✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Strong, but flawed and morally grey MC
✅ LGBTQ rep
✅ Slow burn romance
✅ Politics
✅ Lies and scheming
✅ Pace and plot
✅ Found family
✅ Magic, faes, and elves

What more are you looking for.
This was an amazing follow up to the first book!!

I loved the A Broken Blade, so I was extremely excited to dive into the sequel! I really liked how we learned more about the world throughout this book. It definitely expanded on what we learned in the first book and I think the overall world building is done really well. I think there is more political intrigue in the sequel than the first, but that again is a mark of continued development and the expansion of the dynamics from the first book.

I really like Keera in this book. I really love that she is not a perfect main character and that she has obvious flaws she is working through. At the beginning of the book, Keera deals with betrayal and has to move forward and I think that was a great jumping off point for her arc in this book. I also liked how Keera and Riven's romance develops more in this book. I am always hoping for more romance, so I would have liked to see a little bit more, but I was happy with what we got and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes further. They are both vulnerable with each other and I think that they really opened up to each other throughout this book.

I always find it hard to write a review for a sequel without giving much away, but I really enjoyed this follow up! I really like this series overall and I am excited to see where it goes next!

A Shadow Crown unfortunately had major second book syndrome for me. I really enjoyed A Broken Blade and was looking forward to A Shadow Crown. I started it as soon as I had access to the audiobook, but only made it around 25% before I had to call it quits. It’s been a year now, and I keep trying to hype myself up to go back and give this book a try but I can’t do it.

I mentioned that A Broken Blade felt like such a comfort read last year and A Shadow Crown felt just the same. Both the romance and plot pacing slow down in this book but with that change we get richer world building and character development. Found family was such a strong theme in the last book and it carries through to this book as we get to know the characters even better and meet a few new faces as well. This book felt less action packed than the last, but the political intrigue & plot twists keep the story moving forward. The plot pacing did eventually pick up towards the end as well and what an ending! I can't wait for book three!

Nothing against the writing of this book, I think it is pretty good for being her first series. I just don't think the style is for me. It feels slow a lot of the time and I prefer faster paced books. I ended up skimming majority of it from the very start. I skimmed a lot of the first book as well.

i do think there is an audience that would love this series of fantasy politics, rich world building and different character dynamics. I would recommend reading the synopsis and checking out some other reviews. If it peaks your interest, I would recommend checking it out.

I'm gonna still try to read the third book and maybe try to come back to the first two when I'm in a different mood for reading them because I am a mood reader a lot of the time.

Melissa Blair is one who can literally never disappoint. This was such a strong follow up to A Broken Blade. I was originally nervous going into it because I loved A Broken Blade so much that I was nervous that this wouldn’t hold up as a sequel, but I had no reason to be. The characters were still as compelling as in the first book, if not even more, the plot pulls you in even further and just as the first time, left me wanting so much more to come in future installments.

Book Review

Title: A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair (The Halfling Saga Book 2)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 4.5 Stars

A Shadow Crown opens with a bang as Keera punches Prince Killian in the face for lying to her and dragging her in order to get her where she is now. Nikolai and Syrra are there but remain more for the moment as Keera begins to understand the position she is in because all the Elverin and Halflings there see her as the enemy because of her position as the King’s Blade. Riven is also missing at this time and Nik refuses to explain because he knows Keera wants to hear it from him. However she is being taken to Myrelinth, Syrra’s home but on their way through the portal they are attacked by creatures known as The Unnamed Ones. During the attack, Keera doubled back to save someone named Pirmiith and gets injured in the process but this isn’t an issue because of her healing factor. Keera also noticed during the attack that the wagon wheel that started the attack has a pin pulled rather than breaking making it seem deliberate which Killian recognised. He asks Keera to keep her temper in check and win over the Elverin and Halflings because she needs them to trust her for their alliance to work.

