As always, what gets me with this series is the care that Laurie Forest has put into the world building. The second thing is the character development. Elloren has come a long way from being a privileged, prejudiced brat. I felt like we weren't just told that she'd changed but we'd actually witnessed this gradual change in front of our eyes. I'm excited for more world-building and complicated characters in her follow-up series.

This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the darkness she wove into the tale. I also really enjoyed her world building, although I wish she had opened up on the characters a bit more. They felt slightly out of sync for me, but not enough to derail a book. Overall this is a fantastic read for anyone looking for fantasy.

This book was received as an ARC from Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read The Black Witch and what I liked about the book the most was that every page kept you in the story and you could not help but to keep on reading. In The Shadow Wand same thing every page correlated with one another and the struggle of power with Elloren was so beautifully expressed, I felt her pain throughout the book. The finding out since she is the most wanted in the land, she has to entrust in allies to protect her including her Commander Lukas Grey and many others that bestow her to train her to be a warrior and fight for her life and the fate of the kingdom. I felt like I was a part of a fantasy thriller. My heart was racing so fast and could not help but cheer Elloren on and be part of her team. I know our Teen Book Club will love this book and I can't wait to hear the discussions that rise.

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

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I am here for this series and I absolutely loved this book!!

The Shadow Wand is the third book in the Black Witch Chronicles. We find Elloren and her group all separated and off on different tasks. Elloren is floundering and unsure, scared of her power. When things go sideways she has to escape back to Gardeneria and Lukas.

This book felt rushed. There was a lot of setup in the first third of the book including many new characters to learn, including Death Fae. At the beginning of the book, each chapter is told from a different point of view from many different characters. Some of what happens also didn't feel authentic. I still enjoyed the story, but this volume is not as good as the first two in the series.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.. I tell you. Wow.

I knew I was going to love this book. I have been a fan of the Black Witch Chronicles for some time now. To me it is everything I like about Fantasy. With rich characters, mythical creatures, and lots of magic! I love wand magic and elemental magic and fated mates! This series has all the things I love. It also has a healthy amount of romance and I have been invested in the dark love triangle that has been going on too!

There isn't a ton I can say without spoiling this one, but if you are invested in this series, I really think you won't be disappointed. Its still brutal, fierce, and twisty. The evil is growing and the cruelty of our villain cannot be over stated. Vogel gives me the shivers but the systemic prejudices and evils built into the Gardnerian society is much bigger than just one man. This isn't a passively cruel country, they are actively trying to wipeout everyone who is different or threatening to them. The traditions and rules of their people make my stomach sick.

And I can't say I didn’t cheer a bit that a few characters got KO'd in a brutal fashion. NO spoilers but it was extremely satisfying after what they say and do to Elloren, Lukas, and anyone not a part of their stuck up life style or not doing what they want them to do. I shouted in joy!

I also have to fangirl over Lukas Grey! I knew he wasn't made this sexy and mysterious for nothing. Again, I don't want to spoil it, but if you liked him before, prepare to be rewarded. I loved how Elloren came to see him in a new light and he actively had me tearing up at least 2 separate times. He is a strong man playing a dangerous game and I adore him as a character.

I continue to be entranced by Elloren's journey. She started out oblivious, became a push over, then a reluctant rebel, and now she is in full on rebellion mode. I love seeing that kind of arc in a character and I think that the author has done such a great job leaving her with room to grow. Not just in her powers but in her personality. She was a pawn for so many years and that doesn't change overnight. It takes hard work, heart ache and a fight to change what has been laid down. I look forward to seeing what happens next in her character.

Overall, I was so happy with this novel. I am so excited for The Demon Tide. There is a cliffhanger to this one, so be prepared. Even though I had a gut feeling that the emotional revelation Elloren has about Lukas would lead us to the last page of this book, it was still very satisfying. I can't wait to see where the author takes us next.

5/5 Stars! Which is 3 for 3 in this series so far for me.

