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.

☀️🖤 Sanctuary of the Shadow ARC Review 🖤☀️

Thank you so much to Aurora Ascher, Red Tower Books and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Sanctuary of the Shadow is a paranormal fantasy romance and book one in the Elemental Emergence series. Harrow hasn’t had an easy life. Her entire family was murdered and she was the sole survivor. Taken in by a traveling circus, she hides her identity to keep herself safe. But when the circus obtains a new acquisition - a mysterious man in a cage - will she risk everything to save him??

This book was such a fun read!! Harrow and Raith were wonderful characters and i enjoyed their story together. I loved the magic system and world building in this book - it was super unique and I can’t wait for more in this series!

Overall this was a four star read for me! I loved the characters and the world, but it did have some tropes that just aren’t my personal jam. This book did have some darker elements, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book also had spicy scenes throughout, so overall three flames for spice

If you’re a fan of strong characters, interesting magic, enemies to lovers with fortune teller circus vibes, then absolutely check this one out!!

Please note: review will be posted to Amazon upon publication

I went into this book with high hopes. How could I not? Sanctuary of the Shadow promises a magical circus set in a fantasy world with a forbidden romance. Plus, Red Tower has been releasing great romantasy books! I thought this book would be a slam dunk. Reader, it was anything but.

Where to begin? I noticed the writing style wasn’t for me from the first chapter. The author is a tell-rather-than-show writer with a straightforward/blunt writing style. The writing felt very young for an adult book, and so did the characters. Harrow is supposed to be a mature adult, but she read as a teenager to me. Her character was not fleshed out at all, nor was the romance, which made it hard for me to feel invested in the story. There wasn’t any build-up or depth to the romance between Harrow and Raith. They meet and instantly fall in love. Even Harrow thinks it’s too soon to be in love with Raith.

In addition to the issues above, there was no plot. This book promises the reader a magical circus--and we barely see it. The circus is part of the story for the first 20%, and it’s only the setting. We don’t get to experience the circus or what it’s like to be part of it. I DNFed this book around the halfway mark, and there was no plot to be found. I’m not sure what this book is supposed to be about besides smut. That’s all I read after Harrow and Raith escaped the circus. Don’t get me wrong, I like smut and romance as much as the next person, but I also need plot and character development.

If you’re going into Sanctuary of the Shadow expecting a high-stakes fantasy book about a forbidden romance and a magical circus, this is not that book.

This is a New Adult Fantasy about a group made by The Queens called the Elementals. They have formed a sanctuary together as a form of protection from humans in a Circus. As a new mysterious elemental is brought to the Ringmaster the Fortune Teller, Harrow, starts to have some new, very confusing visions. When Harrow finds Raith, the mysterious elemental, in a cage, she begins to question her safety, the Ringmaster's motive behind the circus, and her true self.

Harrow is instantly drawn to Raith, and they instantly have a deep connection and trust. The relationship between is the driving plot of the book. Raith is by far the most interesting character. He has no memory of anything more than a few days. His past is completely wiped. As they navigated the real world and their relationship grows the story gets more interesting.

Thank you to Red Tower Books, Aurora Ascher and Netgalley for a copy of Sanctuary of the Shadow.

**2.5 stars

I really wanted to love this book. I mean, I even preordered it. But I have to say, now that I've read an ARC, my preorder will be cancelled. This book was such a struggle to get through - for many reasons.

1. It's marketed as a YA Fantasy, but the FMC is 60 years old - which yes, is a baby for immortals, but there was also just too much spice for this to be a YA book imo.
2. They fell in love in a week. Though they had no idea of who one another was, and with Raith missing all of his memories. Then Harrow is pissed when she finds out who he is (which understandable, but also like, you told him you loved him before knowing who he was).
3. The writing. It needed another round or two of really fleshing the story out and really tightening up the writing style.

I don't think I would have minded the writing so much if I wasn't already confused by whether or not this was a YA book. Throughout most of the book the writing felt YA but some of the scenes just felt too adult to me. And then the ending had a trope I hate in it. Everything just felt too rushed and it just added to my dislike of that trope being included.

I wish I could say I recommend this one, but I can't. Though there are reviews that share how much they loved it. So definitely check out the reviews for yourself before making a final decision on this one.

Simply put, this book is heavy on steam with not enough substance.

“Sanctuary of the Shadow” follows Harrow, the last living seer of her clan disguising her abilities as part of her act in a traveling circus. When a new attraction arrives with nonage, no memory of who or what he is, Harrow is instantly drawn to him. But thee Moree she discovers about his past and how it is intertwined with. Her own, thee Moree danger she finds herself in.