Keera spends some time in Myrelinth, getting to see a world that was hidden from her for the first time but things aren’t as peaceful as they seem here. Quickly people like Collin begin spreading rumours about Keera to prevent her earning the trust of her fellow Halflings and Elverin which isn’t helping the situation especially since Killian has made Keera a member of the Council. It is here she learns that Killian and Rivan are actually brothers which makes this love triangle a little weird but the attraction Killian has for Keera seems to be one sided. It also comes to light that there is a mole within the rebellion since information is leaking out and the person responsible is trying to frame the Shades which Keera knows isn’t true, but there are lingering questions about who is behind this and why since they aren’t truly harming the Halflings or Elverin just inconveniencing them. I have my suspicions but I am going to wait and see since Rivan hasn’t returned yet which is a little disappointing.

Keera’s suspicions of being half-light fae is also seeming more solid since she has a healing factor and they decide to see if there are any light fae left as they could turn the tide in the looming war. However, when evidence comes to light that the light fae knew of the attack coming before they disappeared, Keera comes to the realisation that she might not have been orphaned but abandoned which throws a wrench into the works since they need to light fae to make the war quick and minimise the death toll on both sides. When Rivan does finally return he is faced with a furious Keera who has been keeping her anger bottled up but they decide to put it behind them and she allows Rivan the chance to earn her trust back. Feron reappears to try and heal unseal memories that Keera thinks have been locked away.

This was an interesting turn as it would explain her lack of memories before the Order but she doesn’t take well to the process. During the time she is under Feron’s spell she panics and can’t bring her mind back so she calls out to Rivan’s shadows and they answer drawing her back to the present. Rivan is terrified thinking he hurt her but when she explains his shadows don’t hurt her and she can summon them like she did, he is stunned making me think again that there is balance aspect between dark and light fae. Keera isn’t having much luck unlocking her memories and when the next rescue transport doesn’t show up she knows she has to be the Blade once more to get the information she needs.

Once again Collin tries to pin the fire at the safe house on her but Riven sides with her even losing control of his shadows at one point attacking Collin. Keera heads back to the King to make a report but he isn’t seeing anyone and seems to have gone mad while she has been away but he is no less cruel. He gives her until the full moon to give him the Shadow’s aka Riven’s head or he will kill the shades, one for every day she is late and she knows he will follow through. The city itself is also crumbling with no rations being given out for weeks and Keera feels a desperate need to help them if she can. Upon returning she asks Dynara to go back into her old life as a spy in order to help her save the people from the King and surprisingly she agrees.

With only three weeks to save the shades and Halflings in the city and having to solve the riddle of the mole within the rebellion is really getting to her but she hasn’t had a drink so far which is a great step for her from the first book. She also makes a breakthrough with the memory sharing being able to share a memory with Feron of her killing Collin’s family. Despite being as merciful as she could with their deaths which Feron sees Keera doesn’t feel that way. However, Feron points out that she’s got nothing to lose by sharing that information with Collin since he believes his whole family including a younger sister were public ally beaten then killed which wasn’t the case at all. Things are picking up speed now building towards the upcoming war and the reveal of Keera’s true heritage.

During her sessions with Feron, they manage to confirm that both Rivan and Keera are Fae but the question of Keera’s amber blood remains. The symbols she saw in her memories might hold the answers since it seems that the light fae weren’t wiped out and they are in hiding and to protect Keera they sealed away her memories of them. However, the opposition to Keera has reached the breaking point as they call for her banishment which would mean having her memories wiped and they can’t allow that to happen. Since the answers Keera wants are back at the Palace it seems she is going to have to temporarily return to her old life in order to find those answers and begin the journey to finding the light fae, but I can tell there are going to be more struggles along the way since the identity of the mole still hasn’t been revealed and my money is on Collin or one of his cronies.

During their time in the capital a lot happens very quickly so I tried to make sense of it the best I could. Since Prince Damien is having a party they are going to use it as their distraction to get out in less than two days. However, things begin to go awry when one of them is captured and thrown in the dungeons and Keera knows she can’t leave anyone there especially a Halflings as it is a death sentence. Keera is also feeling the weight of her decisions more than every especially when it seems that there are traitors within the Shades which isn’t something she was expecting but they are all doing what they can to survive under the King’s rule.

When it seems that Lord Curringham bombs the Palace creating absolute chaos, Keera gets all her people out before heading to the dungeons. She ends up finding her friend easily but there is someone else there, someone she can only put a name to now and that is Syrra’s sister who is also Nik’s mother. Upon returning to the fae land, Keera has to face the consequences of not attending her own hearing but she bypasses this by swearing a both oath to protect the Elverin and Halflings with her life putting the rumours to rest before announcing the return of her friend’s mother. Keera tries to use her healing to help but with a seal binding her powers she knocks herself out doing it and her friends have a managed to find the key to breaking the seal and it means Keera has to return to the rift where she was found all those years ago.

