Harrow is a Seer in hiding at a magical circus after a wraith committed genocide on her people. While working at the circus, she discovers a man that the circus owner has captured. Supposedly he is a wraith, but Harrow can sense that he is a good soul and so she decides to rescue him. Raith has no clue who or what he is. He awoke in the desert with no memory of his past and naked. All he knows is that everyone who sees him seems to fear him, and he is immediately taken captive to be sold. When he meets Harrow, he cannot help but love her on sight. With the help of her friend, Malaikah, Harrow breaks Raith out and escapes the circus with him to hide out. But will his secret past, and the future come between their love?

I really wanted to love this first book in the series because the premise of a a true enemies to lovers taking place in a magical circus sounded so amazing, but unfortunately it just did not deliver. At times the writing seemed a little juvenile, almost like YA but with extra spicy scenes. Also, the love was fast. Really fast. There was not enough build up to the commencement of their love in my opinion. Finally, the circus, a setting I was really excited about, barely featured. That might have been my biggest disappointment. The world and magic system has the potential to be really interesting, but I’m just not sure I’m willing to even continue the series to find out. I believe the next book will be Malaikah’s story, and I just am not sure I was interested in her enough to continue on.

This could be a fun read for someone who is new to the fantasy genre and likes their fantasies extra heavy on the romance and spice and loves the insta love trope.

Let me start off by saying I have absolutely adored every single Red Tower book to date. My hopes were sky high for this one- a freaking circus! While I am so thankful to Red Tower and the Entangled team for hosting a read-a-long and gifting me a copy, I just can't love this one.

There are moments here that are good. It has a lot of potential but there's a lot of issues that I had and after discussing with other readers, my feelings of the book dwindled. I am all for the spice, I love spice in my books but this went from YA vibe writing to smut real quick. Harrow and Raith go the insta-love route immediately and while I can get on board with insta-lust, I just can't find the love believable. Raith has *no* memory or recollection of anything that has happened prior to him being enslaved and kept in a literal cage. After escape, yeah I can see the lust happening while hiding out in a single room unable to leave with Harrow but for them to fall in love?

The magic system holds a lot of promise. Harrow is the last Seer who holds powerful water magic, or so we're told. Readers really don't see any use of it which is odd considering this is a fantasy novel. We've got a raging war, resulting in Harrow's people seeing a mass genocide, Raith being enslaved his entire existence and there's just no detailing. We take this information and use it as a plot hook and just move on? If we're going to use these very traumatic experiences within a book, I think it should be owed that these are fleshed out and acknowledged in a deeper capacity than as a background note. As a reader, we just don't fully understand the history let alone get to see the inner workings on the actual circus. I was left with so many questions on the queens, the war that has happened, how the circus operates, etc.

We spend such a large portion of this novel within the walls of the hotel room with Harrow and Raith with just brief glimpses of the past, of the events happening outside while they hide that there's just too much unknown. It's fast, readers are given a high tension drama scene towards the end that is immediately solved with nothing more than what seems like a 'look of love', and we wrap up with a bow all neat and clean. It's too final, it felt rushed, and the last plot point to drive home is one of my least favorite trope uses ever and I'm disappointed that it felt like the way to go here.

This adventure had me on the edge of my seat for the entire second half, with palpable chemistry between the two main characters.

I was initially drawn into this plot by the circus premise, but that is not what kept me intrigued by the plot. If you're looking for another Caraval, this book isn't it. The circus elements ended up being more of a feature character that faded into the background for most of the story, rather than a main focus. It ended up making this a very different story than I thought it would be, but I ended up really enjoying it all the same.

Ascher did such a fantastic job at characterization in this story. She created a character with no memories of his past yet made him dynamic and compelling. Even after each big reveal gave us more insight into Harrow's past, I was still clamoring for more of this wonderful anti-hero character.

While I absolutely loved Harrow, Raith, and Mal, I did end up wishing for a bit more out of the supporting characters. It seemed like everyone in Harrow's life followed the same pattern: act suspicious, do suspicious things, reveal true intentions, turn out to be helpful. I sort of expect that sneaky behavior from one secondary character, but having two huge people in Harrow's life basically act the same made me care less for one of these characters in particular.