The Shadow Wand is everything that Laurie Forest promised it would be--a lot of kissing. Albeit, the kissing is very much forced by the plot, but I am HERE for it. I’ve read every novel and novella Forest has published in this series, and I was not disappointed by this installment. If you’ve been loyal to it so far, there’s definitely no reason to stop here.

One of the strengths of the novel is the shifting POV between several old characters and a few new ones. Some authors shift POV every single chapter, and it gets dizzying. Forest does not fall into this trap and understands when we want to spend more time with Elloren or another character. It’s really clever, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness here.

Speaking of Elloren, girl, what happened?! Elloren was developing nicely into someone who could engage in critical thinking, cultural relativism, and fend for herself, but she is robbed of all agency in The Shadow Wand. She lets life happen to her and doesn’t put up much of a fuss, frequently being ferried from one location to another and getting beaten or bullied by those around her. It’s time for us to get an Elloren with agency! Consider this a petition to make Elloren a force to be reckoned with in book 4.

Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend The Shadow Wand to existing fans of the series, and I will continue recommending the entire series to fans of well-developed characters in a fantasy setting.

Anyone remember the debacle of reviews for book 1? I love that that as the series continues it just continues to prove them wrong! A great cast of characters with expanding story arcs, solid world building, strength in the diversity of characters, and excellent use of themes. Delightful series so far!

This book was fantastic!!!! It really messed with my emotions but Laurie sure has a way for making you want more even when it feels like your heart is breaking. I can't wait for the next book! Huge Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this adventure!!!

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest, when I requested this book, I did not realize it was part of an established series/universe. (I think NetGalley should have done a better job at making that clear!) I ended up DNF this book, even though I really wanted to so I could give it a proper review.

I decided to do three stars for several reasons:
1. This book seems like it would be great if I knew what was going on and was already a fan of the universe in which it exists.
2. A lot of what I struggled to get through may have been because of my lack of understanding the already established world.
3. It is well-written despite it being lengthy and hard to digest.

My main complaint with this book is: There was so. much. of. it. Don't get me wrong: I enjoy long books. However, this book felt thick in a way that was not necessary. Sometimes, less is more. Cut to the chase. I don't need super lengthy descriptions all the time.

Although this was a great addition to the series, I was thinking that it was the finale and instead it felt like a lot f  set up for the next book. I still enjoyed it but it wasn't what I was expecting. All in all I like the new perspectives, though it shifted to much for my tastes. Then the stories goes back to just two perspectives which was nice, but also weird after having so many. I also felt like there was too much romance but that is a personal taste. Overall I would recommend this series.

A black witch is foretold to rise and meet the great winged one.Edwin and Vyvisn are in grief. Edwin wishes he could wash the family if it's cursed magic. Their wealth is secured by cruelity. Edwin does not want future generations to have the magic . There are people dead and children to protect. Edwin wants to hide any power the children may have . The message is carried that the black witch may be back. I couldn't get invested in the characters .

It is best to begin with the first book. One of the problems I had with The Shadow Wand is that the book begins with so many characters in so many different places--and it has been two years since I read The Iron Flower. I don't usually have a problem with multiple characters and subplots, but after two years, it took a while to get people and places in my head again, especially since everyone had separated by the end of book 2.

I loved the first two books and was eager for this one, and once I had wrapped my head around the various situations, I found myself engrossed once again. Not as happy as I was with the previous books, but still eager to find out what would happen next. Most of the story is with Elloren, but it seems to me she needed characters like Trystan, Tierney, Diana, Rafe, and Wynter to give her genuine substance, and although some of them are given a bit of space, it wasn't really enough to be satisfying.

It is a long book, and the pacing is erratic--not all sections really move the plot forward. Elloren became a little annoying at times. OK, more than a little and frequently. I wanted things to move on. I found the first two books compelling, but this one didn't feel as well-thought out. In contrast, some readers like this one best.

Will I read the next one? Oh, yes! I do hope the pacing is better though.

The Black Witch
The Iron Flower
The Shadow Wand

NetGalley/Inkyard Press
YA Fantasy. June 9, 2020. Print length: 608 pages.

