Curse of Shadows is the second installment of AK Wilder’s Amassia series - a YA fantasy set in a world where Savants have the power to raise phantoms from the ground. These phantoms enable the Savant to call forth objects, oust, alter forms, fight, and heal. In this second book, we follow Ash, Marcus and the rest of the crew as they race across the entire continent to collect the whistle bones from different realms in an attempt to save the world from total destruction. 

The world completely expands as new realms and characters are introduced; the stakes are higher with new villains and danger lurking in every corner. I was quite impressed how the story has improved from the first book, with new developments, more complex plot lines, shocking revelations and exciting twists and turns. It was fast-paced with no shortage of action and kept me engaged throughout most of the book. It’s sad that I’d have to wait for the 3rd book because I really can’t wait to see what happens next!

#CurseofShadows #NetGalley Another addition to this adventurous series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

This is the continuation of the series and it starts from book 1s cliffhanger. It starts fast with so much fighting and searching for power.
Ash and Kaylin are getting closer. They both seem to be holding some things back. Though Ash is not aware. Marcus returns home to many surprises and is sent on a quest. There's so many powers and politics at work. 

This is the continuation of the series and it starts from book 1s cliffhanger. It starts fast with so much fighting and searching for power.
Ash and Kaylin are getting closer. They both seem to be holding some things back. Though Ash is not aware. Marcus returns home to many surprises and is sent on a quest. There's so many powers and politics at work.

This book is so fast paced. It's told through so many of the characters' povs. Right when I think I know who is the one behind everything their pov trips me up.

This book also has a bit of a cliffhanger to go into the next book with some racing hearts and some open questions like what the heck? Ash is my favorite character but I do like the tortured ones usually. Those she trusted were lying to her so I feel she might shift dramatically in the next book.

Marcus with his crew are still searching for the whistle bones while the other power plays are happening right under their noses. I am really enjoying De'ral and Salila's relationship as they are both very powerful beings but also the banter between De'ral and Marcus as he tries to control his phantom is great.

I still don't know what Brogal, Rhiannon and Teern are planning. Anyone have any ideas?

Thank you entangled_publishing and netgalley for the eARC for the honest and voluntary review.

A high stakes adventurous quest that takes us across Amassia with a diverse and badass cast of characters! 

I won't hold it against Wilder that I had to wait a very long time for this sequel. I loved every minute of immersing myself back into this world with these characters and have to say It was adventurous rollercoaster for my emotions. 

It picks up right where Crown of Bones left off with the group traveling with Heir Marcus Adicio facing off with Tann and protecting the sanctuary and whistle bone. By the throw of the bones it is decided that this group will go on yet another quest this time to save the world from the Great Dying. 

I loved that we get to continue on with these amazing band of characters, getting to see even more character development and growth as they face many challenges along the way. One of my favorite things that Wilder does in this series is telling the story from multiple POVs. It really gives depth to the story and adds a unique element of being able to know what is going on in other parts of the world in a parallel timeline that create and add to the overall story. I also love getting to see more of the characters personalities to come through. Especially Salila! She is my favorite! Ash continues to be strong willed and starts to learn to have some more faith in herself. The complexity of her relationship with Kailyn and Marcus definitely add a fun element to the story. We also get the addition of so many characters from their travels as well as some more POVs. 

We are given so much action as well as personal turmoil as the heroes are faced with multiple villains and challenges. There is more information shared on the Mar as well as the lore of the world and whistle bones thread throughout the book. Up until the very end I had no idea what was going to happen or where the story was going. I had to really process my emotions over the last few chapters because so much happened in such a short time. 

Overall, I could not get enough of this world and these characters. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time  never knowing the fate of the characters. I was feeling all of my emotions, from the banter between Kailyn and Ash, to the arguing between Deral and Marcus to the heart flutters Salila gives Marcus! Not to mention the heart wrenching moments that came at the end in many forms. I am so excited to see where this story goes with the reveals that came at the end that definitely threw me for a loop and surprised the hell out of me. 

