Unfortunately I could not keep focused on the story, I read the first two chapters and it did not keep me engaged. I found that there was nothing that drew me in. Perhaps if I had read the other stories first I might have been able to follow the plot and understand the characters more. However, I found myself confused and bored with the way this story appeared to start in the middle and I was not sure what was going on, so I quickly lost interest in it.

I was so excited for this book, but unfortunately it's not what I remembered. I struggled with this a bit and I worry it will impact my feelings of the original trilogy, which I consider one of my favorites from my teen years. I am unable to give this a tangible rating as there are so many feelings in this series for me, but I will continue to recommend it for people as it is still near and dear to my heart.

Just the perfect continuation of one of my favourite series of all time.

Everything I wanted to happen, happened. It felt like everything I'd known for the last ten years was a lie and it was such a good feeling. I re-read the whole series before I read The Shadow and so my heartbreak was fresh going in. Everything that my little fangirl heart could have asked for to fix it was given to me and I'm so happy!

The ending was perfect because it rounded off one story and left the door open for their future story. I don't know whether we will ever see that story, but I for one, would love to read it.

There is so much I want to say about this book, but I can’t because of spoilers! What I can say is that this is my favourite Guardians of Time book and I am so glad Marianne decided to self-publish it.

In The Shadow we pick up a week after the events that ended book 3 so this isn’t a book you can read without reading the others. We are introduced to the new leader of The Order – Jesilla – who is intent on seeking revenge for her mother and carrying on her legacy. Jesilla wasn’t just bad for the sake of being bad, but had a lot of depth and I actually really liked her.

I found Dillon much more lovable in this book as we got to see more of him and his true personality. He kind of just came across as a meat head before. It was heart breaking watching Ethan mourn. He has to go through a lot in this book!

All the characters we love – Arkarian, Matt, Isabel and the rest – are back, travelling through time and trying to save the world. There were lots of twists and turns and exciting surprises. I found this book to be the most romantic, and it had a very satisfying ending.

Fans of this series will definitely want to get their hands on a copy. You will not be disappointed. The Shadow was the much-needed ending to this series – although Marianne did leave room for more books if she wanted, and I wouldn’t mind! It was a highly enjoyable read. If you haven’t read this series and you like time travel, romance, good vs evil, and people with powers, you should start this series ASAP.

I have such a nostalgic connection to this world, these characters and this story that it was never going to get less than five stars from me. It felt so wonderful to spend time with such old friends.

The Shadow by Marianne Curley, Book Four in The Guardians of Time Series, has exceeded all my expectations. It is a beautifully told - in ways tragic - continuation of a series first published thirteen years ago, and it is full of surprises. The first surprise is Jesilla’s viewpoint, a new voice and member of the opposing side called the Order. I enjoyed being in her head and found myself routing for her. But of course there were all the old favourites, with a sub-plot for Arkarian and Isabel that their fans will love. And then there is that ending - a rollercoaster of events where I couldn’t tell whether it was going to end well or not well for Ethan or the other Named, but it does end in a big way.