For me, the draw of Sanctuary of the Shadow was definitely our two main characters. Harrow and Raith managed to be complex, even while Raith remained mysterious, and their connection was intimate and tangible. Their history played out beautifully as the past was uncovered, and I thought Ascher did a wonderful job at addressing the complexities of fate versus free will as well as the emotional toil of lovers to enemies to lovers.

A fantasy stand-alone with a healthy dose of spice!

The author takes us into a world of magic and goddesses, with a small dose of memory loss like Jason Borne. We discover Harrow's past and her link with Raith.
The book raises questions about forgiveness, self-hatred, betrayal and manipulation.

I enjoyed this tome, finding our characters endearing, the feelings were very well written, and I was very invested in our characters' story.

My problem with stand-alone is that I often find the story moves too quickly, which is the case here. I would have liked the two-volume story to have been slower.
But I can't wait to read the second volume and meet up with our other characters.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for this ARC and for the read-along!

It was a magical, spicy, fated mate romance that was entertaining to read!

The characters were somewhat well-written but I wished I could see more side characters (ones that were mentioned) and learn their stories. I can see more standalone books about the other characters' POVs that allow us to dive deeper into the world.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for allowing me to receive an e-ARC of this book and give my honest review :)

#SanctuaryoftheShadow #NetGalley

The introduction to Sanctuary of the Shadow - set in a paranormal circus was whimsical and curious, exploring a new world with lore, magic systems and feuds taking place prior to current events, and it was wonderful.
About a quarter of the way in, once we've been introduced to the world, main cast and their histories, the story and finer plot are diluted, focusing almost entirely on the FMC & MMCs dynamic (romance), and introducing new pathways and dilemmas which take over most of the latter half of the story.

Themes include;
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🔥 Dual POV
🖤 Elemental Magic
🔥 HEA

While the main narrative and plotline is resolved- the ancient conflict between elemental seers and wraiths is ultimately resolved through our MCs overcoming trauma and their differences through love (how nice), the introduction of the Queens and their feud could have, and should have, been a stronger focus with even more fallout and higher stakes. Harrow and Raiths journey feels almost as though it was too easy and overall anticlimactic.
With the lore building and the diverse character introductions, Ascher could definitely develop deeper stories around this world (Mal standalone👀)

Thank you Entangled Publishing and Red Tower Books for the Arc, I'm excited to read more by Aurora after this!

I really liked this story, it is intense, passionate and full of suspense, it had me turning the pages without blinking and with my stomach in knots.

I loved the characters, the romance, the deep connection between the hero and heroine, the adventure, magic, and how little by little secrets are revealed and nothing is what it seems.

This story is full of intrigue, mystery, powerful beings, feelings and anguish, I loved this new world and I can't wait for more of it.

Thank you Entangled and Brittany Zimmerman for sending me an E-Arc of this book. This was originally to join the Read Along but unfortunately I was unable to participate. This is my honest review.

This book is the latest in the Red Tower Books imprint from Entangled. After reading the synopsis for Sanctuary of the Shadow, I REALLY thought it was up my alley and would be another hit, I tried so hard to fully enjoy this book, but in the end it just wasn't for me.

The premise of this book, from the cover to the summary, alludes to the concept of this story being based in a magical circus, but this was the smallest feature of the book, it was in the background and more of an anecdote. Yes the FMC starts off as an oracle in a circus, it's where she meets the MMC, but it is not what this book is about.

This is also my first book by Aurora Ascher, so I am unfamiliar with her writing style, but I think her style may just not be for me. I really struggled keeping up with the multi-pov aspect, I can't stress this enough how much readers appreciate it when you label who's POV we are actually in. It's such a little thing and it makes the experience much more enjoyable. I found myself several times not realizing the POV has switched till I'm a couple chapters into the new viewpoint and then would have to go back and reread what I just read to reorient myself.

The summary is so enticing, it does its job well to pull you in, but it felt like everything was surface level. I feel like this book could've been so much more and it just fell flat. I didn't connect with the characters, I didn't buy the love story of their fated destinies. The story started so promising, we had an intriguing summary of what the book should be about, the introduction to the characters was good. I liked the concept of an elemental fae circus and the twist with the water guiding Harrow in her abilities was really unique. But then it just quickly went downhill. I could accept the younger YA writing if we didn't jump almost immediately into spice. I normally don't mind insta-love/lust if it makes sense, but the MMC was literally just in a cage and barely spoke?

