I received a copy of this through Net Galley.

Of Silver and Shadow was exciting, action-packed, and fast-paced! The story is told through multiple perspectives. Sometime, I find that having an ensemble cast of characters can be confusing, but this was not the case here. I thought that the author was able to present clear portraits of the different individuals. The characters were likable and I was drawn to their personalities and different struggles.

I will say that this was full of tropes typical of today's YA selections - magic, evil ruling monarch, rebellion... But the story was well-written, and so exciting and enthralling that I honestly did not care. I was completely sucked into this world and the romance(s)!

I am hoping for a sequel!! (The ending seemed like the author was setting it up as such.)

*THANK YOU to North Star Editions and Flux, Netgalley for graciously providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*


Full 5 stars for the amazing journey that book is! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No fillers no runaround, pure action from chapter one,right until the last one!
The story is told from several points of view and the timing to switch between them is so perfect and fluid, that is pure pleasure to read and complements the story, instead of distracting you and make you say "I wish i saw that momemt from that character's view".
A kingdom that is ruled by a tyrant King Mattheus and his two sons - Kellen and Heath.
Long ago the Lyandors were threatened by other Silver(magic) wielders and king Tallis Lyandor sent his armies across Erdis, burning villages of wielders, hanging magical families, beheading anyone caught fleeing. The Silver Purge was the reason the only magic left in the kingdom belonged to the crown, why the only silver wielders in the past 100 years had been Lyandorswielder .
Now the rebellion with Darek for a leader, have plan to take the Lyandor family from the throne and the only hope is a girl - Underground pit fighter and a thief...but also a hidden Silver wielder,beside the royal family.
The developing story is seen trough the eyes of :
Ren - orphaned at young age,now a thief and a pit fighter to provide for herself
Darek - rebel leader with a younger brother Markus
Kellen - the younger son of King Mattheus
Adley - a ferocious warrior of the famous King’s Children army
I love how we see all the back story for the characters- all the events and emotions,that made them what they are today, and at the same time it's not cramped up and it's easy to read.
I really hope we'll see the characters again!
And definitely can't wait to read another book by this author!

This was a pretty good story but I didn’t find anything really new here. Maybe I’ve read too many fantasies that it’s hard to discover a true gem. I did really like the characters and their development throughout the story!

More for the younger end of YA but this was fast paced and fun. Personally I’d have preferred more detailed world building and magic systems but perhaps that’s a sign that I’m drifting from YA fantasy a bit. Still an enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and North Star Editions for the free advance.

This book was a fast yet fun read. Definitely more of a 'young' than 'adult' but still a good experience for the latter! The cover is gorg, and Ren is a spunky underdog of a protagonist. I enjoyed the world it was set in, with the politics of the kingdom and the rich vs poor districts.

Sadly, I did have a few issues with the book - I felt as if it was an odd combination of time periods. With fantasy you can often get away with a lot, as it's all about worlds you couldn't even imagine, but for the first couple of chapters, I had been imagining that it was set in a more urban world. It may have been the language that was used, but when you read about a leather-clad girl gambling, followed by her breaking into a shop and stealing a jacket off a mannequin, you picture a more modern society like ours. When a King was mentioned, it completely shattered the idea I had of the world.

I also have to say that I felt like I didn't really get to know Ren. Yes, she has this deep shame and covers it up with a hard edged exterior, but at times her reactions felt forced and unatural. I didn't get a sense of her as a whole, only those two aspects, and how men seem to react to her. In fact, I felt as though I knew Prince Kellen more than Ren. It may be because there were so many characters that there wasn't enough time to really focus on her.

I also thought the magic mechanics were meh. 'I never learned to use it, I just know somehow, like it's a limb.' She just flicks her hands around and knows how to use it? There was a small mention that if she doesn't use it regularly it becomes wild and out of control. Would have loved that to be expanded upon, maybe with her discovering how her magic actually works. She can do all these crazy tricks with no real education behind it. It doesn't seem logically possible - we all have hands but we don't automatically know how to write without someone teaching us.

ANYWAY I may have gone too in-depth about this. However, on a lighter note, I did really enjoy the story as a whole, I thought the rebellion was an interesting idea and there were a few unexpected twists, so if you're on the look out for a light fun fantasy read, give this a go.

3 stars.

I was super excited to receive this book! It kept me engaged, it was well written and had fully fleshed out characters and a great plot! It really held its own against the books in my favorites :)

I was so excited about this book! This plot is right up my alley and i loved this book. I read this book in a day because it was so good! I will be recommending this book to everyone!!

I really liked everything about this dark fantasy book.
The magic was really great in it with a cool. The descriptions of the world is very detailed witten. The authors writing is very incredibly and it's like watching a movie. The characters were also different and great described.

This book was received as an ARC from North Star Editions - Flux in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book reminded me a lot of the Red Queen series in the ways of the Rebels fighting for their lives and with their gifts of magic being frowned upon in the culture, they have no choice but to form an alliance and start a rebellion. This time it's Ren with her gift of being a silver wielder and joining the Rebel leader without seeing a single coin until they defeat the King. Then come the pack called The King's Children as they compete to earn their spot as the King's Fang. With Ren and the Rebel leader on the loose, they will stop at nothing to destroy them and earn their spot as their King's right hand. Political tensions arise and time is running out and Ren and the rebels will stop at nothing to take the throne from the King. The action, the drama, and the suspense was jaw dropping that it took you on a thrill ride you will never forget.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.