This series has the potential to be great. Unfortunately, that potential isn’t fully realized in this book. Much of the world-building consisted of info-dumping without expansion in favor of focusing on spicy moments between the main couple. Normally, this wouldn’t present too much of an issue for me because I enjoy romantasy books, but the pacing of their relationship is so fast that it was hard for me to invest in their “insta-love”.

All this being said, I really liked the general bones of this story with the existence of a magical circus harboring elementals. Raith, Harrow’s love interest, is an intriguing character having no memory of his past or his dark power, so I gravitated towards chapters written from his point-of-view. Above all else, I enjoyed the emphasis on female friendship through Harrow’s friendship with Mal. I am hopeful that Mal’s book will only build off of this one and fill in the gaps.

This book had so much promise which fell so short. I was anticipating a fun circus read with some air bender mixed into it but all I got was a book about sex and some plot. There are so many gapping plot holes for an already thinly plotted book that reading it was so hard to do. It's a gorgeously designed but so misleading. I've come to assume the imprint might be based on vibes and not really material you seek out as comfort reads. Why were the two queens at war? What other elementals are out there? Why leave the circus 5 seconds into the book? Raith was giving off new to the world vibes and it felt like Harrow took (sexual) advantage of him. If roles were reversed it would come off as extremely creepy and maybe pushing some SA allegations. The blurb of the book doesn't match the book whatsoever.

This title has all the elements that I love in fantasy. Magic, intrigue, war, romance, secrets...! But, it fails to deliver a compelling story throughout. There are so many good ideas here. They just seem not to come together or stick to each other. The world-building lacked clarity, and it was sometimes challenging to keep things straight with often little to no description. The MCs are fine, but for some reason, both feel unrelatable to me, and while I did enjoy the spicier scenes, I just couldn't connect. There were also POV switches midchapter that were challenging to keep up with. I don't think that's a make-or-break thing, but I did find that it contributed to my confusion while reading.

Many of these comments may be down to personal preference as an avid fantasy reader. These comments are not the final word on this book, as I can see folks enjoying it for the romance aspect specifically.

Sanctuary of the Shadow initially captivated me with a circus atmosphere and the promise of Sandman vibes, yet unfortunately fell short in execution. The narrative tone wavers between YA and adult themes, creating a discord that detracts from the overall experience. While the world-building shows potential, it feels rushed and lacks the depth needed to fully immerse the reader.

The characters and their development offer some solace, but the story lacks the overall substance necessary to keep me hooked. Despite enjoying the characters, the narrative's shortcomings led to a fragmented reading experience. The story hints at a captivating world, but its pacing and underexplored elements leave a lingering desire for a more nuanced and immersive storytelling approach.

This was a "new to me author" and I was really looking forward to this book. However, I couldn't get into it. I was extremely excited because I loved the cover and the synopsis. I usually read a book in a day. It too me over a week to finish this book and I struggled. I thought this would be a an adventure of a couple (Harrow and Raith) and their journey in a magical Circus - it wasn't. Disappointed to say the least.

Starting off the year with one of my most anticipated stories that I ended up DNFing is so sad. I was so excited to get approved for this one and I started it right after I finished the book I was reading. The premise of the book was amazing and I was all here for it. But sadly I don't think that the book really gave us anything it promised. The writing felt like it was a middle school project and the only really good writing was when it was spicy.

The circus that is on the cover is barely there and the world building felt so underdeveloped I was crying. The story itself felt very stilted and along with a horrible romance that just didn't feel right. Overall, the entire story felt lacking in all aspects and I really think that this one could be freaking amazing. But it just needs cleaned up more. I fell that Red Tower is trying to rush things and it's just not working.

Instant obsession!
This book is amazing. Harrow is a meek, timid “human” at the beginning and watching her grow into herself was awesome. Raith is super mysterious and quiet but he definitely has an interesting story. When the two of them are brought together it’s magic. Literally! Watching them blossom was absolutely wonderful. The world building is perfect and the characters are phenomenal. This book will definitely give you some feels but it’s going to grip you and hold strong. I couldn’t put it down! The adventure is everything and I wondered for a minutes which way this would end as our main characters find themselves in a situation neither of them wants….to be apart. But this story has the perfect HEA and I can’t wait to see more of them hopefully in book 2!

I went into this with no clue what it was about so I had zero expectations. I absolutely enjoyed this book. I was hooked from beginning to end. I loved the characters Harrow and Raith. There were a couple things Harrow did that I may have done a little differently but overall I loved it. The added spice was a nice surprise. No complaints here. I can't wait to see what the future holds for all these characters. Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Red Tower Books and NetGalley for this digital galley in return for my honest review.