Ascher had the beginnings of what could have been a really interesting world with a creative magic system but nothing read fleshed out. I really wish she would've taken more time and developed this more. Conflicts were easily and conveniently explained away and finished quickly, the pacing was confusing, the plot moved sporadically and the ending felt a little too convenient and forced for a HEA.

This is apparently a standalone, but from the insinuations I imagine there will be a connected spinoff that focuses on the character Mal and her journey going forward.

I found the characters the most intriguing part of this book from the beginning of the story mainly. I can see the beginnings of what could be a really great world and it's for those two points alone that I would consider giving Ascher another shot if she does continue with this world.

With a creative and unique magical lore and world building this story started off great. There being a Queen for each magical type, and elementals within each of those magic areas, was very fresh and inventive. Then add in a circus setting for keeping said elementals in a ‘safe’ environment and the potential to love this story was there. The main characters however never captured my interest and their relationship moved entirely TOO fast for me. I much prefer a slow burn to a mach10 rush to intimacy.

Harrow and Raith being shown to be a yin and yang to one another (with reversed sexes) was the most compelling part of their story, and I would have like to have seen that explored more.

The story also relied a bit too much on “the tell” and not “the show” end of the spectrum for my reading taste as well. I would have like to have seen many of the events that were just mentioned and discarded.

Some of the supporting characters would make fine leads for their own stories. Mal and Ouros have a spark that could ignite, and Salizar’s back story would be a great novella! In truth I am not likely to rush back to this series any time soon, due to my own reading preferences.

I would like to thank the publisher for providing the ARC of this story for me to review.

ARC Review: Sanctuary of the Shadows by Aurora Ascher
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
Releases: January 9, 2024
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61432205-sanctuary-of-the-shadow

I participated in a Read-a-long with Entangled Insiders for this title.

I had high hopes for this title. The blurb, cover, and sprayed edges sucked me in so I was hoping this was going to be a title I loved. Unfortunately, it fell short for me.

Harrow is a seer masquerading as a human fortune teller in a supernatural circus. She's content with that life until the circus owner hides something mysterious in his tent. The something mysterious is Raith.

The supernatural circus should have been cool, instead, we hardly spent any time there despite almost 1/2 the book taking place there. This should have been the cool place that was the backdrop of the story but, it became an afterthought.

The relationship between Harrow and Raith was WAY too fast. I get they had chemistry, but they jumped from Raith barely saying two words to Harrow to them leaping into bed. I love some spice, but could we have development sprinkled in there?

Finally, there's the plot. Fighting queen sisters. Yes! But it should make sense. Instead we had a queen who was an Oracle but didn't dispense any information that people could figure out. Another who tried to be helpful but only after her subject/family tell her off. Only then does she see the error of her ways and help 😒. The last queen (at least in this story) is so corrupted by grief she does horrible things and is allowed to do those until Harrow and Raith.

Too many holes and not enough development to make much sense when I finally got to the end.

Sanctuary of the Shadow is a fantastic new adult romantasy that follows Harrow, the last a Water-elemental Seer and Raithe, the stranger who was picked up to join the circus, with no memory of his past and no idea who he is.

Their story had me fully captivated from beginning to end. It took us on quite a journey as we follow these two, who are drawn together from the moment they met and I couldn't wait to see how things would develop between them as they were the perfect blend of light and dark.

The story was steamy and took us on quite a journey with some unexpected twists and I loved the magic and fantasy element in the story. The secondary characters were colorful and intriguing and provided great support to the main characters.

This was an enjoyable tale that had me captivated until the end. I would definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I felt like it was pretty fast-paced from the beginning. I wish there had been a little bit more world-building, the information that we got just did not feel like enough but what we did get I found interesting and would have definitely liked to have learned more. I feel like the story of this book was kind of rushed, especially the ending. I wish we would have gotten more scenes set in the circus as well as more information about the queens and what they were doing. This book also had way more spicy scenes than I thought it would have. I did really enjoy the vibes of the book, especially during the circus scenes. If you are looking for an easy-to-read, spicy fantasy romance then I would recommend this book.