This is such an underrated series. Wilder crafts such a beautiful world, dynamic characters and entwines so many moving plot lines while still giving the vibe of a classic fantasy quest!

This book starts where Crown of Bones left off, so please read that book first if you haven't, you don't want to miss it. There are so many things going on in this story, all the magic, action, fights, and a lot of emotional moments, it has it all. To be honest, you will love all the characters, with so many POV's you will be traveling throughout the story in no time, it will hook you from the start and I can't wait to see what comes next.

"Damaged is not always a weakness " 

Ok. I'm in absolute freaking love! I enjoyed Crown of Bones but holy hell did Curse of Shadows take the cake, crown and whole darn show. Action packed, excellent world building, well done plot shockers, emotion... Everything I love in a well rounded fantasy. I literally finished 450 pages in less than two days with NO audiobook y'all. Who am I??

This is book two and I feel that almost anything could be a possible spoiler so I won't go into much detail. The characters from Crown of Bones journey into this novel with perfect ease. This journey was even more so harrowing and addictive than the first. And the reveals!! It's like you know in the back of your mind what's going to happen but you're still in disbelief as things happen. This as a total 5 star for me. A.K. Wilder, I am utterly here for the next round! 

Thank you Entangled Teen! I want to shove this novel in everyone's face right now and just squeal with unsupressed excitement. This beauty releases tomorrow! Y'all get ready!!!

Curse of Shadows is the second installment in author A.K. Wilder's The Amassia Series. The story takes place on a world known as Amassia. Much like our Earth, is the third planet from the Sun. Like our Earth, there were once 7 continents that have, over millennia, formed a single landmass surrounded by the sea. As the story begins, it appears that the prophecy of the Great Dying is here. Amassia teeters on the brink of the next Great Dying. There is now a second Sun in the Sky which will eventually kill everyone and everything on the planet unless it can be stopped.
This is a world that is broken into Potentials and Non-savants. Potentials are children whom the Bone Throwers deem worthy to try to raise a phantom. They are sent to the sanctuaries at eight years of age. The brown-robes receive intensive training to see if they are indeed savant. Most will fail and go back to their families, declared non-savant. Those who do raise their phantom will stay on as blue-robes and train up through the ranks, as far as they can go.

Key Characters:

Ash orphaned at age eight; she's best friends with Prince Marcus Adicio; she's a 17-year-old non-savant wordsmith whose dream is to set foot in every realm of Amassia. For some reason, her memories are fractured, and her connection to Kaylin has been blocked. Though she hasn't raised a phantom of her own, the voices in her head may the biggest mystery of this entire series. Ash's story gets much more intriguing when her real identity is revealed later in the book. I put Ash first, because she's seriously the most interesting character in this series which the cliffhanger ending will lay out for you. 

Marcus Adicio is the yellow robed third son of Jacas Adicio of Baiseen who raises a warrior phantom known as De'Ral. After his father dies, and his brother Peten is named Magistrate. Marcus, who doesn't have full control over De'Ral, is named Bone Gatherer by Master Brogal. He is ordered to travel to all 7 realms and retrieve what's called whistle bones. There are 12 of them. The hope is to reform the crown of bones and protect allies from the Great Dying. He, along with Ash, Piper, Samsen, Kaylin, Tyche, and Belair must battle the elements, as well as two dangerous men; Tann, and Atikis (red-rob of the Sanctuary of Goll who raises monstrous alter phantoms) who are both seeking the mythical whistle bones.

Kaylin is a Mar posing as a bosun’s mate. He volunteers to go on the quest of the Bone Gatherer. He was ordered to kill Marcus but has since been told to save Ash for Teern and been more than helpful in fights against a variety of forces. The more we learn about Kaylin and his "sisters" Dreaded Rosie and Salila, as well as his "father" Teern, the more intriguing he gets. The author hits on the Dreaded, a clan of Mar so dangerous that Teern himself put them down. Hopefully we will learn more next time out. 