I absolutely love this series and this book just made me love it more. I can't wait for book 4! These are some of my absolute favorite characters to revisit. Laurie continues to push boundaries and open our eyes.

Sorry for the delay in sending this. The review ran June 8, 2020.

The first two books in the The Black Witch Chronicles have given us interesting worldbuilding and a number of unique characters. Both books were told from protagonist Elloren Gardner's POV and as such, we've been limited by Elloren's age and inexperience. In this book, in contrast, we see a variety of POVs, including Elloren's, Yvan's, Aunt Vyvian's, Tierney's, Trystan's, Wynter's, and Thierren Stone's. The action is complex, taking place in both the Eastern and Western Realms, and we see a number of familiar faces, from the delightful Valasca and Chi Nam to the vile Marcus Vogel. The decision to keep Elloren and Yvan apart, so that they can train safely until they are ready to move against Vogel, seems early on to have been a very smart one. Yvan is attacked and the Vu Trin are quickly appalled by the extent of untrained Elloren's powers. In fact, they are so appalled there is dissent in the ranks and many of the Vu Trin want Elloren dead. The others, fewer in number, see her potential as a weapon, perhaps the only one, that can stop Vogel. Elloren is left with the difficult decision of returning to Gardneria and the "protection" of her fastmate, Lukas Grey, who she's been assured by her Vu Trin supporters, is honorable and friendly to their cause. Wait a minute... what?! In the first two novels readers may have found that the somewhat bland-seeming Lukas didn't seem very dedicated to Marcus Vogel's cause (that would be complete domination of Erthia) but it turns out that Lukas is a far, far more subversive Level Five Mage than one would have expected. And, though he's willing to confer his protection on Elloren, he is struggling with his feelings for her. Meanwhile, Elloren is lost in her feelings for Yvan. (Major spoilers therein, readers.) Elloren is still untrained, and though she possesses the Wand of Myth- the Zhilin wand- she's still having issues using it, both from her fear of a lack of control and from the wand seeming to be dormant. Marcus Vogel has far fewer problems with his wand, however. The Shadow Wand, and its shadow fire, grow in their terrible power. How will Elloren learn to fight and control her magic without giving away her identity as the true Black Witch of prophecy? The short answer is, she won't.

This third installment was less successful than the first two novels for me. The plethora of POVs made me feel that the central plot was getting muddied with a lot of subplots (some were interesting but we don't even see the Lupines in this one!) and the novel was very heavy on the romance angle between... Elloren and Lukas. (Telling you why would be a major spoiler.) I do have to say that Forest has built out the character of Lukas to be more interesting and to have greater depth than I expected. The hypocrisy of his family turns out to be as unpleasant as Elloren and her brothers' experience with her Aunt Vyvian. (And if you thought you hated Vyvian before, just wait until you see her in this one.) Additionally, I felt rather frustrated with Elloren herself. On the one hand, she spent most of her life dealing with being Carnissa Gardner's granddaughter and assuming she had no power because she was wielding a blocked wand. Suddenly she finds out she really does have great power and doesn't know anything about how to use it since she was never really trained. On the other hand, she was regularly feeling and accessing all kinds of fire and earth energy, could tell what kind of tree any kind of wood came from, and now she can wave a splinter and set the world on fire. (A bit of an eyeroll, reader.) She still cowers and wails about being afraid of everything but she's bold enough to punch Fallon Bane in the face? (Cheers!) Oh, and by the end of the book, she's like a warrior. Yes, it's quite the evolution over the last 100-150 pages of the novel. Similar abrupt changes are also seen in her relationship with Lukas, who just seems so much more mature for his age than Elloren. (It's true that she was so wrong about him...) Let's just say that Elloren is good at making the best of a challenging situation. Thank goodness for sanjire root... But fans of Yvan, don't despair. It's not what you think.

As Forest builds toward the endgame, she takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride over the course of 640 pages that felt scattered and with some plot digressions that felt as if the editing could have been tighter. But I'm still looking forward to the conclusion (presumably in the fourth book) in which Ren finally wields her Zhilin wand for the good of Erthia, hopefully with the full support of every tree still standing.