I actually enjoyed this story. I wasn't expecting a circus storyline at all. Moreso a storyline where the circus is the starting point of things to come. Harrow was only a part of the circus in hiding. She concealed who and what she was in an attempt to keep herself safe. Posing as a human fortune teller was her gimmick. Through her abilities she had a feeling of dread as well as a feeling that someone needed her help. She was ready to shake off the impeding notion until the day she meet....Him.

Raith was a mystery. He had a bloodlust, violent and blood thirsty but for some reason Harrow was able to calm his savage ways.

Against her better judgement Harrow decided in order for her and Raith to find freedom they needed to escape the circus. Harrow and Raith set out on a mission to help him recover his memories and to help Harrow get her revenge against those who murdered her clan.

This story was full of nonstop twists and turns. In my opinion Harrow was a little annoying as she never wanted to listen to reason and did things her way and was later made a fool of because of her naivety. Raith has been used as a tool of destruction for so long, but he didn't want to do the horrible things he was compelled to do and when the truth of all of his destruction comes to light Harrow takes a devasting blow to not only her peace of mind but her heart as well.

Heartache, Betrayal and Redemption surrounds Harrow and Raith relationship but are those things enough to keep them together.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing an eARC of this book for me to enjoy.

Overall, this was an interesting read. Lots of great world building and romance. I would have liked to have seen more of the journey that Raith and Harrow had to take.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for this ARC! I really enjoyed this book and what a great way to start off the year.

I adore Harrow and Raith. Their love story stole my heart 😭 loved the journey each of them went on both as individuals and as a couple. The spice also spiced in this book 🥵 holy hotness! I also enjoyed the drama that surrounded their love and that it wasn't easy for them.

The world building was beautiful and I enjoyed that we got to see different parts of it. I loved the stuff we got from the circus and all of those characters. Malaikah is my spirit animal. I'm hoping we get a book of her and Ouro because something is there and I'm intrigued.

"Fight me all you want, because I enjoy watching you suffer. I enjoy witnessing your pain, while still knowing it will never equal the pain your kind inflicted upon the Seers before you killed them all." He added in a low voice, "All but one."

This novel isn’t typically what I would normally read but I was recommended the story and got intrigued. I’m so glad I listened because I enjoyed the story between Raith and Harrow!

The beginning of the story starts off slow but does pick up pace once Harrow meets Raith, who’s unable to remember who he was or his past. Can Harrow trust him or will love conquer all? What happens when Harrow uncovers secrets? Raith may not be who he seems…

“Sanctuary of the Shadow” is a romance fantasy with spice, secrets, betrayal, and revenge! This is one novel you can’t stop reading!!

Thank you to Entangled, Aurora Ascher, and NetGalley for an arc of “Sanctuary of the Shadow” in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. It’s set in a world of Elemental Queens and other unusual beings, but is primarily a love story. Harrow and Raith were intriguing characters. I liked how the author explored themes like consent, trust, blame/responsibility, and redemption. Harrow’s friend Mal was also fascinating. I want to learn more about her. The world as a whole felt gritty and lived-in, which I appreciated. The magic system was interesting, but a little confusing at times.

Side Note: I really want a set of Harrow’s water-based card deck.

I’ve seen a lot of people stress the magical circus element of this book and I just want to manage expectations a little. Yes, Harrow is part of a travelling show of Elementals. However, the show itself feels like a regular, real-life circus or travelling show. The main difference is that the “freaks” were created by the Elemental Queens so the tails, wings, furry ears, and magic are all real. Also, the circus is more of a backdrop for Harrow and Raith’s story and doesn’t have a very major role. Harrow isn’t even a performer in the show. She provides private fortune tellings wherever the show sets up shop. Personally, I was okay with the circus as a minor part of the plot. I just want to make sure people don’t go into this book expecting it to be something it’s not.

NOTE: This book works as a standalone, but it sounds like there will be more books that follow other characters in this world. Mal is up next. I can’t wait!

Yikes. Starting the year with a two-star read was not what I expected, but I couldn't look away from this dumpster fire. From the summary, it would take place at a circus, with many intriguing magic systems and unique characters. However, the circus lasted for five minutes, and then boom the main character was running away. This book was so predictable and not in a fun way. The world-building was dry and the characters were basic at best. This was also supposed to be reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender and you could have fooled me because I felt no elemental magic except maybe some water for the majority of this book. Don't even get me started on the instant love. It was awful. Five days and these characters already can't live without each other after not knowing a damn thing about either of their backgrounds. And speaking of there was not nearly enough background information. It just dove into the "supposed" action which didn't work at all. The idea was so promising, but it was hard to keep up with the changing POV's and lackluster writing. Super disappointing book, but we can only go up from here. Thank you to RedTower books and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC to read and review.

This book was so good I couldn’t put down the romance ,the spice ,the story it was so moving. I love the different points of view it was just a fun ride