Secondary Characters:

Belair Duquan is a warrior savant from Tangeen; Piper is an orange robed healer of Baiseen Sanctuary. Samsen is a yellow robe savant who raises a par caller/part alter phantom that is confined to various birds. Tyche (12) is the granddaughter of Yuki. She's a savant who raises a caller phantom in the form of an impala. She is along for the ride because she can call the various bones. Rhiannon is Baiseen's treasurer's daugher who has not only married the new Magistrate, but has desires on becoming the most dangerous and powerful Magistrate in all the lands even if that means stopping Marcus. Salila is a Mar woman with extreme appetites. She is able to walk on land if she has human blood in her system. Her only fear is Teern, known to all Mar as Father, and King of the Sea.

Thank you so much to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Curse of Shadows! Curse of Shadows is the second book in the Amassia series, with Crown of Bones being the first, and I really enjoyed Crown of Bones, so I was really excited about reading Curse of Shadows! While I didn’t expect it to be quite as long as it was, I definitely enjoyed the book as a whole and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.
Curse of Shadows 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: For fans of epic fantasy with adventure and romance, Curse of Shadows reveals a world of unique magic, breathtaking action, and unforgettable love.
Amassia teeters on the brink of the next Great Dying.
The second sun has returned as our Bone Throwers foresaw—casting the nine realms into war.
My name is Ash, and I fell in the battle for Baiseen. But I’m awake now, slowly putting the pieces back together.
My Heir has lost his throne.
My sailor is gone.
And there is an emptiness inside me I can’t explain.
Amid the chaos, someone must collect the original twelve whistle bones from all corners of the world. Marcus is named to lead the cause, but with his volatile phantom, he’ll need diplomacy as much as his sword. And we are not the only ones to seek the bones.
Yet succeed we must.
Because if we don’t, it will be death to all…
This was such a fun read! I didn’t quite remember everything exactly as it had happened in Crown of Bones, but I feel like I had enough of a gist of everything to not be completely lost throughout the beginning while I was still getting my bearings. I really liked the characters and I had to remember to be really careful to actually pay attention to the chapter headings since this book was being told in multiple perspectives and the chapter headers told you exactly who was going to be narrating that chapter. So many things happened in the 400 some pages of this book and while I don’t know if everything was always 100% necessary, it was cool to be a part of the quest that Marcus and the gang were going on. Ash was definitely my favorite character as I assume she was designed to be. I also really liked Kaylin and how far he went to keep Ash safe and protect the secrets that he was trying to protect (and man, not trying to spoil anything, but that ending (both the ¾ ending and the last chapter ending) were ridiculous and I cannot wait to see what they mean for the next book). The whole quest and traveling from land to land to get their bones for the crown was fun and I liked that we got to see everyone and get to know them better, while, you know, they were fighting for their lives and the survival of their world. Plot and pacing wise, I thought things in general worked pretty well for this book, especially since it was a middle book in a series. Overall, I definitely enjoyed Curse of Shadows and I think you should pick it up today!


Link to post to be added once post goes live

I want to Thank Netgalley, Entangled and A. K. Wilder for giving me a chance to read this book


The book is told from several different points of view and I loved getting to see the perspectives of the various characters. This is part of a series which I didn't know until after the fact BUT it is still a good read and I will be getting Book 1 an re-reading this an giving a better review

This book was absolutely amazing! I seriously couldn’t put it down. Loved getting to see more sides of all the characters in this one. This book didn’t have a single slow spot at all. And I can’t wait for book three. Definitely becoming one of my favorite fantasy series. So happy to have found this book. Very very highly recommend reading this adventure filled book!

Usually, book two doesn't quite measure up to the first in a series but Curse of Shadows managed to hold its own. With intrigue, betrayal, and romance this story kept me entertained from beginning to end, but what really boosted this to a 5-star read for me was the plot at the end which quite literally made my jaw drop! Needless to say, I'll be pre-ordering book three as soon as available

Couldn't wait to read this second in series fantasy adventure,
Wow, what a roller coaster ride is this whole venture
With a dying father, an heir disinherited, a new quest,
Phantoms, savants, journeys, wondering what'll happen in the rest!