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow Wand advances the story significantly, we are finally untethered to the school, and we are seeing the world through new POV's, new characters- well, not exactly new- bring fresh voices to Eloren's story. The story's pace also is finally picking up!

Eloren Gardener no longer, we get to see Eloren now "fasted" to Lukas, and I have always loved their dynamic, so their new dynamics in The Shadow Wand are my favorite. Eloren is also starting to finally learn to weild the immense magic inside of her. It's about damn time.

The ending will make fans clamor for more! Such a gripping cliffhanger, this is by far the most frought we've ever been. I really, really cannot wait for the next book! I cannot believe I'll have to wait at least a year for it.

Wow, picking up this book was daunting. It's really long and I was scared that it would be too long and that I would have to skip around in order to get through it. Boy, was I wrong! Aside from the beginning, which introduced many new characters and was a bit boring, the book was so fast paced! It alternated between exciting battles, steamy romance, and political intrigue.

In this installment of The Black Witch chronicles, Elloren is on the run because pretty much everyone is after her. She must go to Lukas, who is none to happy with her after she fought their handfasting in the previous book. But she must trust him if she is to survive and fight Markus Fogel. Can she really trust Lukas and his motives? She doesn't have much of a choice so she must turn to those whom she thought were enemies because there is an all out realm war, and only the Black Witch can save everyone. Elloren must learn to control and harness her powers before she is caught. Markus Fogel would love nothing more than to claim her powers for his own.

I devoured this book in one day and cannot believe I will have to wait a year for the next book--especially with that ending! Please hurry up, Laurie Forest!!

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This will be one of my shorter reviews as I did some bouncing around for this one. I began reading The Black Witch when I was approved for this ARC to review and I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish the other books prior to The Shadow Wand… so I skipped ahead. I know, I know, some people are probably gasping and clutching their pearls at such a decision, but I will definitely return to the other books and read through because this installment was flat out fantastic. With some research, it wasn’t difficult to follow and I was able to make it through the book and really enjoy it.

I really enjoyed Elloren. Watching her accept her power (albeit wildly out of control) was amazing, especially after hearing about her struggling through her powerlessness. Her personality was strong and I found myself wanting her to succeed at everything, for her to truly control her power, and bring down hell on a few particular people. I was a little confused about the Ren/Yvan and Ren/Lukas dynamic. There were parts that made uncomfortable and other parts that should have made me more emotional than I was. I’m sure going back and reading the precursor books will help with that.

This is definitely more of an adult novel, and I loved that about it. There were some really intense scenes, as well as a lot of really important themes to this novel, especially considering our current world state. Obviously Forest knew exactly what she was doing when writing this series.

The beginning was a little long-winded and confusing and the weird shift in POV wasn’t my favorite method of story-telling, but I think once I read the other books it will help get me connected to the other characters across the world. Speaking of the world, Forest’s world-building is magical. I definitely ended this ARC feeling emotional and out of breath. I desperately wanted more and wanted it immediately. I’ve already ordered Iron Flower and will now return to my reading of The Black Witch in order to absorb everything I may have missed. I’m super excited about this series and have so much anxiety around it. I love Ren and need to see where everything goes.

This is a third book, I need to get the two books before it, but I like it all the same. It's easy to understand the world, even without the worldbuilding that usually comes with a first book. I did some research and got the gist of the plot of the first two books, which are now on my TBR list!

So many elements of high fantasy! Reminds me of Garth Nix, Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Holly Black. These are authors with very different writing styles, but I can see elements and influences from each of them in this writing. And don't forget dragons! I'm a sucker for dragons! It's a classic heroine rising story with a protagonist still grappling with figuring out her power, aiding the oppressed, being one with nature, and standing up to a regime that threatens all natural life in the world.