I received and eARC from the publisher and read it with a Facebook group as a read-along. Every other day new prompts came out with questions relating to a set of chapters. This allowed me to feel more immersed in the book and think more about the characters and their actions.

I enjoyed Santuary of the Shadow. The world sounds very cool and I wish that there was just a little more backstory/information about the different elements and the gifts that come with them.
The main characters, Harrow and Raith, have interesting chemistry. Some of the twists in their relationship were easy to spot but didn't take away from the story.
It was a bit spicier than I expected but the spicy scenes were well written and easy to follow what was happening.

That was a really good romantasy! Thank you so much Entangled for this opportunity! I have no words left to say but definitely buying this book!

An epic fantasy. First time reading Aurora Ascher and she did not disappoint! Received an ARC. Everything you could want in a romantic fantasy. Great world building right from jump. Adventure, mystery, and romance. Harrow is a exciting character to follow on a journey of self discovery. Plenty of other players to fill out this great start to many more possible books.

"Sanctuary of the Shadow" is a captivating tale set amidst a world torn by elemental conflict. Harrow's unique gift and clandestine existence within the circus, coupled with the arrival of an Elemental amnesiac, Raith, promises an enthralling narrative that delves into both their connection and the greater power struggle among the Elemental Queens. The character development and the infusion of humor add depth and relatability to the story, making it an enjoyable read. The interplay between light and darkness within the characters' arcs hints at a compelling exploration of secrets lurking in the shadows. Overall, this book offers a compelling blend of fantasy, character-driven narrative, and an intriguing world that keeps readers engaged till the end. I thoroughly enjoyed many of the characters within the book, and found myself excited for the next in what is clearly a new up and coming series.

I was given an ARC in exchange for participating in a read along from Entangled Publishing.

I had relative high hopes for this book. However after my third time trying to get through the first chapter — i knew it would be a tough one

While there is some great parts of this book (interesting premise, characters, and potential) it truly fell short. There is such a small scope that the plot is being pulled into when the story and narrative could have been much bigger. I wanted to be entranced by this rich world and enchanting circus—but that doesn’t happen.

The love story is sweet but didn’t have enough depth. I wanted to understand more of who the characters were before they become infatuated with each other.

Overall, I am rating this book a 2.5 but rounded up to 3 stars.

I wanted to love this book so much. The setting felt different than what I usually read and the intrigue sounded really good. Unfortunately this one felt short for me. The backbone is really good and has a lot of potential. The story is fast paced so there are no dead moments but I did wish it was a bit slower at times to allow better characters and story development. The romance was there and there were sweet and spicy moments but I felt like the connection was not always believable. The main intrigue was good and I wish the story used it and developed it more. I really loved some of the secondary characters (Ouro and Malaikah) and feel like they could have their own story. I wish the queens arc was explored more than it was. I also felt like the ending was cut short. Overall the backbone is good but for me it was missing more “meat” around it and the writing style was not my cup of tea.

This book started out very strong. I loved being introduced to the characters, I loved Salizar, Mal, and Ouros. The circus was fascinating and I wish we spent more time there. The use of the elements and the threats against elementals was well established and it seemed promising.

Then it took a bit of a turn. Harrow immediately fell into a relationship which was too much too soon. Through a series of reveals, the main male character then becomes someone we should hate, but we are then told time and time again (for several chapters) that we are wrong, that we must forgive him, and that thinking anything otherwise is ignorant. It felt like the reader was being gaslit right along with the main female character and it lost me there. As a result I didn't buy the redemption or the resolution.

I really hope to see more of Ouros and Mal in another story but I am not interested in continuing a series about Harrow and her soulmate.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for this review. Personally I am more of a "slow burn" and "non-toxic mates" reader and while I absolutely love your other stories, this one just wasn't for me. If you are into "lovable monsters" you will probably love this.

This is a hard one for me to review because I really wanted to like it. I think the story was a good one with characters that were really likable but the book needed more editing. It ran on at times and also felt a bit slow when it shouldn't have been. I didn't like how certain things were abbreviated at times but not every time they were talked about. I did like how spicy it was and how different the story was from other fantasy books.