Action packed, surprising,
World building, realising,
Dramatic, tension,
Their future, reinvention!

Twelve bones to make up the crown,
Marcus has the job to hunt them down.
Reconnecting them the world to save
With friends who are also so brave.

But some aren't on the same side,
Beware who you trust as you ride.
Riddles to solve as all unfolds
And prophecies are told.

A fascinating sequel to such a great read,
Now book three is just what I need!
So many aspects resolved in this one
But I need the adventure to carry on!

If fantasy adventures with heroic deeds
Are what you also enjoy to read
I highly recommend this book to you
And hope you'll enjoy reading it, too!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
What a thrilling, epic fantasy - and this is my honest review.

Curse of Shadows is the second book in the Amassia series by A.K. Wilder.  This story was fascinating. I love the magic of the story and the fact that anything that could happen at any given time takes things to the next level. The characters are well-written, with a captivating storyline that kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting more.

I loved this book! I have looked forward to reading this book since the moment I finished the previous book in the series, Crown of Bones. I was in a bit of a reading slump with nothing really grabbing my attention until I started reading this book and I was immediately captivated. I love this group of characters and the magic system in this world is incredibly interesting. I really enjoyed this newest adventure.

The book is told from several different points of view and I loved getting to see the perspectives of the various characters. This book picks up shortly after the events of the first book so this is a series that really should be read in order. A second sun has risen and The Great Dying is imminent. Marcus is no longer the Heri but he has been given the task of collecting twelve whistle bones from various lands. Marcus, Ash, Kaylin, Piper, and the rest of the crew have quite the task ahead of them and there are those that would do whatever they can to stop them.

This story was very exciting. I love the magic of the story and the fact that anything could happen at any given time just takes things to the next level. The characters in this story are incredibly well done. I wanted to see good things happen for Ash, Kaylin, Marcus, and the rest of the group. There were plenty of twists and turns in the story and while I was able to figure out some of them, there were others that took me completely by surprise. This was one of those books that was almost impossible to set aside once I picked it up.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this series to others. I have found it to be an incredibly entertaining and original series. While I wouldn’t say this book ended on a cliffhanger, I feel like I need to get my hands on the next book in this series just as soon as possible!

I received a digital review copy of this book from Entangled: Teen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the Advance Reader Copy, I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Curse of Shadows picks up with the continued story of Ash, Marcus and crew after Crown of Bones ended.  You get answers to questions that formed during Crown of Bones, but I was thrown for a loop because things didn't quite go the way I was thinking.  The storyline introduces new characters - some are fun, but many are more suspicious and raise questions about what is actually going on.  There are a lot of politics, posturing, and jockeying for power.  

I liked this second book in a series, and I can't wait to see what happens next given the ending of Curse of Shadows. 

Minor issues that I encountered: some of the plot pacing was very fast, so at points descriptions felt a little skimpy, a couple of spots felt really jarringly disjointed (this is later resolved and is a plot point that is fully explained, but the initial reading was rough), and trying to understand the rationalization behind some of the character actions was, at times, unclear.

Recommend for those that like unique magic systems, mixed party quests, and multiple points of view. 
If you liked Percy Jackson, Fellowship of the Ring, then give the Amassia series a try.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, this one had me pinned to the pages all the way to the last page.

Ash is not herself. Not only are there massive holes in her memory, but she feels as if a part of her has been ripped away. But there are bigger concerns as Marcus, the Heir, has been side-stepped for his rightful place on the throne, and the next Great Dying is approaching. Now, the task switches to collecting the bones to form the crown and the only means of saving the world before others do.