In an effort to prevent spoilers for the previous books, this review will focus on the themes, writing quality, and overall impressions of the book/series. There were some very heavy themes in this book, racism/genocide, but most fantasy novels have a nod to these themes. It seems like many science fiction/fantasy stories end up with the protagonist fighting against a regime that seeks to oppress their people. Conflict is natural in these situations, though not always appropriate. I thought this book dealt with these themes in a respectful and thoughtful way, providing the reader with points to think critically about the fantasy world. This is rare in fantasy books and I absolutely appreciated it in this narrative! Allusions to naturalism are prevalent in this book as well.

The writing and pacing in this book were top-notch. I didn't feel lost when trying to remember all of the characters, which is a testament to the skill of the author. This installment is almost nonstop action, be it fighting, training, fleeing, romantic interactions, and so many more instances that would be spoilery if I mentioned them. One thing I want to point out is that there is a lot of romance in this book. And I mean a lot. So much kissing, some adult scenes (I would recommend at the very least this book, to older young adult readers). It's not bad romance/kissing, there's just a lot of it. So much smoldering, melting, dissolving, burning, simmering, and all of the other ways to relate romance to fire/heat.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to older YA readers and fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and the other authors I've mentioned above. This is a striking third book in a series with a lot of promise. It looks there will be more books in this series and I will be patiently awaiting their publication!

I received a galley copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow Wand is book 3 of The Black Witch series by Laurie Forest, a riveting fantasy series ABOUT PREJUDICE AND RACIAL HATE WARS, and potentially world-ending dark leadership.

READ. THIS. BOOK.

The Black Witch female hero-rising in The Shadow Wand installation is looking for her full empowerment to set the world right and eliminate racism and injustice upon Earthia.

This book is MUST READ FULL STARS highest rating all the way, written with soul-churning emotion and rising arcs of character and crescendo of event and urgency.

Book 3 launches during the most jaw-dropping of real world times, a book about Earthia-world race war…
launching in June 2020 during a real Earth race war and world pandemic, blurring reality over and over.

At the moment of this review writing, reading this book of a fantasy land burning and the race hate murders consuming that world, I look up from reading the pages and see the real world streets burning and people being murdered, wounded and bleeding, police of the U.S. themselves initiating crime after crime of violence against the peaceful, exactly as in this novel, a race of people suffering centuries too long, deaths dealt by those holding the power, and I have to ask myself, how did Ms. Forest know this needed reckoning was coming?

At this moment, the pages of The Shadow Wand and The Black Witch series are living before my eyes, and I am completely undone.
How do I write a review during this reckoning of centuries of racial horror, about a like fantasy book?

I devoured the reading in a single day many many days ago, just before the murder of George Floyd. I wrote a review to post:
Then the world exploded.
With horror surrounding us exposed, racial hate and crimes uncovered, I could not immediately post my review filled with accolades. This review carries responsibility because of this unprecedented timing. With great pains to write the right, here finally is my review.

IN SUMMARY, READ THIS.

Feel the rising power of standing up to racism.
Feel the tides turn to aid those facing the Right Way, the Way of Compassion, the Way of Equality.
Feel the alignment of Nature standing for what is right.
Feel the Planet rising in response to unity (and to Environmental Care).
Feel the power we all need right now:
Feel the power of a coming Great Leader, one born on the side of the oppressor moving purposefully to the side of aiding the oppressed,

Feel the power of The Black Witch (she has green shimmering skin fyi).

Read this book to feel the unity of that, the power of the universe streaming through you when you stand for what is right and stand for anti-racism.

And enjoy the hell out of the fantasy powers, abilities, settings, magic, types of beings and rich character portrayals that frame this glorious ride.
_______________

Formal Review written before the George Floyd worldwide explosion:

I inhale Book 3, The Shadow Wand.

Deep breath.
I close the book.
And I SCREAM.

I literally scream from the rise of energy and emotion.
I scream from the intense knuckle-bludgeoning ride.
I scream from release of hopes for this series,
from surprise at plot twists,
from power finally being claimed, taken as is birthright.

Wow wow wow WOW!!!
Holy Ancient gods, all!
Holy Ge'o, Holy planet!
Holy existence of all that ever can be Holy!!