With less than 100 pages left in the novel, I wasn’t sure how Blair was going to set up the third book but I genuinely pray it isn’t with the miscommunication trope or being betrayed by Rivan but I doubt this one. The ending took so many twists and turns and really set up the finale well and raised the stakes to new levels. As we have seen Blair isn’t afraid to kill off characters which she uses to perfection in the closing section of the book. Overall, this was a delightful re entry into the series and I can’t wait to dive into the final book. One of the highlights for me was the relationship between Keera and Riven especially when the spicy scene happens because unlike so many novels we actually get informed consent which was amazing on top of the emotional nature of the scene.

This was such a great sequel to the first. Got to know more of the back story of Elverath. So excited for next in the series.

I really enjoyed watching the relationships between Keira and all the elven people grow. She is such a strong character and seeing all the inner thoughts as she struggles to accomplish her goal makes this series something special.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc. This was a great follow up to a Broken Blade (which I LOVED!)
Such a wild time. I will say, this book jumps right into where the first book left off. So a refresh of characters was needed for me. Do with that what you will.

3.5 stars

A Shadow Crown does a fantastic job expanding on the world-building and the magic system introduced in book one. However, in providing this important information the book seems to sacrifice action and plot which made the book feel a bit boring at times. I also feel like there was some strangely inconsistent character behavior in order to stretch this book out. The romance in particular felt unnecessarily dragged out. Despite the betrayal at the end of book one, which would have served as an easy reason for the two to stay apart, what really got in the way of the romance was a forced love triangle and Riven being completely absent for most of the book.

Though I was disappointed by the lack of Riven in this book, A Shadow Crown has some very powerful character development for the series' main character Keera. It was incredibly moving to learn more about her history and her emotions. I also like that we get more depth to some of the side characters.

A very small complaint that I have is a rather underwhelming reveal to a mystery hinted at throughout A Broken Blade. I am not one to complain when I predict a plot twist incorrectly. However, I feel like there were so many hints that pointed to what could have been a fascinating twist. So when it didn't go the direction I was expecting, the reveal felt like wasted potential. Obviously, reveals are up to the author and I do not fault the book for not having the plot twist I predicted. But I would have loved to see this series go in a more unique direction.

Though I still enjoyed this installment, I suspect that The Halfling Saga has been spread too thin across too many books. There is a lot of interesting world-building to explore, but the plot and character relationships lack the depth and complexity to sustain a long series. I reserve judgment until the next books come out. However, the "second book syndrome" of A Shadow Crown makes me a bit wary to continue the series.

A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair

Rating: 4.5 stars

Favorite quote(s):

"I felt like I was lost in a dark body of water with no light to guide me and no way of knowing if the water that held me was a pond, a lake, or the sea. No way of knowing if I should stand, swim, or float. Any choice I made was likely to be the wrong one."

Review:

I really enjoyed the second book in this series. I loved learning more about the world, the characters, and the magic. I really loved Keera’s journey and her discovery about herself and her history. I loved the bonds she formed and strengthened with so many characters, like Riven, Killian, Syrra, Nikolai, and Vrail. I loved how she explored her magic and how she and Riven were bonded. I loved how Keera taught Vrail fighting and spent time with Dynarra. I loved her growth. I loved how Riven was so sweet and understanding with her as their relationship grew. I didn’t like Tarvelle or Collin, though I did get their side of things to an extent. The way they behaved was awful. I thought what happened with the Light Fae was so interesting and so sad. The banter and teasing in this book were so good and so funny. I did find moments where I felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop, while there were things going on, I felt like some moments dragged and I wanted action. Though despite this I really loved those moments, especially because we got little moments with so many characters and growth with Keera. I think if it wasn't for that, this book might have been 5 stars for me. I loved how her past was talked about and not shied away from. I loved the little moments we got with Keera and Gwyn and their relationship. There were so many interesting things and I didn't expect them. I loved how fiercely protective Keera was over her friends, which is different for her as she didn’t really get close to others before. I didn’t expect that ending, at least not like it happened. I figured Damien was up to something, but I still didn’t see that coming. And that cliffhanger! Cannot wait for the third book after all that!