This is not a stand-alone and continues where book one left off. While book one ends in a cliff-hanger, this one starts with a settled state, leaving Ash with the consequences of the last event. But she...nor anyone else...isn't sure what happened. Luckily, this frustrating state doesn't hold through the entire read (which I feared it might), and instead, it's only a stepping stone in another amazing adventure.

There are plots and subplots twisting and turning, new characters to love and hate mixing with the 'old' ones from book one, and so many surprises. The intrigue splits and spins as various fronts join with their own goals concerning the Great Dying and the bones. Some, who were thought to be important, fade, while others, who seemed weak are suddenly showing their true faces. This isn't only in comparison with book one's events, but within these pages too. It's packed, it's fast-paced, and it's very well woven.

The characters gain depth and take some unexpected turns, which promises even more excitement in the next book. Ash's lack of clarity in the beginning, allowed other characters to slide further to the front and gain more depth. A few new ones also joined the plot...and these added new points of view to the mix as well. I would have liked to get to know a little more about some of the villains, and there are still a few loose ends after Ash comes back to center stage in the later part of the book. But all of this just had me eager to dive into the next novel and see where it all leads...because so far, it's been amazing.

This book was everything and more that a second book can be!  The storyline was so well done, the characters are enjoyable and keep growing throughout the series, and the plot kept you intrigued throughout the whole story!  This book was wonderful and can't wait until the next one comes out! This is an underrated series in my opinion and it deserves so much more attention than it's gotten so far, but it is wonderfully done.  Highly recommend to anyone who wants a great story!  

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

What a ride! An excellent epic fantasy full of twists, featuring great characters and an interesting world building.
I can't wait to read the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Characters raising various types of phantoms to help battle enemies – it’s something I hadn’t come across in a YA fantasy and one of my favorite aspects about the first book in this series. With loads of secrets, mysterious characters, and ancient scrolls, this sequel was on my list of most anticipated releases this year.

This is one of those reviews that will be difficult to write without spoilers, so it may be brief. The prophesied Next Great Dying is approaching, and the only way to prevent it is to gather the original twelve whistle bones scattered across the world. Former heir Marcus lost the throne to his younger brother, but has now been named the Bone Gatherer and is tasked with collecting the whistle bones. Assisting him in this quest are several friends from the first book, including Ash and Kaylin. Suffice it to say, the journey is filled with life-threatening danger, exciting adventure, and mind-numbing revelations.

POV rotates mainly between Marcus, Ash, and Kaylin, but much of this story belongs to Ash. My list of suspicions about her in the first book was pretty long, and some are confirmed, but other reveals surprised me. Kaylin continues to be my favorite character, and he comes with some pretty unexpected reveals of his own. His relationship with Ash only grows stronger in this sequel, and that ending left me pretty anxious – and possibly screaming in frustration.

Pacing isn’t as consistent as the first book, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. This remains one of the best YA epic fantasies I’ve read in the past couple years, and the third book has already made my most anticipated release list no matter when it arrives.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I just love how fun and fast-paced this story is! I really enjoyed this next installment in the Amassia series. It continues to be filled with epic adventure, heartmelting romance and strong friendships, and so many secrets, deceptions, and mysteries abound. The short chapters this time definitely increased my reading experience and had me reading for longer stretches. I loved the new points of view we got and the reveal of certain plot points. I'm equally excited to discover and uncover the remaining hidden truths in this tale!

AND OMG THAT ENDING WAS SO EXCITING AND SATISFYING! 

This is an amazingly layered epic fantasy! If you like young adult, high fantasy stories with unique magic systems you definitely need to check this series out.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
💨 fast-paced storyline
🗣️ short chapters x multiple POVs
💥 hidden identity x power
🧠 missing memory
⛪ sanctuaries x ancient artifacts
⚓ expansive land x sea quest
🧜🏻‍♂️ landers x mar people
🗺️ thrill of adventure
👑 kingdom & political intrigue
🙌🏻 when the title makes sense!
🤯 cliffhangers!

Thanks to Entangled Teen for the early e-copy!