE The Eternal Shadow. It adds so much more to the trilogy and is probably my favourite book of the two (although ranking them would be like picking a favourite child). Honestly, I can’t wait for Book 3 to be released so that we can know what happens after the last page of TES (I am positive you will feel the same). I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

When I reached the end of The Last Feather, I thought I couldn't possibly love this world or these characters any more, and I've never been so happy to be wrong.

The Eternal Shadow picks up soon after we left off in TLF and quickly expands the world and magic system with the introduction of a new realm and a shadowy antagonist.

While a compelling world, good writing, and interesting magic systems are all key to me enjoying a fantasy, what separates a merely enjoyable story from one that captures my heart is the characters, relationships, and overall atmosphere.

We meet intriguing new characters in this book, as well as deepening our connection with old favourites. Relationships of all kinds continue to evolve beautifully, and a couple of key partnerships had me in a chokehold. The absolutely swoonworthy romantic yearning does not disappoint, but this book also centres platonic and familial relationships in a way that brought me immense joy.

I love an atmospheric fantasy, and the ever-present threat of shadows and darkness in this book created an almost oppressive quality that kept my heart in throat throughout.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

The Eternal Shadow is the 2nd book in the Selene Trilogy and follows Cassia and friends in another adventure in the magical realm of Selene.

I cannot express how much I loved this book! Shameez has done it yet again!!! I loved diving back into Cassias magical world with all her lovely friends.

Cassia and the gang find themselves in a bit of a pickle and have to navigate their way out of some difficult situations. I loved how everything panned out and how we were able to learn more about each characters personality as well as the friendship dynamic and found family that Cassia has accumulated in the Selene realm. We aslo see a romantic relationship develop, with lots of steamy scenes that definitely had me giggling like an idiot!

All in all I loved reading this book and I can't wait to see what happens next, especiallt after that ending👀

Do yourself a favour and dive into the Selene realm. I promise you will not regret it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @flametreepress for the eARC of this book.

I am actually really terrible at knowing what is coming out, unless it’s a series I’m specifically following. One book I am looking forward to though, is The Eternal Shadow.

I do love a portal fantasy, and in the second book of The Selene Trilogy, we see Cassia, Luke, our favourite morally grey Lochlan, and their friends travel from Selene to the realm of Vineas to escape the king. They planned to raise an army in Vineas, but instead discovered a new threat - a shadow being that steals magic.

I didn’t think I could ship Cassia and Lochlan harder than I did in TLF, but boy oh boy was I proven wrong. I am in love with Lassia. Cachlan? I don’t know. Whatever their ship name is, I’m here for it.

I love slow burns. I want to tell you all the tropes I love in this book, but I don’t want to give you spoilers.

There’s such a great emphasis on familial and friend relationships in this series, as well as found family, and it is one of the best things about the story. Shameez really has a talent for combining humour and heartfelt moments together without it feeling corny or cheesy.

I cannot wait for this book to come out in April because I need to own a physical copy.

4.5 ⭐️


🪶 “ Cassia, there is magic in the darkness, I hope you find yours….. because I know I have found mine.” - Shameez Patel

🪶 The story follows Cassia who is abducted by the king for using her newfound magical powers after returning from Selene realm. Luckily she is freed by Prince Lochlan. Together they flee to another realm along with Lucas and other fellows to find allies in order to defeat the king. But they have no idea what monsters awaits them in the new realm.

🪶 Pick this up if you like/don’t mind/are looking for:
📌 fantasy series - this is the second book in the Selene trilogy
📌 marriage of convenience troupe - one of my most favourite troupe and that too happening between the characters who already have feelings for each other. AYKM?
📌 enemies to lovers
📌 the bond of true friendship
📌 found family troupe
📌 well developed characters with their own stories that’s gonna make you sympathise with and cheer for them
📌 witty banters between the main characters - yup that’s the part I loved most about this book.
📌 romance that’s gonna give you butterflies in the stomach
📌 spice level 🌶🌶 ( personally I am not a big fan when it comes to open door romance but if it involves Cassia and “L” then count me in please 🙈)
📌 a new bookish boyfriend perhaps: morally grey character who smells like vanilla, knows the art of teleportation and whose witty banters and one-liners will make you swoon over him. Trust me I am already a fan of his banters from book one.
📌 if you are not a fantasy reader like me then you definitely need to pick this up because THIS IS THE BOOK that got me into reading fantasy. And without any doubts this one is gonna be my MOST FAVOURITE FANTASY READ OF 2022.
📌 books that end on cliffhanger and now I am left with no other option but to eagerly wait for the next book in the series.

🪶 Thanks to the author and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to review the eARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for the arc!
Hmm where to begin ?! This was so fun! I honestly really loved that the plot explored other realms in the universe and honestly lochlan’s char development is splendid!! I know he's a morally grey character but tbh he's a love interest so I kind of give him a pass because he's soo sweet to cass and lucas kind of deserves a bit of the slander that lochlan throws at him. also!! i'm curious to see the ending of Rosheen/Maeve's character because she's insanely harsh on lochlan and so i'm a little worried shes going to throw him to the metaphorical/literal wolves when she gets the chance in the final battle.
Honestly what I loved most was that this sequel didn't have that feeling of a saggy middle plot within the trilogy. I really liked that the plot felt productive within the time frame and didn't only serve to set up the final book. On that note,, I am SO excited to see what happens! lots of ends to tie up and hopefully I can nab another arc so I don’t have to wait as long to read it hehe

Initial thoughts: I am SO MAD at the way it ended and now I have to WAIT for the next title in this series 😭 noooo!!

But this was so enjoyable, I flew through it. Would 10/10 recommend.

Proper review to come soon ✨

Just finished reading The Eteenal Shadow by Shameez Papathanasiou. Sequels are sometimes disappointing but this book was anything but that. I loved every second of it. Amazing world building and character growth. It had all my favourite tropes: a forced marriage bond; enemies to lovers; "will they, won't they". I have no doubt this book is going to be a huge hit!