Thank you Netgalley and Union Square Co. for allowing me to read and review this book. All of my late thoughts and opinions are my own.

I do have to say that the kindle download of the e-ARC was very difficult to read, it made for an annoying experience. It did not hinder my enjoyment of the story itself but the reading experience could have been better.

A Shadow Crown is the next book in the Halfling saga series and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I really love reading about Keera and her diverse found family. The humor, the adventure, and the support between all of the characters is top-notch. As much as I loved the characters, I do think their development could have been explored more. There are a couple of them that I wish had more screen time but maybe they will get that spotlight in book three.

The story-telling was good but the pacing was slightly off at times. I did put the book down a bit due to a bad slump so that may not have helped but the pacing needed a little work, too.

I'm looking forward to book three.

4 stars

I love everything about this series, the writing, the characters, the plot. It’s literally perfect and keeps you on your toes. Every time you think you know what’s going to happen, you don’t. This is worth a thousand reads. Read it.

I love how dark ruthless is Keera, but at the same time she is so carring women. It is amasing how Keera is both. I widh a little love sotry but cannot wait for next book

First I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc in exchange of my honest review.

I really enjoyed this second installment, there were moments that I was like wow what was that (in a good way). I really enjoyed getting to know the other characters as well as our main MMC and the way this installment did not slow down. I feel like asa reader we got a mix of the best. A great amount of adventure and romance and let me tell you all that I did not at all see the twist coming.

That ending was crazy and I need book 3 like I need water (lol I actually need to drink a lot of water rn I think I'm dehydrated)

Summary: "To the kingdom, Keera is the king’s Blade, his most feared and trusted spy and assassin. But in the shadows, she works with Prince Killian and his Shadow—the dark, brooding Fae, Riven, who sets her blood on fire. Together, they plot to kill a tyrant king. In Myrelinth, the lush, secret city of trees, Fae, Elves, and Halflings like Keera live in harmony. But Keera cannot escape her past: her crimes against her own people have followed her all the way to the Faeland. There is a traitor in their midst, and Keera is the top suspect. Keera finds comfort in the allies that have become her family. She swore she would never open her heart again after a loss she barely survived. But she will soon find she has more to lose than she ever imagined . . ."

This book is amazing! I love this series and I can't wait for the next book. Blair said 4 books are planned for this series. The characters are fun to follow, especially Keera and Riven. They are relatable and I enjoy seeing their character growth. I liked the story, the characters, and being back in this world Blair created.

Great sequel for the first book. We get to see more of who the characters are and the history behind the fae. The plot twist was great and I loved how there were only small hints of what was going to happen. I can't wait for the third book to come out!

A Shadow Crown is the second book in the Halfling Saga series by Melisa Blair.

I read A Broken Blade with my @fantasyfrenemies so we had to pick up book 2 as well.

A Shadow Crown picks up right where the first book left off with Keera trying to save everyone from a tyrant king.

I love the found family in this book. Keera has befriended so many different characters that love and support her. I wish that we had gotten more story from some of those characters. They seemed to be in the book just to support Keera’s storyline without much real development of their own. I’m hoping we see them again in the next book.

I also felt the pacing of this book was a little off. We had some insights into Keera’s life throughout due to trying to pull out her memories. But otherwise all of the action came very quickly at the end. But it did set up for an interesting cliffhanger.

I love that Keera is a strong female character at the center of the story and I will be curious to see where book 3 takes us.

This is the second book in The Halfling Saga. The book had a lot of character development for Keera, Riven, and Killian. You find out more about the light fae and Keera’s past. As the characters advance their plot to overthrow the king they find out there is a traitor amount them. Nicholas is still a light spot in the group. I can’t wait to see where the next book takes us.

This is the second book in the series and i just wanted to start out by saying that is was a lot better than book one. the writing was better, it was tighter and the pacing was a lot better in this book. I still like all the characters and I think the author did a wonderful job expanding who they are and the character development was well executed. This series is just so good and I wish more people were reading it.