And then the tears start flowing.
Tears for the oppressed
tears for the murdered
tears for the lack of funerals,
tears for demonic leadership,
tears for the denials,
tears for the losses,
tears for the unseen,
tears for what is lost forever: the glimmering light of life snuffed out.

Screaming and crying, that is the incredibly beautiful gift of this glorious book.

And then I take another deep breath, open the book, and start over again….


13% in, I’m in tears, already in tears, even with all the new players, the emotions are mounting.
37% in I'm whooping and yelling.

Commence battles and subversion and more twists and rock-meets-hard places and shocks and gut impaling emotional wrenching and corners so tight I cannot imagine how loved characters will get out of them.

50-something percentage and again and again I am with eyes welling with tears.

And then every emotion possible is struck, every string strummed, every drum beat.

I don't remember the last book that left me wanting to let loose at the top of my lung power after the last soul searing sentence and word.

And I have read a mountain of books.

This is one ginormous E-ticket magical rune-stamped wand emblazoned ride, and it will take you as high and as low as your emotions can stretch. And it will leave you feeling hope, hope the evil can finally be stamped out, justice that is still in the offing in this series since there are two more installments coming.


To address other reviews:
Yes, as other reviewers have noted, there are new character introductions from the start, but it's not too much, if one is the tiniest bit patient to see beloved characters appear. Other epic series have woven far more. You will remember these new beings as their stories are also heart pounding and memorable. They fill roles needed as these lands are far-flung.

These new introductions are written not as info dump but as micro stories that are written so well that one is left with emotion overflowing in only a glorious chapter, and the next and next, done with immediate reeling in and tapestry weaving. I immediately felt the knot rising in my throat from sorrow for what is unfolding for these new characters. That sort of reel-you-in-fast writing is hard to do! And yet Ms. Forest has done it so well.

Ms. Forest may still be on her debut series, but this uber-intelligent fantasy weaving author knows how to write, and she here is further spinning an epic tale, with distant shore and mountain and plain taking us far beyond the previous settings in the first two books of the series. Like a glorious old magical mysterious tree, it develops exceedingly well, and soon were running and sprinting and running through the story and pages. If we can know this is an epic series and not some quickie, if we can go in buckling up for a long glorious soul drenching ride, then the tide will wash you to shores you only dreamt could be written so well. This is a drenching, an epic storm.

In the reading:
I highly recommend a refresh on the entire series before reading this installment.
READ WAND FASTED JUST PRIOR TO THIS INSTALLMENT.
IMMEDIATELY OPEN THE SHADOW WAND *AFTER* CLOSING WAND FASTED.

Chapter one will have you in gut wrenching torment IF you have just read Wand Fasted.


THE SERIES ORDER:
Read (or reread) in the following order:
The Black Witch
The Iron Flower
Light Mage
Wand Fasted
And AFTER Wand Fasted **IMMEDIATELY** read chapter one of The Shadow Wand.

Again,

The ride will be an explosion out of the gate. You will be in soul ripping emotion right from the first pages, especially if you move directly from Wand Fasted to The Shadow Wand.

And you will be left at the end panting, screaming, begging for the mercy of author and publisher to get that next (4th of 5 main book series) installment out ASAP, because you may just be left on life support waiting for it.

This MUST become a series for film, someone MUST pick this up.

Meanwhile get in now. And then be the ticketmaster for legions of others, herding them to a land that is absolutely unforgettable.

Now excuse me while I begin my fourth re-read, all before I have received my hardcopy or official Kindle copy or Audible copy.... because it's that good. I have bought them all, even though I have received an advanced digital copy for review. Just go buy this book.

(BTW Julia Whelan is back for the voiced narration, and she is MASTER in this telling! I HIGHLY recommend the audio, on Audible and Scribd, though I haven't heard it yet, she reins supreme in the voice acting for The Black Witch book 1 and The Iron Flower book 2, so her telling of book 3 is a given.)

Thank you to NetGalley and to Inkyard Press for an ARC for review. This review is my Death Fae seared and Empath Wynter Erlyn approved honest review.