I've always loved looking at maps, so the idea of map-based magic caught me right away. Sienna is a relatable character who hasn't found her place in the world yet. When she inherits her grandfather's map shop, her mother urges her to sell it--but Sienna feels like she's somehow come home. Then she discovers there's a whole secret world of capital-C Cartographers who use maps to perform magic, and Sienna is a Blood Cartographer, one of the most powerful. The Cartographers are trying to protect Earth from a shadow realm that keeps encroaching, but of course, there are those who want to see the shadow realm succeed.

Interesting concept that lagged a bit on execution. I liked the concept but overall wasn’t in love with the book.

First of all, I should say that there are so much you can talk about in this book. From the world construction right down to the details of character builds. Everything is so rich in details that you figure even two or three books in, the author can surprise us with more details and facts that haven’t been explained in this first book.

Right from the start, you are assaulted with terminologies but this is expected from a fantasy world. It does take getting used to. However, this stage is short-lived because the whole Borderland concept is easy to grasp. The author had devised a great setup for sequels because Borderlands is teeming with possibilities.

Map of Shadows is about the human construct ‘good and bad’, or ‘what belongs and what doesn’t’. This novel combined the author’s interests in map and cartography with the real political issue of Israel-Palestinian border, albeit with a darker fantasy twist. This book is about people, places, and objects that are being rejected by humans on the Earth-side, turning up in Borderlands; War-stricken cities that never recover, refugees and those who no one cares about who is practically invisible to the rest of humans.

J. F. Penn utilises multiple points-of-views in Map of Shadows. This has a very specific and peculiar effect. Between the monologues and descriptions from multiple POVs, I find myself wanting Sienna (the main character) to trust and work with her companions but at the same time be wary of them exactly because I’ve been inside her companions’ heads. With a person you’re close to and trust, especially someone you know like the back of your hand, you can see where their pitfalls might be.

There is an aspect where I think the author can greatly refine. Oftentimes during tense and suspenseful moments, I find myself having to backtrack a few paragraphs because there isn’t enough change of tone. It can make readers feel as if they missed something. In other books, I’ve seen the littlest things that do it. For example, a one-liner paragraph. Used appropriately, it can be highly effective.

Map of Shadows is a fantastic escapism novel with a touch of reality as its solid foundation.

Trigger warning(s): Implicit mention of rape, brief bloody and gory scenes

This was an interesting book. I'm intrigued by the "map walkers" and the Ministry of Maps. It almost felt too fast paced though. The book is relatively short, and it sometimes seemed like too much happened to follow properly. I love the idea and want to read more, but I'm concerned about the pacing. Sienna Farren inherits a map shop in England from her recently deceased Grandfather. No one suspects anything, but it turns out to be murder in order to let the Borderlands push into the "real" world. With the help of her new friends at the ministry, she must cope with her own new powers and the impending threat.

Map of Shadows had me hooked from the beginning with its fast-paced inventive tale about Sienna, a young woman who inherits a map store from her grandfather. She thinks she's inheriting some dusty books, but is soon drawn into an alternate world filled with druidic magic, ley lines, and sinister characters bent on invading our world from a hidden netherworld called the Borderlands.

Sienna is a "mapwalker" who can travel throughout the world and beyond via magic-imbued maps. She discovers others with varied powers engaged in a generations-long conflict with her group. There is a lot to relish here, between the arcane rights and magic, and the shadowy realms in conflict (which parallel our own reality as opposing worlds and views frequently are in conflict, and those who inhabit them are often misunderstood), as well as the forbidden love between two of the main characters. My only caveat is that there is very little backstory before everyone hits the ground running- I found it a stretch that unsuspecting Sienna could go from a non-believing outsider to a fully formed heroine saving the world in a matter of days. But I was willing to ignore it because of the richness of the world they inhabited, one which I look forward to visiting again.

Map of Shadows is a neat story. Sienna is a blood cartographer which means she can draw maps with her blood and be ported there. Sienna didn't know she had this power until her grandfather died, leaving her a map shop. Sienna learns there is a whole other world called the Borderland which is trying to take over Earthside by killing the cartographers and using their skin as maps. The story was original. I thought it fell a little flat on suspense. The love story developed rather quickly and for 2 people who hardly talked it was a little lame. I think that some really great writing could be done with this idea with a few adjustments by the author. As the book stands now though, its just an amazing idea but executed in a mediocre way.

An adventure filled with strange and fantastical creatures around every corner and beings with unique and mystical powers, Sienna, Mila, Perry, and Xander map walkers along with friend Finn, who had his own agenda, are in for the adventure of their lives, seeking to retrieve a shadow map which would help protect their world from being totally wiped out by the borderland shadow mappers. The battle has begun, with the death of Sienna’s Grandfather, they are involved in a war that held no guarantees for either of them. An interesting geographical fantasy mystery filled with unique and out of this world adventures. The storyline is blurred at the edges with that of the mythical dark arts and the goodly characters give it the justice it deserves with their unique and unusual magical abilities, truly a fantastically interesting and intriguing read.

I loved the concept of this novel. It was imaginative and interesting, and I wish I could give it more stars, but I feel like I’m being generous with three as it is. The writing just did not hold up to the expectations set by the fantastic world building. There were parts where the descriptions were amazing, but overall, the book felt clunky.

The main character had very little personality past the first chapter. Her character arc was more of a straight line. The times she acted decisively were surprising rather than revealing. She did not feel fleshed out, and her romance was of the “We’ve spoken three times and now we’re deeply in love” variety.

I also felt like having multiple point of views added nothing to the story. Everything interesting that you learn from these, the main character then learns.

That said, I do want to bring up again how much I liked the world created in Map of Shadows. There is a lot to enjoy here. It just didn’t quite work for me.

Map of Shadows is a nice introduction to a new fantasy/action series full of originality and adventure. Sienna learns of her mapwalking heritage after inheriting her grandfather's map shop. Quickly drawn into a world of danger and hidden places called the borderlands, Sienna plays catch up as the mapwalking team tries to collect important artifacts and stop evil from taking over the world. A cast of characters that seize the reader's interest and affection and will not let go. Catching my attention on page one, the book flows smoothly with inventive backgrounds and engaging characters for a wildly imaginative, fast paced read that leaves you hankering for book two. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.